last summer I finished watching campaign 2 of Critical Role and I must say - it was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had! It was just incredible and even though I truly love campaign 3 and Bells Hells just as much I still really miss The Mighty Nein a lot. they’ll forever have a special place in my heart 💘
Tetsuo Takahara painted pretty much nothing but unique looking cats with same color palettes, so don’t tell yourself you can’t draw/paint about your fave subject with your fave colors as much as you like.
I got a request to do a Dick Grayson reading guide, so that's what this is. This isn't going to be an exhaustive list of every issue he's in, just stories I think are good and/or important to read to get him. This website is good if you want to know every issue a character has appeared in, at least pre-Flashpoint: https://dcuguide.com/w/Chronologies
These won't be in publication order, but in chronological order for Dick's life. Due to the nature of comics published over many decades, some of these may have minor contradictions or differences in characterization, but they're all worth reading in my opinion. Some of these were unfortunately written by creators who many will not feel comfortable supporting. To that I say, there are ways to find comics second hand, or read without supporting particular creators.
Robin:
Batman: Dark Victory
This to me is the definitive Dick Grayson origin, though he doesn't show up until the second half of the story. That said, it is one of the best Batman stories ever written, and its version of Robin's origin has been repeated in several other tellings.
Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet
This is a nice little one off story, chronicling Dick Grayson's graduation from training. Batman puts him through one last test to see if he is ready to hit the streets as Robin. It also leads very nicely into the next story.
Batgirl/Robin: Year One
This is actually two stories collected into one trade, with Robin's set first. It chronicles his first year as Robin after running The Gauntlet. Big themes you'll see are Dick and Bruce having a rocky start, and Dick balancing life as a normal kid with life as a vigilante. Alfred narrates, and offers a lot of introspection on whether being Robin is really good for Dick. Batgirl's story takes place next, and while Babs is the main character, Robin plays a major part in getting Bruce to accept her into their war on crime.
Teen Titans: Year One
This is the story of the first time the Titans met and teamed up, and shows their growing pains. It illustrates what each member brings to the table, shows the difference in their relationships to their mentors, and shows the difference between Robin with Batman and Robin with the Titans. Bruce comes off a little harsh in this one, which some might find off-putting, but I think it makes sense for his character. He's protective, and not particularly good at communicating.
The New Teen Titans
This is the oldest book on the list, and a classic. If you're fond of the 2003 Teen Titans cartoon, this comic was the blueprint for it. It tells the story of the reformed team when they're all about 19 years old. At this point, Dick has dropped out of college and is at odds with Batman. His leadership of the Titans provides him with even more opportunities for growth and independence, and eventually he sheds the identity of Robin to become Nightwing, in The Judas Contract (about 40 issues in). You can stop reading after The Judas Contract if you just want to see Dick's last days as Robin and transition to Nightwing.
Extras if you want more:
Lost Carnival: A Dick Grayson Graphic Novel
This is a nice young adult graphic novel that tells a story about Dick when he was still in the circus. The art is phenomenal, and this story shows that Dick already had a lot of the foundations of Robin, and Nightwing, before ever having met Bruce. His parents are actual characters too, which is nice. Dick is slightly older in this than he normally is before his parents die, and it isn't really canon, but it is good.
Robin & Batman
This three issue series is essentially a different take on Robin's first year. It could or couldn't be canon, it's a little vague. Some readers will be turned off by how militaristic Bruce is, and how angry Dick is. However, I think these are both accurate representations of how they would have acted in their earliest days as a team. Bruce wants to be a good mentor, but doesn't know how yet, and Dick is still grieving the loss of his parents. The art is also phenomenal.
Year One: Batman/Scarecrow
This story takes place during Bruce and Dick's early days, but they are a well-oiled team by this point. It chronicles their first encounter with Scarecrow, and has a lot of cute moments between Bruce and Dick. Not required reading, but absolutely a fun one.
Batman One Bad Day: Mr. Freeeze #1
This is the most recent comic on the list, and a very interesting issue. It showcases an encounter between Batman & Robin and Mister Freeze during Robin's early days. It isn't their first time meeting, but Robin is young during this story. It's set around Christmas, and is a wonderful character study of not just Freeze, but also the difference between Robin and Batman, and how Robin brings light to Batman's mission.
Batman/Superman: World's Finest #6
This is a single issue of Mark Waid and Dan Mora's wonderful 2022 series, that focuses heavily on Robin. Technically it picks up where the previous five issues had left off, but all you need to know is that Robin has been lost in time and Batman and Superman have to find him. It's a great showcase of Dick's skills as an older Robin, and features beautiful art by Travis Moore, using Mora's amazing Robin redesign. Fans of Dick's time in the circus should especially check this out.
Robin: The Bronze Age Omnibus
This will likely be the least approachable for some readers, simply due to its age. The Bronze Age omnibus contains a selection of Dick's stories as Robin from the 1970s, while he was in college. It is a product of its time, in that Dick's college experience is VERY 1970s, and concerned with the issues of the time. I think it's a wonderful lead-up to The New Teen Titans, showing Dick striking out on his own as an adult crimefighter, over ten years before Nightwing was even conceptualized.
For those wishing for even more Robin content, I would point you in the direction of the Batman Golden and Silver Age omnibuses, the World's Finest Silver Age omnibuses, and the Teen Titans Silver Age Omnibuses.
I hope you found this list helpful, and I will begin working on a Nightwing reading guide soon.
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