Written by: Dan Watters
Art by: Dexter Soy
Colors by: Veronica Gandini
Letters by: Wes Abbott
Cover art by: Dexter Soy (cover A)
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: November 27, 2024
Nightwing #120, by DC Comics on 11/17/24, turns a bad situation worse when the investigation into Spheric Solutions gets explosive, and Olivia Pearce uses the incident to her advantage.
Is Nightwing #120 Good?
Well, bless my soul. I'm really starting to like where Dan Watters is going in Nightwing #120. Gang Wars spawned from misdirects are nothing new, but Watters uses clever thinking and trickery to make Nightwing a pawn in a bigger game, and I'm all for it.
When last we left Dick Grayson in Nightwing #119, the best former Robin struggled to maintain peace in Bludhaven due to a simmering gang war. Meanwhile, Mayor Melinda Grayson considers an offer to upgrade the police with high-tech weaponry, much to Dick's dismay. The issue ends with Nightwing infiltrating the warehouse of the weapons supplier, Spheric Solutions, while he's secretly watched by Spheric's boss, Olivia Pearce, and the head of the new player in town, Cirque Du Sin.
In Nightwing #120, we pick up during the cliffhanger from the previous issue with Nightwing chased by automated security bots in a Spheric Solutions facility. Nightwing pulls off fancy acrobatics to leap onto the bot and laser open its hull to disable the CPU, but he soon finds this is no ordinary bot. Spheric encased a rabbit in the hull to use the animal's fight or flight response for quick reaction time. Nightwing rescues the bunny and flees before the bot explodes, taking out most of the storage facility with it.
Dan Watters concludes the cliffhanger with action, speed, and curious surprise. The last thing Nightwing needs is another pet, especially one that historically doesn't get along with dogs, but here we are. Plus, we get further confirmation that Spheric is not above unethical experimentation for its fancy weapons.
The next day, Mayor Grayson calls Dick to find out what happened the night before and inform him about a Spheric press conference happening right now. During Olivia Pearce's presentation, she applauds Nightwing for stopping The Teddies Gang from getting a hold of the fancy weaponry she presumes would be used to break the fragile peace between street gangs. Also, the attack confirms that Bludhaven Police need upgrades now more than ever, so Pearce unveils the upgraded and highly lethal Helios Project.
The issue concludes with Helios police using very aggressive tactics and Nightwing witnessing the price even children will pay for Spheric's influence.
What's great about Nightwing #120?
Dan Watters gives everything they're looking for in a superhero comic. You get action, formidable villains, dramatic tension, plot twists, and hard-hitting moments. It's amazing how much better this run is turning out when compared to the previous creative team.
What's not great about Nightwing #120?
Olivia Pearce and Spheric present as an exciting villain presence, but the hints and teases concerning the Cirque Du Sin are completely absent. It's a bit of bad form to tease a frightening puppet master, especially one with ties to the hero, and then pause further development on the puppet master.
How's the Art?
Dexter Soy is the bee's knees. The action, drama, figure work, gestures, and big moments hit with equal impact and visual appeal. As with the writing, Soy's presence in the title is a serious upgrade.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts
Nightwing #120 ups the ante when Spheric Solutions tricks Nightwing into making a devastating mistake. Dan Watters's plot bristles with action, drama, and high intrigue, and Dexter Soy's artwork is stellar.
9/10
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This issue had everything I want from a Nightwing story. I'm glad the character has been returned to his strength---which isn't other characters telling us how great he his, but the actions and humor of the character.
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