BYTB's fourth interview is with the woman behind the mask of Nightwing. Devin Grayson is one of the best people that BYTB has talked. Her love for the character is seen though the way she talks about him.

BYTB: Nightwing is a great book. Is this your favorite book to write? Why?

D.G.: First of all, thank you -- I'm glad you're enjoying it! I do love writing this series, and there are actually several reasons. The one you've probably already guessed at is my love for this character. I feel tremendous affinity with him -- both in terms of what he represents, symbolically, in the Bat-universe (legacy, loyalty, the sense of being able to love something dark and difficult), and who he is as a character. I have a very deep sense of him, and it makes creating scenarios for and following along on adventures with him a real pleasure. I push him into corners sometimes to try to reveal something about him, and I always get what I want, but he always manages to surprises me, as well.

Another reason I love working on the book is the amazing team I've got with me. Editor Michael Wright, penciler Patrick Zircher, Inker Andy Owens, Colorist Gregory Wright, and letterer Clem Robins...every single one of these guys bring their A-game to this table, and I'm definitely buoyed by their creative energy and enthusiasm. I'm excited about getting their feedback and seeing their contributions, and it makes me work harder knowing that every player on this team is ready to run as far as I'm able to throw.

Last but not least, I have tremendous respect for the team that went before ours -- specifically Chuck Dixon and editor Scott Peterson (not to mention Scott McDaniel!), who started this book. It's an honor to follow in their footsteps.

BYTB: It's been said by some that Dick is DC's player. He has had is share of women, Starfire, The Huntress and of course Babs. Do you think that Dick will ever settle down? If so, with Babs?

D.G.: A player, huh? *laughs* Yeah, well, hm...let me put it this way. Dick's not a player -- Roy (Harper - Arsenal) is a player, but Dick never deliberately moves in on anyone thinking it'd be nice to score. None of it's calculated, but this is a guy who lives totally in his physical body and has the presence of a tsunami...when he's on, he's 150% on, and people respond to that. Dick's smart and kind and conscientious to a fault, but you touch him and something in his skin throws an override switch. Bye-bye brain! It's fun to play with, precisely because he's not a player. If he were a player, you'd know that every time he got involved with someone, he'd hold something back, keep some emotional distance. But he gives it his all every time, and experiences himself as being seriously in love. He would never consider any of the women you mentioned (and you missed a few!) as flings...Dick can have a deep, committed, passionate relationship in one night, and then coming out the other side of it, he gets kind of stunned and confused. That was a big part if what I was trying to convey with Nightwing/Huntress -- Helena understood that about him. She knew that if she wanted to, she could easily bind him to her side, but she let him go. Currently, Barbara's struggling with the same problem. It's not that he can't be counted on to be loyal -- he can (Mirage aside) -- it's that his passion and his essential loyalty don't always lie in the same place.

As for the question of whether or not he'll ever settle down -- I think he'd love to. He'd love to have a real family, it's the thing that's been missing all his life. The more tied he can be to someone -- romantically, legally, long-term -- the happier he'd be. The problem is that he's in his mid-to-late twenties -- and sort of always will be. In addition to existing within the context of serialized drama -- where happy endings are few and far between -- he exists in a ratio relation to someone who's never supposed to age past his late thirties. That makes "growing up and settling down" a unique challenge.

BYTB: Other than Nightwing. Who is your favorite character to write for? Why?

D.G.: Well, Batman. Because he's...Batman. :-)

I also love Roy, and Selina and Alfred. And I'm really enjoying Catalina, our new Tarantula. Spoiler's really fun, Tim.... And Scott and Jean in that other universe.... The real joy is characters interacting with one another, which makes almost all of them fun to write as long as you get to play them off of someone else.

BYTB: What do you think of the Teen Titans Robin?

D.G.: From the cartoon? Very cute. Did you see the "How Long is Forever" episode recently, when they showed a little anime version of Nightwing? I was grinning from ear to ear, it was darling. I mean, obviously, these characters are very paired down from the complexities of the one's we're used to, but that's sort of the point. I'm a big fan of manga and anime (um, and pretty much anything that comes from Japan) and I think the Teen Titans cartoon has a lot of good energy and some surprisingly deep storylines (like the running Slade subplot). Considering what they set out to do, I think they did it very successfully.

BYTB: How does it make you feel knowing that you've been a part in something as big as Batman?

D.G.: Terrible. I cry myself to sleep every night.

Seriously, though, it's amazing. I absolutely love my job. And one of the things I've come to love most about it is the conviction that I can't do anything to hurt Batman. He's way stronger than all of us. If I'm lucky, I'll write some stories that help other people feel as much admiration and appreciation for these characters as I do. At worst, I'll write some crappy scripts that will be swept up under the ongoing onslaught of time and this enduring legend. Batman is such a powerful part of our collective psyche now, I think we're celebrating rather than creating his place in our culture. And I love being part of that party!

BYTB: What can we look forward to from you in the future?

D.G.: Please stay with Nightwing -- we're kicking into serious high gear and this is a story arc I don't want people to miss, as it's going to influence Dick's life for a long time to come.

The other project I'm really excited about now it CITY, my Smallville novel, which is due out early this March.

BYTB: Thanks for your time. It was great talking with you and we wish you luck in the future.

D.G.: Thanks so much! And happy anniversary, Batman!

To find out more about Devin's work, please visit her official website: Devin Grayson