It is said that every teacher hopes their student will one day surpass them. Indeed, there are many comics where Batman has argued that Nightwing has done just that. Beyond being more personable than his mentor, he’s also a better leader and turned the Titans into a successful squad. However, one feat in Titans #11 subtly showcases how Dick Grayson has learned from the mistakes of Bruce Wayne.
Titans #11 by Tom Taylor and Lucas Meyer continues the on-going drama regarding the soul of Raven. Taken over by her dark side, Raven is scheming to corrupt her friends and make them into her generals for when she takes over Earth for Trigon. However, the demonic Raven is doing a poor job of pretending to be Rachel Roth, and the façade has shown signs of cracking for several issues.
Despite this, it was unclear if Nightwing, as the team’s detective, was growing suspicious of Raven’s increasingly violent behavior. Titans #11 confirms that Dick Grayson had been investigating his teammate in secret. It also confirms just how far he’d go to protect his friends, even from themselves.
Nightwing Has His Own Batman of Zur-En-Arrh
Like Batman, Nightwing is revealed to have created a psychic double that lives in his subconscious. Triggered by the phrase “Circ-En-Arrh,” this double is clearly based on the same process that created the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh. However, Dick Grayson set some ground rules for how his double operates, presumably in response to the problems Zur-En-Arrh gave Batman.
The Nightwing of Circ-En-Arrh is not a separate persona. Rather, it is a portion of Dick Grayson’s mind that considers and analyzes information without being aware of it. It is reawakened by a series of triggers Dick programmed into the Titans computer, which only activate when Raven is asleep. This allows him to consider the increasing evidence of Raven’s odd behavior, without fear of his telepathic teammate sensing his thoughts or fears.
The Nightwing of Circ-En-Arrh is a brilliant concept. It allows Dick Grayson to talk out those deductions he can’t discuss with his teammates that require a second opinion. More, it showcases how he continues to enhance what Batman created.
Titans #11 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
