Warning! Spoilers ahead for Batman/Catwoman #3 from Tom King and Clay Mann.
In the latest issue of Nightwing, Batman's first Robin and the city of Blüdhaven's premier vigilante, is not destined to become the next Batman after Bruce Wayne. Instead, he will be taking on the role of Gotham's police commissioner, taking the reins from Jim Gordon. Tom King's vision of a future Gotham sees Dick Grayson working alongside Helena Wayne, the daughter of Bruce and Selina Kyle. Helena Wayne will have become Batwoman in the future after Bruce retires as the Dark Knight and eventually es away.
Thus far in the 12 issue maxi-series from Tom King with art by Clay Mann, Batman/Catwoman has jumped across the timeline of their relationship, interweaving a tale of their romance in the past, present, and future, while also involving the rogue killer known as the Phantasm. In the future narrative, Selina sought revenge against the Joker for something terrible he did to the Phantasm in the present, though it's yet unclear what exactly it was the Clown Prince of Crime did. However, now that Bruce is gone, Selina can finally do what she's apparently always wanted to. Catwoman kills the Joker, who had been quietly living in a mobile retirement community in Florida.
Now, Batman/Catwoman #3 focuses on the aftermath of Joker's death, seeing the new Dark Knight being summoned with the Bat Signal by the new police commissioner, Dick Grayson. This adult version of Grayson is incredibly striking, and his beard, blue tie, and jacket do him great service. He looks to fit the part of Gotham's new commissioner of the GD, standing on the rooftop to go over the details of Joker's murder with Batwoman.
It makes sense that Gordon would have (hopefully) retired at some point, and it's likewise logical for Grayson to take over. After all, he was a part of Blüdhaven's own police department for time, seeking to help root out the corruption from within the force. In King's vision for Gotham's future, it seems as though Grayson decides to eventually leave the Nightwing persona behind, choosing instead to do good in Gotham by leading the GD, which honestly appears to be a great role for his future. In the issue, Nightwing breaks down Joker's murder with Helena, and it's also revealed that, despite his death occurring in Florida, Grayson will be overseeing the investigation due to the fact that so many of Joker's crimes happened in Gotham itself.
As the series continues, it will be interesting to see how much more of Commissioner Grayson readers will get to see. As the investigation continues in Gotham's future, Selina continues to feign innocence, pretending to not know anything when her daughter shares information about the case to her mother. While Grayson and Helena don't have any leads as of yet, it's going to be a wild ride when/if they discover that Catwoman herself was Joker's killer, mere weeks after the death of Batman. Regardless, seeing the final fate of the former Nightwing is a pretty cool element for fans to enjoy as Tom King's series continues from DC Comics.
