Nightwing #88 Review

 

A Lot of Help from My Friends

Writer: Tom Taylor

Artist: Bruno Redondo

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 18, 2022

Nightwing was my pick for the book of 2021.  I didn't think it was perfect, but Tom Taylor showed a back-to-basics approach that combined fan service moments with a likable lead is a winning formula.  Sure, the book got taken over by Fear State, but Taylor stuck with the recipe, and here we are.  So, do the good times continue in this issue?  Let's find out...

Nightwing #88 opens with Nightwing doing a Batman type of narration while looking over his city.  I say that, but this is Dick Grayson, so it's almost the antithesis of Batman.  It's hopeful and light and everything you'd expect from Nightwing in this book.  We then get both Blockbuster and Barbara Gordon setting up things behind Dick's back, and you can guess that they are obviously on different ends of the spectrum.

After the typical Dick Grayson awesome (boy)friend and dog lover scene, we get to the gist of the issue.  Dick is breaking ground at the Alfred Pennyworth Foundation, and Blockbuster has sent Gunbunny and Gunhawk to assassinate him.  This is bad, to begin with, but Desmond didn't tell the mayor (who is there and is secretly Dick's Half-sister), which should cause an issue down the line.

Thankfully, the Titans and others are there to save Dick and the day.  Actually, I have a problem with this part that takes up half of the issue.  While I love seeing that Friends and teammates love Dick, we've seen this a couple of times already.  My biggest problem, though, is it throws the whole book off.  How many times have you read a Batman story and said to yourself, "Superman could show up and take care of (insert almost any Batman problem here) easily."  It's 100% legit!  The Justice League could have shown up during Fear State and ended it almost immediately, but you're playing the Devil's Hand as you go forward.  That's how I felt while reading this, even if I did like the interactions that were going on.

The issue ends with the Titans telling Desmond to back off and then seeing that Heartless is still in town with a few days to kill and many hearts to steal.

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Bits and Pieces:

Nightwing #88 is a quick-moving issue that shows how much Dick is loved, but the Titans (and more) showing up to save the day may do more harm than good down the line.  The art is fantastic, and I liked the interactions, but Dick needs to stand on his own more in this book as we advance.

8.0/10