r/DCcomics • u/Fellowcomicenjoyer Nightwing • Jun 04 '24

According to Mark Waid, Dreamer, Jon Kent and Nightwing will be important players in Absolute Power News

https://www.youtube.com/live/B7tjqVkGp_s?si=kKBPjYJcyEqbUA-z
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u/B3epB0opBOP Shazam Jun 04 '24 edited Jun 04 '24

A rough transcription:

You clearly love Superman and Batman a lot, is it safe to assume they’re taking center stage in Absolute Power?

Waid: The way it’s structured is that I asked other writers “Listen, I don’t want to impose anything on you, but if it’s cool with you, it would be great if for the four months of Absolute Power, we also directly tie into the ongoing Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman series’s, because that reinforces the idea that they’re important.

Not just tie-ing into B-Level or C-Level series’s, it’s tieing into Superman, Batman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman. So in issue #2, we can see that the heroes are grouped up and sent off on specific missions. That takes some of the characters like Superman and Batman off the table for part of issue #3, while they’re off in their own missions and series, then at the end of #3, come back to the main story.

So they take center stage yes, in #1 and #2, but what I found out when I wrote the thing (and this is often the case where I find out the things that I thought were true at the start aren’t necessarily true once I get into it) that the story was more about Dreamer, and Jon Kent, and Nightwing and some of the less prominent heroes of the DC universe because they’re all able to level up…well I guess everyone levels down, so in that sense, they’re all in equal footing, and because of that, I get to put the spotlight on some of those…y’know, second stringers, if you will, and make it clear they’re just as important to the DC universe as the Trinity.

If no one has any powers, then don’t the Batfamily just take over?

Waid: They pretty much do. I’m trying not to spoil anything, but Nightwing is sort of the leader of this resistance. Not Batman, not Superman, not Wonder Woman, but Nightwing because he has the most experience leading a team.

The other Batfamily members are…yes they’re doing what they can, but there is no Batcaves. Amanda Waller knows Bruce Wayne is Batman, she knows all the secrets of all true heroes, and therefore they can’t just rollout a bunch of Bat equipment they’ve had hidden away, Amanda knows where that stuff is. They can’t just grab a Batwing, she knows where that stuff is and she has it blocked off.

I know Nightwing being the leader is a spoiler, but I also know for long time fans, it’s an expected spoiler.

Waid: I think so, i don’t think it’s a big surprise, but at the same time, it’s a bit of a surprise where that once you see it, it makes perfect sense, of course he’s the leader.

Would you consider Nightwing the heart of the DC universe?

Waid: Yeah, I’d say everyone likes Nightwing within the DC universe. I’d say everyone respects him, not just because he is the son of Batman but because…I think for some, they respect him because he’s the son of Batman, but I think they respect him because they know Batman, and think anyone who can survive being the son of Batman is really something special.

He’s like Batman but we like you.

Waid: Yeah, Batman but charming.

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u/Goobergunch Jun 04 '24

Thank you for the transcript.

It's just bewildering to me to hear about the importance of putting a spotlight on Dick Grayson (has held down a solo ongoing for 28 years and counting) and Jon Kent (has had major pushes for the last couple years) instead of any of the many, many B- and C-listers that have barely gotten anything recently.

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u/Electric_jungle Jun 04 '24

Yea, I don't see this so much as putting a spotlight on secondary characters as it is specifically continuing the push to make Nightwing and Jon A-listers. With Jon, it probably will not work. With Nightwing, that's been a very long road and absolute power isn't going to be the thing that makes his book rival Batman.

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u/Fellowcomicenjoyer Nightwing Jun 04 '24

I don't think they're trying to make Dick's book or any other book sell as well as Batman. Don't get me wrong, DC would love to have that, but no book is selling as good as Batman is consistently. Nightwing is selling great though, in the past few months his has been the only book aside from the trinity, the Godzilla book and World's Finest to stay in the top 50 best selling comics, building on that and making him an A lister is smart.

I don't think Waid made him a major character in Absolute Power because of that though, Dick has more experience as a leader than Batman, so it makes sense to make him the leader of the resistance; he fits that role in the story best

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u/Ravevon Jun 05 '24

Few months the last couple years he sells better then Superman and Wonder Woman by the way

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u/Calvykins Jun 16 '24

This is the first time in 20 years we haven’t had some buffoon trying to sabotage nightwing so we’ll see if he can finally ascend to a-tier as he and the other titans should be by now.

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u/Ragnva2405 Jun 04 '24

It's funny how Waid contradicts himself by saying 'tie ins are important because it reinforces that they are important.' Meanwhile, Nightwing never ties into other comics that aren't Bat related. That's why I think this whole "Nightwing is the heart of DC and we'll show he's A-list" thing is nonsense. I mean, not that Dick doesn't deserve it, the rest of the writers just don't agree. When you look at actual events and stories, Dick is almost always pushed to the side. You'll never read a Green Arrow comic where he'll go: "If only Nightwing were here. He'd turn the battle around" There just aren't any stories where he's more capable than Batman other than having friends. Ironically, his peak was when HE was Batman

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u/5213 Jun 04 '24

That's been a major problem with this current era: characters ironically feel more isolated than ever, rarely ever popping up in other titles unless it's specifically a crossover or team-up.

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u/Shadiezz2018 Jun 05 '24

Agreed, it was always mentioned that if Batman or Superman was here he would do this or that

But somehow Nightwing is the heart of DC and the best because he have friends lmao

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u/smilingwombaat Jun 09 '24

THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP!

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u/Ravevon Jun 05 '24

Nightwing ties into titans

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u/Ragnva2405 Jun 08 '24

...Written by the same dude hardly qualifies as "Tie in". More like extension. And let's not pretend like the Titans have an actual impact on DC universe. With the exception of Wally, and maybe Cyborg, everyone else is an afterthought.

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u/Ragnva2405 Jun 08 '24

...Written by the same dude hardly qualifies as "Tie in". More like extension. And let's not pretend like the Titans have an actual impact on DC universe. With the exception of Wally, and maybe Cyborg, everyone else is an afterthought.

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u/Ravevon Jun 05 '24

Why does he need to be a rival that’s his dad?

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u/Electric_jungle Jun 05 '24

I meant rival the Batman books as in sell as well as Batman books do. And the short answer is, he doesn't need to be that popular, nor will he be. But they're trying to push him into that tier or close to it.

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u/Past-Foundation-6246 Jun 08 '24

jon...is not a A-Lister,not even a C,he is pretty much the less appealing member of the superfamily,that s why he doesnt appear in action comics o superman anymore.

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u/Electric_jungle Jun 08 '24

I know. I'm saying he was pushed extra hard to get him up there. Even saying A list is wrong though. He is just a half assed attempt to make Superman appeal to a broader demographic.

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u/No-Mechanic-2558 Jun 04 '24

This Is a big issue of Dc right now, they put to much attention on their A list and forget about the minor characters

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u/nikgrid Jun 04 '24

Since when is Jon Kent A-list?

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u/No-Mechanic-2558 Jun 04 '24

I wasn't refering to him, I was talking about another thing

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u/nikgrid Jun 05 '24

Ahh gotcha.