Summary
There is no superhero alliance more iconic thanthat between DC’s iconic Trinity: Gotham’s Dark Knight DetectiveBatman, the Amazonian PrincessWonder Womanand the alien protector of Earth,Superman. The iconic trio have saved the universe again and again, anchoring not just the concept of the Justice League but the world’s entire superhero community. However,DC is now pointing out that there’s a fourth member of this group- someone who’s been there from the very beginning.
In a preview ofBatman/Superman: World’s Finest #30, fans get to see what DC is calling"the Trinity’s first mission.“This isn’t the first time the heroes met, but the first time they arranged to work together as an official trio, investigating a murder on the island of Themyscira. However, even in this history-making first mission, the Trinity are accompanied by their unofficial fourth member.
The issue shows Dick Grayson’s Robin attending the mission with Batman, having been invited along as the Dark Knight’s sidekick. However, the first Robin is no guest - he’s part of the crime-fighting team, andthis issue makes it clear he’s been working alongside the Trinity since the group was informally founded. Robin’s sidekick status stopped him being perceived as a full member, but as he’sgrown into his own hero as Nightwing, it’s become clearer and clearer that his connection to the Trinity is far more than just trivia.
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Robin is a far earlier part of Batman lore than most fans imagine, introduced only one year after the Dark Knight’s own debut.
Dick Grayson’s Robin Has Been with the Trinity from the Start
Nightwing’s Former Sidekick Status Makes Him More Influential Than Anyone Realizes
Robin was first introduced in 1940, just one year after Batman’s debut in 1939’sDetective Comics #27. While later stories have built out the story ofBatman’s early days without Robin,the Boy Wonder has been part of the Dark Knight’s mythos from almost the very beginning, introduced even before Batman’s ‘No Kill’ rule. This is especially significant when considering that Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman didn’t all work together until 1947’sAll-Star Comics #36.
Indeed, even in that story, the bond between Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman wasn’t given particular prominence. For a significant portion of their appearances in DC Comics, the three were simply considered members of the Justice League with no greater bond as a ‘Trinity’ than with any other members. Indeed, the idea of Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman as particularly close more or less started with Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’Superman Annual #11and its iconic ‘For the Man Who Has Everything.’
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This story (in which Batman and Wonder Woman visit the Fortress of Solitude to mark Superman’s birthday) wasn’t published until 1985, and even then, Robin is a major character. Not only does he appear throughout, but he’s actually the one who saves Superman’s life in the story’s conclusion - albeit in this case, the Robin in question was thesecondBoy Wonder, Jason Todd. Arguably,the Trinity’s special relationshipwasn’t fully canonized until 2003’sBatman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity, though later stories have retconned it as existing from very early in each hero’s career.
All of this is to say that Robin was already a firmly established aspect of Batman lore for years - arguably decades - before the Trinity came into existence, so it’s easy to see why he was present for their first mission and most important adventures. Indeed,Robin’s early introduction and iconic naturehave led to him standing alongside the Justice League in adaptations like 1973’sSuper Friendsand 1986’sThe Batman/Superman Hour.For as long as the Trinity have even known each other, Robin has not just been present butactivein their adventures.
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Nightwing uniquely connects each generation of DC heroes, having grown up alongside the originals, inspired the Titans generation, and trained the new, upcoming crime-fighters (many of them the kids of the heroes he fought alongside as a teen.)
Nightwing Has Grown into the Trinity’s Equal
Dick Grayson’s insider/outsider status has matured over the decades, creating one of DC’s most compelling characters. As both Robin and Nightwing, Dick was a member of the most iconic generation of DC heroes without being considered their equal. This allowed for alotof growth as he went from Boy Wonder to solo hero toleader of the Titans.
Dick has since been positioned as the most widely known and liked hero in the DC Universe- someone who all the oldest heroes have watched grow, and who the subsequent generation of former sidekicks see as a leader and exemplar. With DC recently establishing a new,younger generation of heroes, Nightwing has also become a mentor, training Batman and Superman’s sons Damian and Jon, as well as running TItans Academy and checking in on outsider heroes like City Boy.
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DC acknowledged how pivotal Nightwing has become to its universe recently with 2022’sDark Crisis on Infinity Earths. Not only did Nightwing take point on defeating the multiverse-devouring big bad of that story, but when the dust settled and the Justice League decided to disband for a while, Superman and Wonder Woman reached out (with Batman’s approval) toask Nightwing to replace themas Earth’s foremost protector. This status has continued through theBeast WorldandAbsolute Powerevents, withDick Grayson coming to the fore as the unofficial leader of all DC’s superheroes.
Seeing Dick Grayson alongside the Trinity on their first mission emphasizes how he exists both within and without this alliance - his association with the iconic trio gave him the same legendary status, both in-world and to readers, but his secondary status as a sidekick gave him immense room to grow over decades of comics. Nightwing has been there from the very start of the Trinity and has essentially always been a member, but existing outside the official codification of the group has turned him into a character who is simultaneously iconic and accessible.
Nightwing has long had the potential to stand alongside the Trinity, but DC’s recent elevation of the character means there’s no way Dick Grayson is ever relegated to the B-list again.
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There’s No Going Back for Nightwing
Having Grown to A-List Status, Dick Grayson Is Here to Stay
For decades, DC has been teasing Nightwing’s potential as a hero.Batman has long considered Dick Grayson his betteras a force for good, training him to take a leadership role over DC’s heroes. However, the publisher has understandably been reticent to pull the trigger on elevating a hero who may be a household name, but not under an identity he can ever believably return to. Over the last few years, that’s changed, with Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s critically beloved tenure on the ongoingNightwingseries deserving much of the credit for embracing Dick’s potential.
Fans have long debated whether Nightwing still exists in Batman’s shadow or not, but in DC’s current comics, it’s clear he’s been fully established as a solo character, withTaylor stating that Nightwing is already A-listand simply needs to be treated as such. Recent stories have moved past defining Nightwing via his relationship to Batman, instead exploring what it means to be the hyper-competent hero who connects each different generation of crime-fighters.Dick Grayson has always simultaneously been part of and apart from the Trinity, and nothing exemplifies his unique nature more than being the hero who took over when Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman stepped back from working together, turning to someone who has always worked alongside them but is only now seen as their equal.
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Nightwing’s increasing prominence in the DC Universe is particularly satisfying through the lens of his semi-membership of the Trinity, especially in the sense that his character growth has played out over literal decades of stories. He’s a character who has stood alongsideSuperman,Wonder WomanandBatmanfrom the start, but is only now reaching the same level of acclaim and respect - from his fellow heroes, from comic fans, and even from DC.
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #30is available August 21 from DC Comics.
Nightwing
Nightwing is the superhero moniker taken up by Dick Grayson, upon his aging out of the Robin role and becoming a superhero of his own. Inspired by the original Kryptonian hero of the same name, Grayson has risen to comic book immortality with the identity, earning respect as one of the greatest leaders in the DC Universe.
