The following article contains spoilers from Nightwing #92, on sale now.
Nightwing’s attempts to build his home shelter, while a worthy pursuit, have also distracted him from a major threat: Heartless. In Nightwing #92 (by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas, and Wes Abbott), he finally opened Haven, but this crowning achievement was the impetus Heartless needed to finally begin his plans to go after Dick Grayson.
Ironically, it was Heartless who inspired Dick to open up Haven, but the struggle to do so has distracted him from the fact that there is a serial killer loose in Bludhaven. From announcing its creation to actually opening it, Dick hasn’t spared a moment to consider where Heartless is or what he might be planning. Now, his inattention is poised to make him suffer.
The only reason Dick even got the idea to open the shelter was because of Heartless. He had been targeting Bludhaven’s homeless population, trusting that no one would care enough even to notice that people were dying. Nightwing’s interference not only cost Heartless his victim pool but also placed the hero on his hit list.
Nightwing’s involvement in building and then protecting Haven has distracted him, giving Heartless free rein over the city. While it’s been shown that he is planning to kill both Nightwing and Dick Grayson, he also hasn’t stopped collecting hearts. So while his enemy has been distracted, Heartless has continued his work. Those deaths are partially on Nightwing, as he should have followed up on tracking down Heartless. Heartless would likely be in prison if this happened under Batman’s watch.
However, that may be the point. Under Batman’s watch, Heartless would be in prison, but Haven would probably have never been built. Yes, Nightwing saw a problem in Heartless, but as Dick Grayson, he saw a systematic problem in Bludhaven itself, one that needed his attention more than one killer. It was not an entirely good choice, but it was the one that would have the greatest positive impact. The city’s homeless now have a place of support where they can be free from Heartless’ terror. It’s what makes Nightwing superior to Batman in his own way.
This, however, drew in other malefactors. Blockbuster didn’t want this shelter to open, knowing that Dick’s altruistic goals would hurt his business, so he has spent the better part of the last few months trying to impede or kill him at every turn. That is largely what has distracted Dick these last few months, making sure his good work gets done and surviving long enough to see it through.
All of this comes at the expense of Heartless’ victims, however. While Dick and Blockbuster duke it out in courts and on rooftops, Heartless was skulking through dark alleyways, ripping out hearts for his collection as he readied himself for his greatest victim. Now the bill is due, and Heartless has allied himself with Nightwing’s principal enemy to finally take him down. Had he been more attentive to the situation, he might have gotten ahead of it. All he can do now is react and hope for the best outcome.
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