Nightwing #104 – Tom Taylor, CS Pacat, Writers; Travis Moore, Daniel HDR/Jonas Trindade; Adriano Lucas, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Tom Taylor has taken this book in a surprising supernatural direction, and that reached its peak last issue when Neron made his final play to capture the soul of Blockbuster’s daughter Olivia—by tempting Nightwing with the prospect of ultimate power. Dick is now essentially a magical superman, and has been given a two-hour “free trial” before it’s taken away. And naturally, he lives up to the challenge, as Taylor’s entire ethos seems to be that Dick is the best of the DCU. His first move is to head to Themyscira to face off against Neron’s minions, but the Titans have it well in hand and dispatch them with ease. So he then goes to talk to the only person who knows what he’s experiencing—Superman.
The friendship between Dick and Clark has always been a powerful subcurrent in the DCU—after all, it’s Clark who gave Dick his new codename long ago. Taylor has written some fantastic Superman stories over the years, and he gets the character’s motivation and inner voice very well. While the issue is overall rather pure and uplifting, that makes Neron’s machinations and ultimate comeuppance all the more satisfying. Neron is a great, oily villain—one of the slimiest in the DCU, like a pastiche of a politician and a corporate overlord, but he also has an even darker side. This is the first time we’ve seen his true form in a very long time, and seeing Raven be the one to deliver the coup de grace was especially enjoyable. This arc seems to have been brought to a satisfying close, but Taylor has a lot more coming.
The Pacat-penned backup is just as enjoyable, with Dick and Jon concluding their investigation at the circus. The trapeze accident turned out to be innocent, but the bombs less so—and while the culprit is found quickly, it allows Jon to deliver some great superheroics. The segment is exciting, but the ending where Dick and Jon finally get the chance to enjoy the fair is also a highlight. Jon pulls off something many of us have dreamed of doing to a scheming carny, and Pacat’s first major DC work is wrapping up as a major success.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
