Trust no one
Tim Seeley and Tom King continue their work on Grayson by taking us deeper and deeper into the spy world with every issue. Things have changed a lot since Helena Bertinelli became the director of Spyder because it seems like we are now seeing Dick becoming more and more a spy. And as you might expect from a spy-centered book and story, there's a lot of twists and turns and moments when you cannot simply know if you can trust a certain character. Sometimes that is annoying because you want to know everything but with Grayson it is nothing like that. The mystery behind the murdered agents and the framing of Dick is something that is best left hidden and undisclosed up until the conclusion.
Many may not be pleased by the change of Dick's status from a hero to a spy but I have to be honest - this is the best characterization of Dick Grayson for years. I don't remember the last time when I enjoyed so much reading about Dick Grayson's adventures throughout any story. Seeley and King have their own way of writing these characters that is so unique that if they ever leave the book and someone else comes and take their place - it just wouldn't be the same. The way they tell the story and how they characterize every single character is beyong good, it is near perfect. They manage to bring up something new to the plate but they also mention the past from time to time like this issue in which we see a brief confrontation between Dick and Lex. Everything you've ever wanted to see from a confrontation like this you see it here in this issue, brought to you in the most well writen way possible.
What is intriguing about the way Seeley and King write Dick is that they manage to really expose the appeal he has on women and even men. They are able to write him like the character he has always been, sort of a sex symbol in the world of comic books and especially the DC Universe. It may sound strange or even a little bit gay, but he really is one sexy ass man. You can see it from the way he moves, the way he speaks and even from the way he behaves that his style is to make everyone fall in love with him. And because of this you can actually see yet again why he makes such a good spy. He's a superior version of James Bond because everything that Bond can do, Dick can do it simply better.
Another strong part of this issue and every single issue of this book is the gorgeous artwork of Mikel Janin. His style fits this book perfectly. The sync between the action sequences and the storytelling with the his ineterior work is perfect and there is not a single flaw in any panel. Each and every page of the book manages to tell you the story remarkably well. And as I spoke previously about the appeal of Grayson, it wouldn't be so strong and incredible on people if it wasn't for the artwork as well.
This review seems like it is more of a praise to this series as a whole rather than this issue itself but I just couldn't control myself, I love this book too much. Seeley and King are currently writing one of the best comic books on the market right now and probably the best DC book there is and I don't want them to stop. I've never been so hooked on a story and a book centered around Dick Grayson and I hope that I will stay hooked up until the end. If you are a fan of espionage stories mixed with lots of great actiong, dialogue and even comedy then this is your book!
