There are a lot of comics out there but some stand out head and shoulders above the pack. With “Don’t Miss This,” we want to spotlight those series we think need to be on your pull list. This week, we take a look at DC’s current “Nightwing” series. The title started way back in 2016 as part of DC’s Rebirth initiative and switched creative teams a few times. “Nightwing” #78 saw writer Tom Taylor join the series alongside artist Bruno Redondo, color artist Adriano Lucas and letterer Wes Abbott. The current incarnation of “Nightwing” is worthy of your time and attention and we’re here to tell you why in the latest installment of “Don’t Miss This.” Long story short, you should buy this because Nightwing has an adorable new dog.
Who’s This By?
“Nightwing” is written by Tom Taylor. Taylor has continually proved his writing abilities with great titles on the fringes of Marvel and DC’s publishing line. My personal favorite Taylor comics include “X-Men: Red” and “All-New Wolverine” at Marvel. Taylor is known for crafting titles with superheroes that have kind personalities with more grounded plots. Taylor, Redondo, Lucas, and Abbott also just recently concluded a run on DC’s “Suicide Squad” together. The big-hearted, grounded approach to this team comic book worked incredibly well. DC wisely brought this entire creative team back together for a new run on “Nightwing.” I hope this team will continue to craft these great titles at DC together.
What’s This All About?
After going through a tough patch in recent continuity “Nightwing” is ready to go back to basics. This time Dick Grayson is returning to the city of Blüdhaven to establish his new home. “Nightwing” is back to being Dick Grayson and primarily concerned with helping the people of the city while spending a fortune that was left behind for him wisely. Barbara Gordon joins Bruce as a major supporting character in this series. Getting to see Barbara outside the crowded continuity of the main “Batman” title is refreshing. “Nightwing” occasionally fights supervillains but the series is focused on a close characterization of Dick Grayson’s personal life. “Nightwing” captures all the struggles Dick Grayson goes through as Nightwing in his personal and superhero life.
So, Why Should I Read This?
Taylor is clearly thoughtful in his characterization of Dick Grayson. Grayson knows about the city of Blüdhaven and even tells Barbara how it used to be a whaling town in issue #79. This is a really small detail but an impressive piece of dialogue that adds a greater sense of context to the issue as a whole. Taylor continually implements little moments like these to charm readers. The personality of Grayson serves to propel the series in the early stages. Taylor’s plots aren’t incredibly complex but they are tinged with a sense of noir that is evoked with just the right tone. Grayson slowly starts to discover crime families plaguing Blüdhaven and even runs into a couple of supervillains along the way. Taylor makes a point for his characters not to repeat dialogue or be overly rude to each other. When Grayson meets up with an old friend in issue #80, Taylor has his guest star gingerly tease Nightwing instead of making him feel bad or coming across as mean. Taylor is so careful to balance out the dialogue ensuring that each issue of “Nightwing” is uplifting in some manner.
Taylor is dedicated to fleshing the city of Blüdhaven out for readers. Elements of the city like runaway children pay off in future issues alongside the politics of the city. The pedestrians of the city occasionally help Grayson out of a bad situation if other Bat members are too busy. Taylor also has a great sense of humor. Grayson’s exchanges with Barbara Gordon are always filled with a couple of lines of great dialogue. There are only a few characters in this series so readers can get a great sense of who Gordon is. Taylor has really started to weave some of his plots together and pay off early story threads. “Nightwing” #81 threw a massive curveball at readers. Taylor continues to scale the plot of the series as it continues to be published. I’m excited at the prospect of Taylor getting the chance to define the Nightwing character with a more in-depth supporting cast and Blüdhaven itself.
Continued belowBruno Redondo is an incredible DC artist who challenges the medium of comics alongside Taylor. Redondo’s panel compositions are incredibly creative and dedicated to the motion of the page at the expense of a traditional comic layout. Redondo isn’t just creative, he is also incredibly precise. Redondo carefully adds detail in just the right places. Redondo makes his figures look slick but he adds small touches like the curls in hair to make sure the figures never look perfect. The pizza scene in issue #79 juggles a lot of characters. Redondo’s line carries a lot of detail in the clothes and other designs. Redondo continues to break the comic book structure by occasionally shifting to a white background in some panels to instruct readers on the motion Grayson is taking with his escrima sticks. Redondo continually adds in these little details over time which adds up to a greater whole. “Nightwing” is an incredibly creative visual series but the book comes alive during the action sequences where Redondo is able to set loose. The fires in issue #80 give the title a darker tone showing Redondo’s versatility as a creator. The last page reveal brings the series to a different emotional tone that is a great change. The visuals are key to this new tone.
How Can You Read It?
“Nightwing” is available in comic book stores and published monthly by DC Comics. The first collection of Taylor and Redondo’s “Nightwing” will be available on December 14 in “Nightwing Vol.1: Leaping into the Light.” You can find the digital copies over at Comixology as well!
