Line #11 ComicBook/Grayson


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_2grayson_vol_1_2_cover_1_teaser.jpg]]
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3	''Grayson'' is a monthly ComicBook series published by Creator/DCComics, started in July of 2014, written by Creator/TimSeeley and Creator/TomKing, with art primarily by Mikel Janin. Following the events of ''ComicBook/ForeverEvil2013'' and ''ComicBook/NightwingNew52'', Dick Grayson is presumed dead by most of the world, and ComicBook/{{Batman}} takes this as an opportunity to have Dick infiltrate Spyral, an espionage organisation intent on discovering the identities of the world's superheroes. Along for the ride is [[ComicBook/{{Huntress}} Helena Bertinelli]], who was declared dead in ''Worlds' Finest'', but is instead revealed to be an agent of Spyral.
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5	In March 2016, it was revealed that, as part of the ComicBook/DCRebirth initiative, ''Grayson'' will be spun back off into ''ComicBook/NightwingRebirth'', with Dick returning to his former role, and Tim Seeley will stay as writer. Helena, however, is part of the ''ComicBook/BatgirlAndTheBirdsOfPrey'' series.
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7	Since this series is spinning out of ''ComicBook/ForeverEvil2013'', spoilers for that series will be unmarked.
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9	----
10	!!''Grayson'' contains examples of:
11	* AIIsACrapshoot: Subverted. The Spyder is introduced as a malevolent artificial intelligence who brainwashes Spyral's leaders. [[spoiler:Actually, while indeed evil, it's in fact the digitized mind of Spyral's founder, Otto Netz]].
12	* TheAce: Helena Bertinelli, aka Matron, and Tiger, aka Agent 1, are Spyral's top spies. The former even becomes the leader of the agency following [[spoiler:Minos' defection]].
13	* AchillesHeel: Paragon is a nearly indestructible android who has the powers of all the members of the Justice League. However, his design is incomplete, since Spyral was never able to secure his heart. As a result, Dick manages to stop the monstrosity by firing a single bullet through his chest.
14	* AffablyEvil:
15	** Ladytron, the sociopathic cyborg who works for God Garden, cracks jokes and flirts with Dick as they fight against Spyral's security bots.
16	** The vampire that tries to kill Dick in the third annual is surprisingly amicable, as he accepts his defeat and unironically thanks the hero for making his last meal so memorable.
17	* AgentsDating:
18	** It's forbidden for Spyral agents to date each other, though both Helena and Alia end up sleeping with Dick (although the former only does so in the non-canon "Futures End" story).
19	** Alia and Tiger loved each other, but their relationship was complicated by the fact [[spoiler:she was loyal to Elisabeth, while he was Checkmate's [[TheMole sleeper agent]]]].
20	* AllYourPowersCombined: Paragon's organs imbue their holders with the powers of a certain member of the Justice League. When the android is rebuilt at the end of the second arc, he is granted all their abilities at the same time.
21	* AlternateCompanyEquivalent:
22	** Fans noticed very early that Dick has basically become ComicBook/BuckyBarnes: after his death was faked in a major crossover event, he used it as a cover to free himself up for the kind of heavy-duty espionage his mentor can't do, but the similarities end there. ''Winter Soldier'' was spy noir and had a much darker tone, whereas ''Grayson'' is more akin to a ''Bond'' movie with its more playful style.
23	** The less obvious parallel is that the new series is essentially the male DC version of Marvel's ComicBook/BlackWidow.
24	** A pop art infused sci-fi international spy adventure series involving a womanizing super-agent is inevitably going to bring comparisons to the Jim Steranko era ComicBook/NickFury.
25	* AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield: The final confrontation against [[spoiler:Dr. Dedalus]] takes place in a featureless white room, which morphs into a red void whenever the villain possesses one of the heroes.
26	* AndIMustScream: Helena retains a certain degree of consciousness while [[spoiler:Dr. Dedalus is possessing her body, comparing her experience to being trapped inside her own head]].
27	* AndTheAdventureContinues: The series ends with Helena daydreaming about her and Dick's next adventures, as the protagonist enthusiastically removes his Spyral uniform to reveal the Nightwing costume underneath.
28	* ApologeticAttacker: King Faraday apologizes to [[spoiler:Helena]] as the Syndicate prepares to assassinate her.
29	* ArcVillain: Given a LampshadeHanging with [[spoiler:Mister Minos]] by [[spoiler:Agent Zero]] in the end of the first arc. Despite feeling he was better than other villains, he had [[{{Idiosyncrazy}} a singular obsession]], much like many of the villains in Batman's RoguesGallery: [[spoiler:secrets]].
30	* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Subverted. [[spoiler:When Luka and Elisabeth finally meet face to face, they surprisingly put aside their animosity for each other and hold hands. However, they then immediately start a vicious fight once it becomes clear that they both wish to host their father's mind]].
31	* BaitAndSwitch: Matron learns someone has been murdering spies and suspects the culprit to be Tiger. Dick responds to her warning by knocking his partner out in the middle of a mission and fleeing, but a menacing figure is then seen approaching the unconscious man with an escrima stick... only to be murdered by the real killer, who leaves Tiger unharmed.
32	%%* BashBrothers: Midnighter and Dick Grayson.
33	* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler:Dr. Dedalus possesses Bertinelli, knowing that Dick would offer his own body in exchange for his friend's safety. Ironically, this turns out to be part of Dick's gambit, as he manages to defeat the villain by using the Hypnos implants to shock his own brain]].
34	* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: The final battle against [[spoiler:Dr. Dedalus takes place inside Dick's mind, as he summons all his previous incarnations to try and expel the villain's consciousness from his own body]].
35	* BitchInSheepsClothing:
36	** [[spoiler:Agent 8 is introduced as a lively and friendly young woman, but she is actually Elisabeth's [[TheDragon subordinate]], acting as the main antagonist of the "Nemesis" arc]].
37	** [[spoiler:Elisabeth Netz appears to be just an eccentric doctor, but is actually the daughter of [[MadScientist Dr. Dedalus]] and conspiring to bring him back to life. Subverted in that she comes to reject his ideologies and regret her actions, but is murdered before she can pull a proper HeelFaceTurn]].
38	* BookEnds: Each panel in the comic's first page depicts a different stage of Dick's life, from his days working as an acrobat in his parents' circus, to his adventures as Robin and Nightwing, and finally his apparent death in ''ComicBook/ForeverEvil2013''. The last issue's final page follows a similar structure, but concludes with Dick discarding his spy outfit as he goes back to his Nightwing uniform.
39	* ButForMeItWasTuesday:
40	** Grayson erroneously accuses Maxwell Lord of framing him for a series of murders in a previous arc. Lord responds that he doesn't remember that, but only because he can't keep track of everything while working to keep the world safe.
41	** At the end of the story, Helena says that saving the world must have felt like just another Tuesday to Dick, but she herself was shaken by the experience.
42	* CainAndAbel: [[spoiler:Otto created Elisabeth to be sensible, but raised Luka to be cruel. Following his resurrection, he tells the two siblings there is only space for one of them in his grand scheme. Realizing that he never saw the two of them as anything but pawns, Elisabeth begs her sister to drop her gun and abandon their father's ideologies, but Luka just shoots her in cold blood]].
43	* CarFu: Dick and Superman manage to momentarily stun Blockbuster by crashing the Man of Steel's motorcycle into him.
44	* CartwrightCurse: Between this book and ComicBook/{{New 52}} ''ComicBook/{{Nightwing}}'', every woman that Dick has slept with has died.
45	* ChekhovsGun: In the second issue, it's shown that high-ranking Spyral operatives can subdue lesser agents by saying a code word, which causes the Hypnos implants to emit a mild shock to the victim's brain. This becomes instrumental [[spoiler:during the final battle, when Dick triggers his own Hypnos implants to exorcise Dr. Dedalus from his body]].
46	* ChessMotifs: Checkmate is a covert operations agency whose structure is designed after a game of chess. Its leader, Maxwell Lord, adopted "Black King" as his code name, whereas lesser agents and people who are being manipulated by the organization are referred to as "pawns".
47	%%* ChewingTheScenery: Tiger, Mr. Minos, ComicBook/LexLuthor, and Midnighter have a few scenes among them. Such as?
48	* ColdSniper: In the final issue, [[spoiler:Tiger kills Alia with a sniper rifle, while reflecting on his own nature as a murderer]].
49	--> "You said I was too kind. That I had lost my nature. That I was no longer a monster. (...) You were wrong, [[spoiler:Alia]]."
50	* ColorMotif: PlayedForLaughs. Dick assigns Batgirl the code name "Red", as a reference to her hair colour. Red Hood, who at this point is currently working with Red Robin, sarcastically asks whether other colours exist.
51	* ComedicSociopathy: The Hood suffers severe injuries whenever he makes an appearance, though his anguish is treated as a non-issue by the other characters. He is nearly killed in issue 2, as one of Bertinelli's students mistakes him for an enemy and shoots an arrow in his direction. Later on, Minos reveals that the Hood lost several of his fingers in a previous mission, implying that they were bitten off and devoured by Poppy Ashemore. Finally, when the Batfamily tries to find a way to hack into Dick's Hypnos, they target the Hood, beat him up, and leave him hanging upside-down from the top of a building.
52	%% ZCE* TheComicallySerious: Helena, when she's partnered up with Dick
53	* ContinuitySnarl: Plot elements and characters from ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison'' are reintroduced and given brand new developments in this series. For example, the terrorist organization Leviathan was created by [[spoiler:Talia al Ghul]] in Morrison's story, but founded by [[spoiler:Otto Netz]] here. Though the contradictions would suggest that the two works are set in different continuities, a major event from Morrison's ''Batman'' (the death of [[spoiler:Damian Wayne]]) is referenced in ''Grayson'''s pages, establishing that both stories are somehow part of the same canon.
54	* CoversAlwaysLie:
55	** The cover for issue 4 shows Grayson desperately trying to escape the Skullgirls, with one of them taking aim at him with a crossbow. While the chase does occur in the actual comic, it's much more playful in nature, with the girls only trying to get a better look at his body while he teases them by running around Hadrian's school.
56	** The cover for Volume 5 shows Grayson teaming up with the Bat-family, Agent 1, Matron, the Skullgirls, Ladytron, Midnighter and Ninel Dubov, while the Spyral leaders and the Gardener stare ominously in the background. Only a fraction of those characters appear in the actual story, with [[spoiler:the Skullgirls and Tiger]] actually posing as an obstacle for Dick.
57	* CutLexLuthorACheck: In the "Gut Feelings" issue, over Dick's protest, Spyral chooses to make Dr. Ashemore a deal; give up the biomech digestive enhancer that gives her SuperSpeed in exchange for a HorrorHunger that has driven her to cannibalism, and she can become a fully licensed scientist again working with Spyral in a properly equipped lab with unlimited funding.
58	* DePower: Superman guest stars in the second annual, though he has lost all of his powers except his SuperStrength and enhanced hearing.
59	* DesperatePleaForHome: Dick is shown to miss his former life, as he nostalgically reminisces about the last time the Bat-family went on a picnic. After [[spoiler:the Paragon project is dismantled and Minos is killed]], he asks Batman if his mission is completed and sadly requests to be allowed to go home.
60	--> '''Dick Grayson:''' Bruce... Mr. Malone. This is... please, ''please''... Can I come home?
61	* DeusExMachina: In issue 16, Spyder orders Bertinelli to activate the nanobots on Grayson' bloodstream to prevent him from learning the secret origins of Spyral. Conveniently enough, the hero is attacked by a group of security bots just as the order is being executed, prompting him to trigger an electromagnetic pulse that not only fries the attackers' circuits, but also disables the nanomachines that were about to kill him.
62	* DoesNotLikeGuns: Played with. Dick is shown to be fine with throwing guns, or using them to set off explosives. However, he has gone out of his way to not fire upon another human being.
63	* DragonWithAnAgenda: [[spoiler:Mr. Minos' true allegiance is to Maxwell Lord, who tasked him with infiltrating Spyral and using its assets to uncover the identities of the Justice League members. However, once Paragon is reassembled, Minos abandons his original mission and tries to use the android for his own purposes]].
64	* EatingTheEyeCandy: Midnighter enjoys a pleasant view provided by Dick in ''Grayson'' #6:
65	--> '''Midnighter''': Your nifty ''Hypnos'' tech trick may make it so I can't see Spyral agents' faces ... but I'd know [[MrFanservice that ass]] anywhere.
66	* EmotionBomb: Paragon's brain imbues the wielder with ComicBook/MartianManhunter's empathy and telepathy. A member of the Fist of Cain cult uses it to brainwash a large group of people, who start fighting among themselves. Once Dick gets a hold of the organ, he uses it to pacify the crowd.
67	* EnemyMine: Dick and Midnighter team up to stop the Fist of Cain from setting off a telepathic assault on a crowd.
68	* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Or rather, a re-establishing character moment. Dick's use of a gun as a batarang in the opening pages of the first issue makes it clear that this is still the same Dick Grayson that used to defend Gotham.
69	* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Grayson is considered attractive by all the girls in Bertinelli's boarding school, as well as [[StraightGay the Midnighter]], who is able to identify him simply by looking at his buttocks.
70	* EvilIsPetty: [[spoiler:Dr. Dedalus, while possessing Dick's body,]] taunts an injured Helena by telling her that Grayson is really in love with [[ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} Barbara]], whom he also finds to be much prettier than her.
71	* EvilVersusEvil: The entire plot turns out to be [[spoiler:a secret war between the Netz siblings, who wish to restore their megalomaniacal Nazi father to life, but have to compete for the right of hosting his soul]].
72	* EyeScream:
73	** At the end of the "Nemesis" arc, Tiger rips out his own Hypnos implants so he can identify his attacker, causing his eyes to bleed profusely in the next panels.
74	** A miniaturized Keshi punches Helena in the eye in issue #18, resulting in a large gout of blood.
75	* FakingTheDead:
76	** Dick, who many think was killed by the Crime Syndicate.
77	** Helena Bertinelli was also thought to be dead. It seems that Spyral recruits their agents this way.
78	** [[spoiler:Alia/Agent 8]], who takes a pretty fatal-looking injury, returns alive and well.
79	* FauxAffablyEvil: [[spoiler:Alia]] is always seen with a smile and a cheerful attitude, but is one of the most dangerous enemies Dick faces. [[spoiler:Her loyalty to Elisabeth Netz elicits her to commit a series of crimes, such as nearly starting a war between spy agencies, almost killing her ex-partner (and former lover) Tiger, and ensuring the resurrection of Dr. Dedalus]].
80	* FireForgedFriends: Despite Tiger and Grayson's initial contempt for each other, they gradually form a friendship once they start working together to [[spoiler:disrupt Spyral's missions across the globe. Their mutual respect persists even after Tiger is revealed to be working for Checkmate: Conflicted between the mission and his feelings, Tiger curses his former partner for making him feel sympathy]].
81	* FishOutOfWater: A running theme is that [[NiceGuy Dick]] is an [[TheCape idealistic superhero]] working in an environment that values pragmatism and lies over idealism and honesty.
82	* FiveSecondForeshadowing:
83	** At the end of the Nemesis arc, Dick's doppelganger drops obvious hints to his true identity, only a few pages before he is unmasked: [[spoiler:Him calling the protagonist "Wing-Knight", mentioning the one-night stand with Alia and delivering the {{Catchphrase}} "Don't wait for the explosion. Cause the explosion" are dead giveaways that he is Agent 8]].
84	** Issue 18 drops some hints that [[spoiler:Tiger]]'s true allegiance is to Checkmate: [[spoiler:Faraday dares Tiger to show his true "stripes", while Agent 8 chastises him for serving a "grid" of orderly peace]]. Issue 19 opens with said spy joining Checkmate as the organization raids the Spyral base.
85	%%* FoeRomanceSubtext: Laid on ''thick'' between Midnighter and Dick Grayson.
86	* FriendlyEnemy: Ladytron is a psychopatic spy working for God Garden, but she exchanges friendly dialogue with Dick and Tiger as the two are attacked by Spyral security bots in Berlin. At one point, she has to remind them both that they are actually enemies.
87	* GoodVersusGood: Dick vs Midnighter, thanks to PoorCommunicationKills. [[spoiler:During their third encounter, Midnighter boasted about how he could take down Spyral. If he had kept his mouth shut and not threatened to hurt Helena, Dick might have just negotiated a truce with him.]]
88	* GrandTheftMe: [[spoiler:Dr. Dedalus takes over Helena's body during the final arc]].
89	* HeelFaceTurn: At the end of the story, [[spoiler:Tiger]] defects from Checkmate and reforms Spyral as its Patron.
90	* HeroAntagonist:
91	** Midnighter's goal to take down Spyral causes him to oppose Grayson and disrupt his missions. However, much like the protagonist, his actions result from him knowing that the organization is up to something sinister. Minos himself points out that Midnighter is, by all accounts, a hero of the GoodIsNotNice variety.
92	-->'''Mr. Minos:''' He is an angry, brutal, and resentful man... but he is also a man of duty.
93	** The Syndicate has come up with a plan to save the world from [[spoiler:Dr. Dedalus]], but since it involves [[spoiler:assassinating Helena Bertinelli]], they come into direct conflict with the protagonist.
94	--> '''Faraday:''' We are ''not'' villains!
95	--> '''Bronze Tiger:''' We are the spies who will save the world!
96	%%* HoneyPot: Dick himself has acted as one.
97	* HorrorHunger: Whilst in possession of the biomech digestive enhancer, Dr. Ashemore is forced to consume vast amounts of calories to counteract the rapid aging effect that comes from using her SuperSpeed. A combination of this, a need to get rid of the bodies of various spies who track her down and implied SanitySlippage leads to her [[EatTheEvidence devouring]] the corpses [[ImAHumanitarian those who came after her]].
98	* HotTeacher: Dick, as of the fourth issue. After some of the students discover he's living at the school, he's given the cover of being a homosexual French acrobatics teacher. While the homosexual part Mr. Minos decided on to use as a way to turn the girls off, its quickly lampshaded that it does nothing but add to his appeal.
99	* HuntingTheMostDangerousGame: The Fist of Cain is a cult where members rise to higher ranks by murdering other people, with notorious victims earning the killers more "points". The second annual deals with a group of cultists hunting down Agent 37 and a depowered Superman through the streets of Gotham, forcing the two heroes to turn to Lex Luthor for protection.
100	* HypnoticEyes: Every Spyral agent has Hypnos implants on their eyes, which they can use to delude their victims and trap them in illusions. [[spoiler:Lex and Agent 8 later show that the Hypnos can be hacked to be used against their owners]].
101	* ImprobableAimingSkills: While Dick has always been able to throw objects and have them bounce, they were specially designed to do so. Here, he ''bounces a pistol'' off of a ''telephone pole'' '''while on top of a moving train'''.
102	* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode: Issue 15 is completely detached from the main story, as it's a tie-in to the ''ComicBook/RobinWar'' event. Regardless, it becomes the driving force of the first arc of ''ComicBook/NightwingRebirth''.
103	* InsultOfEndearment: Grayson playfully nicknames Tiger as "Tony" to tease him.
104	* ItsPersonal: Minos' attitude notably changes whenever a case involves the Fist of Cain. It's implied that he had an unpleasant history with them [[TheBlank back when he had a face]].
105	* KillItWithFire: In the third annual, Dick is bitten by a vampire, infecting the monster with his Hypnos-tainted blood. The hero then says the code word "Helios", causing the nanobots to incinerate the creature from the inside.
106	* LampshadeHanging:
107	** Mr. Minos seems very aware that he's a Franchise/JamesBond villain, even calling himself "very 60s [[Creator/IanFleming Fleming]]".
108	** The person in possession of Paragon's eyes is Old Gun, a man who has undergone surgery to connect his ocular nerve centre to his pistols' muzzles. Minos lampshades the ridiculousness of the character by commenting that "people can be so strange".
109	* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Agent 8 laments that superheroes all come from "weird places" and not normal towns like the one she grew up in: [[ComicBook/{{Superman}} Smallville, Kansas]].
110	-->'''Agent 8:''' See that's the trouble with you super-types, you're all from somewhere strange. [[DramaticIrony No Smallville Graduates in the sky.]]
111	* LegacyCharacter:
112	** Played with. Agent 37, Red Hood, Red Robin and Damian Wayne have all taken the identity of Robin at some point in the past, though only Damian still goes by said alias. Nevertheless, he still refers to Jason and Tim as "easy-to-kill Robin" and "easy-to-forget Robin", respectively.
113	** Agent Zero [[spoiler:was the identity Otto Netz took when he founded Spyral. After he became the Spyder, said designation was appropriated by his daughter Luka]].
114	* MassHypnosis: Somnus is a thought-suppression satellite network, which can broadcast a signal to disrupt radio waves and psychic frequencies across the globe. [[spoiler:Dr. Dedalus intends to use it to hypnotize the entire planet, making half of the planet loyal to Spyral, while the other half acts on behest of Leviathan]].
115	%%* MeaningfulEcho: Tom King has a habit of developing themes through the repetition of spoken phrases in different contexts. Name one example
116	* MeleeATrois: Issue 18 is an all-out war between [[spoiler:the Syndicate, who wants to kill Bertinelli; Dick and Tiger, who want to protect her; Agent 8, who is loyal to Elisabeth; and the Skullgirls, who are tricked into working for Luka]].
117	* TheMole:
118	** The protagonist himself only joined Spyral to relay its secrets to Batman.
119	** [[spoiler:Agent 1/Tiger and Mister Minos]] turn out to be working for Spyral's rival corporation, Checkmate.
120	* MrFanservice:
121	** The series explores Dick's position as one, by giving him many {{Shirtless Scene}}s and having him live at a private high school for girls, under the guise of a gay French Acrobatics teacher.
122	** In a crossover with ''ComicBook/DetectiveComics'', where he shows up at a club in Belarus looking for information, and the club owner automatically assumes that he's here to seduce her. He goes along, at least until he gets the information he needs.
123	* MythologyGag:
124	** When re-uniting with Bruce and Barbara, several quotes spoken by the respective characters towards Dick are scattered on the page. Some of those quotes are from stories that certainly would not make sense in the current canon, such as the Bronze Age stories, and the infamous ''ComicBook/AllStarBatmanAndRobinTheBoyWonder''.
125	** In issue 19, the silhouette of Dick jumping while lightning strikes in the background is a reference to the iconic cover of ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns''.
126	* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Since the security nanocytes from the AWOL base couldn't find a human host, they bonded with the next deadliest creature they could find, producing a zombie robotic orca.
127	* ObfuscatingStupidity: Since Dick is undercover, he sometimes has to play dumb in order to smuggle information out from under Spyral's noses. One example includes him loudly sucking on a lollipop like a child, until Helena is annoyed enough to knock it out of his mouth. Dick then collects the candy and sends it to Batman, hoping that some of the material that adhered to it can help them figure out Minos' identity.
128	* OhCrap:
129	** Elisabeth panics upon finding out that Dick is in Spandau, as she figures out he is about to access the database that contains information on Spyral's origins. After her attempts to convince Bertinelli to cancel the mission fail, she resorts to summoning the Spyder to brainwash Helena into killing Dick, though this plan also fails.
130	** The entire Syndicate is horrified once Dick summons Midnighter to fight them.
131	* {{Ouroboros}}: A snake eating its own tail is the symbol of [[spoiler:Dr. Dedalus and represents his desire for eternal violence]].
132	* {{Parody}}: The montage of Dick and Tiger travelling across the globe in issue 16 pokes fun at the opening sequence of the ''Franchise/JamesBond'' movies, as the two heroes are shown performing random acrobatic feats to the sound of a cheesy song, with the transition between panels also being silhouettes of guns or women.
133	* ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish: The title of issue 16 is "Code Word: Swordfish", alluding to the password Dick uses to gain access to a club where a rival Spyral agent is located.
134	* ThePowerOfFriendship: Grayson survives the final battle despite being subjected to the same injuries as the BigBad. Helena explains that this was possible because the hero drew strength from his loved ones.
135	--> '''Helena Bertinelli:''' Because they're your people, Dick Grayson. They're why you fight. Why you survived suicide-by-Hypnos, and (the villain) didn't. Your people are your heart.
136	* ProperlyParanoid: Helena keeps her crossbow sights off-target. [[spoiler:It ends up saving her life, as Minos attempts to kill her with it at the end of the Paragon arc]].
137	* RaceLift: [[ComicBook/{{Huntress}} Helena Bertinelli]], who was Caucasian in previous portrayals, is reimagined with dark skin.
138	* RedemptionEqualsDeath: After spending the entire series following the instructions of the BigBad, a mortally wounded [[spoiler:Elisabeth]] finds redemption by deleting all the information about the Justice League from Spyral's database, ensuring that it doesn't fall in the hands of Checkmate.
139	* RoboRomance: Discussed by Ladytron. She is a cyborg who has little regard for the "meat-types", implying she only feels romantic attraction towards other machines.
140	* RunningGag: The number of people who are able to recognize Dick from his butt alone has been steadily increasing. Granted, they are ComicBook/{{Midnighter}}, who has a supercomputer in his head, and [[ComicBook/Batgirl2011 Barbara Gordon]], who has a photographic memory. Of course, both of their sexual orientations including Dick's gender help too.
141	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler:Dick leaves Spyral after finding out that Bruce is MIA, that the Hypnos implants can be used to manipulate his body, and that Helena has been dealing with Lex Luthor.]]
142	* SealedEvilInACan: The BigBad is [[spoiler:Otto Netz, a scientist who uploaded his mind into Spyral's data base, hoping to prevent his mental deterioration after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. He spent the following years grooming his two daughters, Elisabeth and Luka, so that one of them would relinquish her body to him in the future. During the final arc, he ultimately changes his original plan and makes preparations to take over Grayson's body]].
143	* SecretKeeper: Spyral is trying to discover the identities of Earth's superheroes. However, part of the reason they're keeping the secrets is likely because they aren't "100% sure'' that they got them right, but viewing the monitors, it's clear they do.
144	* SequelSeries:
145	** Downplayed. While the series technically is one to ''Nightwing'' due to the 30th issue of that series essentially being ''Grayson'''s #0 and being the "next stage" in Dick's life, it does not use any of the supporting cast of ''Nightwing'', nor does it require you to read that series, other than the 30th issue.
146	** To Creator/GrantMorrison's ''[[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Batman, Incorporated]]''. It features the St. Hadrian's School introduced in that run, follows up on the story of [[spoiler: the Netz family]], and Spyral is given more exploration (they were name dropped as the Hood's employer, but all we knew was they were concerned with Batman's secret identity).
147	* SexIsViolence: The heroes are attacked by Spyral security bots while invading Luka Netz's base in Spandau, so Tiger tries to convince Ladytron to fry their enemies' circuits with an electromagnetic pulse. Dick responds by beating Tiger into unconsciousness, as the pulse would also destroy the database he is trying to access. Ladytron compliments him, apparently being turned on by the double-crossing.
148	--> '''Ladytron:''' Usually I don't go for you meat-types, but that was so cold-hearted, you're giving me an "oily".
149	* ShipTease:
150	** The series wasted no time launching the Helena Bertinelli/Dick Grayson ship, or rather relaunching it, since before the New 52, the two had briefly dated. And they receive a RelationshipUpgrade in the [[ComicBook/TheNew52FuturesEnd alternate future]] tie-in.
151	** The series makes it clear that Dick loves Barbara, despite the latter confessing that she doesn't think she is the right woman for him.
152	* ShoutOut: In Issue 6, Grayson tells Midnighter he had become "[[ComicBook/SpiderMan a spider man]]" instead of what he used to be, referencing his place in SpyFiction now.
153	* SinisterSpyAgency: At the start of the story, Spyral has begun gathering sensitive information on the identity of superheroes. Dick infiltrates the organization at Batman's request and investigates their intentions, though the truth turns out to be much more complex than originally expected: [[spoiler:Spyral's true purpose is to preserve the consciousness of MadScientist Otto Netz, find him a suitable host, and set him free so he can brainwash the entire world]].
154	* TheSociopath: [[spoiler:Otto Netz has all the symptoms of a dangerous sociopath. He is completely [[LackOfEmpathy apathetic]] to other people's suffering and blind to the damage he inflicted upon his own daughters, whom he remorselessly manipulates to fulfill his own goals. His plan to immerse the world in an unending cycle of violence was born from a pathological need for stimulation, since not even his status as a powerful and influent leader could curb his boredom. Finally, his [[{{Pride}} self-conceit]] is highlighted when he compares himself to a spider, and the rest of the world to his web]].
155	* SpidersAreScary:
156	** Spyral is a SinisterSpyAgency whose symbol is red eye in the centre of a spider web. The motif extends to the organization's gadgets, which include nanobots shaped like the arachnid, as well as an artificial intelligence called Spyder, which acts as a seer.
157	** During the final battle, [[spoiler:four pairs of spider legs erupt from Dr. Dedalus' back as he prepares to fight the Graysons. After the heroes manage to overpower him, he calls forth an army of giant spiders that tear through his opponents until only Nightwing is left standing]].
158	* SpyFiction: The entire series is this, in a mixture between the TuxedoAndMartini variant in tone with underpinnings of the more realistic one as well.
159	* StalkerWithoutACrush: Tim Drake runs a program to locate any potential pictures of Luka Netz on the internet, and is startled to find evidence that she has been monitoring Batman and Dick's activities from the beginning of their careers. Though identifying and neutering superheroes has always been Spyral's objective, Luka takes particular interest on Dick, hatching an elaborate scheme to [[spoiler:manipulate him into joining Spyral]].
160	* StepfordSmiler: Grayson is uncharacteristically optimistic and quippy for a secret agent, but his jokey demeanor is just a façade to cope with his internalized trauma. [[spoiler:Alia]] exploits this during their battle, disorienting the protagonist by forcing him to reflect on his most sorrowful moments.
161	--> "What one-liner did you use [[ComicBook/ADeathInTheFamily when Jason died]]? What fantastic quip came after [[ComicBook/TheKillingJoke Barbara took the bullet]]?"
162	* SuperStrongChild: The baby who was born with Paragon's heart is a meta-bio weapon who possesses Wonder Woman's SuperStrength.
163	* SymbolFace:
164	** All Spyral operatives have Hypnos implants embedded on their eyes, which hypnotize nearby observers and jam recording devices. As a result, it's impossible to identify the agents' faces, which are perceived as a flesh-coloured spiral.
165	** In the first issue, the reader is introduced to Mr. Minos, current leader of the covert operations agency Spyral. His true appearance is never shown, as his facial features are distorted into the shape of a spiral, lampshading both the name of the organization he leads and his obsession with keeping secrets. ''ComicBook/NightwingRebirth'' would then reveal that [[spoiler:he is actually an A.I. given human form via light construct technology, and therefore has no real face of his own]].
166	* TakeThat: When facing an evil doppleganger, Dick [[ChewingTheScenery goes on a rant]] about how every cliched story about an evil doppleganger ultimately ends up being a Clayface story.
167	* TakeThisJobAndShoveIt: Dick's stress after months of working for Spyral is exacerbated by his homesickness, his inability to contact Bruce, and the discovery that the agency can use its tech to deprive him of his free will. He eventually reaches his breaking point after being psychologically tortured by [[spoiler:Agent 8]]: During his next briefing with Matron, he states he is quitting Spyral and coldly walks away.
168	* TearsOfBlood: Dick's eyes bleed whenever he uses his Hypnos implants.
169	* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Between Helena, Tiger, and Midnighter, everyone that Dick has ever worked with can barely stand his happy-go-lucky daredevil antics. Helena does seem to warm up to him, however. Tiger even has a catchphrase:
170	-->'''Tiger:''' Dick Grayson, you're an idiot.
171	* ThereCanBeOnlyOne: After the BigBad possesses [[spoiler:Bertinelli, he informs his daughters that there is only room for one of them in his new world. Elisabeth refuses to be her sister's executioner, though Luka is far more willing to join her father]].
172	* ViciousCycle: The BigBad longs for a never ending circle of conflict to satiate his bloodlust: [[spoiler:Leviathan commits horrific atrocities, which Spyral then dismantles, prompting the former to evolve, and the latter to adapt accordingly]].
173	* VictoryIsBoring: [[spoiler:Otto created Spyral to gather intelligence on superheroes, and the agency soon evolved until it could exert its influence on entire nations. However, he longed for conflict and ultimately concluded that his success was nothing but a source of boredom]].
174	* ViewersAreGeniuses: The ''[[ComicBook/TheNew52FuturesEnd Futures End]]'' tie-in used a BackToFront structure in which each page was embedded with hidden messages and symbolism. It would be nearly impossible to fully understand the plot without reading the book a second time, preferably in reverse order, with a careful eye on dialogue.
175	* WellIntentionedExtremist: The Gardener was willing to let innocents die in order to bring awareness to the superhuman arms race.
176	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Poppy Ashemore is nowhere to be seen during the final arc, though it's implied she has left Spyral at some point between issues #15 and #18, since Dr. Netz comments there are no other doctors at Spyral HQ.
177	* XanatosGambit: [[spoiler:The entire first arc, concerning the body parts of the Paragon Template, was a gambit by Luka Netz to lure Dick into her employ.]]
178	* XanatosSpeedChess: In the "Nemesis" arc, [[spoiler:Elisabeth orders Alia to commit a series of murders and place the blame on Dick, hoping to drive the protagonist away from Spyral and, by extension, from Luka's influence. Their plan appears to fail once the hero deduces Alia's next move and engages her in a fight, though she nevertheless manages to beat him by preying on his insecurities. Once Dick steps down from the job, Elisabeth congratulates Alia for accomplishing the mission despite neither of them being able to predict Grayson's actions]].
179	* YouAreNumberSix: Many of the agents are given numbered codenames, in the vein of "Agent [Number]". Dick in particular is Agent 37.
180	* YouKillItYouBoughtIt: Helena [[spoiler:becomes the new head of Spyral after killing Mr. Minos]].
181	%%* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:What happens to Mr. Minos after he attempts to betray Spyral's secrets.]]

Context ComicBook / Grayson