Nightwing #38 Review

Blind Justice

Written by: Sam Humphries
Art by: Bernard Chang, Marcelo Maiolo, and Carlos M. Mangual
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 7, 2018

I am really hoping we learn more about the Judge and his powers this week!  I think that Sam Humphries first story on this book is giving readers an okay start and I do like some of the things (Grayson Cross-Fit!) we have seen, but I need to know what his bearded, hipster villain and his casino chips are really up to.  Do we at least get that this week?  Let's find out...



Well, we start with the Judge and he is talking the talk about the heart's desire while showing the League of Limousine Assasins a golden chip and when it ties into Svaboda shooting Nightwing, I really wish I could tell you that I learned much of anything.  It just continues the mystery of why these people are even listening to the Judge and why Sam Humphries won't give us any real answers.

We then head off to the best part of this early run...Guppy.  Nightwing drops in on him and while he says he knows Guppy is a good...fish, Dick is a little too late to stop him from doing the worst thing possible...killing his dad.  Again, we get a little bit of an explanation, but I can't be the only one failing to piece the wishes to the favors that the Judge is dealing with.

It's then off to the Justice Tree which is being poisoned before heading to face the Judge in the casino he's holed up in.  We get a quick call from Bruce before Dick sees Kid Delicious and hatches a plan...Juan and Jim are back in business!  After saving an elderly woman's retirement plan, it's off to face the Judge mano y mano.

It doesn't go great for Nightwing, but the biggest reveal is that the Judge is blind.  What?!?  Don't get me wrong, his stitched up eyes look creepy and cool, but this is just another thing that isn't explained at all, at least not yet.  We get talk of looking into man's hearts that would be better served if the Shadow was crossing over with Nightwing and not Batman at this moment, but by the end of the issue, I was just shaking my head.  Somebody tell Sam Humphries that not giving the reader any information does not a mystery make!

Yea, this issue pretty much pissed me off.  We learn nothing about the Judge's ability to sway people to his lies, learn nothing about the gold casino chips he uses, but find out he's blind.  Oh goody!  I hate the Judge, not because of his hipster look, but because he is the most ill-defined villain I've come across in years.  The art in this issue saves it a bit, but the rushed narrative brings it all right down again.

Bits and Pieces:

Sam Humphries continues giving readers a poorly paced story that is low on answers in the attempt of being cool and mysterious.  The Judge has been a thorn in Nightwing's side for years so why after a handful of issues do we know so little about him?  The art in this issue is good, but I am already hoping Humphries next arc is good because I've just about given up on this one.

5.0/10