Not Ric. Dick. 
- — Nightwing
Nightwing (Volume 4) #74 is an issue of the series Nightwing (Volume 4) with a cover date of November, 2020. It was published on September 8, 2020.
Synopsis for "Crystal Cleared"
Gotham City. Around the Alfred Pennyworth Children Hospital
Bea Bennett came to Gotham, reaching out to Barbara Gordon as Ric, his boyfriend, was victim of a mind manipulation by the Joker. Barbara told her that someone would step in, but she did not hear anything about Ric since that moment. So, she decided to follow the sirens: usually, that's were Ric goes. In fact, Bea finds him: he's in company of two members of the Batman Family: Drake and Red Hood. They are approaching a gang of the Joker's clowns, when Ric attacks Drake and Jason. He's still under the Joker's influence.
Jason realizes that the man who attacked him in Ma Gunn's School for Boys was Dick himself: he tells Drake to step into the hospital and deactivate the bomb Punchline planted there, while he will take care of Dickyboy. The two fight, for the joy of the Joker who stands above a roof, watching the show. As Dick has the opportunity to kill Jason with a gun, Batgirl steps in and saves Jason, but in the process she positions herself right in front of Dick's gun. The memory crystal Joker used to manipulate him is on the ground, as Barbara took it from the Joker.
Bea, sensing that Ric is about to pull the trigger, takes the crystal and then tells him to stop: Dick feels his memories crawling back, and takes the crystal. Joker decides it's time to leave the show. Richard Grayson uses the powers of the crystal, restoring his true past and identity: not Dickyboy or the Talon, and not Ric. Dick Grayson, first Boy Wonder, founder of the Titans and now Nightwing. He's back, and Batman comes to welcome him in the Family once again, revealing also that he looked after him the whole time while he lost his memories, leaving him space to get back on his own.
While Drake is successful in disarming the bomb, the Family is ready to kick the Joker's butt. Richard still needs to do a thing though: thanking Bea. Searching for her, it seems she's nowhere to be found: she's hurt, believing that Dick lost all his memories about her and their time together. And she hates Gotham City for it.
Appearing in "Crystal Cleared"
Featured Characters:
- Dickyboy/Nightwing (Dick Grayson) (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
- Bat-Family
- Batgirl (Flashback and main story)
- Batman (Bruce Wayne) (Flashback and main story)
- Red Hood
- Robin (Tim Drake)
- Bea Bennett (Flashback and main story)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Alfred Pennyworth (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Commissioner Gordon (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Donna Troy (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Flying Graysons (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- John Grayson (Flashback only)
- Mary Grayson (Flashback only)
- Robin (Damian Wayne) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Anatoli Knyazev (Mentioned only)
- Court of Owls (Mentioned only)
- Isabella Haas (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Bludhaven (Flashback only)
- Gotham City
Items:
Trivia
- Many recent events from the Joker War are mentioned in this issue, including:
- Joker ambushing Barbara Gordon in her own apartment in Batgirl (Volume 5) #47.
- Dickyboy attacking Red Hood in Red Hood: Outlaw #48;
See Also