Nightwing #113 – Tom Taylor/Marv Wolfman, Michael W. Conrad, Artists; Daniele Di Nicuolo, Bruno Redondo, Howard Porter, Artists; Adriano Lucas, Hi-Fi, Colorists
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: This might be issue #113—and the start of a final arc of Taylor’s run—but it’s also the legacy #300, a huge mark for Batman’s first protege. And he’s being celebrated on an in-story level too—it’s his birthday, and he has a unique birthday tradition. He seems to keep busy all day and help all the people around him, which is very in character. He sets Barbara’s alarm late and lets her sleep in while taking over her duties. He teams up with Damian and Tim to interrupt an arms shipment, helping the two bickering Robins get along for a change. He also meets with some of his old allies like Bea—aka Captain Blud—to discuss Heartless’ next move. There’s a great segment that sums up how Dick operates, not being afraid of the spotlight but being most comfortable sharing it with others. Of course, a dark cloud is gathering, with Heartless plotting and Dick’s strange induced anxiety only growing.
But the back half of the issue is just pure joy, as Dick attends the anniversary of the Alfred Pennyworth Foundation, ostensibly to be celebrated as the savior of Bludhaven but instead turning the focus on someone else. There are so many great cameos in this scene, from Jim Gordon to a hilarious Jason Todd bit as he shows he’s proud of his brother as only he can. But the most heartfelt part of this issue comes in a two-page segment as Dick’s entire cast heads to a diner. This scene is penned by Marv Wolfman, as Dick meets with and has a conversation with… Marv Wolfman. This isn’t just a tribute to Nightwing, but to the late, great George Perez, and while so many of these meta segments can feel hokey or even manipulative, this one is a brilliant tribute to the work these two legends did to turn Dick Grayson into one of the best characters in DC comics.
We also get a quick backup by Michael W. Conrad (possibly the next Nightwing writer?) and Howard Porter, as they give us a silent tale that finds Dick racing against time to stop some evil mimes and disarm a subway bomb. This is a simple tale, sure, but it’s also perfectly tense and fast-paced with some great visuals.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
