As Nightwing investigates the secretive group referred to as the Maintain, his investigation is uncovering connections no-one anticipated – together with one to his extensively loathed ‘Ric Grayson’ period. When Nightwing was shot within the head by the murderer KGBeast, he misplaced his recollections of his grownup life, and renamed himself Ric for a contemporary begin. Whereas he later regained his recollections, his time as Ric wasn’t erased, and now forgotten occasions are again with stunning significance.
In a preview of Tom Taylor, Michael Conrad, Stephen Byrne and Serg Acuña’s Nightwing #106, followers see the origin of a mysterious package deal presently within the possession of the Maintain. Addressed to Dick Grayson, it beforehand made its technique to him, however arrived in the course of the interval when he was Ric. Feeling that no matter was within the parcel wasn’t related to his new life, Ric handed it onto the Maintain, marking it ‘Nightwing’ ought to his different self ever return. In fact, that’s precisely what occurred, and now Dick Grayson needs his possessions again.
In Nightwing #99, followers discovered that Blüdhaven has its personal secret society within the Maintain – a seafaring legal group who retailer priceless belongings for town’s scoundrels. Whereas Dick encountered the Maintain whereas stopping his mother and father’ killer Tony Zucco from robbing them, the Maintain revealed that Nightwing has his personal vault beneath their care, with one thing value seeing inside. In an superior twist, this situation’s preview reveals that’s as a result of Nightwing – or not less than Ric – opened up an account with them after assembly certainly one of Dick’s former buddies from Haly’s Circus. Now, it appears Dick must know what’s in that letter.
To this point, followers don’t know a lot concerning the Maintain or what they’re holding for Nightwing, but it surely feels large. Whereas Haly’s Circus was Dick’s residence as a toddler acrobat, it was additionally secretly managed by the Court docket of Owls, who used it to coach their baby assassins. Dick was meant to be such an murderer, however his mother and father’ homicide and being adopted by Batman modified his destiny. On the similar time, Dick simply discovered that he has a long-lost half-sister in Melinda Grayson-Lin, confirming his mother and father had advanced lives he by no means knew about. The parcel could possibly be related to both of those deep wells of secrets and techniques, or one thing completely new – if Nightwing goes to seek out out, he’s going to want to actually set sail seeking the Maintain.
Whereas Ric isn’t remembered fondly by most followers, making him a part of this thriller is a superb twist, and roots the upcoming reveal in a number of layers of Dick’s previous. Superhero comics are sometimes at their finest after they renew and recontextualize previous tales, and the present run of Nightwing is clearly trying to do that for Ric (who additionally appeared in a earlier situation because the fake-out disguise of a fifth-dimensional imp.) Nightwing’s time as Ric stopped him getting this info when it was first supplied, and has given him a private hyperlink to Blüdhaven’s secret society, giving new that means to the brief interval when Dick Grayson was ‘useless.’ With deep ties to Nightwing‘s adopted metropolis, roots in his youth, and connections to his latest previous as Ric, the thriller of the Maintain’s vault is already shaping up as an sudden deep dive into all the things that defines Dick Grayson.
Nightwing #106 is obtainable from DC Comics September 19.