So, comic book characters are being drawn by different people all the time. I mean, everyone has a Superman sketch stashed away somewhere, but in the comic books themselves, artists are rotating, changing, running around with pencils flying...
Anyway, so different characters develop different looks depending on who is drawing. Costumes remain pretty consistent, along with hair color and eye color (most of the time) to help the readers identify the characters. And some physical characteristics are part of the character - Bouncing Boy will always be on the heavy side (even though some artists have problems with that. When people are overweight, they don't have perfect physique and a round stomach. It's an full-body experience). Power Girl is always...hmmnm, noticeably well-endowed. And so on.
By default, most characters seem to fit into an archetype, with the costumes and hair stapled on. Guys are well-muscled, well-proportioned and good looking. Women tend to have less noticeable muscle, if any at all, and are have ridiculously sized breasts for their jobs. I will take this opportunity to point out that most female athletes are nearly flat-chested. Some artists make attempts to differentiate between the characters physically while they are drawing them, some don't. For example, some artists will give Superman and Batman noticeably different physiques while drawing them next to each other. Some don't bother. It is extremely difficult to do properly, and I frankly can't blame anyone for just drawing "classic superhero body" and just adding the features, they working on crazy schedules in a fast-paced industry.
And sometimes trends develop. Enough artists seem to consistently draw a character a certain way, and it might not be cannon per say, but it might as well be.
So, Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson seem to have developed like this. These days (or at least recently, before he died) Bruce Wayne/Batman has always been drawn very solid and
big. He's heavily muscled, and he's very...straightforward in his actions. Decisive, correct and firm. This is, or course, all in comparison with his first partner-in-justice, Dick Grayson/Nightwing. Dick seems almost totally opposite. A little thinner, and much more about the
action, the
motion of crimefighting. It makes total sense for Dick to be like that - he comes from a gymnastic background, not a martial arts one. Much of Dick's style comes from his constant motion, his flips and twists more then his punches (not that he can't fight, mind you. It's a style difference.) I think the costumes help enforce this, Bruce's being a bit bulky, with a cape and cowl. Dick's outfit is more streamlined, very easy to draw in flips 'n spins.
So now that Bruce is dead, my money is on Dick to replace him. (Frankly, they don't really have any other reasonable choices, even if I'm not sure that's the direction Dick should be going. And if they choose someone else BECAUSE everyone thinks it's going to be Dick, well, that would be ridiculous.) My theory seems pretty supported. (
Major Spoilers spotted a leak and
IGN talks about the new Batman and Robin. IGN actually takes a little more explaining. Morrison is quoted, "This is a very different Batman and Robin team from any that we've seen before. It's almost a reverse of the traditional dynamic, with a more light-hearted and spontaneous Batman and a scowling, badass Robin. Expect fireworks and violence." Light-hearted and spontaneous? Dick all the way. Duh. But if Robin is going to be Damien, I
must know what they did with Tim.)
Now I'm a little worried about Dick. All the drawings available make him look...well, they make him look like Bruce. No one seems to be designing a costume to allow Dick the freedom of movement he
depends on in his line of work. Not good. And all of sudden, Dick is way bulked up, more solid, more thick. Those are no longer acrobat muscles. And I think that a lot of artists are going to be drawing Dick-as-Bruce during his reign as Batman. This is gonna be something I definitely look out for.
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Follow Up Notes:
Everyone must check out the designs at
Project Rooftop. I only got a chance to glance through it for a minute, but it looks like these designs
did take
Dick into account when designing his look as Batman. Wonderful!
TIIIIIIIM! WHERE ART THOU? Hmmm, maybe he could be Oracle when Barbara gets use of her legs back. He's got the detective knack for it, at least.
DC? NOW would be a very very good time to reprint the Batman: Prodigal trade paperback (in which Bruce asks Dick to take up the Bat-mantle for a while while Bruce is unavailable.) In face, it's a little late to send that particular story to the printers, because it's such a wonderful tie-in to what's going on, and it would be a good idea to reference it once or twice in the Battle for the Cowl storyline.
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