Nightwing #26 Review

Written by:Kyle Higgins
Art by: Will Conrad and Cliff Richards
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: December 11, 2013

Running to Stand Still

Nightwing has a few problems to deal with.  A new drug has hit Chicago and everyone wants a taste, he can't get any privacy while sharing an apartment and he has to juggle his after hours work with a real job as a bartender.

Kyle Higgins has a pretty tough job.  Anyone reading up on the Forever Evil events knows what's happening to Dick Grayson (slight spoiler: It ain't good) so the Nightwing book is a bit hog tied.  This new arc takes place a little before Forever Evil and as for now, it's business as usual.

A new anti psychotic drug is being stolen from Chicago hospitals and Nightwing takes to the rooftops to find out who is responsible.  What he finds is a newly rebranded villain who may need the drug more than anyone else in the city.   Meanwhile, Dick and his roomie do not see eye-to-eye when it comes to the heating bill and he has started a new job.  I would normally like what Higgins is doing here.  Dick's daily struggles really make him more relatable.  It's just bad timing.  Again, most readers know what is on the horizon for our hero so it's hard to really care if Dick is mad he can't keep his window open in the dead of winter.  I know it's not really Higgin's fault, but everything in this book feels underwhelming.  Add to this a villain reveal that actually made me groan out load.  I won't spoil it, but it is a villain recently featured in another bat book which I loathed and was not well received in general.

The art is split between Will Conrad and Cliff Richards and while both do an ok job individually, the change between them is jarring and is too busy overall.

Bits and Pieces:

Nightwing #26 is the start of a new arc, but with the events of Forever Evil looming in the near future, it feels like it's treading water.  Everything feels underwhelming and the villain reveal is more infuriating than interesting.  New readers can easily jump in, but they would be better served starting at the beginning of the series, not this issue.

5.0/10