Absolute Batman Writer Teases Absolute Nightwing As Dick Grayson Returns In A Big Way

If you have been glued to Absolute Batman, here is a nugget worth circling in red: Scott Snyder just said Nightwing is on the way. And not as a cameo. As backup. Big backup.

So, what did Snyder actually say?

In a new chat with Casually Comics, Snyder confirmed that Dick Grayson is coming into Absolute Batman as an ally. He also made it clear this is part of a much larger plan he already mapped out with artist Nick Dragotta.

"And Dick Grayson comes back in a really big way. Nick [Dragotta] sat here with me in the office and we planned out the entire series such as we see it right now, and it was a good 35 to 40 issues, and we just laid it out."

Translation: they have the runway. The Absolute Universe Batman book is not going anywhere anytime soon, and Nightwing is a planned pillar of that long game.

Why Nightwing, and why now?

The timing lines up. The Bane arc just wrapped with some legitimately nasty fallout — Bruce's friends were mutilated and twisted into throwback-style monsters straight out of their darkest versions. Alfred can only triage so much. Bruce needs allies, fast.

Catwoman reappeared at the end of issue 12, which felt like the first life raft. Snyder positioning Nightwing as the next major arrival tracks with where this story is heading. And given how this line has operated since launching last year — sharp left turns, gleeful shock value, no soft edges — expect an Absolute Nightwing who matches that grit and brutality.

Big picture vibes

Readers have been consistently surprised by how wild Absolute Batman gets month to month, and that recent first look at Absolute Joker only stoked the fire. Snyder hinting that Nightwing's debut will be a 'grand affair' tells me it will drop at a truly pivotal beat, not just a costume reveal and a quip. If they stick the landing, bringing Dick into this sandbox could push the series into an even nastier, richer phase.

Inside baseball corner

If you are not steeped in the current DC lab experiments: 'Absolute Universe' is the banner for this alt-continuity take, where familiar heroes are reimagined harder and meaner. 'Ark M' and the 'Absolute Evil' crossover have been teased as looming threats, and Joker is clearly being positioned as something more demonic than clownish. That is the playground Nightwing is about to step into.

Absolute Batman 13: what I am expecting

• Selina uses her skills and leverage to steady Bruce after Bane's carnage, while Alfred handles recon and cleanup.
• The Joker moves from teasers to a more active role, with that 'demonic persona' side getting explored.
• Arcs converge: Ark M, Joker, and the flagged Absolute Evil crossover keep pressing in, forcing Bruce to recruit and recalibrate for another collision with Bane.
• No guarantees Nightwing shows up in 13, but Snyder's comments make it feel close. The table is being set.

Bottom line: Snyder and Dragotta have a 35–40 issue roadmap, Nightwing is a planned (and big) part of it, and the book's not letting up on the dark, twisty energy any time soon. If you are catching up, Absolute Batman 1 is available on DC.com.