Thread by @LongNguyen12, So couple days ago @NicolaScottArt post this fantastic tribute to Dick Grayson [...]

So couple days ago @NicolaScottArt post this fantastic tribute to Dick Grayson on her social media. It even was trending on twitter yesterday. As a Dick Grayson fan and a fan of her art, I immediately fell in love with the image and after taking a look at this masterpiece /1

I noticed some really cool details that I wanted to highlight for each of Dick's costumes in this thread. Nicola's dedication to getting the details right on the costumes inspired me to make this thread. Also still riding high from Nightwing trending yesterday. /2

Let's start with the top row. I love the fact that the audience can see Dick Grayson grow up. His first iteration of the Robin costume, in my opinion shows that he's the plucky young child sidekick to Batman. /3

By the third iteration of the Robin suit, he's an older teen, much closer to his New Teen Titans look (more on that later). It's really stellar to see Dick growing up into his Nightwing persona in this. I might be reading to much into the art, but I interpret it that way. /4

Let's examine the first Robin suit. Like I said in post 2, @NicolaScottArt is really detailed oriented. Notice the stitching across Robin's chest in both images. Also take note of the belt and his hairstyle. Dick always sported the two locks of hair in front in his early days. /5

Now sometimes people associate that hairstyle on Robin with Jason Todd, but I think it's cool that Nicola was homaging Dick's debut look in Detective Comics #38 (1940). /6

Right image is from Detective 38 (1940) cover. Art by Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson

Next up is the second iteration of the Robin costume. I think Nicola is homaging the 1960's version of Dick Grayson in this one. By that time, he's with the Teen Titans (the original Fab Five). I think makes sense as Dick is in his teenage independence stage of life... /7

...and he would want to step away from Batman's shadow and not have to depend on Bruce. Nicola definitely recreates the 60s Robin look with the stitching on his chest has lessened, the belt buckle is a square now instead of a circle and his hair grew out a bit longer. /8

The hair is even parted on the correct side of the original 1960s Robin too. /9

The image here and on the previous two post is from Teen Titans #14 (1968). Cover art by Nick Cardy.

Now we move to the final Robin suit. Around 1984, Dick is leading a new Teen Titans team and Dick is probably in his late teens or early 20s. By issue 39 he quits as Robin and will adopt a new name in #44 wanting not to be Batman sidekick, but the team's leader. /10

Nicola is without a doubt homaging the 1984 design for Robin. His hair is more side swept just like in the original image, the stitching on his chest has be reduced, and the belt has more detail to it. At this point Dick wanted his own independent person and this shows as... /11

...Nicola depicted this Robin has much taller than the previous two. Dick is becoming an adult, shedding his past Robin persona for a new one independent from Batman, which we'll get to next. /12

Image here and previous two posts is from Teen Titans #24. Cover by George Perez.

Now we're at the Nightwing part. Dick is now not seen as a sidekick to Batman. He has matured, flying solo out of the nest. He's his own superhero, but still leading the Teen Titans. Right now we'll be examining the top Nighting row. /13

In Tales of the Teen Titans #44, Dick dons as new costume and name as he and Jericho go save the team from Deathstroke and Terra. Nicola replicates the '84 Nightwing look perfectly. She has his hair style down, the mask shape is perfect and it's colored exactly like... /14

...the color of the body suit, just like in the original panel on the right. What's even cooler is Nicola even recreated the yellow feathers around the chest and shoulders just like the original design. /15

Gonna have to tweet in real time now. Making this thread in one go on my phone is slowing the app down. /16

Original Image - Tales of Teen Titans #44 (1984) P: George Perez, I: Mike DeCarlo & Dick Giordano, and C: Adrienne Roy

Around 1992, Dick gets a new Nightwing suit (and a new hairdo) after his old suit was destroyed in New Titans #88. Starfire designed the new costume for him and gives Dick a haircut. And this is where the yellow wings and mullet hair design debut. /17

Nicola Scott totally recreates this design perfectly. She not only gave Dick the mullet, but she even parted his hair the right side similar to how Tom Grummett penciled Nightwing in the page on the right. Again, what's super neat is that Nicola has the mask shape correct... /18

...and its colored exactly like the body suits blue just like in the original. Love how detail oriented @NicolaScottArt is. /19

Original - The New Titans #88 (1992) W: @marvwolfman & Len Wein, P: Tom Grummett, I: Al Vey, Ian Akin & John Statema, C: Adrienne Roy, L: John Costanza

To my surprise, Nicola included the animated series Nightwing suit! After punching out Batman and quitting the Robin identity Dick goes solo and operates as a new vigilante under the name Nightwing in The New Adventures of Batman, a continuation of Batman the Animated Series. /20

Nicola nails Dick's animated look down. She kept his front cowlick, and made the "feathers" on his chest symbol more prominent. But what'a even crazier is thay she kept the asymmetry on the "tail" of the "bird". That is such good attention to detail. /21

This was the Nightwing I was first introduced to and still love this look to this day. /22

Original - "You Scratch My Back" - Episode 5 of The New Adventures of Batman (1997)

Next is the introductiin of the fingerstripes suit. In the 1995 Nightwing miniseries, Dick leaves the 1992 suit to Bruce, but after fighting off an assassin and figuring out who hired them, Dick receives a new suit from Harold Allnut and goes to Kravia to investigate. /23

I love that @NicolaScottArt included the suit. She has the "V" in a darker blue compared to the next suit and she even remember to give Dick the ponytail. People sometimes forget Dick originally had a ponytail when the fingerstripes suit debuted. Usually everyone... /24

...associates the fingerstripes suit with Dick Grayson having shorter shaggy hair. I jusy love that Nicola remembered that little detail about the ponytail. /25

Original - Nightwing #2 (1995) by W: Dennis O'Neil, P: Greg Land I: Mike Sellers, C: Cathi Bertrand, L: John Costanza

Final three and starting this row off with the look everyone associates Nightwing as. Still using the suit Harold gave Dick, Nightwing moves to Buldhaven investigating a case. He fights the False Face Society, but loses his ponytail. RIP Dick Grayson's Ponytail /26

@NicolaScottArt does an amazing recreation of this suit. The blue "V" is more vibrant and the compartments are on his forearms just like in the original design. Even the top of the boots are design exactly the same way. Again this close attention to detail... /27

...really makes me appreciate Nicola's Nightwing art even more.

Original - Cover of Nightwing #2 (1996) by @ScottMcDaniel0, Karl Story and Patrick Martin

After "Flashpoint" the DC universe reset itself in a new timeline. Dick is back to being Nightwing, but exchanged the blue on his costume for red. Say what you will about the costume color change, I think Dick looks great in blue or red. /29

Btw forgot to number the last post 28

I feel like Nicola really shines in the detail department on this suit. She has the red under the eyes, the red around the collar, the red hip stripes, the thigh high armored boots, and the escrima sticks are stored on the thighs just like the original design. /30

But if you zoom in on both images, you'll notice that on the original there's a line inside the red symbol and hip stripes and there is a mesh design under Dick's armpits. If you look at Nicola's, you'll see that she recreated it too. Attention to minute details... /31

...like that makes me appreciate Nicola's Nightwing piece overall not just as a Dick Grayson fan, but as an artist too. The dedication of going through an replicating Dick Grayson's designs over the years is astounding. It had me go back and see the piece again... /32

...to find out what other details I missed upon first glance. It inspired to make this long thread detailing the Dick Grayson's costume history through the Nightwing piece itself. /33

Original - Nightwing #20 (2011) by P: @Demonpuppy, I: @NormRapmund , and C: @adalhouse

Finally we've made it to the DC Rebirth suit. After Dick's adventures as a spy for Spyral were over and his secret identity remained intact, Dick took up the Nightwing name again and received a new costume. He traded in the red-on-black for the classic blue-on-black. /34

Nicola stayed true to the original design here. She brought back the vibrant blue "V" and kept the blue knuckles, palms, mask and top of the boots. What makes this even greater is that Nicola even kept the striations on the palms and the black stripes on the inner calves. /35

The attention to tiny details like those really make me appreciate the hardwork that went into this piece. /36

Original- Concept designs for DC Rebirth Nightwing by @javierfdezart

@NicolaScottArt has really outdonr herself with this amazing artwork. Nicola if for whatever reason you're reading this, I hope this super long thread doesn't make me sound insane and from one Dick Grayson fan to another, I want to say thank you for making this wonderful art. /37

I love the fact that you went into so much detail on Dick's various costumes throughout his 79 years in comic book publication. Like I said before this piece inspired me to make this thread detailing his costume's history and it had me appreciate, not just his butt, but... /38

...who Dick Grayson is as a character again. Again thank you so much for creating the amazing Nightwing piece for your fans and the Dick Grayson fans. You're the best! /39

P.S. really hope DC uses that to celebrate Dick Grayson's 80th anniversary next year. I mean Batman should always have a Robin, right. Let's celebrate that fact. /end

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