The Good
I've commented on the numerous Death of the Family tie-ins and how we were getting Joker overload. That isn't to say all the tie-ins were bad. We saw Nightwing attacked very close to home. Due to his nature, the big question will be how he'll handle what happened to the members of Haly's Circus.
Kyle Higgins delivers a great opening scene and Juan Jose Ryp captures the essence of what's going on. You can see the pain and turmoil Dick is going through, whether he's ready to admit it or not. It's important to have issues like this. We need to see the aftermath from a major event. Too often they're glossed over or happen in another title. Dick has always been a caring person and you have to believe that what he went through will have an affect on him.
We get a lot of nice cameos in this issue. Dick is well liked and it's great to see he does have a network of supporters. It's a testament to his character. When Batman suffers, there aren't too many that would even attempt to console him. That's what makes Dick different. Let's just hope the recent events don't turn Nightwing into a darker character.
Ryp's art captures the essence of what happened. We get to see Nightwing in a beaten and tattered costume, again, something that is rarely seen. Usually we'd see the hero immediately in a new suit in the next issue. His style brings a haunting look as Nightwing and Dick go from place to place assessing each situation.
The Bad
It was great to see how Dick reacted to everything and how the story played out. It's not really a spoiler since he's on the cover and solicit but having Damian as the 'voice of reason' was a little odd. I love that it touches back on their time together as Batman and Robin when Bruce was "dead" but Damian just didn't seem capable before. Guess the little kid is maturing.
I really dug Ryp's art, especially during the Nightwing attack scenes, but in the panel similar to the cover, Damian doesn't look right. He's supposed to be a ten (or eleven) year-old kid.
The Verdict
NIGHTWING continues to be one of my favorite DC titles. He's a great character and you can just tell that Kyle Higgins loves the character and understands him. Seeing the aftermath of the Death of the Family issues was great as this sort of thing is often overlooked after the major events. Dick Grayson is a caring and emotional character so this could have some deep impact on who he is and what he does next. Seeing cameos from those close to him was fitting and the conversation with Damian, while a little odd for him, was a great reminder that they went through a lot together after Batman: R.I.P. You can feel that some changes are coming up and we get an interesting tease at the end that guarantees you'll want to return for the next issue.
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