A Villain Past And Present — Reviewing ‘Nightwing’ #122

Dick Grayson’s past informs the dangerous present that plagues Blüdhaven. Unfortunately, the vigilante lacks even a shred of credible evidence to prove his point. If he can’t produce the proof, the city will continue to burn under the boots of the Spheric Tech-provided cops.

A peek behind the curtains begins in Nightwing #122 from Dan Watters, Dexter Soy, Veronica Gandini, and Wes Abbott.

I appreciate that this isn’t an easy situation for Nightwing or the city.

Often, heroes are able to swoop in with barely a shred of proof and get the villain to monologue themselves into revelation. Not here. Watters has Nightwing spin a tale of a villain past, and present to Mayor Grayson-Lin (his sister) and Captain Maggie Sawyer.

In the end, it doesn’t matter. He has no actual definitive proof that Spheric CEO Olivia Pearce and the circus themed-villain Colombina are the same. We the reader are certain they are, we are privy to things that Nightwing/Grayson is not, but those in charge of the city can’t take a vigilante’s word.

Watters plays with Grayson’s hope and need to protect, as he keeps reaching dead ends in this desire to protect Blüdhaven and those who call it home. A hero hitting a wall but willing to keep trying. Boosted by those around him even as things seem tough.

I really enjoyed the flashback stuff. If Watters were to write a Batman & Robin style series, with Bruce and Dick, I’d buy it right away. Really hitting those solid vibes of that old school dynamic without it feeling dated.

Soy’s artwork continues to be perfect for this character and this story. Just so sharp and hefty yet soft and light. A sense of scale and depth is apparent throughout every panel. Really giving life to moments, whether they are louder or quieter moments. Capturing all the kinetic energy as things bounce around through the well-chosen paneling choices. Give me a panel where figures are moving and overlapping other panels, bursting out, and you’re getting a grinning nod.

There are subtle differences given to the present day and flashback pages so that they stand together yet apart. They feel very throwback but modern, matching the tone from Watter’s writing.

Another beat that helps those pages and all of them is the varying color palette. Gandini delivers on all accounts here. She sticks with a saturated, heavier, but also vibrant brand for the present-day pages. This effect gives in to the denseness with shadows and darker tones, while the flashback pages go for a more faded out almost brown toned set of colors. The complete picture is an old-timey feeling that cues the reader to the time shift instantly.

A lot is given out story wise in this issue through exposition and other methods, with Abbott nailing them all. He’s just so solid at delivering volume, depth, emotion, personality, and more with every single letter. Having been part of the series since the previous run, he has a keen sense for Grayson’s (and others’) voice(s). Taking the new writer’s style and bridging it to what we already know and feel about the character.

Nightwing #122 is now available from DC Comics.