BlueSunQueen

Hope you enjoy my blog!

[telffiin]

eileen & nessie

[dr-lornapolarisdane]

Polaris for the new x-men 97 opening.

[flying-potato2]

"the world isn't kind" we are the world. lets make it kind.

[malenjoyer]

people: do you like (character)?

me, a little unhinged about said character: He’s fine. He’s alright.

[dangerously-human]

(via @thisbibliomaniac, correct as always)

[confusedhummingbird-deactivated]

[hood-ex]

i’m trying to write a fanfic around teen titans era and i’m having trouble writing dick. do you have tips on how to characterize teenage, 15-17 year old dick grayson who is with the titans?

Yup! So the thing about writing Dick with the Teen Titans is that there has to be a balance between his mature leader side and his typical teen behavior side. Dick as a leader and also as a protégé of Batman is someone who does a lot for the team. I’d say that even as a young teen, he’s going to have a lot more responsibilities than the others because of his leader position, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t still have fun with the other Titans. I’m about to hit you with some panels to demonstrate the balance between the two. 

First up, Dick in leader mode. 

He’s the one who calls the shots:

Teen Titans: Year One #3

He’s the man with a plan: 

The New Teen Titans #22

The New Titans #77

He’s the detective who notices small details and asks lots of questions:

Teen Titans #12

Teen Titans #46

The New Titans #65

He’s always prepared:

The New Teen Titans #16

The New Teen Titans #38

He’s the mature one who looks out for all of his teammates and pays close attention to their well-being:

Teen Titans #42

Teen Titans #48

Teen Titans: Year One #3

But even though Dick is usually very focused and therefore comes off as being more serious than the others at times, he’s also prone to telling really fucking stupid jokes and puns during fights that all the other Titans groan over (more so in older Teen Titans comics). He can be sassy and sarcastic as well. Sassing villains and making offhand comments about them during a fight is kinda his thing. He’s chatty. 

Teen Titans #18

Teen Titans: Year One #4

The New Teen Titans #13

So yeah, he’s not a complete tightass or anything. He has moments where he’s just chilling out and being a dork. 

Teen Titans #12

The New Teen Titans #16

And if you wanna try to capture the vibe for how he jokes around then I suggest looking at some panels I compiled where he’s teasing his siblings. 

To sum it all up, Dick in leader mode is going to be more serious, focused, and perceptive (yes, even as a young teen). He’s the Batman of the team so he’s going to be the detective, the one who’s making the plans, the one who is going to get pissed at you if you are somehow putting the team at risk, and the one who is always thinking about the wellbeing of the team. 

The Titans don’t always agree on things, and Dick can catch the heat for certain decisions he wants to make or has made. He’s a confrontational person, so don’t be scared to have him argue back. 

I don’t have the exact wording, but he was arguing with Roy in some Teen Titans issues where he was essentially like:

"Come off it, Roy! You consider everything in a skirt your territory! Give the guy a break!"

"Wow, you're so sympathetic."

So, yeah, he’s not scared to call people out. 

When the Titans are getting along, Dick is very in tune with his team. He’s a caring person who can tell when his friends are upset. He’ll always listen to them or comfort them when they need it. He’ll also defend them against one another if need be. 

Dick out of leader mode is going to be more relaxed and more likely to joke with the others. Just remember that when Dick is younger, he’s not with the Titans all the time. He’s still going to be helping Batman out in Gotham, so it would be totally normal for him to run back to Gotham after a mission whereas everyone else might hang out together for longer. 

Dick’s a pretty good leader out of the gate, but if you’re writing him on the younger side, you could always write certain scenes that show ways he could improve in his leadership. Kind of like how the YJ animated series showed how Dick expected everyone to understand what he was doing without him having to say anything because he’s used to that dynamic with Batman. You can also show how he’s skilled at that age, but that even he can be knocked out or overpowered more easily than his older, more experienced self. 

[hood-ex]

Hi! I was wondering if you preferred Dick on his own or on a team (like the titans or outsiders)? I’ve been reading a lot of his stuff and I’m on the fence I think! I read all of the silver age titans which was a Joy but i just finished (speed reading I’ll admit) most of titans 1999 but I’ve found dick to be really intense and then he like kept secrets for a bit, I did enjoy a lot of it though! and I like him on a team a lot because he has others to help him when he gets too into his head (like Roy and Donna) and duh it’s good to have friends! but I also like him in solo stuff because I feel like he relaxes more because he doesn’t have other people to take responsibility for if that makes sense? I’m also starting NTT super soon so I’m excited for that and hope it’s a good balance of the two but I was curious about your thoughts on this since you’re like my favorite dick blog! Thanks :)

There's not one I necessarily prefer over the other. I find good moments in both his solo work and his team work.

Writers obviously portray Dick differently, but I think in general, Dick does tend to come off more serious when he's leading a team. That's because being the leader puts a lot of pressure and responsibilities on him. He's usually the one who has to come up with all the plans, and he's the one who has to make tough calls. Also, he was raised by Batman so Bruce's influence rubbed off on him in some ways. I made a post that kinda touches on this. I think it reflects Dick's behavior in Titans 1999.

The pro of him being in a team position is that he comes off very intelligent, strong, and competent. Other heroes respect him no matter his position, but when they're working with him on a team, they're quick to appreciate him and what he brings to the table in terms of experience, wisdom, and skill.

Rebirth Nightwing #29

Action Comics #841

Teen Titans Vol. 3 #33

JLA #69

The Brave and the Bold #15

With stuff like Outsiders, it's important to remember that Dick was written darker as a result of Donna's death. He considers the Titans family and watching them die under his leadership broke him. When he joined the Outsiders, he didn't want to form emotional bonds with this new team. Thinking of them as family would just hurt him down the line when/if one of them got hurt like Donna and Lilith did.

I always see Dick as a mixture of serious and playful whether he's solo or working with a team. He's not just one at all times. When there's downtime or a mission that involves some simple beatings, he's more personable and willing to joke. When there's a serious situation where death is more likely, the serious demeanor falls into place.

In Outsiders, Dick is serious when he's with the team, but he's playful and personable towards Roy at times. In Teen Titans, Dick is playful when they're giving some villains a beating, but he's very serious when Wally is hurt. In Nightwing, Dick is more chill when he's living his regular civilian life, and sometimes when he's out as Nightwing, his inner commentary is lighter. Like all things, his demeanor depends on the severity of the situation as well as whether the story is focusing on his civilian life or vigilante one.

When you get to New Teen Titans, I think you'll see that mixture. Yes, Dick is serious when he needs to be, but he also contributes quips, and he can have fun when the time allows for it. NTT does a good job of balancing the Titans's personal lives with their lives as crimefighters. That's why we get to see more of a variation in Dick's characterization, and that variation comes across in Dick's solo books as well.

I like to remember that Dick is essentially a mixture of both Batman and Superman. When you keep that in mind, it's a bit easier to understand what keeps Dick from acting completely like Superman and what keeps him from acting completely like Batman.

[youngjustice1998]

Tales of the Teen Titans #42

help, i can’t handle the amount of love and tenderness radiating from this panel 🥺

[bluetrapeze]

Dick Grayson, leadership.

Dick's a leader, you've probably heard that before, but in what way? Why is he seen as a leader? What are his leader-like qualities?

We can see from as early as the 1960's that Dick's always been quick on the draw. By this I mean Dick is quick to react, quicker than his companions.

He knows his allies' abilities and orders them to preform specific tasks accordingly.

(Teen Titans (1966) #8)

Dick's able to analyse a situation and plan out counter measures in the time it takes for others to realize something is happening. His plans are generally successful too.

He's a genius in mechanics, biology, deduction, language, movement and more, his educated guesses tend to be correct. Dick's first reaction tends to be one based in logic, which is why his reactionary commands are followed without doubt.

He's that guy.

Dick's also a man who doesn't give a toss who you are or what you can do, if he thinks he has a plan you're getting ordered around.

Dick has ordered the members Justice League, and they've listened to him.

Man of Steel < Balls of Steel

(Teen Titans vol 3 #6)

Dick's also self deprecating. He's not egotistic (he knows his own worth and skills but he's his own biggest critic), he gives praise and support when it's deserved.

He's inspiring.

The New TT vol 2 #31

Dick can be intense, but it's due to his high standards. He knows the risks of the superhero lifestyle, he's accepted those risks.

He expects others to act seriously in Superhero spaces as a result.

(Young Justice #7)

[bluetrapeze]

Dick Grayson, Detective.

Dick's a detective, and a very good one. He's meticulous, studious, and thorough. In New Teen Titans volume 1 #38, we see that Dick likes to be prepared. When looking for clues inside a building, Dick brings blueprints.

This is a known trait of Dick in universe. In Teen Titans volume 2 #12 Dick reveals he has already looked into the nearby building's layout and cracks a joke about the exact number of brinks were used to build it.

The Titans aren't sure if he's joking or not.

Dick can be patient. In New Teen Titans volume 1 #38, Dick spends days analyzing evidence, being careful and cautious the whole while.

Similarly, in Batman/Superman – Worlds Finest #6 Dick shows his knowledge of forensics. He relies on science to establish facts, he doesn't rush to an assumed conclusion.

(Sidenote, Travis Moore drawing Dick Grayson is cash money)

It can be assumed Dick enjoys the challenge of a tricky case. In Nightwing Volume 2 #24 Dick learns of a "Cold Case" from the retiring Inspector Morgan.

A sane and rational person would say this case was unsolvable, but while Dick is quite rationale, the sane part is questionable.

Dick is faced with a near impossible task, but that won't stop him.

This is true both of physical and mental tasks Dick has faced. I do not know who the most stubborn man in DC is, but Dick's a contender.

Dick shifts through the evidence he has and manages to achieve what should be impossible, he solves the case. He's driven and diligent and frankly very lucky, but it's earned luck.

He worked hard and caught a lucky break.

All of these comics are wonderful books, so please go and read about Dick as a detective yourself.

[bluetrapeze]

How Smart is Dick Grayson?

Nightwing is highly intelligent. This is someone who learned and became an expert in forensics and criminology within 6 months when he was 8-12 years old. He’s a master detective, with a record to prove it.

And because it’s a feat people rate despite meaning nothing at all, in Nightwing #152 - Ra’s calls Dick detective.

Chemistry/Biology/Physics

Batman vol 1 # 18 -Dick knew his chemistry. He has an excellent report in school

Titans vol 1 # 17 - figuring out how to clone a human

Tales of Teen Titans #45 - Come up with a solution to fix the problem in Aqualad and Tula’s lungs after analysing the chemical compounds in their lungs

Language

Action Comics # 842 - Knowledge of Tamaranean

Detective Comics Vol 2 36 - Russian

Grayson 1 - Russian

Nightwing Vol 4 51 - Dick Speaks German

Nightwing Vol 4 54 - Dick Speaks 12 Languages

Nightwing Vol 2 72 - Italian

Titans Annual 001 - Japanese

Robin Vol 2 175 - Farsi

The Power Company: Manhunter Vol 1 1 - Kikuyu

Batman: Gotham Knights - French

Titans 16 - Some Romany

Nightwing Vol 2 91 - Some Romany

Legends of the Dark Knight 100-Page Super Spectacular Vol 1 2, Dick uses sign language to talk to a temporarily deaf Bruce.

Observation/Deduction

Teen Titans #12 - Deduces a coded message.

Teen Titans #46 - Notices that the number of footprints, and the weight behind them. Correctly deduces that the kidnapping was a ruse.

The New Titans #65 - Observes a Carousel for seven hours. Is able to recall everyone who went on the ride, with memory of their appearance, their clothing and who brought them to the park.

Nightwing #86 - While injured and watching TV, Dick solves four cases for “America’s Most Wanted” in a morning.

Star-Spangled Comics # 105 - Cracks a code and thinks of a way to foil radio controlled bombers.

The New Teen Titans #7 - Notices a trap on a door, saving Cyborg’s life

Batman: Dark Victory #12 - Solve a riddle before Batman himself even figured it out before becoming Robin

Flash Plus - Figured out how to escape a maze before the Flash could

Superman American Alien #4 - Showcasing his impressive deductive prowess even as a kid before he became Robin by reading Clark Kent very well (noticing that Clark’s hiding a lot of things about himself) who’s impressed by his observant talent

Justice League v2 #51- Thanks to his insight due to his deductive trained mind he starts to ask questions that give Cyborg and Green Lantern the idea to look for the source of the problem and how all the threats the League are fighting against all at once are actually connected somehow

New Teen Titans v1 #9 - Quickly deduces that he’s walking into a trap while alongside Beast Boy and that the man inside was actually a mechanical bomb about to go off

New Teen Titans v1 #30 - Detects a sniper through hearing and moves fast enough to save the target from being killed

Batman #697 - Showing great awareness/perception as he catches a reflection of someone else with Catwoman moving out the corner of his eye in the windows across the street

The Power Company Manhunter - Detects Manhunter’s presence as he’s creeping up behind him and is able to avoid his sneak attack using his speed and agility despite Manhunter’s super human reflexes 

The New Titans #86 - Detects Deathstroke’s presence nearby which impresses Slade since he mentions that not one man in a million would have heard him 

Nightwing #12 - His senses are so well honed that they’re able to pick up even Batman’s presence who’s hiding in the dark 

Grayson #1 - Showcasing his impressive level of perception (and reflex speed) by deflecting a projectile (tranq dart?) shot at him from a hidden enemy who turns out to be Midnighter who he’s also able to find very quickly as noted by Midnighter himself

Grayson #2 - Detects the presence and movement of the same speedster he encountered beforehand coming from behind him then avoids being ambushed by the speedster saving his unaware partner Helena Bertinelli in process

Batman #703 - Deduces that the getaway genius is actually a female despite the fact that she’s using a high tech holographic suit to disguise herself as a man having fooled everyone else  (It’s how she walks)

Batman & Robin #26 - Deduces Ray Man is using illusions against Nightrunner, Robin, and himself then comes up with a way to counter the illusions and subdues Ray Man 

Batman & Robin Eternal #11 - Quickly deduces Sculptor is a telepath after seeing her use her telepathy power against Harper Row (reading Harper’s mind to quickly find out her identity then putting her to sleep) impressing the telepath 

Grayson #17 - Not only is he able to deduce that Grifter is a telepath that can read his thoughts and moves ahead of time by the feeling in his head (having experienced the “bad touch” of telepathy before), he’s also able to break down Grifter’s preferred fighting style, personality, and motivation by reading his body language in mid combat 

Robin Year One #1 - Suspects the man (Mad Hatter) who’s giving away free headphones is not who he appears to be and tracks down his hideout by following his broadcast signal then gets the whereabouts of his current location from his henchmen 

Tales of Teen Titans #43 - Deduces how Donna Troy and Cyborg were captured

Nightwing #24 - Solves a homicide case that went unsolved for over 15 years

Batman Streets of Gotham #8 - Displaying his brilliant deductive mind as he tells Gordon exactly what happened when examining two crime scenes and some dead bodies

Nightwing #144 - Deduces who the mastermind was that created an army of winged men and Talia’s involvement in the project 

Azrael Death’s Dark Knight #3 - Deduces who the new Azrael is 

Vigilante v3 #10 - Deduces Vigilante’s secret identity

Batman #694 - Damian deduces Black Mask’s plan only to find out that Dick figured it all out yesterday morning. In addition, Dick finds out the identity of one of the masterminds behind Black Mask’s operation

Justice League of America v2 #57 - Deduces that the Shade is the person linking all the shadow energy together although everyone else believes its Jade given her connection to both Shadow and Starheart energy

New Teen Titans v1 #38 - figuring out Donna Troy’s identity & background displaying some of his scientific knowledge in the process

Preparation

The New Teen Titans #16 -Has dusting powder for fingerprints on him despite not being in uniform.

The New Teen Titans #38 - Donna had searched the house before without finding anything of note, Dick had researched the blueprints and had used them to find a secret room.

Batman #687 - In a flashback as Robin, he shows his creativity in planning when he passes Batman’s test by successfully launching a well planned non-lethal sneak attack on him within the Batcave 

Trinity #9 - His mask has a small explosive charge installed that can self destruct

Outsiders v3 #37 - Has a piece of kryptonite to deal with Superman if need be

Grayson #8 - Revealing that he’s not only fought alongside the Justice League but has trained to fight them if need be (very likely thanks to his training from Batman). In this battle, we see him take on a super powered android known as Paragon who has the powers of the JLA and defeats it by exploiting the Justice Leaguer’s weaknesses while leading his fellow Spyral agent known as Tiger/Agent 1.

Computers

Action Comics # 842 - he used his knowledge of Tamaranean to hack an alien data terminal

New Titans # 55 - Hooked up the Titans computer to the Batcave’s computer

Titans United #7 - Breaks into ‘Bat-Level Encrypted’ records in a cadmus facility

Tech

Nightwing vol 4 # 25 - Saved a shipful of criminals (and himself) by extending the time field of Clock King’s high-tech alien weapon. Clock King called this “Amazing”

Titans vol 1 # 47 - Trying to repair the comm system in Titan’s headquarters.

Nightwing vol 2 # 138 - He has hacked the override to the Justice League teleporter (which Tim later hacked from him)

Star-Spangled Comics # 70 - Dick thinks of a way to survive a bomb-blast.

Nightwing vol 2 #50 - Able to point out what a full colour spectrum flash pulse is and that the gun it’s fired from is alien origin

Nightwing vol 3 #3 - Turn the microwave transmissions back to Zane

Nightwing vol 2 # 16 - He custom-made his car when he first moved to Blüdhaven

Nightwing Vol 2 # 144 - Build and program a Tech Glider with a remote GPS device

Nightwing vol 4 # 44 - Modified Escrima batons

Future State: Nightwing # 2 - Built Nano-Swarm cameras

Nightwing vol 4 # 78 - Heavily modified Escrima batons

Grayson #1 - Turns an alarm clock into a transmitter 

Outsiders #48 - Co built a mini EMP weapon, the first electrorang

Arkham Reborn #3 - Designed a special stun grenade to neutralise Clayface

Strategy

Justice League #57 - Leads a mix of heroes and villains, utilising all their powers to fight Omega-Knight 

Robin Year One #3 - As a rookie Robin, he outsmarts and apprehends Mr. Freeze by luring him into a trap he sets up on the spot

Batman Streets of Gotham #2 - Takes down Firefly by clogging his jets using a foam gun and then stirs him through a billboard 

Nightwing #146 - Takes out a young & stronger Creighton Kendall (who’s turned himself into one his winged men) by cleverly turning him into a lightning rod

Robin Year One #2 - Defeats the original Blockbuster by luring him into a trap he thought of on the spot 

Nightwing #15 - Tricks Blockbuster into bringing down a building on himself

Nightwing v2 #5 - Defeats the powerful rhyming demon known as Acheron (similar to Etrigan The Demon) by luring the demon back into the place from where it came which binds the demon 

The Titans #25 - Commands Kid Flash to use his powers to direct a gas

Nightwing vol 3 #9 - Tricks William Cobb into entering a location where Dick can lower the temperature quickly, rendering Cobb unconscious

Justice League of America #53 - Formed a plan to defeat mega man and the crime syndicate

Outsiders #23 - Can fool a polygraph

New Teen Titans v1 #5 -Leads the Teen Titans to victory over Goronn

New Teen Titans v1 #6 - Leads the Teen Titans to victory over Trigon 

Return of Donna Troy #2 - Despite not being apart of either team at the time, he naturally takes command over the Outsiders and Teen Titans when they’re ambushed on Minosyss

Return of Donna Troy #3 - Quickly comes up with a plan for the team to subdue a brainwashed Donna Troy as we also see the others looking to him for his leadership in the situation

Return of Donna Troy #4 - Leading the Outsiders, Teen Titans, and native rebels in a war against the Titans of Myth 

JLA #69 - Chosen by his mentor (Batman) to lead the new JLA that the Dark Knight formed as a contingency plan just in case something happened. Batman refers to Nightwing as the best and only person able to lead the team

JLA #73 - Successfully leads the JLA in battle against the very powerful Gemamnae as they manage to take her down and trap her. However, their efforts prove to be only a temporary victory since she is much more powerful then they know 

Justice League of America v2 #42 - Takes command over a newly formed JLA as they bring down the powerful Atlas

Blackest Night Batman #3 - Trusting his judgement, Red Robin and Deadman follow Dick’s lead as he comes up with a very clever yet risky plan on the spot to save/hide Red Robin and himself from the Black Lanterns after deducing how they respond to emotion (He freezes himself and Tim)

Action Comics #842 - Immediately takes command over a group of meta humans which includes Superman once their group is attacked

Booster Gold v2 #22-23 - In an altered timeline Dick is killed in the past while he was still Robin and as a result the JLA was left without it’s greatest tactician (Batman/Dick Grayson) to come up with a plan to defeat Trigon who ends up conquering earth. This is due to the fact that Dick wasn’t around to replace Bruce Wayne/Batman when he was “killed” by Darkseid during the Final Crisis story

[farshootergotme]

Dick Grayson is the type of person anyone from any age group can like.

Toddlers see this much bigger person than them, but don't feel any fear. His too kind eyes are anything but frightening. His soothing voice is calming and warm. And he always knows exactly what to do to make them laugh when they're upset.

The kids think he's really cool, but not in an intimidating way. They can talk to him and he will treat them like he treats everyone else without making them feel like less for being young. Spending just some time with him they already think he's the coolest adult they've ever met and want to play with him all the time.

Teenagers find him to be laid-back and more approachable than other older people they've met. He doesn't judge them and actually cares to listen. He can also relate to their struggles and provide useful advices if they ever need them. He's the type of adult they wouldn't hesitate on calling if they required any help.

Adults his age like him overall. He's a great person, but not a pushover. He's fun while still responsible without becoming overbearing. He doesn't try to seem better than anyone else and approaches everyone as his equals. And everytime someone is in need of support, he will offer a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen. He's a very good friend.

Elders see him as a very kind and respectful young man. Always making sure they're well, greeting them with a smile. He's very insightful and wise, too. Like an old soul in a young body. So, they can talk with him for hours about anything; their philosophies, experiences, life in general... And sometimes they just look at him and wonder why does it feel like he's lived more things than anyone his age should have. Not amount of pondering could give them an answer.

[solidsmax]

MARVEL RIVALS Gambit and Rogue

[demigodoreo]

Young Justice (1998) #20

[itsryd]

imp & wondie

[lobtwo]

Hehe gamby

[swallowtail-cherry]

It's been a while, but more 80s Starfire ❤️