Slides 1 & 2: Nightwing (2016) Issue #85

Slide 3: Nightwing (2016) Issue #86

It's like Tim and Stephanie had been waiting for this for so long, so much so that they literally said the same thing after Tim seeing and Stephanie being told that Dick and Barbara kissed.

Steph was smyzing, smiling with her eyes.

(Artist, Bruno Redondo)

(Writer, Tom Taylor)

Recently, the Vampire Diaries star and one of the biggest fan-favorites for the role of Nightwing returned to comic conventions, and a bit later officially announced his return to training. Earlier, Steven also updated his list of subscriptions with various comic book writers, actively being considered one of the most dedicated DC fans, specifically of Batman and Nightwing.

In the period from 2013 to 2018, the geek community actively promoted him for the role of Nightwing, citing his ideal appearance as "literally straight out of the comics." However, the actor disappeared, the role was given to another well-known actor, and so the gestalt was left unclosed.

In 2023, James Gunn announced the project Batman: The Brave and the Bold, based on the run written by Grant Morrison (whose comics Steven R. McQueen actively reads as a fan of the DC universe). In the source material, as well as according to already confirmed information, Bruce will have a son — namely the fifth Robin.

If we refer to the canon and source material, Nightwing (the first Robin) served as Robin for 6-7 years, starting as an 11-13 year old. The second Robin was Jason Todd, who also held the post for 2-3 years, followed by the third Robin for several years, and the fourth who served for a few months. Finally, Damian Wayne, the actual son of Bruce and fifth Robin, starts at around 8-11 years old.

Purely by logic, the first Robin, namely Nightwing, cannot be younger than 25-28 years old, fitting specifically in the 25-30 range. Steven returned recently; while he gained some weight, he hasn't ended his career. According to recent photos, one thing is clear: he practically hasn't aged at all. At 38, he looks like a 30-year-old, and after training and regaining shape, he becomes almost the ideal candidate who deserves a second chance at the role of Nightwing.

Source from Dan Watters’ Twitter: https://x.com/danpgwatters/status/2110460970015637746

Congrats to the current run of Nightwing for reaching 150 issues, which is also the current longest running issue count for a solo comic character. 😊

6 more issues until this run becomes the longest running Nightwing run ever, exceeding Nightwing (1996-2009)