Dick Grayson has eased right back into his Nightwing persona. With a deadly new opponent and possible secrets from his past, Nightwing isn't going to have time to enjoy simply being Nightwing. He's going to have his hands full.
The Good
I accepted Dick Grayson becoming Batman after Battle for the Cowl. It made the most sense. Then it took a little getting used to but we were soon convinced that Dick had changed and matured in becoming the Dark Knight. Going back to being Nightwing felt like a weird idea but Kyle Higgins has convinced me it's where he should be. Seeing Dick fighting a new opponent in an alley just felt right. His movement and speech almost made it feel like the Nightwing we knew didn't go anywhere. He's been here all the time just waiting for us. Eddy Barrows art with Rod Reis' colors is a treat for your eyes. There does seem to be a little too much lighting in the alley fight but thankfully it is there so we can take in all the details.
The story is progressing from the first issue. The new villain, simply referring to himself as Saiko, is proving to be a challenge for Dick, which is a good thing. If we're going to get new villains, we can't have them easily defeated in one issue. The main thing is what is Dick's next move. He appeared to be ready to officially make Gotham his home but there's something coming out of his past that could change that decision a tiny bit.
Normally I'm not a big fan of "secrets from the past" suddenly surfacing. But there is obviously something that will be drawing Dick back to Haly's Circus and it's making sense. The question will be, was Bruce aware of whatever secrets might emerge out of all of this? We're also seeing Dick act like himself with a little bit of Bruce Wayne thrown in. It's a nice mix that adds to his character when he's not in the costume.
The Bad
I'm hooked on what the mystery from Dick's past could be but I have to hope it's a good one considering Dick hangs out with Batman, the world's greatest detective. It's a minor thing and I know I should just focus on the story and not get hung up on something as trivial as this.
There's a portion in the middle that seems to break up the action of the story. Or at least it brings about a different sort of...action. It was fitting for Dick and let's us know where he stands with other others in his life. For some reason I have a feeling it won't end well.
The Verdict
Dick is officially Nightwing once again. Even though that was established last issue, there was something here that really drove it home. I was hesitant before about seeing Dick return to being Nightwing after some of the great stories we had of him as Batman. Kyle Higgins has convinced me, or I should say reminded me why the Nightwing persona is so great. I don't usually like when mysterious secrets suddenly pop up from a character's past but there is enough here to sell me on the idea. The potential where this can go has me excited. Eddy Barrows' art looks great along with Rod Reis' colors. I'm on the fence with Dick's friend Raya. We'll have to wait and see how long she sticks around. The important thing is how well Dick stands on his own as Nightwing. I loved seeing him appear in this week's Batman #2 but I love that this issue is pure Nightwing. While I would love to see Bruce chime in on the mystery that's surfacing here, I really want to see Dick handle it on his own. I enjoyed this issue better than the first and I have a feeling I'll like issue #3 even more. Nightwing is back to who he's supposed to be and it's great having this series.