Nightwing #125 – Dan Watters, Writer; Francesco Francavilla, Artist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: It’s amazing how much difference an art shift can make to a title. Dexter Soy has been doing a great job on the book, but his classic superhero art style definitely lends to a more superhero-style feel. However, Francesco Francavilla is well-known as one of the best horror artists in the whole industry – and he allows Dan Watters to return to his roots in style. The ongoing plot of the gang war in Bludhaven is still going strong, but it takes a dramatic turn as the officer responsible for the death of the young Teddy gang member leaves his cop bar – and immediately is gunned down by a mysterious vigilante dressed as a plague doctor. The reveal of this new mystery vigilante is one of the creepiest panels I’ve seen in a while, and the plot throws Maggie Sawyer into the thick of this book, as Bludhaven’s new police commissioner has to avenge the murder of one of her own.
The cop is considered a hero who was cleared of any wrongdoing in the previous shooting, so his fellow officers should be out for blood – but they’re oddly not. An interview with the officer’s wife reveals a dark side when it comes to his children, one that nicely parallels with his tendency to go right up to the line of the law. Nightwing actually takes a backseat this issue, only appearing in a few pages to verbally spar with Sawyer and back her up when needed, but that actually makes this issue more compelling. This is a very down-to-Earth story, one that has a lot of parallels with the things we encounter every single day. The villain is used sparingly, and it makes his appearance feel much more like that of the iconic movie slasher, finally making his presence known in a big way. This is one of the best issues of this new run, and it’s a perfect pairing of writer, artist, and subject matter.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
