WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Nightwing #79 by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas & Wes Abbott, on sale now.
Nightwing is starting a new phase in his life and has set out to make Bludhaven a better place. His revelation came in part due to him coming to grips with the fact he is now a billionaire and knowing how bad the city really is.
During a night out with Barbara Gordon in Nightwing #79, the two young heroes were stopped by a man and his son who asked for help. While that interaction inspired Dick to make a difference in the man’s life and to turn his attention to the community of his city as a whole. But shortly after Dick gave the man and his son dinner and a place to stay, a new villain named Heartless confronted them, and he took the father’s life by stealing his heart.
Click the button below to start this article in quick view.
The contrast between Nightwing and his new villain is striking, and this issue shows how different they really are. The villain is called Heartless, and the people of Bludhaven — at least those who live on the streets — are terrified of this man.
Heartless shot his victim with a special sort of gun. It blasted right through the chest of the man, and he fell dead. This left the man’s son an orphan, condemning him to become yet another one of Bludhaven’s orphans. Many of the city’s unhoused youth are living in a tent city, where “the Man Without a Heart” has quickly become an urban legend. These kids are all scared to death of the Man Without a Heart, and while Nightwing thought they were talking about him after he arrived there, these kids fear someone terrifying and a person that is the opposite of everything Dick Grayson stands for.
Unlike this villain and even Batman himself, Nightwing is all heart. While Batman fights to make Gotham safer for people, his goal is to reign in fear, which is why he took on the symbol of a bat. Nightwing made a few observations in this issue that shows how different he really is from Batman. Dick told Barbara he felt Batman could have done more good as Bruce Wayne than he did as Batman. Dick now has that chance. While Batman lost almost all his fortune following Joker War, Dick is now a billionaire, thanks to an inheritance he received from Alfred. He now wants to do something to make a difference as Dick Grayson more than as Nightwing.
When Nightwing found the tent city, he admitted that Bludhaven tends to break his heart more often than not. While a villain known as Heartless is out there killing people and making more orphans, Dick wants to help lift these people and anyone else who needs a hand. As a billionaire, Nightwing has this new opportunity to do something other than beat up bad guys; he has the resources to be a safety net for the entire city and everyone in it. While Nightwing’s heart is full and willing to help, he and his city are facing one of their greatest challenges ever in this new, truly heartless villain.
About The Author
