Written by Benjamin Percy
Illustrated by Chris Mooneyham
and Travis Moore
Published by DC Comics
This issue is a milestone in many ways.
Yes, it is the fiftieth issue of Nightwing and that should be celebrated. But this is also part of the continuing storyline going on over in Tom King’s Batman where Nightwing was shot in the head by the KGBeast.
At the beginning of the issue a shadowy figure is sitting at a restaurant talking to the waitress and looking at the obituaries.
The figure appears to be Dick Grayson.
He has survived the bullet wound and seems to have a new lease in life. I was honestly relieved to see him.
Dick is there with a newly shaved head and fights a holdup in the restaurant. He throws a coffee cup but and stops the robber.
It’s a great scene and Percy hooked me into this story immediately as he usually does.
From there, we get a flashback to Batman and Robin (Dick Grayson version) fighting crime back in the day. Percy layers his story well and this shows where Nightwing has been.
But then we get back to present day and we see where he is going. And it’s not exactly pretty.
We get to see Dick fighting in underground fight clubs. We see him try to get his bearings and start living life again. The issue then flips back to the past. That is when we see the Scarecrow arrive at a local university starting up a “Symposium of Fear.” That’s when the fun really starts up again!
The issue flips back and forth from past to present a few times. Percy has Nightwing face two big obstacles. We see the counterpoint of each while doing so. The whole point of this issue is for Dick to get his legs back and face his fears. He does so but in a new way. Kudos to Percy for making it awesome.
The art by Chris Mooneyham and Travis Moore is wonderful. This is a worthy anniversary issue for this title. I loved the last few issues and the direction they took with it. This issue is simply excellent as well.
RATING: A
