Warning: Contains spoilers for Titans #5
Summary
- Nightwing's detective skills are impressive as he solves a deadly team mystery and saves the Flash's life with an impressive display of deduction.
- Dick Grayson proves himself as a hero and a detective worthy of Batman's trust, solidifying his role as the leader of the Titans.
- The Titans, now Earth's primary superhero team, continue to face challenges and protect the world in the absence of the Justice League.
After training under Nightwing has picked up several useful skills from the World's Greatest Detective. Now, as the Titans step up to replace the Justice League as Earth's defenders, Dick Grayson has solved a deadly team mystery so easily that even Bruce Wayne would be impressed by his former Robin.
Titans #5 by Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott sees Nightwing go into hiding with the Flash after the team witnessed Wally West's near-future self die in the series' first issue. As the hour of Wally's demise grew nearer, Dick isolates himself, Wally, and Wally's wife Linda Park-West in the Titans' trophy room on Mars. At first this choice appears disastrous, as Linda was being manipulated by a mind-controlling alien from the Church of Eternity.
Nightwing, however, reveals that he expected Linda to be the killer all along, saving Wally's life with an impressive display of deduction. It's a brilliant moment of detective work on Nightwing's end, with Dick making, as Wally puts it, "a huge leap for anyone who isn't you."
Nightwing's Detective Skills Saved the Flash's Life
A future version of Wally comes to the Titans in Titans #1, appearing dead in Titans Tower with computer screens asking the team to solve his murder. Meanwhile, the Titans' former teammate Tempest began working with the evil Brother Eternity and the Church of Eternity. Though Brother Eternity acted as if he had turned over a new leaf, Wally discovered a strange meteor from within the church. Brother Eternity sent Tempest to attack the Titans with a mind-controlling parasite, hoping to keep the meteor's secrets hidden. Tempest eventually transferred the alien parasite to Linda in an attempt to kill the Flash and Nightwing.
Dick, however, lured Linda to the trophy room to draw her out. Because Wally was shot at point-blank range, Nightwing assumed the fastest man alive was killed by someone close to him. Similarly, the meteor and Tempest's odd behavior tipped Dick off to the alien mind-control. Thus, he and Wally predict the attack, free Linda, and save all their lives on Mars. By claiming the deductive leap made by Nightwing would be impossible "for anyone who isn't you," the Flash puts Dick Grayson in a detective league of his own — perhaps even outpacing Batman himself.
Nightwing Is the Leader Batman Knew He Would Be
Titans comes following (and during) Taylor's run on the Nightwing solo title. In both instances, Taylor has shown Dick Grayson to be one of the premier heroes of the DC Universe. This culminates when Batman (alongside Superman and Wonder Woman) entrusts Dick (and the Titans) with the safety of the world in the Justice League's absence following the Dark Crisis event. Now, the Titans are Earth's primary superhero team. By making this huge deducation and saving the Flash's life, Nightwing has yet again proven himself as a hero (and a detective) worthy of Batman's trust.
Titans #5 is available now from DC Comics.
