Warning: SPOILERS for Batman: Prelude to the Wedding Nightwing vs. Hush
Batman has Catwoman for a bride, but he still needs to pick a best man for his wedding. There’s only two real choices, since Batman has always relied on two constant friends: Dick Grayson, his former sidekick, and Clark Kent a.k.a Superman. But that choice alone is sure to dive fans as to who would be the most deserving of the spot.
This decision is the underlying current of Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Nightwing vs. Hush #1, which begins with Nightwing and Superman taking Batman out for a night on the town, the day before his wedding. The story is actually a reunion of all THREE of Batman’s best friends - as Superman, Batman and Nightwing come across Bruce Wayne’s childhood companion and current supervillian, Thomas Elliot a.k.a. Hush.
Tommy wants the post of Bruce’s best man, which Batman denies him. His refusal isn’t a shocker… but Bruce’s ultimate choice of best man is slightly surprising.
Although the second issue of Batman: Prelude to the Wedding is Nightwing’s story, it’s Superman who gets the job of best man. The pair’sdynamic is definitely the more mainstream friendship, even if Batman and Superman’s fights grab most of the headlines. But Prelude to the Wedding is much more about Nightwing and Batman’s friendship and why (for a very good reason) Bruce didn’t choose Dick to be his best man.
Ultimately, it boils down to Dick’s new career choices as Nightwing.
DC Rebirth returned plenty of classic elements to Dick Grayson’s character, including the blue Nightwing suit and his Bludhaven home. Yet the move to Bludhaven also took Nightwing away from Batman and Gotham, meaning Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson’s interactions have been rareer than usual. Yet Prelude to the Wedding: Nightwing vs. Hush #1 makes pretty clear that there’s no one that Batman views as closer to him than Dick Grayson.
The source of this information isn’t the most reliable, however. During the course of Prelude to the Wedding, Nightwing and Hush become separated from Batman and Superman. While stranded in an alternate dimension, Tommy Elliot reveals that he’s grown so desperate to become Bruce Wayne’s bestie again, he’s employed his plastic surgery skills. Hush has taken the face of Bruce Wayne’s closest ally, transforming himself into Dick Grayson because he’s Bruce Wayne’s “best friend.”
The revelation is delivered in the most disturbing way possible, but it does end up setting up a rather sweet moment between Dick and Bruce as the issue ends. Superman and Batman eventually find Nightwing and rescue him (although Hush is left stranded). It’s while recovering that Batman and Nightwing finally have a heart-to-heart with Bruce revealing that Clark will be his best man at the wedding. It’s a not choice that Batman wanted to make, but even Nightwing agrees it was the right one as the two heroes spend much more time together.
Dick never meant to put space between himself and his former mentor by moving to Bludhaven (this assertion can also be read as a very meta confession by Tim Seeley, who wrote Nightwing for most of the DC Rebirth era, and returns to Prelude to the Wedding.) However, it remains to be seen if the promises stick, and there will be more interaction between Batman and Nightwing moving forward in the DC Universe. Superman does make sense as Batman’s best man, but fans crave more of Bruce and Dick.
Not just because Batman’s wedding will be a bloody and villainous affair, either. But with DC Rebirth bringing back so many classic comic interactions and happy relationships, Dick and Bruce definitely belong on the list.
More: Tim Drake Is Becoming DC Rebirth’s Most Important Hero
Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Nightwing vs. Hush #1 is available now from DC Comics.
