luanna255:“And Superman. I grew up in your shadow, too. You taught me honor, selflessness, and the t
luanna255:“And Superman. I grew up in your shadow, too. You taught me honor, selflessness, and the true meaning of the word ‘hero’!”~ Tales of the Teen Titans #44I spoke about this a bit in a post I wrote way, way back when, but I still just find it endlessly amazing, considering everything that Bruce was and is to Dick, that he says that Clark taught him the true meaning of the word ‘hero’ here. But I think that is wonderfully true, and wonderfully right.See, the essence of who Superman is as a hero is that he comes from a place of love. He’s been shaped by all the people who love and who he loves the most in the world - his birth parents, Jonathan and Martha, Lois. But more than that, Superman embodies love for humanity as a whole. He isn’t a symbol of fear like Batman is. He is a symbol of love and hope. In many ways, that’s what makes him the greatest hero of all. He sees the best in humanity even when they don’t really seem to deserve it.And Dick is the same way. Later in this scene, he says “I’m the sum of so many people who have influenced me, shaped my thinking, and given me love”, and describes becoming Nightwing as his way of commemorating them. In many ways, Nightwing is really a hero who is more like Superman than like Batman. It comes from a place of love. And that’s why it’s terribly fitting that when Dick chose to step out of Batman’s shadow and define the kind of hero he wanted to be as an adult, he chose a name that reflects Clark’s influence on him (the name “Nightwing” comes from Clark’s Kryptonian heritage). Because ultimately, Nightwing is a hero who symbolizes love and hope, just as Superman is. I think Nightwing’s current writer Kyle Higgins said it well in this quote:“I actually believe that, going forward, Dick can be a better hero for Gotham as Nightwing than Bruce can be as Batman. While Batman will always be a symbol of fear to criminals, I believe Nightwing can be something more… a symbol of hope to the people. This is in large part due to the fundamental difference between the two men—Bruce helps people out of guilt, while Dick helps people because he enjoys helping people. And if you’re going to fight for a city’s future, hope and inspiration can be powerful tools. “He’s absolutely right. (I love that quote so much, I can almost forgive Higgins for referring to Dick as a “player”. Almost.) But what’s amazing when you read over that description is that it is literally also a description of Superman. You could drop Clark’s name there instead of Dick’s and the quote would make equal sense. That’s how strong Clark’s influence was on Dick. THAT’S why Clark is the one who taught Dick the true meaning of the word ‘hero’. Because he taught him that saving the day didn’t have to be about fear and intimidation - it could also be about hope and love. And when Dick grew up and defined himself as his own hero, that’s the message that he chose to take to heart. -- source link
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