Nightwing: New Gnosis / Superheroes and Psychoanalysis
Thank you to everyone who was able to see my Dad, Dr. John Todd, speak at Boulder’s Time Warp comics this afternoon about comics, mythology, and Jungian psychology! For those that didn’t make it, don’t worry—the C. G. Jung Institute of Colorado hosts frequent lectures like these which cover pop cultural topics.
Not to make this about me, but as a fun handout, organizer and family friend Steve Replogle asked my sister and I to create mini-comic handouts, and though I’ll leave both of them to share their own awesome contributions, I figured I’d leave mine here, for what it’s worth. Since I’m so self-serious, it’s called “Nightwing: New Gnosis,” after the A New Gnosis textbook my Dad wrote a chapter for. Check it out:
To me, this one’s a little bit about my Dad, and a bigger bit about these characters he’s introduced me too—in particular, how their longevity comes at the cost of being subject to so much change over years of arguing authors and fan discourse. As many brainwashed Songs of the Week loyalists (Max! Todd! Dot! Com! [youwillingestthisbrainwormandhenceforthheedmycommand] Songs! Of! The! Week!) may recall, I’ve been a big fan of Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s recent run on Nightwing, who, for those not in the know, was Batman’s first Robin (essentially, first son) who has since grown into his own as a solo superhero. For years, authors haven’t known what to do with Nightwing’s liminality—he’s not a kid anymore, but to many, he certainly isn’t an A-Lister, meaning he is at worst treated disposable and at best wavers in the immaturity of twentysomething purgatory. Aside from finally nailing his father-son relationship with Batman (something which meant a lot to me given that I see so much of my Dad and I in these two characters), Tom Taylor elevated this character to a peer of his previous mentors, giving Nightwing everything he has been promised through almost a hundred years of comics. Plus, with art like Redondo’s rendering this story in vibrant color, it’s hard to deny Nightwing’s now a permanent part of the DC pantheon. Taylor and Redondo’s run hasn’t been perfect perfect (pirate arc?), but even for a snob like me, it’s been incredible to witness, and I’m so happy to have caught it.
Unfortunately, as with all things, Taylor’s time on Nightwing is coming to an end with his final story arc, beginning this May, and as much as I’d like to enjoy it, I’ve been worried this transition might be a lot like these past few US Presidencies—what one codifies, the next immediately shoots down. I know a status quo, for better or for worse, is what keeps the comics industry invigorated, but just once I’d like to see something stick for Nightwing—his credibility, his relationship with Barbara, or hell, even his new dog Haley. As Al Ewing’s stunning run of Immortal Hulk taught me, though, sometimes it’s best to just let these characters be multifaceted: these symbols are prismatic reflections, but through all of their inconsistent authors, your version of the character will fleetingly shine through before the cycle continues. No offense to Chip Zdarsky, but I’ve been waiting for my Batman to come around since Scott Snyder’s run ended in… what, 2015? Just waiting… and waiting…
I’m both a little proud and a little ashamed of this one—much as I’d like to make comics as a dream career, I’m rusty at art and rustier at time management, which means there are many cut corners here. I didn’t have time to shade this one how I’d like to, and there’s a lot of detail missing from the backgrounds that would’ve gotten more love if I’d started earlier. I’ve also heard jokes about how prose authors transitioning to comics write waaaay too much text, and I’ve always thought to myself “I would never do that,” but, uh, here we are. Hopefully, you guys will eventually get to see much more fleshed-out comics I’ve wanted to put together for years—maybe even of these characters—but for now, I hope there’s a nugget of something worth chewing on for anyone reading. Thanks, as always, for having faith in me.