Writer Tom Taylor and artist Bruno Redondo have become a strong creative team over at DC. The team’s recent collaboration on “Suicide Squad” was an inventive take on the property filled with new characters. Taylor has continually shown a massive sense of heart in his projects. The relationship between Laura and her sister Gabby in “All-New Wolverine” is a clear indication that Taylor is in a good place to nail the characterization for Richard Grayson in “Nightwing.” Redondo is great at capturing lots of emotion for his characters on any given panel. Any project with both creators attached is worthy of your attention. Will Redondo and Taylor be able to craft a story that is not redundant to their past work that suitably honors an important Batman supporting cast member?
Written by Tom Taylor
Illustrated by Bruno Redondo
Colored by Adriano Lucas
Lettered by Wes AbbottNightwing is back—and his drive to keep Blüdhaven safe has never been stronger! But his adopted city has elected a new mayor with the last name Zucco. When Nightwing enlists Batgirl’s help in investigating the politician bearing the same name as the man who murdered his parents, she unearths details that will shock and fundamentally change the hero. The New York Times bestselling team of writer Tom Taylor (DCeased, Injustice) and artist Bruno Redondo (Injustice, Suicide Squad) are about to take Nightwing to the next stage of his evolution as a hero!
At times comic books can seem cold and struggle to connect with readers. Thankfully, “Nightwing” #78 is here to show some maturity on the part of both creators. This new chapter for “Nightwing” doesn’t get caught up in changing the status quo, it is simply a focused entertaining series that even promises a couple of big changes still to come. I thoroughly enjoyed how Taylor isn’t concerned with resolving all the plot threads he opens in just the space of one issue. This “Nightwing” series is already layering on subplots and even different genres to tell an original story that pushes Dick forward.
Whenever creators take on a new character one of my first concerns is whether the tone feels authentic. Taylor and Redondo already seem to have a great voice for Dick Grayson judging by his characterization in the issue. Grayson leaves behind some of his past baggage but still references and acknowledges what came before. It is thrilling to see Dick stand up to bullies despite the fact that this is incredibly well-charted territory over at DC. Taylor still comes up with little details and anecdotes in his narration. These small details serve to make sequences that could be cliched ring true emotionally. If the first sequence flashback sequence doesn’t tug at your heart-strings, the modern-day crime-busting moment will. Taylor’s focus on the crime and politics behind Bludhaven makes Nightwing stick out from Gotham-based Batman comics.
“Nightwing” #78 is an incredibly well-written title but does the art also need to be beautiful? Bruno Redondo is perfect at capturing the emotion from Taylor’s script. Redondo keeps his straightforward yet experimental style intact to deliver a few haunting emotional scenes from the book. There’s even a fair amount of romance that keeps the quality intact from the action sequences. Redondo and Taylor have a remarkable sense of collaboration allowing for Redondo to get a little experimental with his page layouts. There are so many different genres contained within this brief issue and Redondo can leap between romance and noir with conviction. Artists can occasionally forget to ensure each character is emoting on any given panel. Redondo’s work carefully lends emotion towards each cast member.
Some of the best additions from Taylor and Redondo’s previous work are back for “Nightwing.” Most notable, there’s a cinematic title page that will pique the interest of the reader immediately. The first fight sequence conveys motion in a few smaller boxes stitched together that shows Redondo’s impressive comprehension of comics. Redondo is able to keep his focus even when a page calls for tons of panels. There were occasional moments in “Suicide Squad” where it was difficult to follow the action and I hope both creators learned from some of those early issues. “Nightwing” #78 presents a more streamlined approach to Redondo’s work but there’s still a level of experimentation that deserves praise here.
Continued belowThe attention to detail on the setting and some of the villains throughout this tale is not something I take for granted. Taylor’s script is really carefully paced allowing for a few fascinating interactions between characters. The tone from Redondo and Taylor is pitch-perfect for Dick Grayson. After a recent deviation in Grayson’s character “Nightwing,” #78 is a blessing. In fact, it is remarkable how quickly Redondo and Taylor acknowledge and move past recent developments from the core Batman title that watered down the Nightwing character.
Going forward, Taylor and Redondo should continue to push boundaries throughout their run on the Nightwing. It would be great to see even more aspects of Dick Grayson’s past as well as the larger Batman Family represented in the title. This debut issue has a lot of solid ideas but stays really grounded. It would be great to see an influence from titles like “Grayson” that took more chances than this title has so far. While I hope there is a greater sense of experimentation in the future this is still a strong debut. Taylor and Redondo had a great instinct with adding romantic elements as well. “Nightwing” #78 lends a sense of focus towards Dick Grayson in his solo title that hasn’t been captured since early on in DC’s Rebirth initiative.
Final Verdict: 7.8 – “Nightwing” #78 moves past recent continuity fumbles to tell an emotionally potent next chapter for Dick Grayson.
