In this story, Dick Grayson has had to deal with crime in Bludhaven for years without the aid of his mentor, Batman. Around Jason's death, Dick, already being Nightwing, wanted to stick by Bruce as much as possible. However, Bruce's morals and behaviors shifted in a way that no longer deserved Dick's respect. And he was not alone; Barbara joined him in leaving the Dark Knight's network. However, Nightwing wanted to continue his work, and he did so side by side with Batgirl for a couple years. But Barbara eventually decided against it, and Dick was left to support his little city by himself. Grayson has been a self-sustaining hero for several years now; no one would mistake him for Batman's sidekick anymore. But Bruce's resurfacing alongside multiple other costumed heroes makes Dick see a potential hope for Gotham. Although he does want to reconnect with Bruce and fight alongside Batman, it is important to remember that he is a self-sustaining vigilante and is also aware of Bruce's flaws. Dick certainly wants to help Batman uncover the murderer as Nightwing, but his real reason for hanging with Bruce this time around is to, like Alfred, realign Bruce's moral standards and know for certain if Bruce can be different from what he's heard during the years away.

With no live-action proxy, Nightwing can be much more reasonable in terms of a voice. He's young, at least 30 years old now.

As both Dick Grayson and Nightwing, he is always witty. Sometimes, he's more charming than Bruce could hope to be. He acts similar in both roles, but Nightwing is usually distinguished by his comedic banter while Dick is more softspoken... unless he's talking to someone in the Bat-Family alone. It's important to remember that Dick is funny but not a cartoon. Don't overplay the humor... unless you're being Nightwing, that's more understandable.