Nightwing #111 – Tom Taylor, Michael W. Conrad, Writers; Sami Basri/Vicente Cifuentes, Francisco Francavilla, Artists; Adriano Lucas, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: After a few issues’ break for a pirate adventure and a Beast World tie-in, we’re back to Bludhaven in search of Heartless—or are we? Because a murder in Gotham shows a man with the same missing heart and circular wound, indicating Nightwing’s new nemesis has come to Batman’s city. But there’s something else about the case—the man’s son saw the murder, making this a deeply personal case to Nightwing and Batman and setting up a father-son team-up. Of course, Batman isn’t exactly… himself lately, but Taylor seems to be sidestepping that and making the duo seem like they have a healthier relationship than they have in some time. And together, they start to realize things aren’t quite right.
Of course, there’s a third man in the room with them, even if he’s not present physically—Alfred, who has gotten some of the best scenes in the character’s history under Taylor’s pen several years after he was killed off. Despite there not being too much action, a lot happens in this issue. Dick’s growing anxiety, rendering him incapable of swinging over rooftops, comes back to haunt him—but is it trauma, or something more sinister? Dick’s relatability becomes key to helping the boy who lost his father open up, and gives them vital clues about the culprit—which turns out to be a lot more mundane than people were expecting, but no less dangerous. This is a great breather story that shows off Taylor’s skill for character work.
The backup, The Son of Gray, is an intriguing story set in the age of the Black Plague, as a Romani man is brutally murdered by the local authorities and his son sets out on a quest for revenge. I almost thought this was a Dark Knights of Steel tie-in at first, but it’s not clear if that’s the case. What is clear is that Francisco Francavila’s art is brilliantly haunting and packed with moody intensity. This is the first of a two-part story, so I’m guessing where this fits in will become a little clearer with the next chapter.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
