Warning: Spoilers for Nightwing #121!Historically, Nightwing has gone out of his way to differentiate himself from Batman. Of course, that isn't to say the her3o necessarily hates his mentor. The pair's relationship carries a complicated history, but the love between Nightwing and Batman is undeniable. It's just that he doesn't want to harbor the same level of darkness - specifically the anger - it takes for Bruce Wayne to be Batman.

Dick Grayson shows he may be Nightwing #121 by Dan Watters, Dexter Soy, Veronica Gandini, and Wes Abbott. In a moment of anger, Nightwing exposes the darkness inside of him that echoes the anger within Batman, all expressed in one simple quote: "I am unhappy with you."

Moments like this single showcase how, whether he wants to it it or not, Nightwing is more like Batman than either of them may realize.

Nightwing's Anger Makes Him More Like Batman Than He Wants to it

The Anger Is Reasonable: He Doesn't Like Children Being Recruited by a Gang

A break-in at Spheric Solutions, who make weapons to kill superheroes, put Nightwing in conflict with the Teddies Gang recently. We know Nightwing was already investigating why an explosion claimed the lives of every local crime boss during a meeting. His investigation is complicated when Pearce, the CEO of Spheric Solutations, publicly blames the break-in on the Teddies despite Dick knowing that the Teddies were nowhere to be found at the factory.

Nightwing determines that as part of an inside job that involved bombing their own factories, Spheric Solutions needs to give the illusion that Blüdhaven is overrun by gang culture through scare tactics. This move would justify gifting Blüdhaven's Police Department advanced weaponry that otherwise would be a controversial move. While he figures out the "why" of the matter, along with dealing with Blüdhaven PD's abuse of the Helios Project, Nightwing is furious to discover that the cubs of the Teddies are actual children, not much older than fourteen.

Nightwing later learns that the children weren't as much recruited or manipulated as they were unhoused, having nowhere else to go in need of the safe space that was provided by the gang. Before that though, he's filled with rage once he learns that children are forced into a life of crime, especially after watching one of those children - a young fourteen-year-old Marcus Moran - die in the line of fire. Nightwing's first instinct is to kick his way into the Teddies' hideout, beating them within an inch of their lives whilst airing his grievances.

Why Does This Plot Twist Make Nightwing Unhappy?

The Root of Nightwing's Anger Comes from His Upbringing

One can see the parallels between Dick Grayson's life and the lives of the young Teddies, making Nightwing's gripes completely understandable. His parents' murders forced Nightwing to grow up fast. Children who deal with tragedy at a young age are always forced to grow up fast, but more so for someone like Dick Grayson, who almost immediately chose to cope by donning a mask to become Robin, the Boy Wonder. The former Robin coped by becoming a crimefighter while these children grew up fast to become criminals.

Nightwing has opted to keep his darkest emotions under lock and key.

Knowing what it feels like to have one's innocence destroyed at a young age and plunged into crime life - albeit as a crimefighter rather than a criminal - is what struck a nerve with Nightwing. This knowledge unleashed a burst of anger within someone who is notorious for knowing how to stay calm in tense situations, staying jovial. That is not the case this moment as Nightwing unleashes a barrage of fists upon the Teddies, his signature smirk fades in favor of gritted teeth. The fury in Nightwing's eyes and face isn't unlike Batman.

Nightwing and Batman Share a Propensity for Anger

They Hold Fury from Childhood

If there's one thing that Batman and Nightwing can't deny they have in common, it's that they both were forced to grow up too fast in the wake of tragedy. Both men lost their parents at a young age, and with grief and tragedy comes an anger shrouded by darkness. The two men harbor that darkness within them, but because Dick had Bruce to help him heal from his trauma sooner than Bruce, Dick learned to quell that darkness inside of him. That darkness could only be quelled for so long when triggered in a moment like with the Teddies.

Looking for more Nightwing in the current DCU? Check out Titans by John Layman and Pete Woods, available now from DC Comics.

Nightwing has opted to keep his darkest emotions under lock and key, hence why he never wanted to become Batman, just as Bruce allowed Dick to be his own man instead of pushing the cowl onto him. By keeping an optimistic outlook on life as Nightwing, Dick creates a brighter future for his city, as Blüdhaven needs to be protected by hope, not fear. Fear and anger help Bruce be the Batman he needs to be for Gotham. Alternatively, as seen with the Teddies, pure rage prevents Dick from being the Nightwing he needs to be for Blüdhaven.

Nightwing #121 is available now from DC Comics.