Review / Commentary # 6 - Nightwing # 6: “”Good Girl Gone Bad”

Creative Team: http://www.dcindexes.com/features/comic.php?comicid=127366

• Writer: Kyle Higgins
• Penciller: Eddy Barrows & Geraldo Borges
• Inkers: Eber Ferriera & Ruy Jose
• Colorist: Rod Reis
• Letterer: Carlos M. Mangual
• Editor: Bobbie Chase
• Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert

Detailed Impression:

The cover to Nightwing issue # 6 is a little misleading. Nightwing does indeed get into a big fight against a crowd of thugs inside. The difference is that the fight mostly takes place off panel before the start of the first page. The cover illustration itself is well done, but there are two fights against super criminals inside that could have been highlighted instead. The effect of the cover is boring by comparison.

Higgins gives the reader some meta commentary in Dick's opening internal monologue. “Different month. Different city. Still the same story.” He also has Dick quipping again, reminding us that still gets a kick out of experiencing the ride even while mired in a highly dangerous mystery.

We learn that Dick's investigation has been hindered by his own false assumption. (Saiko is a contract killer. Saiko is out to kill Dick Grayson whom he now also knows is Nightwing. Therefore, Saiko was hired to kill Grayson.) Dick instead finds out that Saiko has some kind of personal grudge against him and concludes that Saiko's recent inactivity has just been another tactic. Saiko is biding his time so that he can really stick it to Dick personally at a Haly's Circus tribute performance memorializing the anniversary of the Flying Graysons' death.

The chapter title “Good Girl Gone Bad”, refers to Dick's current love interest, Raya Vestri. As we discovered in the previous issue, she has a secret romantic relationship with Saiko who happens to also be her and Dick's childhood friend Raymond. Raymond and Raya have been plotting revenge against Dick for some time, although we don't know what the two are avenging. Raya seems hesitant to follow through with the plot, but falls for some pretty obvious manipulation by Raymond. The scene could definitely have been handled more subtly. Maybe Higgins was struggling to keep the scene to just one page. Mr. Haly's son Brian also makes another appearance in this issue to stir up resentment against Dick among the circus members. First he attacks Dick while drunk. Then he seems indecisive and sorry about his involvement in the plot during a drunken conversation with Saiko. Now he's back to hassling Dick again. The younger Haly's overall characterization has just been inconsistent through the arc.

Speaking of inconsistency, this issue again has two pencillers. Even Barrows' own work shows some inconsistency. Some of the early pages in the issue just look rushed. Geraldo Borges' pencils are serviceable. His storytelling is pretty solid, but if Barrows needed help finishing the issue, then why not go back to Fernando Pansica like in issue # 3? Borges does get to illustrate the main battle between Nightwing and Saiko and the results are pretty decent. His character work was less compelling during the brief cameo by Alfred.

Saiko's attack at the circus is to be expected. Its severity is anything but. There will be a lot of fallout for Dick Grayson to deal with in both of his identities as we wrap up the first arc with the next issue.

Overall Impression:

In the penultimate issue of this first arc of Nightwing, Higgins and company really throw a ton of stuff at the reader. Most of it works. Some of it doesn't work as well. Higgins throws some clues in that sow seeds for his next major arc and anyone with enough familiarity with their relationship will appreciate the scene with Alfred. The final result though, is just pretty good when we are now used to, and expect, great.

Review / Commentary # 5 - Nightwing # 5: “”Til Death Do Us Part”

Creative Team: http://www.dcindexes.com/features/comic.php?comicid=121107

• Writer: Kyle Higgins
• Penciller: Eddy Barrows
• Inkers: Paulo Siqueira & Eber Ferriera
• Colorist: Rod Reis
• Letterer: Carlos M. Mangual
• Editor: Bobbie Chase
• Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert

Detailed Impression:

First things first, I made a pretty glaring error in my discussion of Nightwing issue # 4. This arc is actually seven issues long which kind of makes my argument that the material was filler intended to pad out the trade ring a little more hollow. Additionally, I neglected to address the setting of the previous issue. Dick had become owner of Haly's Circus in the Pre-Flashpoint continuity, but there was never really much of anything that I can remember made of that particular plot point. With this arc, Kyle Higgins puts the “traveling” part of traveling circus to use in order to show adventures in little-seen locations of the DC Universe (Miami in issue # 4, New Orleans in this issue). Maybe having Babs kind of initiate the action of the story was what made it feel tacked on.

Issue # 5 is another side story, but feels more organic because it fleshes out a character who is actually a member of the circus. Higgins had sewn the seeds of this story earlier in the series so this becomes more of an, “Oh! That's what that was about moment.”

I can't recall ever seeing very much of New Orleans in DC comics that I have read before.

I may be way off base but something about St. Roch's from the old Hawkman books always felt like a stand-in for New Orleans much like Gotham was for NYC and Gateway City for San Francisco. Setting a voodoo love story in New Orleans might be a little cliché but the creative team pulls it off well. I don't know whether it would have added or detracted from the story, but with such a history-rich city, maybe they could have included some of the well known districts.

I was reading the very excellent Demon Knights when the New 52 initially kicked off. The only thing that I felt that series did wrong was not having Etrigan as his iconic rhyming demon self. Higgins does make this issue's demon rhyme which is a nice touch. Dick's recognition that this is a distinct, higher class of demon implied a lot more depth to his experience as a hero. I really appreciated that aspect of the story.

Eddy Barrows returned to his pencilling duties with this issue with a bang. He will be on and off for a few more issues over the run. The two inkers on this one make the art look very different which is a little weird but looks good either way. I especially enjoyed the motorcycle scenes, especially when Nightwing jumps the bike onto and off the train.

By having Dick memorize all of the routes the train would take along the circus's tour, Higgins shows that Dick possesses the kind of forethought and planning that readers with history with the character expect, especially from the first protégé of the Dark Knight. He isn't simply flying by the seat of his pants. The voodoo demon love story deals with a surprisingly mature theme: not all love is good or healthy for the people involved. Higgins puts an unconventional spin on the stalker theme by having the woman be the aggressor in the relationship.

Overall Impression:

The cover to issue # 5 could have looked a little less muddy by having an inker but did look good overall. Where the cover most succeeded was in communicating the difference in scale between the demon and Nightwing and the kind of threat the demon posed. Higgins shows that he has a number of ideas to expand the supporting cast's back stories so they feel like more than just window dressing or fodder for the next villain to murder. The twist he throws in at the end comes as an actual surprise.

My only complaint with issue # 5 isn't really a complaint at all. I think this story could actually have been expanded out to a really interesting four part arc. Higgins could have put a toe into the mystic side of things and paired Dick up with Zatanna. I know that Batwoman was the Batman line's mystic book at the time, but that could have been a neat little nod to the relationship that the two of them had in the Young Justice animated series and its companion comic series.

Editorial # 2 - “What about all the Youtube content out there?”

I was initially a little hesitant to bring up some of the Nightwing content I have seen on Youtube. Don't really know why; I just was. The truth is that there is a ton of fan-generated material out there. I wouldn't even attempt to run down the entirety of it. What I can do is tell you some of the best stuff that I have seen. The following live action material features a lot of really well done action sequences and are all very different interpretations of the character:

• Nightwing: The Series by Ismahawk - (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKYGZbsY88fwAGBTgcBCJ0IUqHJqNO_bG) – These guys put a lot of time and effort into creating a really interesting, pretty long story. The costumes are great and Danny Shepherd actually looks a lot like you would expect Dick to look in real life. They've also got a few other superhero action shorts that I dig.
• Super Power Beatdown: Episode 5 by Bat in the Sun - (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXrjTXD5L3s&list=PL6F730F85FA7C34C2&index=15) Want to watch Nightwing beat the holy hell out of Gambit? I did. And ooh boy, did he! The whole Super Power Beatdown series is fantastic. Bat in the Sun also produces Jason David Frank's personal web series and the fairly hilarious “The Waiting Room.” Their fan film Batman: City of Scars is maybe one of the best Batman movies ever, without exaggeration!
• Grayson: Earth One by P3Series - (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIjfdlF-8-Q&index=1&list=PLeVLI-UD3DShbVsnFTXLttLpzq4sj0gnd) This is a really different take on the character. As the title suggests, this really interesting story sets Dick in a new context as envisioned through DC's Earth One graphic novel series lens.
• Nightwing: Prodigal by Brady Roberts - (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTe5CM6OmNE&list=PLztEOELzRZYc6mUEVZerjZCIKz56lkbtr) I have to tell you off the bat, this series doesn't have the most impressive costume work; good but not great. However, the acting is pretty decent. The story is also pretty good and fairly extensive due to its multiple seasons.

The last video I will mention here is not a fan film at all, it's actually an action figure customizer's review of a Nightwing figure he made as a commission. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpBz76SL6h4) The main reason I decided to include it on this list is because I thought the work was so impressive that it reignited my interest in collecting action figures. I don't have the extra collateral to buy a custom figure right now, but I have bought a couple of the better looking mass-produced Nightwing figures that came out in the last few years and I have plans to get a few more. I also happen to know that when we do have the dough, my wife is fully intent upon getting me custom figures of Nightwing, the Flash, and Black Canary! I'm super pumped about that and I'll make sure to post any news on that front when things start moving.

Like I said this is only the tip of the iceberg. As I understand it, there are now more videos on Youtube than any person would be able to watch in several lifetimes, even if that was all they ever did from birth until they died! Lots of cats… Anyway, if you're a fan, check these guys' work out. I promise you'll find something to like.

Review / Commentary # 4 - Nightwing # 4: “South Beach Connection”

Creative Team: http://www.dcindexes.com/features/comic.php?comicid=121106

• Writer: Kyle Higgins
• Penciller: Trevor McCarthy
• Inkers: Trevor McCarthy
• Colorist: Guy Major
• Letterer: Wes Abbot
• Editor: Bobbie Chase
• Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert

Detailed Impression:

The cover to Nightwing issue # 4 gives us our first shot of another hero guest appearing in the series while also foreshadowing the battle with the issue's main villain. Nightwing and his long time on-again, off-again love interest Batgirl, are shown embroiled in a brutal in a brutal fight with... Nightwing?!?! Barrows's pencils are sharp as ever. But unlike the stark difference between Nightwing and the circus folk on issue # 2's cover, this time Reis's colors don't seem to separate the characters quite enough from the background city scene. I don't want to make it sound like the colors are bad by any means, maybe just a few too many warm to hot tones. It makes the characters appear to be a little muted.

Inside, Higgins starts things off with a wild chase scene. Batgirl is on the hunt for a shape-shifting thief whom she refers to as Spinebender. Right off the bat, we see that the art by Trevor McCarthy is drastically different from what we've had so far on the series. McCarthy's style is distinctly more cartoony, with a much greater graphic illustrator flair than the more naturalistic art that has been the norm on the book. That statement should not be misconstrued as a condemnation or an endorsement of one style over the other. Both styles are equally valid and have their places in the medium; it's just an observation.

McCarthy has some history with our main character, dating back to the Pre-Flashpoint DC universe. He first cut his Dick Grayson/Nightwing teeth as the regular penciller of the previous ongoing series during the police officer Grayson days. McCarthy himself has said that he was still very raw at the time. His run on the title was not generally well received although I must say that I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. Much later, Higgins and McCarthy teamed up on the Gates of Gotham miniseries starring Dick as Batman. Gates of Gotham went on to become a New York Times bestseller when it was reprinted as a trade paperback. The trade also included the duo's first pairing as writer and artist in a two-part backup featuring their original character, Nightrunner, the Muslim French Algerian Batman of Paris (now there's a mouthful). Interestingly, after Bruce Wayne recruited Nightrunner for Batman Incorporated, he had Grayson train him due to their similar skill sets.

Needless to say, McCarthy is more than comfortable drawing the character. Dick has a consistent, dynamic look throughout the issue. McCarthy seems less comfortable drawing Barbara, though his Batgirl is dynamite. Unfortunately, he makes Babs look a little too much like Raya, Dick's current romantic partner. Although the colors by Guy Major look good and complement the art well, it's like one of the circus members says when Babs first shows up in shadow, Dick has a type. The flatter, more animated look of the art and colors could lead to some confusion between the two ladies for someone just picking up the book. There's no way they could look so similar by accident. I have to imagine that Higgins always intended for Barbara to show up at some point just to highlight their different personalities.

Higgins clearly defines the relationship between Dick and Raya in this issue. She flat out tells him that they have a shelf life and she wants to keep things simple between them. This contrasts sharply with the long term, complicated nature of his relationship with Barbara.

Taken as a single story, I really like this issue. It's got a decent plot. The dialogue generally reads as fairly natural and none of it has that canned feel I complained about in issue # 3. That doesn't change my feeling that this was a filler issue. Bringing Babs in was a nice touch. Her inclusion does help to tie Nightwing back into the rest of the Batman line. The problem comes in that besides bookending an argument between the two of them in her own title, this story really could have been told at any point in the series. If the series were a video game, this issue could be a side quest; fun but not totally necessary in any greater context. Spinebender seems like he could be a pretty cool villain if he is given time to grow as a character. Unfortunately, I don't think he will see much time in the spotlight in the near future. He only shows up once or twice total over the entire rest of the series.

Overall Impression:

I might have seemed to be down a lot on this issue, but the truth is, I really did like it a lot. I think that means a lot considering that much of it could be seen as fluff material meant to pad out the arc so DC could reach that crucial sixth issue for purpose of reprinting as a trade. I appreciated seeing a Bat family member in the book and it makes sense that Higgins would pick Barbara given their history together. The Babs/Raya comparison went a little too far for my tastes but did play well overall.

Nothing against any of the other artists to work on the title, but this is what I think a Nightwing book should look like. McCarthy's art is stunning. His action is fluid and dynamic. The cartoony quality gives a little bit of lightness that balances nicely against the dark tone of the story Higgins is telling. The colors by Major had a few minor missteps, but I thought they were a hit overall.

Probably the final version of the header image

Been working a lot on getting the collage for this thing just right. I think this is it!

Editorial # 1 - “Why am I doing this?”

I have been thinking a lot about this question over the last few days. This blog owes its existence to a number of sources of inspiration. The first one is my wife, Jenn. I needed some kind of creative outlet and have always loved comics, especially ones featuring my favorite character, Dick Grayson, a.k.a. Robin/Batman/Nightwing/Agent 37. She suggested a long time ago that reading and reviewing other writers' work might help stimulate my own creative juices. It took me far longer than it should have to take her advice and get my butt in motion, but I finally have.

The subject of my interest here wouldn't even exist if not for the work of this pair of comic book giants, the legendary team of Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. I definitely have to thank those guys, not just for taking a character I liked (Robin, the Boy/Teen Wonder) and turning him into Nightwing. As I mentioned in the first “Knight Flier” article, the first thing I ever even read was a reprint of the beginning to their seminal run on The New Teen Titans. I was pressed for time when I saw George Pérez at Mega-Con a few years ago and deeply regret missing the opportunity to meet him. I also owe a debt of gratitude to all the other creative teams that have put in work on the character over the years.

The last big source of inspiration I need to mention is the large (probably overly large) number of comic fan sites, blogs, and podcasts that have come before mine. Here's a short list of some I think any fan would do well to check out:

• http://thebatmanuniverse.net/ (They've got quite a few character-specific sections and pieces worth checking out. One I really recommend for Dick Grayson fans is “Taking Flight” by Tom Panarese. It's less Grayson-centric, more focused on Robin and all of the kids and teens to fill that role, but very informative in respect to those various individuals.)
• http://comicvine.gamespot.com/ (This is where I go for my comics news and probably has the most in-depth coverage on the widest range of comic book topics and characters that I've found in a single location.)
• http://www.dccomics.com/ (Everybody has a home somewhere and this is the place that my favorite characters call theirs.)
• http://blackcanaryfan.blogspot.com/ (Ryan Daly does a great, very informative podcast about Black Canary [my favorite female comic character] which he recently decided to broaden to include Zatanna and renamed “The Power of Fishnets”.
• http://www.dcindexes.com/ (Lots of publication information available here; it's where I go to verify the creative teams for my reviews.)
• http://pulp2pixel.blogspot.com/?m=1 (Covers pop culture/comics in general and Kurt Busiek's Astro City, in particular.)
• http://relativelygeekypodcast.blogspot.com/ (I really like their “Shortbox Showcase”.)
• http://fireandwaterpodcast.blogspot.com/ (A wide variety of podcasts in a single feed)
• http://twotruefreaks.com/main.php (Another great podcast network)
• http://flashbackpodcast.podbean.com/ (About my second favorite character, the Flash)
• http://ragingbullets.com/ (These guys are the biggest, most enthusiastic DC fans I've ever heard. They can sometimes be a little too enthusiastic for my tastes, but it's really nice to hear people be positive about something on in Internet once in a while.)
• http://sideshownetwork.tv/category/podcasts/tv-film/worst-collection-ever/
• http://sideshownetwork.tv/category/podcasts/tv-film/comics-on-comics/
• http://rageworks.net/ (My best friend is one of the editors and primary contributors to this site. They cover a lot of gaming and geek/pop culture topics; not much related to DC Comics since they don't really have a partnership there, but still really great.)

So far, I am really enjoying writing “The Knight Flier”, so this won't be going away anytime in the foreseeable future. However, I will soon be starting work on an original side project to accompany it. I'd appreciate some help in the art department, just some character design/pin-up type of stuff. I have what I think is a somewhat ambitious idea for a character of my own creation about which I hope to publish some prose work, even if it's only ever seen for free online. I would really like to have some visuals to go along with the writing. I'm a former graphic design student and comic artist hopeful so I wish I could do it myself but I'm way out of practice. I haven't been able to nail down a look I really like yet. I don't intend for this to be a comic or graphic novel (although I am definitely unopposed to the notion), just a little extra flavor for myself and anybody else who might be interested in seeing something that I have been kicking around in my head for the last year or two.

Once again, thank you to all of the people who helped push me in any way to give this writing thing a shot, whether or not they are aware of their contribution. Thanks also to anyone out there in the who has taken the time to read anything I have written here so far and in the upcoming future. If you like something you've seen, please let me know. If there's something you think I could improve, please be constructive in your criticism. If you're the kind of person who just has to hate things because all you're capable of is destroying and tearing others down, appreciate you reading this far,but you should just move on. There is nothing here for you, nor am I interested in your input.

Review / Commentary # 3 - Nightwing # 3: “Past and Present”

Creative Team: http://www.dcindexes.com/features/comic.php?comicid=121105

• Writer: Kyle Higgins
• Penciller: Eddy Barrows & Eduardo Pansica
• Inkers: J.P. Mayer, Paulo Siqueira, & Eber Ferriera
• Colorist: Rod Reis
• Letterer: Carlos M. Mangual
• Editor: Bobbie Chase
• Assistant Editor: Katie Kubert

Detailed Impression:

The cover to issue # 3 of Nightwing is as well-drawn as the previous two issues. Again, Reis colors directly over Barrows's pencils. However, this time it looks like Nightwing was Photoshopped into a circa-1940s picture of the members of Haly's circus posing outside the tent. Nightwing's sharply modern, stark black and red costume clashes with the washed out, sepia filtered look of the circus folk in a way that creates a dissonant, discomforting effect.

Higgins starts the issue with a flashback sequence that introduces Dick's childhood circle of friends. Old-man Haly also appears in the scene cluing Dick in that Raya might be interested in being more than just friends and telling Dick that Haly would always look out for him. As we saw in the last issue, Haly was right about the kids' relationship potential, so it would not be totally implausible that Dick might need a little more looking-after although we don't yet know why. The brief glimpse into Dick's past does a good job of adding drama to the next scene which takes us right back to the present at the old man's funeral.

Barrows visually conveys the emotionality of the scene nicely, particularly Haly's son's drunken breakdown after just accosting Dick over how the elder Haly handed ownership of the circus to Dick instead of keeping it in the family. Higgins uses Raya as a mouthpiece to give us his take on Dick's personality. Dick never looks back; he doesn't concentrate on the past. He's always moving forward, which tends to leave a lot of broken and forgotten relationships in the wake. The conversation feels a little unnecessary and some of the dialogue seems like things people who are actually interacting with each other would never use; kind of like the dialogue you hear on a soap opera. (Don't judge, we all have mothers and grandmothers.)

Higgins also gives us some plot exposition through Raya who tells Dick and the reader what the other two members of their old gang have been up to. One is dead and the other is in Chicago (Higgins's hometown which will become important later in the series) working as a very successful booking agent for contract killers. Dick confronts him that night as Nightwing. This, of course, leads to a fight between the two of them. During the fight, we finally get a single glimpse of Dick in the Robin suit as part of an induced hallucination. We also see Dick's parents for the first time in the series wearing their performance costumes which happen to be very reminiscent of the 1984 disco Nightwing suit designed by George Pérez.

The art shifts during this fight scene. According to an interview Higgins did on Kevin Smith's Fatman on Batman, Barrows had begun experiencing some health issues that severely limited his ability to work around this time, so a variety of art teams would work on the next few issues. Pansica's pencils are still very good, just not quite so much as Barrows's own. However, Pansica did not shy away from giving more definition to Nightwing's physique in the red sections of the costume; something about which Barrows was maybe a little too subtle. Pansica also trimmed down the torso just a smidge; just enough that I found it to be more in tune with how he should be built.

There is a very brief interlude featuring a much more natural conversation between Dick and Raya. The improved tone might be attributable to Dick doing most of the talking. Ladies man that he is, the scene ends up with her pulling him into her bedroom… Cue the baby-making music! Higgins ends the issue by showing that the younger Haly might not hate Dick as much as he let on at his father's funeral. He weeps to the person he is talking with about how bad he feels for his involvement in the plot against Dick who turns out to be none other than Saiko!

Overall Impression: This was a good issue, though not nearly as action-packed as the previous two had been. The dialogue gets a little too expository in places and the art shift is really noticeable, especially coming in the middle of the fight sequence the way it did. Zane looks shockingly older than Dick and Raya as an adult. Maybe that has something to do with living the rough life he had to in order to get to his position, but the difference seems unnaturally stark. The story is still intriguing and the art is more than passable. Pansica does a fine job taking over the pencils where he did continuing Barrows's excellent visual storytelling. However, the mid-scene art shift is still jarring. The reason for the change makes total sense, but it's unfortunate that we already had to start getting fill-in artists so early into the series' run.