a look into dick grayson's hypersexuality

content warning for discussions of rape, sexual harassment, slut-shaming

art by 02png

To preface: my problem isn't even in the fact that Dick Grayson is hypersexual, in fact, I think it's an extremely key way to get a look into his romantic relationships, how he treats them, and how it relates back to his character. My problem is firstly, within the origins of his hypersexuality, and secondly, within how the majority of the DC fandom (at least the vocal ones online) fail to realize the complexities of his hypersexuality. 

If you didn't know, Dick Grayson is canonically Rromani, it’s even mentioned in a 2021 issue of the current Nightwing run [1]: 

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Though the current run is being penned by… sigh Tom Taylor, Dick Grayson’s Rromani heritage stretches just a little further. In 2001, horrible writer Devin Grayson was the one to make Dick Grayson Rromani, saying, “I didn't change his ethnicity from one thing to another, he had no ethnicity.” [2]

While it’s certainly a part of his character, it is of utmost importance to consider that Devin Grayson did this in an attempt to make him more… “alluring” and “exotic.” I understand I’m coming from the perspective of someone who is not Rromani, however, he has never particularly been portrayed with their specific culture or struggles. Though, there is a line to walk considering, as Desiree Rodriguez says, “...Dick Grayson is a Rromani character. Denying this aspect of Dick Grayson only serves to contribute to the dismal representation of the Rromani community as a whole” [3] (Erased and Ignored is a wonderful read btw). When Devin Grayson made him Rromani, she also chose to play into many, many offensive stereotypes, one of those being his hypersexuality.

In Nightwing #93 (1996) [4], Devin Grayson’s self-insert character, Catalina Flores, rapes Dick Grayson on a rooftop. All the while he tries to grapple with the fact that, in his mind, he’s responsible for a kill, going against his mentor and father figure’s biggest rule. So yeah. He was in a vulnerable state. Yet after choosing to write this, she denies it as actual rape, instead stating that it was simply “non-consenual,” despite that being the literal definition of rape. 

Here’s a snippet from an interview with Alvaro’s ComicBoards:

MSL: Male rape is a topic rarely touched on in comics. Why is it suited to bring it into Nightwing?

DEVIN GRAYSON: For the record, I never used the word “rape,” I just said it was nonconsensual (I know, aren’t writers frustrating? [smiles]) [5]

Further on Catalina Flores being her self-insert character/Devin just seeing Nightwing as a facet for her to pour her sexual fantasies into. As well as her extremely problematic shipping of Batman and Nightwing, who, again, have a very much father/son dynamic, or a mentor/mentee dynamic at the very least. Via Shameless Magazine:

DEVIN GRAYSON: The way I think about him, he likes everyone, he’s sort of a contact junkie - just this incredibly physical (and attractive) person who lives wholly in the corporeal plane and responds with - processes things in - his body before his head or heart.

[...]

I’m writing a novel for WB right now that he’s in and I have one scene where Batman has to stop a fight before it gets out of control, and most of the people he can just yell or glare at, but with Dick, he just stands really close behind him and Dick freezes. That’s not supposed to be a sexual thing (though it is kinda hot! [laughs]) [6]

As of late, I've noticed that his characteristic of being hypersexual has lost any actual depth and has been overshadowed by being portrayed as a "himbo, sunshine, slutty, manwhore" caricature. His hypersexuality and character as a whole has almost become synonymous with it. 

Pertaining to the particular phrasing of “slut”: In 1992 (a whole 12 years before Nightwing 93’s cover date), Team Titans #2 [7] came out. In that issue, Pantha outright said “Dick you slut!” in response to Mirage coming forward with the fact that she raped him (she disguised herself as his girlfriend, Starfire, it was a Thing. you might also note that this seems to be quite a repetitive “Thing”):

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As you can see there are major implications in just the simple phrase. Mainly the fact that it references such a painful time in comic book history.

And I’m sick of people just reducing him to the aforementioned “sunshine manwhore.” It reduces him to such an extent I feel as though people forget that you can actually tell more about his character, rather than just that archetype. 

Dick Grayson is often written as a highly charismatic socialite. He’s been taught since an early age (there have been many instances of highly inappropriate comments during his time as Robin) of his sex appeal. Not all survivors of rape or harassment turn sex repulsed, some, like our dear Nightwing, turn hypersexual.

He internalizes the desire he knows people have for him, his body. He thinks, if his partners don’t love him for his body… What is he loved for? What else is there to him? He’s been quick, touchy in his relationships, especially his adult ones because he’s been taught that others value him only through that part of himself. 

So what happens when someone doesn’t? When someone who he wants to pursue in a romantic sense doesn’t just value him for just his body? Do they even actually love him? Everyone else loves him for his body, so why doesn’t this one? Dick has a hard time figuring out how to tie his worth back to something that isn’t as entirely superficial as his sex appeal because that’s all he knows. He wonders why people would even bother to stay with him besides his body. 

After all, what else is there? He thinks that all he is good for, in that romantic sense, is his body.  A good time. A short good time. Nothing else. 

Dick Grayson has a hard time with any long term, committed relationship because of his need for that specific type of validation. He doesn’t know any type of validation beyond it.

Considering all of the aforementioned cruel sexual encounters, society tells him that he should despise sex. That he should feel ashamed for still enjoying it, after everything he’s been through. He doesn’t get any support for this.

He’s sickened by his own methods of coping. Is he even traumatized enough if he’s coping this way? 

Is he even traumatized enough if he’s coping this way? 

That. That is the very core of it all. That is the reason why he never speaks of his trauma. Why writers veer away from the topic of exploring his romantic habits in the context of him being a sexual assault victim. He’s been so continually portrayed as being a “sex lover” that how can he possibly, possibly be a victim?

Dick Grayson and his writers don’t want to have to prove his trauma to anyone.

So no one says anything.

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[1] Nightwing, September 2021, issue 82

[2] Kristen L. Geaman, “Dick Grayson, Boy Wonder: Scholars and Creators on 75 Years of Robin, Nightwing and Batman”, McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers, July 9 2015

[3] Desiree Rodriguez, “Erased and Ignored: Dick Grayson’s Rromani Identity Comes to Light”, The Nerds of Color, March 1 2017

[4] Nightwing, July 2004, issue 93

[5] Randy “Moonstonelover” Burtis, “An interview with Devin Grayson”, Alvaro’s Comicboards, August 9 2004

[6] Shane Dingman, “An Interview With Devin Grayson”, Shameless Magazine, June 2005

[7] Team Titans, October 1992, issue 2