Nightwing #112 – Tom Taylor, Michael W. Conrad, Writers; Sami Basri/Vicente Cifuentes, Francesco Francavilla, Artists; Adriano Lucas, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Tom Taylor is wrapping up his run on Nightwing with the next arc, which will give him one of the longest and most defining runs on the character. So before he delves into the psychological block Dick has been dealing with, he’s doing a short, much more character-driven arc that explores the complex bond Bruce and Dick have. Taylor is one of the only writers to truly address them as father and son, and scenes like the opening one this issue really drive that home. It’s a more wholesome flashback to Dick’s youth, as some past ones have shown Alfred as the more reasonable parent. But here, Dick’s rage becomes clear as he and Bruce are sparring, and it’s something only Bruce can truly understand.
That carries forth into the present day, as the two investigate the case of the father seemingly murdered by Heartless and the boy he left behind. As the two pursue the boy’s murderous uncle into international territory, Batman and Nightwing dance around some of the heavier issues in the room. But the case is clearly deeply triggering for both of them, and it’s Dick who has a harder time keeping a hold on his emotions. There’s also a great scene involving the Titans and Beast Boy in particular that perfectly sums up why Taylor’s version of Batman is one of the healthiest and most benevolent. No matter what this final arc is like, I’m hoping that Taylor’s impact on these characters is felt for a long time.
The backup, the second part of “The Son of Gray” by Conrad and Francavilla, continues the oddball story of a medieval version of Dick Grayson out to avenge his family and the mad priest hunting him down. It’s a gorgeously drawn, intense take on the DC heroes and villains in a much darker era, but it’s over so fast that we only get the barest idea of what this universe is actually like. Francavilla has been dropping by DC to do some unusual backups lately, and I’d love to see what he does on a bigger project.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
