Nightwing: The Series is a web series on YouTube created by the Ismahawk web video creation team, focusing on the superhero Nightwing, a.k.a. Dick Grayson, former Robin of DC Comics fame. It premiered on YouTube on September 29, 2014.
The series synopsis: After a falling out with his mentor Batman, Dick abandons Gotham City and everyone in it. Emerging in the City of Bludhaven years later, Dick takes on the guise of "Nightwing,” easily defeating the petty criminals who infest it. But he soon realizes he may have bitten off more than he can chew, when a mysterious and dangerous assassin only known as Deathstroke begins targeting Bludhaven citizens. Can he defend his new home and the lives of its inhabitants from the most dangerous foe he's ever faced?
The five-part mini-series and bonus videos can be viewed here
.
This web video series includes the following tropes:
- Abled in the Adaptation: This version of Deathstroke upon his introduction. His comic-book counterpart has only one eye and is still feared as a master assassin; here, he's got both eyes working just fine.
- Age Lift: Wintergreen is middle aged here as opposed to elderly like in the comics.
- Alliterative Name: Hamilton Hill and William Wintergreen.
- Back from the Dead: Jason Todd is resurrected through unknown means after his death at Joker's hands.
- Ballroom Blitz: The series begins with Deathstroke attacking Hamilton Hill's gala.
- Calling the Old Man Out: Episode 2, which details how Dick became Nightwing, reveals that his transition followed an argument with Bruce immediately following a funeral service in which he lambasted the Dark Knight for putting his mission ahead of the welfare of his comrades. That argument swiftly got physical.Dick: I'm getting so sick of this. Every single person you bring into your life gets consumed by this ridiculous vendetta you have! And look at the result! I can't be a part of this anymore.
Bruce: (coldly) Careful what you say next.
Dick: You and I, Batman and Robin... it's over. - The Cameo:
- The Joker cameos in the series twice, but they are based on his iconic appearances in The Killing Joke and A Death in the Family.
- Superman is heard calling Batman for a Justice League mission.
- Chekhov's Skill: During their altercation in the flashback sequence in Episode 2, Dick attempts to slug Bruce in the face, only for Bruce to block the attack and use a spinning counterattack that stops just short of Dick's neck; Bruce does this to prove his point that Dick's not yet ready to go solo. Nightwing later uses the exact same maneuver to win a rematch in Episode 5.
- Cold-Blooded Torture:
- Deathstroke employs electric torture and knife-wounds on one of his targets, who's bound and helpless in a chair.
Deathstroke: Let's take it up a notch higher... (increases the voltage)- Like the comics and all adaptations, Joker beats Jason Todd to his death.
- Covered in Scars: Dick's sporting some nasty scars over his chest, presumably gained during his time as Nightwing.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Nightwing's first encounter with Deathstroke results in him being beaten bloody and kicked through the wall of a nightclub.
- Death by Adaptation: Hamilton Hill is killed by Deathstroke in the first episode.
- Decomposite Character: In this universe, Oracle is Dick's computer network which he uses to fight crime, while Barbara is, well, just Barbara. Eventually, Barbara takes on the Oracle role proper, just like her comic counterpart.
- Expecting Someone Taller: Nightwing says this of Deathstroke when they meet for the first time.
- Faking the Dead: Following being shot by the Joker, Barbara did this between the time Dick quit as Robin and the present day.
- Good Is Not Soft: Nightwing won't hesitate to dislocate or break a mook's fingers to get information on Deathstroke.Nightwing: I've got nine more fingers before this gets serious...
- Grievous Bottley Harm: One of Hamilton Hill's guards smashes a beer bottle over Deathstroke's head in the first episode; he has a brief Oh, Crap! moment on realizing it hasn't worked before he gets shot to death for his trouble. In Episode 3, a club bouncer tries this on Deathstroke and gets kicked into a wall in return.
- Groin Attack: During their rematch in Episode 5, Nightwing kicks Deathstroke in the balls to get out of a Neck Lift the merc has him in.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Bruce, big time, and the Jerk aspect of his attitude is the reason Dick cut ties with him. The Gold aspect comes in Episode 4, when Bruce admits to Dick that, as much as Dick made his mistakes, so did he.
- Moe Greene Special: Deathstroke starts off with two, but loses his right eye courtesy of Red Hood's Sniper Rifle.
- Moment Killer:
- Batman himself does this in a flashback in Episode 2, calling Dick (Robin at the time) over his comm-link just as Dick's about to share a kiss with Barbara. The two attempt to kiss again, only for the irritated Bruce to snap, "Robin, now!"
- Then in Episode 4, Oracle itself does this just when Dick and Barbara are on the verge of kissing.
- Mythology Gag:
- The Joker's outfit when he shot Barbara is lifted straight from The Killing Joke. His outfit when he killed Jason was the same one in Batman: The Animated Series.
- The color of Barbara's clothes when she was shot matches the one she's wearing in The Killing Joke.
- William Wintergreen operated on Star City in the past. Further, Wintergreen and Slade were also antagonists on the early seasons of a Green Arrow show.
- Never Hurt an Innocent: Notably, when Deathstroke attacks two of his targets at crowded venues, he gives the bystanders a clear opportunity to get themselves out of Dodge before he starts killing anyone. The only people he actually fights or kills are his targets, their guards, and Nightwing.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: The opening of Episode 4 shows, in flashback, the Joker's infamous beating of Jason Todd with a crowbar.
- One-Man Army: From the moment he shows up out of the elevator at Senator Hamilton Hill's reception in the first episode, Deathstroke manhandles 20 guards with relative ease, with only the last six giving him a brief moment of trouble—emphasis on brief.
- Parental Substitute: Just like in the comics, Dick is Bruce/Batman's adopted son. He even refers to Dick as his son in the fourth episode. This seems to extend to Jason as well.
- Posthumous Character: Jason Todd only appears in a flashback prior to his death at Joker's crowbar. He's revealed to be resurrected in Episode 5, donning his Red Hood identity.
- Pre Ass Kicking One Liner: Deathstroke delivers one in the first episode before single-handedly laying a smack-down on the guards at Senator Hamilton Hill's reception.Deathstroke: I'm here to congratulate the senator.
- Protagonist Title: Not a hard guess who the main character is.
- The Stinger: At the end of Episode 5. Despite being sniped in the head, Deathstroke is Not Quite Dead.
- Super-Soldier: Deathstroke was the result of a government training program designed to create a meta-human army in response to the rising meta-human population. Unfortunately for them, he would eventually turn against the people behind the program.
- Superior Successor: Bruce wants Dick to someday take over as Batman, as he believes his adopted son is a much better man than he ever was.
- Take Up My Sword: In Episode 4, Bruce admits that, for all the bad blood there was between them, he still wants to entrust the mantle of Batman to Dick when he himself should eventually die.
- That Man Is Dead: After dispatching Senator Hill's guards and before he kills the senator himself, Deathstroke briefly lifts his face-plate so the senator can see his face. Senator Hill appears to recognize him, addressing him as "Slade;" this trope is the response.Deathstroke: It's "Deathstroke" now.
- Villainous Rescue: Red Hood rescues Nightwing after his first fight against Deathstroke ends badly.
- The Voice: Superman makes his presence felt by calling Bruce for a Justice League mission.
- Walking Armory: Knives, guns, a Cool Sword... yup, that's Deathstroke.
- We Used to Be Friends: It's implied in the series Jason and Dick were pretty close before Jason's iconic death. However, the Red Hood seems to hold a huge grudge against both Batman and Dick.
