Nightwing #107 – Tom Taylor, Michael W. Conrad, Writers; Stephen Byrne, Serg Acuna, Artists; Adriano Lucas, Ivan Plascencia, Colorists
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Tom Taylor threw us for a loop last issue when he revealed that not only would his next storyarc center around a lost secret from Dick’s time as the brainwashed “Ric Grayson,” but it would co-star his former love interest Bea who is know the pirate queen Captain Blud. The previous keeper of the Hold has been killed, and the nautical security system needs a new leader. Bea, formerly portrayed as a sweet bartender who was a key form of support for Dick during his recover, is now a mercurial warrior with a surprising past and a grudge against Nightwing. This could all be ridiculous, but Taylor neatly takes a controversial era for the character and surprisingly spins gold out of it.
At first, Dick is treated like a prisoner, but it’s not long before Bea reveals what she really needs from him. She’s trying to fend off a palace coup from her evil who wants to take the ship back to its criminal roots and reclaim it from his late father who exiled him. After discovering that Dirk Blud is in fact every bit the monster Bea claims, Dick agrees to help—but this means going off-grid, engaging in criminal activities, and even temporarily disconnecting from the Oracle network and leaving Barbara in the dark. This story has high stakes, but it’s also very funny and fully indulges in all the jokes about Dick’s attractiveness and popularity. It’s a nice, pulpy break from all the drama and suspense of other arcs.
The backup, by Conrad and Acuna, seems to be an anthology with a focus on Dick’s bond with the other Batfam members. Last issue focused on Cass, and this one focuses on Jason—which naturally, means it’s much more rambunctious. Dick and Jason are drinking together and talking out some of their issues, but a band of gangsters—the same ones we saw last issue—are stalking them, leading to an over-the-top brawl to remember. This is a fun accent to the end of every issue of this excellent series.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
