Nightwing should have been the one to raise Batman’s son, and even Damian Wayne knows that

Damian Wayne’s Robin And Nightwing share one of the deepest bonds in the Bat-Family, a bond that was forged during their time as Batman and Robin. Their relationship, however, extends far beyond their time as a dynamic duo, spanning various interpretations and even transcending mainstream continuity. This deep bond continually underscores one clear truth: Dick Grayson should have been the one to raise the youngest Robin.

June Ba’s The child prodigy is a prime example of a series outside of mainstream continuity that beautifully highlights the bond between Dick and Damian. This Black Label series fantastically retells Damian’s Robin origin story, while also exploring his relationships with his three brothers, Dick, Jason Todd, and Tim Drake.

The first issue focuses on his relationship with Nightwing while also offering insight into Damian’s relationship with his father, Batman. The result is a beautifully portrayed comparison of Dick and Bruce’s interactions with the youngest Robin, making it clear that Nightwing should have raised Damian.

“The Prodigy” proves that Dick Grayson is a better mentor than Bruce Wayne

One of the main themes in The child prodigy #1 is Damian’s insecurities about whether he is a worthy son and Robin for Batman. This is vividly illustrated in an interaction between them in which Damian – still influenced by his upbringing in the League of Shadows – kills a criminal while on patrol with his father. At first, Damian is pleased with himself and thinks he has done a good job, only to find that Batman is horrified by his actions. Instead of discussing what went wrong, Batman turns his back on Damian and walks away. The boy feels abandoned and rejected..

Later in the issue, Robin makes another mistake on patrol and rushes into battle against Clayface ill-prepared. This time, the mistake is made in front of Nightwing, not Batman. Dick saves Damian from a potentially fatal blow from the Gotham Rogue and Instead of reprimanding or firing him, Nightwing turns the situation into a learning experienceHe says to Damian: “Our job is not just to beat criminals. It is also to help their victims get back on their feet.“Robin is initially reluctant to Nightwing’s advice and reacts defensively. But it soon becomes clear that Damian has not forgotten the lesson despite his initial reaction.

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Damian Wayne learned how to be a hero from Nightwing (not Batman)

After the fight with Clayface, Robin escapes Nightwing and continues patrolling Gotham alone. During his patrol, he sees an elderly lady being robbed. After defeating the criminal and tying him up for the police, Robin remembers Nightwing’s words about how helping victims get up is part of the heroic act. Damian takes Dick’s advice and approaches the elderly lady to help her pack herself and her things. This act of kindness leads the woman to thank and praise Damian, marking a significant moment in his career as Robin.

Unbeknownst to Robin, Nightwing had watched the whole scene and smiled proudly down at the boy, glad that Damian had taken his words to heart and applied them. This interaction with the old woman shows how much more effective Dick’s gentle correction of Damian’s behavior is compared to Batman’s harsh reprimands and neglect. It’s obvious that Nightwing knows how to treat Damian in a loving way that doesn’t lower his self-esteem while correcting his behavior, unlike Batman. This moment highlights Dick’s ability to bond with and guide Damian, and proves his ability to raise the boy.

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Nightwing proves through his mentorship with Jon Kent that he is a better mentor than Batman

Nightwing’s superior mentoring skills compared to Batman extend beyond his relationship with Damian. Nightwing 2022 Annual Story, The lessonby CS Pacat, Inaki Miranda and Adriano Lucas, also underlines Dick’s talent for promoting young heroes. The narrative contrasts Nightwing’s mentoring of Superman Jon Kent with Batman’s approach when Dick was Robin. In his training sessions with Jon, Dick gives him encouragement and positive feedback while also making necessary corrections, in sharp contrast to Batman’s harsher methods during Dick’s time as Robin.

In the flashback, Batman is seen telling young Dick not to make a single mistake, trust anyone, or make himself vulnerable as he subjects him to relentless training. While this harsh approach was effective, Dick’s comparison of his methods to Jon and Batman’s training of him as Robin underscores Nightwing’s belief in a better method for training young heroes. This is further emphasized by the stark contrast between the dejected expression on young Robin Dick’s face after his session with Batman and Jon’s confident, uplifted demeanor after his session with Nightwing. This underscores Dick’s superior ability to nurture young heroes.

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Nightwing proves he was a better father to Robin (and should have continued raising him)

Beyond Ba’s The child prodigy It is important to recognize Nightwing’s significant positive influence on Damian within the mainstream continuity, which underscores Dick’s superior ability to nurture the youngest Robin compared to Batman. This is demonstrated in Grant Morrison’s Batman and Robin Run, in which Dick and Damian form an exceptionally effective duo. Over the course of the series, Damian’s development from trained assassin to heroic figure is vividly portrayed, alongside the deep and loving bond he shares with Nightwing. This narrative underlines Dick’s ability to lead Damian to personal growth and also emphasizes his genuine love and support for the boy.

Towards the end of Morrison’s run, when Batman returned from his time travel, Damian repeatedly expressed his desire to stay with Dick and showed reluctance to return to his father. This sentiment was also echoed in Batman Inc #8 when Damian said: “We were the best, Richard.“This underscores that the argument is not just about who was best suited to raise the youngest Robin, but also about the deep bond between Dick and Damian, which resembles a father-son relationship. In essence, DC missed a significant opportunity by not allowing Nightwing to further increase Robin.

The Prodigy #1 is now available from DC Comics!