As a villain who strives trample the city of Blüdhaven’s hope, Nightwing’s newest enemy Heartless redefines what an “evil Batman” could be.
The newest villain to terrorize Nightwing‘s city of Büdhaven, Heartless, is an evil analogue of Batman, making his grudge against Dick Grayson much more sinister. Batman’s mission is to make Gotham safe and inspire its citizens through hope, so the thought of an evil Batman is frightening. This new foe proves that Nightwing’s villains are scarier than Batman’s.
Introduced in Nightwing #79, Heartless is the main villain of Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s critically acclaimed run. Heartless preys on Blüdhaven’s unhoused citizens, stealing their hearts to replace his own as his enhanced body quickly wears them down. In addition, the serial killer has a personal vendetta against Dick Grayson, linked to the hero’s determination to save his city. As a result, Heartless’ ultimate goal is to claim Dick’s heart for himself, even if it means dragging Blüdhaven down in the process.
In Nightwing #93, Heartless specifically states that the wants to take away the Blüdhaven’s hope and “watch its people writhe.” Given Heartless’ dedication to shrouding the city in hopelessness, it’s easy to draw parallels to Batman, a hero who strives to lift Gotham and spark hope in its citizens. However, the similarities do not just end there. Like Batman, Heartless is also depicted as wealthy, an expert fighter, and is often supported by his butler. These qualities make Heartless a perfect foil for Bruce Wayne, showcasing what a true evil Batman would look like and making his status as Nightwing’s true nemesis more personal.
While Owlman or the Batman Who Laughs are said to be perfect foils for the Dark Knight, their goals do not mirror Batman’s own so closely. Owlman is driven by a desire to take over the world. The Batman Who Laughs wants to eradicate heroism and reshape the multiverse. However, neither villain’s motivations warp Batman’s purpose of cultivating hope in his city. Instead, Heartless directly opposes this ideal, seemingly determined to make Blüdhaven’s inhabitants miserable. As opposed to lifting and inspiring people, Heartless seeks to drag them down and make everyone hopeless.
As a protege of Batman, Nightwing may be a street level hero, but he was raised to have the same ideals as Bruce. Even while operating in Blüdhaven, Nightwing seeks to uplift his community, investing his new fortune in the city. However, Heartless existing as a twisted version of Dick’s mentor makes their grudge much more personal. While Dick is doing his best to follow in Batman’s footsteps and save his city, Batman’s perfect opposite is destroying his plans.
As Dick Grayson continues to unravel Blüdhaven’s web of corruption, readers can look forward to seeing how the hero can save the city despite Heartless’ sinister plans. But no matter how the story plays out, the villain’s twisted version of Batman’s ideals make Heartless a terrifying nemesis for Nightwing.
