Dick Grayson receives his version of the Court of Owls in the most recent issue of Nightwing from DC Comics. At the start of the New 52 era, Batman learned that a shadowy group of villains had been operating in Gotham for centuries, subverting the city’s political and social systems. In his city of Blüdhaven, Nightwing has come upon a similar civilization, and they appear to be hiding some very intriguing secrets.
The re-emergence of Tony Zucco, the man who murdered Dick’s mother, Mary, as well as his and Melinda’s father, John Grayson, at Haley’s Circus, presents a challenge for Nightwing and his half-sister Melinda in the latest issue of Nightwing #99 by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo. With Blockbuster recently vanquished by Nightwing and his “daughter” Melinda serving as mayor of the city, neither Blockbuster nor Nightwing are ready to let Zucco run amok in their community, despite Zucco’s belief that he can take over Blüdhaven’s organized crime. As a result, Nightwing defeats Zucco after he attempts to grab the priceless gem known as the Eye of Kahndaq from a covert bank owned by “The Hold,” a new covert organization with connections to Blüdhaven’s early days.
Nightwing Discovers “The Hold,” Blüdhaven’s Secret Society
Grayson sought to prevent Zucco from robbing them. Thus “The Hold” was prepared to fight Nightwing for custody of Zucco. However, one of the group’s leaders, the Quartermaster, persuaded his fellow members to leave Grayson alone. As a result, Nightwing has not yet established itself as “The Hold’s” main competitor. They might be more reasonable than the Court of Owls in Gotham, who have a complicated past with Grayson and have repeatedly attempted to use Nightwing as their Talon assassin.
Batman regularly battles the Court’s authority and plans for Gotham in the city. The Caped Crusader is continually alert for owl activities and those of their Talons because the Dark Knight has never fit into their final grand plan. While there is still much to discover about The Hold, they appear to have a more unbiased attitude toward Nightwing. As an illustration, the Quartermaster admits that Grayson was unaware that Dick had a safe deposit box in their bank. This box belongs to Dick.
Nightwing and The Hold might get along as long as he doesn’t get in the way of business, too, especially if they want Blüdhaven to prosper with the help of the Court of Owls. Shortly, they might even turn into Dick Grayson’s temporary allies. We can only hope that future issues of Nightwing will contain more information about their group. Right now, DC Comics is selling Nightwing #99.
