Nightwing #91 is a strong conclusion to the somewhat unfocused “Get Grayson” era of the series. Since Fear State, a Superman: Son of Kal El crossover, and now a Flash team-up arc have slowed the momentum of the series, the core narrative of Nightwing has been about various assassins trying to kill Dick Grayson. Thankfully, this storyline comes to an end here while also delivering a fun team-up with Wally West that fans of either character will enjoy.
There’s no wasted time getting back to the action as the first panel has KGBeast and his minions open fire at Dick and Wally. Some team-up issues tend to forgo recent events in favor of focusing solely on the guest character, so Taylor’s script bringing in KGBeast to shake things up is a great way to center the series around its titular character. I wouldn’t say I was a fan of the “Ric Grayson” storyline from Dan Jurgens’ run, but it’s great to get just a little more closure here as Dick and Wally finally get their revenge. Geraldo Borges’ art is fantastic in this opening sequence, with wonderful figure poses that sell the weight of each punch and kick. The real showstopper page has Wally use his speed powers to simultaneously scold and beat up KGBeast. Borges draws several moments in time that track Wally and KGBeast as Wally punches him, points his finger in his face as he tells him off, and ultimately takes him down. The figures blend into each other a little, but it’s still easy to tell what’s going on through the sheer business of it all. It’s one of my favorite renditions of a Flash using their powers without simply blurring all their movement.
Once again, Adriano Lucas’ colors are also stunning to behold. As Wally beats up KGBeast, Lucas’ colors become more and more vibrant the closer the composition brings the characters “toward” the reader across time. It’s subtle, but a necessary trick to make the entire image not look like a big blob of red. Colors throughout are vibrant, making even a shipping facility parking lot appealing to the eye with its cool blues lying in contrast to the Flash and KGBeast’s red dominated costumes. The usage of plain white backgrounds is also smart as it gives the pages room to breathe between all the vibrant costumes and other color choices. Even Oracle’s laptop screen glows with a pale, yet still punchy green glow.
The second half of the issue sends Wally and Dick to Costa Rica to take down La Agente Fúnebre, the person in charge of sending all of Dick’s would be assassins. A core theme develops here during their banter. Dick asks Wally how he can raise a family while also being a superhero and leaving them behind during his adventures. These are the strongest moments of the book as their conversations tap into deeper characterization while also managing to pace itself with a few well-timed jokes. Taylor’s strength is in his understanding of what makes his characters appealing, and this is best exemplified in these calm before the storm moments.
The actual action climax of the issue works as well, but is fairly underwhelming given the scale La Agente Fúnebre’s operation. It’s here where the book veers too much into a routine “monster of the week” structure. Nonetheless, Borges’ action choreography is solid, especially in a two-page spread where Dick fights La Agente Fúnebre, who arms themself with dual swords and poison daggers. Taylor’s script continues to tie up loose ends by essentially ending the “Get Grayson” storyline by removing any further would be assassination attempts on Dick Grayson…unless it comes from Blockbuster personally. It’s time for the series to refocus its narrative and to establish a more intricate storyline that delves into exactly how Dick’s mission in Blüdhaven will play out. Additionally, Blockbuster is set to take more initiative in his own plans, hopefully leaving out additional guest stars for the time being as our main hero and villain duke it out.
Recommended if…
- Seeing Wally and Dick pass the time and fight crime is all you need out of a book.
- You’re eager to see the series advance past sending numerous assassins after Dick.
- Geraldo Borges is a more than worthy fill-in for Bruno Redondo.
Overall
Nightwing #91 is a team-up issue done right. The issue gives fans of both Wally West and Dick Grayson more than enough characterization and wit between the two of them to make everyone happy. Meanwhile, Geraldo Borges’ pencils and Adriano Lucas’ colors maintain their high level of consistency. While I’ve been wanting the series to speed up its pacing for a while, Taylor’s deep understanding of his characters is reassuring enough as he sets up his pieces for the upcoming war for Blüdhaven.
Score: 7.5/10
Disclaimer: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.
