Dick Grayson Quotations

Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero in the DC Comics Universe. He is Bruce Wayne's first ward (later on adopted son), and the original crimefighter to create the secret identity of Robin, the Boy Wonder, before evolving into the superhero Nightwing. After the events of Batman R.I.P., Dick has moved back to Gotham City to take up his former mentor's identity once again as the new Batman.

In incarnations of Teen Titans

"With you guys, it seems like I'm hot stuff ... a know-it-all ... but I've been back with The Batman again, and next to him I feel like I'm a stupid kid repeating fifth grade ... for the third time." (New Teen Titans #20, 1982; by Marv Wolfman).

"I grew up surrounded by a sea of faces awash with the myriad emotions of all mankind. The rapturous joy of circus-goers, the panicky fright of fleeing felons, the warm tenderness of fast and good friends. So many faces. Good. Bad. Indifferent. All drawing me to them like some swirling tide about to suck me under. Sometimes I have to come here, simply to be alone before my mind fairly explodes with confusion. But most of the time I can't escape." (The New Teen Titans (first series) #38, 1984; dialogue by Marv Wolfman

Donna Troy: You didn't have to do this, Dick, I would've understood.
Dick: And ruin my reputation as the teenage Ellery Queen? M'lady, when Deadeye Dick takes on a case, he doesn't give up. (The New Teen Titans (first series) #38, 1984; dialogue by Marv Wolfman

Robin: Year One

"So is it me... or are the crooks getting lamer as we go? (Robin: Year One, 2001; by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon).

Two-Face You were the only choice for a comrade-in-arms?
Robin: I was the best choice. (Robin: Year One, 2001; by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon).

"Dear, Bruce... I guess it's time for me to move on. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do if I'm not allowed to help you anymore. Alfred doesn't need to worry about entertaining me and taking care of you, too. You don't want a partner. And you don't need a son. I'm sorry I failed you. I won't forget everything you've given me. Thanks for teaching me how to be strong. - Dick." (Robin: Year One, 2001; by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon).

Other

Robin: Hey, Batman, what're we gonna do once we finally get rid of all the criminals and everything? Move to another city?
Batman: I don't think that's something you have to worry about, Robin
Robin: Okay,so, then we'll just stay in Gotham and keep doing this, right? Forever and ever?
Batman: We'll do this as long as it's effective. And feasible.
Robin: Right. Like I said. Forever... (Nightwing #75, 2003; by Devin Grayson)

Batman: "It's not that I don't think of you as an adult, Dick. It's ... "
Robin: "That's just what it is, Bruce. You can't get over thinking of me as a kid, as Robin, the Boy Wonder. Well, I'm not a boy wonder anymore, Bruce. I'm a full-grown man, a detective, just like you." (Batman #331, 1980; dialogue by Michael Fleisher).

From Incarnations of Teen Titans

"The Batman taught me, guided me, trained me. What I am I owe to him. What more can I say? And Superman. I grew up in your shadow, too. You taught me honor, selflessness, and the true meaning of the word 'hero.' … I'm the sum of so many people who have influenced me, shaped my thinking, and given me love. Mom and Dad, you were the first … what you gave me will never leave. It's forever locked in my heart and in my soul. Batman, you took in a young, frightened boy. And you showed him how to become a good man. Kory, it's so funny. I spent the better part of last year fighting to forget what made me me. I almost alienated everyone, but you stuck by me and I love you for that. I gave up being Robin because that tied me to Batman. But now I become someone new who commemorates all those who made me someone special." (Tales of the Teen Titans #44, 1984; by Marv Wolfman).

"Hard to imagine me without the Titans, either. I think the Titans helped define me. I was always the bottom half of Batman and … Now I'm Nightwing, myself. No junior partner. Whatever I do from now on is my choice. It's scary sometimes. But it's always a lot easier to let others tell you what to do. Don't quite feel like an adult yet, but I think I've grown up … I certainly don't make decisions rashly anymore. And I wouldn't quit college today just to rebel against Bruce. Fortunately, some mistakes can be fixed… Yeah, I'm grown up, but I still don't know what I'm going to do when I'm really grown up…. Doctor, lawyer, indian chief? They all sound good to me. What do I do when I take off my costume? If I were Batman, I'd become Bruce Wayne, professional cypher. I think he'd give up being Bruce in a second if he thought Batman could go out during the day. I can't. I need my normal life. Bats need the night. Robins need light." (The New Titans #71, 1990; by Marv Wolfman).

"You molded me and taught me, Bruce. For years, I lived under the shadow of The Batman. I wanted to get away, to be my own man. Yet, when I chose a costume and a name, they reflected you. You're a part of me, Bruce. I can't deny it. And I don't want to any longer. I just wanted you to know that. That, and one other thing -- I'm proud to have been Robin." (Teen Titans Spotlight # 14, 1987; dialogue by Michael Reaves).

"I just want to get married. That'll make everything fine. Y'know, Donna's wedding went so smooth. Bruce isn't coming, and I can tell everyone thinks I'm doing the wrong thing. I just don't get it, Roy. Things used to be so simple, so clear … so black and white. When did the world become so gray?" (The New Titans # 100, 1993, dialogue by Marv Wolfman).

"Parents, friends and lovers, you taught me, helped me, nursed me and cared for me…. Nightwing's got his act together. He's still going to do what he can to keep the world from spinning into chaos … but Dick Grayson needs some time to figure out what he wants. I want you to be proud of me, but even more important -- I want to be proud of myself. It may be a couple of days or weeks or even months, but I'll see you guys soon. Till then -- I love you." (The New Titans # 114, 1994; dialogue by Marv Wolfman).

"Try to understand our position here, Batman. You began training to be a hero as a young adult. For me and a lot of the other Titans -- like Vic -- that training shaped and influenced most of our childhood. Unlike the JLA, the Titans aren't just about a promise to the world -- it's also about a promise to each other … to ourselves. We swore on our childhood nightmares that we'd be there for one another. If I don't honor that I don't honor who I am." (JLA/Titans # 2, 1998; dialogue by Devin Grayson).

From "Nightwing: Year One"

"And I'm unique in this family, a talker among writers. Alfred's got his journal. You've got your files. Babs keeps an account of everything. While I've only ever recorded a message like this once before... the first time." (Nightwing: Year One #1, 2005; by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon).

"[Alfred] always had faith that the dynamic duo could survive anything. Except maybe each other." (Nightwing: Year One #1, 2005; by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon).

"Sometimes I'm surprised I can even stand on a high ledge after what happened to the Flying Graysons. Boss Zucco could have sabatoged Haly's Circus any number of ways to drive down business and get his protection money. Instead he gave the crowd that night a show they'll never forget. I know I won't. When my mom and dad died, attendance actually went up." (Nightwing: Year One #3, 2005; by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon).

From the Nightwing series

"I've always taken it for granted that I'm fighting the good fight, I guess mostly due to my faith in Batman. But I have to admit, up here on the urban highwire, I take a lot of liberties. I tell myself they're all justified, but isn't that what everybody tells themselves? Does anybody wake up thinking, 'Today, I'm going to cross the line'?" (Nightwing #75, 2003; by Devin Grayson)

"I'm the protector of this city. I know how arrogant that sounds, and I know that I operate outside of the law sometimes -- but I also know that I've trained hard to do this work, and that I fully understand the complexities of the job. I have experience, I have motive, and I have backup. So as insane as it is to be out here at all, I'm the closest you'll get to the real thing. And I am asking you 'Tarantula,' who do you think you are?" (Nightwing #75, 2003; by Devin Grayson)

"My first thought is for this new Tarantula's safety -- the assumption that she is a potential casualty. That's a Batman thought. My second thought is for my safety -- the possibility that she's a potential enemy. That's a Batman thought too. It's not until she's actually doing it that I allow myself to hope that she might be helpful -- a potential ally. Thats a Robin/Nightwing/Dick Grayson kinda thought. My thought. Two and a half seconds in. But better than nothing." (Nightwing #75, 2003; by Devin Grayson)

"Who do I think I am? Good question, really, and I'll answer like this: I've seen too much to be Robin, but I'm still too optimistic to be Batman. I'm Nightwing. I'm Officer Dick Grayson. I'm Barbara's boyfriend, Bruce Wayne's adopted son, and the last living member of the Amazing Flying Graysons. I'm happy." (Nightwing #75, 2003; by Devin Grayson)

"Every now and then I have the feeling I've totally lost my mind. It's a great feeling." (Nightwing #86, 2003; by Devin Grayson)

"What are we doing, Bruce? When I was growing up with you, I always knew exactly where the line was... exactly what we did, exactly what we didn't do and why. But Jason didn't know what the hell he was doing or why, and Tim spends half his time trying to decide if it's even worth doing, and Stephanie... [whisper] Stephanie went up against odds so bad that even I would have to say it couldn't be done. [regular volume] Do you still know? Do you still know what we're doing? Because you seem murky to me, Bruce, you seem closer and closer to the line everytime I look at you, and that line keeps moving, and me... Bruce, I'm lost." (Nightwing #99, 2004; by Devin Grayson)

"The effect Bruce has had on my life is profound. There's no question that knowing him had changed me, changed my relationship to the world, profoundly. I'll admit that there were times when I felt restrained somehow... bridled. There were times when the mission seemed like alot to carry... Times, even, when I wondered if the whole thing didn't go against my essential nature. More often though, though, this work that I've done with Bruce has felt like an advocation, a perfect expression of everthing I've ever been capable of becoming."(Nightwing #100, 2005; by Devin Grayson)

"My father and Bruce both taught me similar moral codes, for vastly different reasons. Both considered their codes immutable, but somehow my dad's always expanded enough to let me grow into it. Whereas Batman's was, of course, completely inflexible, and every bit as inspiring as it was impossible. Who's son will I turn out to be?" (Nightwing #100, 2005; by Devin Grayson)

"Babs, I know we've been through a lot together, and I haven't always been the man I've wanted to be for you. And I realize now that I still have a long way to go, but... but I'll never get there without you. Barbara, I have to leave in a few hours to try and save the universe and I don't even know if I'll be alive tomorrow, but if I am -- will you marry me?" (Nightwing #117, 2006; by Devin Grayson).

"We're a nation of somnambulists. And where there are people awake, there's money to be made... There were lots of theories on why we don't sleep enough-- everything from stress at the office to too much caffeine... But I got my own, simpler theory... I think a lot of pople just lead lonely lives... And there's something comforting knowing there are a lot of other lonely people out there too, watching the same crappy movie you're watching at two in the morning... Yeah... it's about being alone... in a city of millions... I can relate." (Nightwing #123, 2006; by Bruce Jones).

"Sometimes there's simply nothing you can do... nothing. Batman warned me about that long ago. I nodded, but I didn't believe him... Nobody's helpless, I thought. Nobody's totally without resources. Man, I was wrong. Still am, maybe..." (Nightwing #124, 2006; by Bruce Jones)

"Long ago we realized we can't possibly solve all the world's problems. And maybe we shouldn't even try. We understood that we needed to develop out hearts and minds and not just our fighting skills. With all the good that needs to be done, it was impossible to accept that nobody should ever do what we do 24/7. That way lies madness. Trust me, I know. If you come to believe you're a god and you fail, where does that leave you?" (Nightwing #125, 2006; by Marv Wolfman)

"Rule of thumb: when one gets bogged down, stop thinking, get a massage from a beautiful woman and let your mind wander ..." ( Nightwing #126, 2007; by Marv Wolfman)

"I had asked myself what I want to be when I grow up. That's assuming I'm allowed to. The voice - the one that won't go away - keeps reminding me I was supposed to have died. Not once. Twice. I think I'm living on borrowed time. But at least I'm living. So why don't I feel ... I don't know ... happier?" (Nightwing #128, 2007; by Marv Wolfman)

"'When you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.' And unless you're stone, it changes you. It has to. There I was. Six feet under. Buried over. And I'm not stone. Never wanted to be. Never thought I had to block out the rest of the world and never wanted to hide from it. Still, sometimes late at night, half asleep, half god knows what ... it suddenly bothers me that they say the nut doesn't fall that far from the tree." (Nightwing #128, 2007; by Marv Wolfman)

"A chapel is sitting peacefully on the hillside and I wonder if it can really help me find peace. Then I wonder, would I know what to do with all that quiet? My parents didn't much talk about God. Bruce never did. Though I'm pretty sure he believed in the devil." (Nightwing #128, 2007; by Marv Wolfman)

"Early on, Kory asked why do I do this? [...] She asked why, when I get up in the morning, I look forward to putting on my costume and fighting the bad guys. But we got interrupted by the Fearsome Five or Deathstroke or some other nutjob super-villain. I never answered her. Always thought I was a fairly well adjusted guy who looks forward to wearing a costume. I mean I'm not out for revenge. I don't need to prove anything to myself. And I have money. More than enough to buy my own island hideaway. So why do this? Why do I do any of this? Barbara would say it's because I know it's the right thing. 'When you look into the abyss...' But no. She's wrong. It's impossible to think of anything other than the immediate moment when you're trading punches with some meta powered glandular reject. When your fist connects with flesh, you're not thinking of the past. When their fists dislodge bone, it's hard to think of some stupid thing you said to someone you love ... that sent them running away. And when you are half-dead on the ground, half-blown to pieces ... it's impossible to think. Period! I should find Kory. I should find her and tell her that I don't do this because it's the right thing to do. I do this because it's the only thing I dare let myself do. I do this because its easier ... 'the abyss also looks into you' ... easier than having to think." (Nightwing #128, 2007; by Marv Wolfman)

"They say skydiving is for people with a death wish. I've come to learn it's for people with a life wish. A wish for things to be as amazing as jumping out of a plane on a beautiful clear day from so high up that you feel you can almost touch the stars. And thats what I am going to do soon. Make the great leap. Touch the stars. Not as Nightwing. Not as a Titan. Not as an Outsider. Just as me. Richard Grayson." (Nightwing #141, 2008; by Peter Tomasi)

"I close my eyes now for a few moments and I can see my parents riding the air current with me. Forever young. Forever strong. Their faces wide with excitement, big smiles on their faces, enjoying the adrenaline surge even more than I do. And there is one thing I am sure of ... my parents would be proud of my life." (Nightwing #141, 2008; by Peter Tomasi)

"Whenever someone's asked what power they wish they had, flying is always at the top of the list. But I have to admit. I've learned to love falling too." (Nightwing #142, 2008; by Peter Tomasi)

"Okay Mom and Dad, your 'Flying Grayson' is about to take the great leap. Or as they say in French, Le Grand Saut. Down, down, and away. I'd say I wish you could see me now, but I know you're watching me - I can feel angels on my shoulders. And probably a bat too. You said some records aren't meant to be broken, Bruce. But more than anything, I wish you were down there right now watching with Alfred and Tim as I break this one." (Nightwing #151, 2009; by Peter Tomasi)

Miniseries and Specials

Dick: "You weren't the perfect father but that's okay because -- probably nobody's a perfect father. No family's perfect, either. I was lucky. I was privileged. Not because of the big house and the money, but because you gave me a lot of yourself. You taught me, you showed me, you encouraged me -- you never lied to me and you never demanded that I be anything I’m not. I didn’t imitate you because you insisted that I do so, but because I wanted to. Of all the men I knew, you were most worthy of imitation. Then I blamed you for letting me be who I was. Pretty dumb."
Bruce: "Dick, I don't -- "
Dick: "Hold it. I've got one more thing to say. You and Alfred gave me a home and you gave me what we don't mention. The L word. You were the best family I could have had. Thanks." (Nightwing mini-series #4, 1995; dialogue by Dennis O’Neil).

"[Talking about Blüdhaven It's a hopeless case. A lost cause. A town so mired in corruption and sin that it's drowning … When Batman sent me here, I thought I'd solve one case and book. But then I realized … if I could make a difference here -- well, that'd be something. This filthy old town needs me…. Surrounded by a dozen of my worst enemies. No way out. Nowhere to hide. The little brat was right. I do love it." (Nightwing Secret Files #1, 1999; by Chuck Dixon).

Other

"[Talking to the new JLA during the Obsidian Age] The transition is going to be... difficult. The more I look at the shoes we're suppossed to walk in, the more it scares the hell out of me. But it doesn't matter. We were chosen to be here. Out of many other possible candidates...He chose us. A master of human condition. A cynic, a believer. He chose us to carry on where he fell... and we accepted. We will not mess it up. End of speech. I don't want to make another one. I hate making speeches. So... the first official roundtable of the Justice League is now in session. Let's do some good." (JLA #71, 2002; Joe Kelly).

"I had a good teacher, except for the interpersonal skills and the ability to work with others. That was me." (JLA #76, 2002; Joe Kelly)

As Batman

"If only Jason could have reached out to us. Any one of us. He could have saved himself. But you know what? Some people don't want to be saved. Because saving means changing. And changing is always harder than staying the same. It takes courage to face yourself in the mirror and look beyond the reflection. To find the you that you should have been. The you that got derailed by cruel childhood events. Events that took your life's natural trajectory and twisted it. Changing it into something unimaginable ... or even incredible ... giving you the courage to embrace your birthright, your destiny, and finally realize that you are Batman. (Batman: Battle for the Cowl #3, 2009; by Tony Daniel)

"This is it. Batman and Robin. Together again for the first time." (Batman and Robin #1, 2009; by Grant Morrison)

Comissioner Gordon: ... I allowed you access to a suspect and you dragged him screaming through the the streets? WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?
Dick: I'm Batman. (Batman and Robin #3, 2009; by Grant Morrison)

Damian: (about Harley Quinn) She's annoying. May I cut out her tongue?
Dick: Maybe next time, Robin. (To Harley) For your sake, let's not have a next time. (Batman: Streets of Gotham #1, 2009; by Paul Dini)

In Fiction

"I'm going to give you a bit of advice. You're ready to graduate. Leading the JLA proves it. You can handle bigger and better than you are now." - Batman (JLA #76, 2002; Joe Kelly)

"Dick has always spoken to me without fear. No matter what else has happened to us through the years --- he has earned that right." - Batman (Batman #615, 2003; Jeph Loeb).

"The first person I ever revealed my identity to was Dick Grayson. He was about the same age I was when my parents were killed. His parents -- circus acrobats -- had been murdered. And I... wanted to make a difference in his life... The way, if my parents had lived, they would have made a difference in mine... Through the years, I've debated whether it was fair of me to take him in. Train him. Give him another identity to hide behind. But, I've learned that Dick wasn't like me. He didn't come from a world of privilege. He was a performer. Gifted in that way. And while, at the time, the transition from Robin to Nightwing was... difficult for us both -- it was a day I had long prepared myself for because... Dick was born to be in the center ring." - Batman (Batman #618, 2003; Jeph Loeb).

"[At his parents' graves] I've brought a young man -- a boy, actually -- to stay at the house. He's ... lost his parents at roughly the same age that I ... That I lost you. I don't know what will happen. I don't see myself as any sort of father figure. But ... I think I can make a difference in his life." - Bruce Wayne (Batman: Dark Victory #9, 2000; Jeph Loeb).

"Deep within the caves beneath my father's house, I remember what Catwoman said. "A father's love can be a terrible thing..." How the rage brought in by the death of The Roman changed Sofia's life ... and what the murder of my own father brought out in myself. Now, I see in Dick the chance to help him cope with his own loss ... and guide him into being a better man for it." - Batman (Batman: Dark Victory #13, 2000; Jeph Loeb).

"I'm playing 'chicken' with a kid called 'Robin.' I don't know why he's showing off. I don't know why I'm going along with it. I don't even know where we're going. It could be a robbery. Or prison break. A gang war. Or free donuts at Lenny's. He sees that Bat-signal in the sky and takes off. Like a bird out of Hell. And he just expects me to follow him. And I do." - Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) (Batgirl: Year One #08 2003; by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon).

"The Flying Graysons would be proud... I know I am." - The Flash (Wally West) (Flash plus Nightwing #01, 1997; by Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn).

Alfred: Ever since you were a child, I have seen in you such luminosity of spirit... It was truly almost visible -- some indefinable and yet unmistakable fire at the very core of your being that allowed you to survive and thrive where so many others... [long pause] But now that very spark seems to have vanished from you, Master Dick, as if it had never lit your heart. I do not know why and I do not know how to help you. But I fear that without it, this life you and Master Bruce lead could well prove... [whisper] unsurvivable.
Dick: Alfred, what are you talking about? Bruce hasn't had any innate inner optimism this whole time, and he'll outlast every one of us!
Alfred: But of course he's had optimism! He has had you. (Nightwing #99, 2004; by Devin Grayson)

"Listen ... do you hear? The rumble and honk of trucks and vans. The early deliveries have begun and with them, another day. in an hour the sun will rise over the tallest buildings and the citizens of Gotham will waken and yawn and be about their business. Until then, this extraordinary young man and I will talk of good and evil and the kind of masks we all wear. We will wonder together about what is the most real - the mask or the face. Soon, he will be gone, but I will still be here." - Millicent Mayne (Batman #684 by Denny ONeil)

"Dick Grayson. Age twelve. Aerialist. The best I've ever SEEN." - Batman ("All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder #3", 2005; by Frank Miller)

"As I see it, your parents were show business people, Master Richard. Those are your roots. Try to think of your Batman not as a memorial -- you and I know he'd hate that -- but as a performance. Think of Batman as a great role, like a Hamlet, or Willie Loman ... or even James Bond. And play it to your strengths. Master Damian will undoubtedly be racing towards trouble as we speak. Curtain's up. And the spotlight is on you now. Everyone is waiting for the hero to take the stage." - Alfred Pennyworth (Batman and Robin #2 by Grant Morrison)

As a character (in reality)

"...I like him a lot because of his history, he's been around so long, and there's a certain sleek sexuality about the character. He's got a certain sense of everyman, a young swashbuckler type. He's probably the only character to have developed a rabid following. That I find incredible, particularly because he came out as a sidekick - that he's got the strongest following of any character really makes me feel good about Nightwing. He's the only Titan who made the CBG poll, and it was great, you know. The fact that he's still fresh after all these years." - George Perez, illustrator and writer

"Dick not only saw his parents die, but he was raised by Batman with a strict code of ethics. Whereas Batman festered with his anger, Dick did not. But Dick saw how someone like Batman was able to help him and many others. Since he fought alongside Batman, he saw how much good he could do, and therefore he has the need to continue to do it. But unlike Batman it doesn't come from some long ago need for revenge, it comes from a true desire to make a difference. Therefore Nightwing has a positive attitude rather than a negative one. But it has had impact on his persona life, and now that he's in his mid-twenties, his early decisions are demanding some new thinking." - George Perez, writer

"My view of Nightwing, or rather Dick Grayson is that he's a very capable person, caring, smart but not overly so, but has the ability to see through puzzles. Unfortunately, he can't see through the puzzles of his own life, as few of us can. He's trying to figure things out assuming life always have answers, which of course it doesn't. But I see him as very, very competent, just not always self-aware. And he is perhaps a bit too critical of himself." - George Perez, writer

"... A Nightwing story should have what every good story should have, which is a character you simply want to follow through thick and thin. A character who's adventures you wanna go on. A character with heart, intelligence, and wit. And as I mentioned earlier in a previous interview with ya, Nightwing is a character who can support all kinds of genre inclusion. I don't think there's a box. The world is literally wide open for Nightwing and you can put him on any ride you want and I feel it will work, whether in crime alley land, space land or jungle land. Nightwing is a character who travels well, and has no limits except for the ones a writer puts on him." - Peter Tomasi, writer

"Dick is a sponge. He of course learned a great deal from Bruce, but I see him as taking what he knows and improvising, using his natural acrobatic prowess in everything he does. It's ingrained in him. He's more fluid. But let's face it; Dick and Bruce simply know how to open a can of whup-ass better than anyone." - Peter Tomasi, writer

Quoternity