Dick doesn't realize it yet, but . . right from the very beginning of this issue . . he's already got the 'cowl' on. He just doesn't do it officially until the final page. I mean, he's got this team . . this confluence of characters that are helping him patrol and watch Gotham . . his 'Network'. And he's running them, and controlling them, like a General . . like Batman. He tries to tell himself that he's trying to figure out what's going on with the Gotham Underground . . that he needs to find out who's making the plays that are sending all of Gotham into a free-fall, but really . . he's just doing busy-work to distract him from the obvious decision that he has to make. He even admits to himself, "I've been lying to Tim and Alfred. It wasn't because of my fear of failure . . or because I felt it was wrong to try to replace Batman . . I refused to take on the role of my mentor . . because it's what he asked me to do. In his final message to me, Bruce ordered me to stay away from the cape and cowl. And I listened. He said he had enough faith in Nightwing and Robin to carry the torch. But Bruce underestimated the psychological effect that Batman had on Gotham." However, before he can do anything . . he has to go save Tim from Jason. We saw last issue that Tim tried to go after Jason with a crowbar, but . . Jason was just to much for him. In the end, it looked like Jason had killed him. However, it appears that Jason was just using a trick that Bruce had taught him . . the Possum Reflex. "My heart automatically slowed to eight beats per minute to restrict blood loss. I forgot about it. Didn't know it would actually work. I owe you one, Bruce . . . " Anyways, Dick finds Jason but they're so busy going at it that he doesn't even have time to look for Tim. Squire and Damian end up saving him as Jason's mock cave comes tumbling down around them. But even in the end, as Dick's got Jason against the ropes . . he still tries to give him the chance to reform, to extend his hand to save him . . literally. Jason's hanging on to the bridge, just barely, over Gotham river. But Jason won't accept Dick's help. "What's the matter, Dick? Don't want my blood on your hands? Well, it's to late! . . . I'll be seeing you sooner than you think.", the last part he says as he plummets from the bridge to the river below. After that . . he accepts the inevitable, "It takes courage to face yourself in the mirror and look beyond the reflection. To find the you that you should have been. The you who got derailed by cruel childhood events. Events that took you life's natural trajectory and twisted it. Changing it into something unimaginable . . or even incredible . . giving you the courage to embrace your birthright, your destiny, and finally realize . . . . that you are Batman!" So with that, I believe the die has been cast. Dick has finally given in to the inevitable and accepted that he is the only logical choice in the succession of his mentor. I for one, think it's fantastic. We all knew he was the logical choice. The only roadblock was . . well, himself. Even if Bruce hadn't instructed him to "stay away from cape and cowl", I don't think Dick would've jumped right into it. He respected Bruce much more than that. However, as recent events have shown, even though it was hard on the Bat-family, it was even harder on Bruce's city . . Gotham. And, as we've learned with recent events, the Black Mask has done everything he could to send it sinking even further. That's one thing Dick does learn from Jason . . that it was the Black Mask stirring the pot, as it were. I think it was that bit of knowledge, along with what happened to Jason, that finally sends Dick in the right direction. We, however, learn that the Black Mask is not whom he appears to be. We haven't seen his actual face yet, but . . the original is indeed dead, as we were lead to believe. So who is he now? Well, they have to leave something for future issues. Right? I thought this was a fantastic mini-series, and Tony Daniel really did an outstanding job, handling the scripting and the pencils. But as it says on the final page . . this is . . " . . only the beginning!"
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