Nightwing #80 Review

 

Dog Days

Writer: Tom Taylor

Artist: Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas and Wes Abbott

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 18, 2021

I am a huge Nightwing fan and a Tom Taylor supporter, and I am so glad he and Bruno Redondo are on this book.  However, I wasn't thrilled with some of the things that went down the last issue and hope that things tighten up and fly right quickly.  Do they?  Let's find out...

The issue opens with Dick getting woken up by his dog, Hayley, barking up a storm and a knock on his door.  It's the cops who have found a dead body that links to Dick, and if you read the last issue, you know why.

Yep, it's the guy who was supposed to go with his son to the hotel room that Dick paid for but ended up on the wrong end of the new villain, The Heartless. 

Of course, we all know that Dick didn't do it, and after Barbara shows up with an alibi and some shade-throwing, the cops leave, and the real investigation begins.

Tom Taylor does a good job of adding another Bat-Family character to the mix here.  In the past, Bludhaven has been a place for Dick to go a bit more solo, mainly to give him his own identity, but since we spent over two years with him being separated from his friends and family, I love seeing this.  This guest star feels a bit more like fan-service over story, but I don't mind it.

I would have liked more detective work and emotion in this issue, but Taylor cuts to the chase and has Nightwing face-to-face with The Heartless for a cool cliffhanger.  I'm surprised we didn't get more of a buildup with this new villain, but we'll see how this confrontation plays out next month.  

Nightwing #80 is an okay issue that shows a little more of the status quo of the Bludhaven Underworld but mainly is a race to get to the Heartless by the end.  We only saw them in action one time, and while it was horrific, I don't have any connection at all, which lessens the tension a bit.  I love Bruno Redondo's art, but the story feels like it's stuck in neutral.  I still believe that once it gets going, this could be a hell of a book, and it is already better than anything from the Ric era.  I guess I am a Veruca Salt right now, wanting it all and wanting it now.

Bits and Pieces:

Nightwing #80 is a slow burn issue more about fan service than story.  Not a ton happens until the end, and even then, the lack of setup made the cliffhanger hit less than it should have.  This is still a better Nightwing book than fans have gotten in years, but I am still waiting for that moment that makes it a must-read for everyone.  I hope that moment hits next month because I want to love this book, but I only like it right now.  

7.5/10