As Tom Taylor’s run nears its end, Nightwing #113 works as a makeshift anthology for its #300 issue milestone. Somewhat feeling like an annual, it features three consecutive stories told by Tom Taylor, Marv Wolfman, and Richard W. Conrad. The issue honors the spirit of the run so far, and ominously teases what’s to come. Let’s take a closer look!
Good Robin/Bad Robin
Still in Gotham following his last team-up with Batman, Nightwing foils an arms deal at the docks with Tim and Damian. Off the bat, this issue takes an interesting tone. For one, Nightwing spends much of the encounter menacingly in shadow while his brothers lead the assault and subsequent interrogation. There are even a few sick panels of the Robins descending upon their prey below. Grayson embodying a watchful mentor role harkens back to his days as Batman or even the angsty years as Nightwing before Red Hood became “the angsty one.” Most importantly, when do we ever get to see Damian and Tim successfully team up? Regardless, this fresh dynamic feels like something that should happen more often, possibly in a Robins book?
Additionally, the main plot surrounds Nightwing’s birthday, which his family acknowledges as a “special day” where they don’t fight him on whatever he decides to do. Ironically, Grayson ends up spending both day and night sharing the spotlight with the rest of his family. This includes moonlighting as Oracle without her knowledge, and sharing the honor at a ceremony for Alfred Pennyworth foundation. Of course, everything he does pisses of Barbara, who teases that he should wear her clothes as well. Yet, unexpectedly Taylor implies Grayson and Babs may have already experimented with some form of crossdressing. Now, readers know that about Dick against their wills.
A Heartless Tease
Furthermore, the arms deal subplot leads him to revisit Bea and the Crew Of The Crossed Keys in Blüdhaven. In a way, their once uncomfortable relationship has blossomed into a mutually beneficial partnership reminiscent of Batman and Commissioner Gordon. Unsurprisingly, some of the dead smugglers tie back to Nightwing’s new arch-villain Heartless, whom trademarks a logo of his own. As ridiculous as making his henchmen tattoo line art of heart ventricles on their chests sounds, his portrayal overall increasingly comes off scarier. This is partly because of the appropriate choice to depict Heartless creepily monitoring the situation sans dialogue under eerie red lighting. The villain’s tease comes on the heels of his recent actions, and directly implying he is finally ready to confront his foe.
Finally, #113‘s cover puts a super heroic twist on Eadweard Muybridge’s timelapse photography. This version depicts Nightwing walking, running, flipping, and fighting as acrobatically as we’ve come to expect. In the first story, the interiors benefit from Di Nicuolo’s animated style. In particular, the choice of expressive animated action, warped faces, and exaggerated figures makes the issue feel constantly in motion. Trouble is, all the squash and stretch at play feels like screenshots of a tv series paused at the wrong time. Consequently, the more expressive the sharp action sequences become, the more minor inconsistencies in the detail seem to crop up.
Wolfman & Redondo’s Nightwing
On a much lighter note, Wolfman self inserts himself into the book as co-owner of an eponymous pizza shop with George Pérez. Self congratulatory as it may be, it was beautiful to see Wolfman express his love for the character. After distributing the Key to the City at the ceremony, Grayson treats his friends, family, and guests to free pizza. Incidentally, I’m not sure who approved Yuji Itadori from Jujutsu Kaisen among others to cameo at the spot for a slice. Anyway, Wolfman celebrates Dick Grayson’s growth by pointing out all of the humanitarian work happening in the series. Luckily, there weren’t many meta winks and nods like George’s appearance in Teen Titans Academy. Lastly, Redondo was a great collaborator to choose for this heartfelt portion of the story. Personally, I find it’s best to give him flowers while he can enjoy it.
00:01 by Richard W. Conrad
I don’t see the point of this story. Illustrated by Howard Porter, this story follows Nightwing boarding a runaway train to stop anarchist mimes from setting off a bomb. The frenzied, frenetic artwork appropriate for Porter’s run on Geoff John’s Flash, seems freakish for a Nightwing story. In fact, Nightwing accomplishes this entire mission with superhuman feats. Firstly, this eight page short has no dialogue. Conrad specifically chose silent Mimes who literally wear their motivations on their hats and sleeves. Secondly, this isn’t a job for Nightwing. Not only does he jump on the side of a moving train, but they expect readers to believe he can stick to the side with his bare hands like Spider-Man! Moreover, the vigilante is moving at high speeds comparable to The Flash. Lastly, the artwork doesn’t support his survival with its use of odd architecture and complete disregard of physics.
Recommended If…
- Nightwing leading the Robins sounds cool.
- You’re a Marv Wolfman fan.
- You’re sad/happy to see Tom Taylor go.
Overall
Overall, #113 feels like the calm within the eye of the storm. This was a fun and heartfelt issue, despite inconsistencies in the artwork and a few awkward choices. Nothing particularly damaging to the reading experience stands out. Marv and Redondo really did a good job giving himself and the character warm respects. Despite the pressure of making Heartless work, I think Taylor has laid the ground for what could be a decent finale. However, I take off massive points for the uselessly tacked-on “00:01” story.
Score: 7.5/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purposes of this review
