DC Has Set the Stage for the Ultimate Bat-Family Team
The Bat-Family is one of the largest superhero groups in comics and has many interconnected relationships. There is a parent-child relationship between Bruce and Damien Wayne, or between Barbara Gordon and Cassandra Caine. But the only character combo that didn’t seem to get much air time was Nightwing and Harley Quinn. But with Harley’s recent formal redemption, DC leaves a huge opportunity for this stunningly flawless and dynamic duo. One of the best things about the extended family dynamic is the variety of relationships that come from combining different characters. Jason Todd will have a very different relationship with Damian Wayne than he did with Dick Grayson. Characters who are romantically involved, such as Barbara Gordon and Nightwing, have a different relationship than Dick and Stephanie or Barbara and Tim Drake. With such a large family and so many different members, the possible story combinations are almost endless. That makes it all the more bizarre that Nightwing never really seems to interact with new member of the Bat-family, Harley Quinn.
Harley Quinn Has Officially Joined the Bat-Family
Harley officially joins the Bat-Family in Batman #111 by James Tynion IV, Jorge Jimenez, Tomeu Morey and Clayton Cowles. Despite teaming up with Batman to help him out here and there, his interactions with Nightwing were still minimal. Harley Quinn and Nightwing have occasionally interacted throughout comic book history, but only while Harley was an antihero or worked as a real-life villain for the Joker. Now that Harley has finally regained his place as part of the Bat-Family, it’s entirely possible that Nightwing and Harley will work together more directly, especially considering how many common interests the two share. It is in.
Nightwing grew up as a professional circus acrobat. He is one of the best acrobats in his entire DC Universe. Harley Quinn, on the other hand, is an Olympic-level gymnast, rivaling Batman and Catwoman. Harley is so slippery that he once defeated Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman by dodging and dodging all their attacks. Dick also worked as Robin when Harley was acting as Joker’s sidekick, so he knew Harley from the beginning and was able to track Harley’s redemption progress in real time. Dick is a lot more invested in redeeming villains than his mentor, and Dick even dated the former villain Defacer in the past, causing similar mortal issues to what Harley has experienced with on again/off again partner Poison Ivy. There’s even an element of darkness and dysfunction to Nightwing’s relationship with Batman that echoes Harley’s experiences with Joker, albeit to a far lesser degree.
Harley Quinn and Nightwing Need to Team Up
Despite all of these shared habits and interests – including a fondness for mocking their enemies and making quips in the middle of combat – Harley and Nightwing really haven’t been alone in a room together to just talk. When they have been alone together, it’s often played off as a crude joke, as Harley spouts memes about Nightwing’s butt. Across recent Bat-Family comics, Jason Todd and Tim Drake have teamed up during the events of Knight Terrors, and, in an unexpected twist, Cassandra Cain and John Constantine have teamed up over in Spirit World. The Bat-Family is no stranger to team ups, within or outside the Bat-Family members. This makes Harley Quinn and Nightwing the biggest missed opportunity for a Bat-Family duo – however, with the former villain now an official Gotham hero, it’s time for that to change.