DC High Volume: Batman

Episode: Nightwing: Year One – Chapter 4 and Clay
Date: December 10, 2025
Host: DC | Realm

Episode Overview

This episode of DC High Volume: Batman delivers two audio comic adaptations:

• The continuation of "Nightwing: Year One," spotlighting Dick Grayson’s return to Gotham as Nightwing and his evolving relationships with former allies and new faces.
• The story "Clay," an atmospheric vignette from Dick's years as Robin, focusing on themes of self-worth as he and Batman confront Clayface.

Rich with sharp dialogue and DC lore, the episode reverberates with nostalgia, humor, and the tense complexities of Gotham’s crime-fighting family.

Key Discussion & Story Points

1. Nightwing Returns to Gotham ([01:07]–[14:57])

• Dick Grayson, now Nightwing, returns to Gotham. He attempts a formal introduction to Commissioner Jim Gordon in his new persona (Nightwing), establishing boundaries and showing respect for the city’s law enforcement.

  • Notable exchange:
    • Gordon: “I don't know you from spit, punk. And access to this building's roof is by invitation only.” ([02:55])
    • Nightwing: “Say something only the kid would know. My former associate has a thing for bats. You took up a pipe to quit smoking cigarettes.” ([03:27])
  • The encounter ends amicably, with mutual, if wary, respect.
    • Gordon: “Well, thanks for filling me in on the staffing changes, Nightwing. But if you'll excuse me, I'm having a late supper with my daughter.” ([04:38])
    • Nightwing: “She sounds like a nice girl.”
    • Gordon (aside): “Oh, not on your life, boy Wonder.” ([04:41])

• Nightwing reflects on Gotham’s darkness—the city’s daunting crime, familiar but changed streets, and the constant threat of violence.

  • “It’s not this town’s capacity for crime that surprises me. It’s the degrees of separation.” ([06:54])

• Nightwing reunites with Batgirl (Barbara Gordon):

  • They share playful banter, acknowledging their history and the complexity of their current relationship.
    • Batgirl: “The costume may have changed, but the attitude’s the same. Eternally optimistic. Well, at least buy me some dinner before you get fresh.” ([08:28])
    • Lighthearted moments include a meal at Big Belly Burger and mutual teasing about their origins and love interests.
  • Batgirl questions Nightwing about his “falling out” with Batman and their future as allies.
    • Nightwing: “Robin’s a defunct concept.” ([04:24])
    • Discussions of trust, independence, and romantic entanglements.
      • Batgirl: “So maybe you and I should keep this relationship strictly business.” ([10:17])
      • Nightwing: “All right then. Let’s get down to business. I’m back in Gotham and flying solo.” ([10:37])

• Alfred and Bruce discuss the new Robin (Jason Todd):

  • Alfred and Batman banter about trust issues and Bruce’s high expectations.
    • Alfred: “A self-destruct mechanism so that you can dismiss the newest Robin via remote control when he fails to measure up to your impossible standards?” ([11:40])
    • Bruce: “It’s a micro beacon. With it, I can track his whereabouts at all times.” ([11:44])

2. Nightwing’s "Gotham Re-Introduction" Tour ([14:57]–[21:06])

• Nightwing visits Arkham Asylum with Batgirl to taunt the Joker and the Riddler, asserting his new place in the rogues’ gallery.

  • Joker: “What the hell kinda name is Nightwing? This is a joke, right?” ([16:16])
  • Batgirl: “You really think it’s wise to taunt them like that? Giggles especially.” ([16:47])
  • Nightwing: “What’s the point of locking them up if you can’t screw with them?” ([16:54])

• The two continue their “misery tour,” visiting hotspot locales of Gotham’s criminal underground—the Iceberg Lounge (run by Penguin/Cobblepot), a strip club, and a notorious bar.

  • Witty banter about nightclub life and criminal haunts.
    • Nightwing: “Cute name for a bar, huh? This place’s unraveled more than one felony case.” ([18:00])
    • Batgirl: “You are having too much fun. So is there more to this misery tour than making Nightwing a household name in all the wrong households?” ([18:12])

3. Training and the Final Test ([20:10]–[21:06])

• Batman puts Jason Todd through rigorous training, emphasizing collateral damage is unacceptable.
  • Jason displays cockiness and speed but is reminded by Bruce that he must do better.
    • “Nice cockiness will get you killed.” ([05:03])
• Nightwing receives his own final test:

  • A “gauntlet”—a simple game of tag, signaling that transitions and trials are a constant in the Bat-family.

  • Batman: “You face the gauntlet—your final test. Nothing fancy. Just a simple game of tag.” ([21:06])

4. "Clay" – Robin Faces Clayface ([21:11]–[28:22])

• Flashback to Dick Grayson’s difficult adolescence:

  • Teased at school, struggling to fit in, even as Robin.
    • “To these jerks, no matter what I do, I’ll never be good enough.” ([21:47])
  • Gets in a fight defending his honor; Alfred tries to keep it from Bruce.

• Rapid escalation to a Clayface crisis:

  • Gordon, Batman, and Robin descend on the Monarch Theater in Crime Alley where Clayface (Basil Carlo) holds court.
    • Gordon (about Robin): “This is no place for a child.” ([23:53])
  • Batman tests Robin’s detective skills:
    • Batman: “Tell me about Clayface.”
    • Robin: “Basil Carlo, former film star. Now a shapeshifter made of living mud.” ([24:13])
    • Robin makes key psychological observations, realizing Clayface, as an actor, craves an audience—hence the recreation of a theater and clay “patrons.”

• Confrontation with Clayface:

  • Batman and Robin apply both physical force and psychological insight.
    • Robin: “What am I to him and him to me? What a cruel joke and tragedy.” ([24:58])
    • Clayface: “My talents would be wasted on such drink. Wouldn’t they, Batman?” ([25:32])
  • Batman uses chemical hardener, Robin improvises with a Batrope—intense combat and symbolism about identity and approval.

• Resolution & Aftermath:

  • Clayface immobilized, head separated—Robin secures the head.
    • Robin: “Robin, secure the head.”
    • Commissioner Gordon: “You have killed. Yeah, that’s a wrap.” ([27:40])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On change and roles:
  • “Robin’s a defunct concept.” – Nightwing ([04:24])
  • “The costume may have changed, but the attitude’s the same. Eternally optimistic.” – Batgirl ([08:28])
• On Gotham’s complexity:
  • “It’s not this town’s capacity for crime that surprises me. It’s the degrees of separation.” – Nightwing ([06:54])
• On family and trust:
  • “At least you haven’t yet loosed this lost boy upon the monsters of Gotham.” – Alfred ([11:58])
• On villainy and performance:
  • “He’s an actor. He craves approval. He needs... an audience.” – Robin ([24:46])
  • “Don’t call me that.” – Clayface, on being called by his villain name ([27:14])
  • “Believe in yourself, Clayface. Because if you rely on people to build you up, they can also break you.” – Batgirl/Narrator ([27:18])
• Classic Bat–Joker banter:
  • “What the hell kinda name is Nightwing? This is a joke, right?” – Joker ([16:16])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:07] Dick Grayson's Nightwing recap and return to Gotham
• [02:29] Nightwing’s tense meeting with Commissioner Gordon
• [05:03] Batman training Jason Todd; Alfred and Bruce’s debate on trust
• [07:43] Nightwing’s reunion and banter with Batgirl
• [16:00] Nightwing confronts Joker and Riddler in Arkham
• [18:00] Gotham “underground” tour: bar, Iceberg Lounge, Penguin
• [20:10] Batman’s final test for Jason/Nightwing – “the gauntlet”
• [21:11] "Clay": flashback to Dick’s school struggles and family tension
• [23:12] Clayface confrontation at the Monarch Theater
• [26:16] Robin’s psychological duel and fight with Clayface

Tone & Style

Delivers noir atmosphere, witty and sharp banter, and occasionally bittersweet nostalgia for lost innocence and shifting partnerships. Conversation flows between tough love, familial tension, and the black humor endemic to Gotham’s street-level heroes and rogues.

Conclusion

This episode masterfully brings together character transitions—Dick Grayson's journey from Robin to Nightwing, the Bat-family’s evolving relationships, and the inherent need for acceptance and reinvention, all set against classic Gotham action and psychological warfare with its villains. For both fans and new listeners, it’s a densely woven exploration of legacy, family, and self-definition in the world of Batman.