Everything Robin Is Grayson Again On The Wednesday Run

Er, everything old is new again. That’s the phrase, right?

In comics, that particular idiom, if true, probably only applies for a short amount of time. A few years, maybe. Hell, maybe only a few months! In comics, everything old that might be new will revert to its original self.

But that doesn’t mean the process of change can’t be interesting.

And that’s what we get this week. A brand new #1, a brand new re-invention of a classic character that the whole world knows – but never really knew.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I present to you: Grayson #1.

Grayson #1

Written by: Tim Seeley

Illustrated by: Mikel Janin

Published by: DC Comics

So, Grayson #1 is a fairly anticipated (new) debut for a character that everyone should recognize.

If you’re reading this column because you’re into comics and you’re just looking for a heads up on a particularly interesting release each week, then you don’t need me to tell you that the character of Richard Grayson is, in fact, Robin. Yeah. Batman’s Boy Wonder. Still, there are plenty of people out there who don’t know him by his real name. Or how he came to be in his own monthly comic book series sans mask and costume.

Here’s how it went down:

Within the pages of DC Comics’ last big event series, the recently ended Forever Evil, Dick Grayson, in his superhero guise of Nightwing (since he kinda grew up and graduated from being Batman’s Robin – going on to have solo crime-fighting adventures in his own comic book series) was captured by the baddies, beaten, bloodied, broken and unmasked to the world.

Oh my God! Nightwing is affiliated with Batman! Nightwing is Dick Grayson! Dick Grayson is affiliated with Bruce Wayne! Bruce Wayne is…?

Now, the DC comic book world somehow didn’t make that last leap. But Grayson, you see, could no longer be Nightwing. He could no longer live two separate lives: one as the masked crime fighter and one as a somewhat regular human being.

Enter the Spyral agency – and Dick Grayson as its newest secret agent!

That’s right. Beginning with Grayson #1, we’re entering the world of crime, noir, and superspy adventures. It’s brand new territory for this character, a brand new chapter in his long and storied history, and there seems to be a lot of excitement and anticipation for it by devotees.

Writer Tim Seeley has done some fan-favourite work with Hack/Slash and Revival, both published by Image Comics, and, to my knowledge, this is his first major work for DC Comics. Make no mistake: Dick Grayson is a major character. This is a huge endeavour and there’s a lot of responsibility on Seeley’s shoulders. It’s a good thing he’s got the amazing Mikel Janin (Justice League Dark) helping him out on art duties.

For someone that knows about Wonder Woman’s mod turn during the early seventies and the Justice League’s relocation to Detroit, Michigan, in the mid eighties, I can’t help but wonder if this turn to espionage for Dick Grayson might be short lived. Will he soon put the tights and mask back on? Will Nightwing soon return?

Either way, this particular chapter in the characters life will prove to be intriguing.

Make the run to your local comic book shop today and pick up Grayson #1. Let’s find out how intriguing it’ll be together.