The Return of.... The Flying Graysons???

[icon_uk]

Homage or tasteless cash-in? You decide!

This is from a 12 page story in Detective 484 in July 1979 (written by Jack C Harris, with art by Kurt Schaffenberger and Frank Chiaramonte), and dates to the time when Dick was a student at Hudson University, back before it was decided that Robin going to college was uncool..



The Haly Circus is, of course, the same circus where Dick was born and raised until.... THAT night. He notes that he's lost touch with Mr Haly over the years...

He barely has any time to think about this though, as a lion wanders past... yes they do so often.... Quick as a flash Dick takes off his clothes and oh yeah, he remembers to put his Robin costume on (Darnit... one of these days he'll forget). He uses his cape, matador-like to lure the lion back to it's cage. But of course, being Robin, he does it a little showily... which means; Gratuitous ass shot in 3... 2... 1...




The annoyingly cheery Mr Haly (He of the bowtie and hat here) comments about the last time Robin came to this circus (Which Dick somewhat carelessly identifies as his first case with Batman, way to cover the secret ID there) cause Dick to recall his whole origin (Which I've trimmed out as, cute though it is, it's a mite redundant.)

Haly ends by pointing out that troubles in the circus and Robin arriving again might be an omen of things coming full circle.

Ominously, a nearby shadowy figure is watching Robin's arrival and is not happy that a meddler has arrived.

Robin says nothing about Graystone's (the step-father Linda mentioned) idea that his team rename themselves as the "new" Flying Graysons being a stunningly sleazy idea, particularly since no one thought to mention it to the surviving actual Flying Grayson AT ALL! But I suppose he can't without drawing attention to Dick's acrobatic past which he usually tried to downplay.

Robin agrees to stay to watch the show...






Dick, of course, catches the damsel in mid fall, and lands her safely back on terra firma. Haly, hack that he is, is quick to cover the whole thing as a stunt by way of their special, one night only, guest star, Robin the Teen Wonder, to thunderous applause.

Graystone tells Haly that the trapeze hadn't swung properly meaning he'd come up short on his catching arc.

Robin, of course, decides to check...




Well, that was a far simpler piece of detective work than usual, no? But Dick still has to get out of the situation, even as Greystone flees....

Nice little acrobatic sequence here I think...



Let's say the take down is quite... short, as Dick decides that he' s been relying too much on his learned skills, and decides to do what comes naturally by taking Greystone down with his acrobatic skills. Show off! :)

Sharon, Linda's mother, is left distraught that she'd married such a ghastly specimen and Linda finds that Robin is more than happy to lend her a shoulder to mope on... which given her professional name is a little... incestuous perhaps, but we'll let that slide! ;)

The fire, however, was a severe one... the big top is wrecked, so there is one concern for our Teen Wonder...



I love that page, the reveal that Bruce has been making sure that Dick's old home stayed in business (Dick would later buy it himself but that's another story), the quiet reveal that Mr Haly has known that Dick was Robin all along and is very proud of him (And I won't even suggest that there is a "Grayson style"="Grayson DAMN FINE ass" subtext because that would be tacky), and the rather striking last silhouette of Robin, pondering over what (or perhaps, who?) saved his life....

tags: char: robin/nightwing/dick grayson, title: detective comics, creator: jack c harris, creator: kurt schaffenberger, creator: frank chiaramonte

Comments

[icon_uk]

You're welcome to use it, I don't have the room in my userpics at the moment, but must have a bit of a sort out of those at some point! :)

And just keep failing to notice it looks a little like he's taking a whiz.

[retro_nouveau]

No, you win this round, to the victor goes the spoils. But I will be back, mark my words, and then that day, it will be rued! By you! Uh, and stuff like that.

Heh, he does look like he's messing around below the belt. Maybe the scaly panties have ridden up again?

[psychopathicus_rex]

Nah, the stance is wrong. His legs would be further apart.