honestly when aliens arrive we should start having sex with them as soon as possible. so when they decide to take over a lot of them already have emotional connections/physical offspring and will form a sizeable resistance. not me, i don’t want to, but i know a lot of you would be into that, and i’m telling you it’s okay, you’re actually the last hope for our species.
I’m a huge, huge Batman and extended family fan. I used to watch the Batman cartoons when I was a kid (along with Superman and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, those three were my favorites — go figure) before recently reading the main Batman comic title. I’ve read well over 700 issues, which is small hat to many dedicated DC fans, but kind of a big deal for a quasi-casual fan such as myself, and out of the five Robins I’ve read (Dick, Jason, Tim, Steph, Damian), Dick Grayson/Nightwing is my favorite.
There’s probably a great deal of subtext that other DC and Glee fans will tease out in time, but I’m going to go a little more broadbrush, since I assume that’s a bit closer to what the writers did. Here are some overarching things that delight me:
Dick Grayson is a performer.
Before becoming the first Robin, Dick was a circus acrobat. He thrived off of thrilling an audience, and that tendency bled into his habits even after he was taken in by Bruce Wayne. His moves are, almost as a rule, more showy than most of his superhero allies, certainly at least in the Batfamily. For a long stretch of time in the main title, the disappearance of Bruce Wayne forced Dick to come and step in for the guy as Batman, and it made very clear the stark differences between their movements — Dick was more flexible, a clear acrobat instead of a battering ram, and trying to turn all that natural grace and happiness down to impersonate Bruce’s Batman was quite the downer.
He’s most at ease when his inner performer is given more freedom — and we certainly see the same with Blaine, where being limited in his performances is at best frustrating for the guy.
Dick Grayson is an attentive mentor who prefers partnership over leadership.
Another facet of Dick’s personality which became clear for that period of time that he stepped in as Batman was the way he treated those on his team (the butler, Alfred, and the new Robin, Damian Wayne). Unlike Bruce, who was the very clear leader, sometimes even dictatorially so, Dick was all about appreciating the skills of the others in the group and encouraging them to participate in whichever way would best foster those skills. Even though his Robin was certainly a green partner at best, Dick was extremely inclusive and supportive in a way which helped Damian grow far more than he had with Bruce, particularly with respect to personal morals and emotional development.
Similarly, I think more than almost any previously proclaimed captain or leader of New Directions, Blaine is about the team. (His time with the Warblers is less applicable, as he was the lead in performances, but not the lead as far as the direction of the team went.) He worries about the other team members, he’s attentive, he knows that a strong team means a great deal more than a single leader.
Dick Grayson is a generally positive, balanced guy.
The Robins are, as a rule, pretty warped in one area or another. And who can blame them, really — most have had wayward or absent parents, and being brought under Bruce’s watch as a child can’t be the easiest thing to bear. Not to mention all the crimefighting. But of the five, Dick is arguably the most well-adjusted, a generally positive force and someone who’s very stable. He’s the most independent of Bruce’s hold, his sense of self-worth doesn’t depend half as much on Bruce’s approval, and it might even make him the better hero for the majority of cities out there — not every city is Gotham, after all. As with any superhero, Dick has his darker moments and has no shortage of doubt, but within the Batfamily, he’s as stable as they come.
And I think that this can be said of Blaine as well. Is he always happy? No, obviously not. But he’s one of the most sensible out of the kids, even if his difficulty communicating has landed him in quite a few snags here and there. Like, come on — the kid gets super enthusiastic over disco. Considering all that’s going on in his life, considering all the hurdles he’s faced, he’s come out with a smile more often than not.
Dick Grayson ditched the cape—but Blaine Anderson brought it back.
And here’s the little bit which heavily strays from Nightwing, but in a way that I find especially effective. Dick hates the cape. It’s not a matter of what it represents, it’s not even about what kind of fashion statement it makes (although I don’t think he’s especially fond of the look), it’s about practicality. Once again referencing Dick’s time as Batman, during which he had to don both cape and cowl, the cape was one of the most aggravating pieces of wear for him. It was heavy, needlessly bulky, threw off his balance, and the whole gravitas surrounding the look made him roll his eyes a little.
But Blaine loves theatricality. Save for putting a careful stop to Kurt’s candle obsession, he’s all about going out there and adding a little more to a performance. Mind, the rest of his outfit is still practical compared to the others in the glee club — no headgear, nothing obscuring his vision, fabric that’s easy to move in, and that also isn’t extremely bright in color. Yet there’s still the cape, a little nod and concession to the performance.
Suffice to say, I’m pretty thrilled. 😀 What are your guys’ thoughts?
jfby12backup 