Nightwing vol. 2: Get Grayson

Back in vol. 1, “Leaping Into the Light,” Dick Grayson announced that he was going to use the fortune he inherited from Alfred Pennyworth to uplift his adopted community of Bludhaven.  In this volume he learns about the dangers of trying to do so when its resident crimelord, Roland “Blockbuster” Desmond, puts out a hit on the hero to stop his efforts flat.  This is a fairly stupid move to make when the person in question defies death on a regular basis and is a member of the Titans.  So that means the issues dealing with this have to get by on Taylor’s efforts to convey Dick’s boundless charms, and friendly connections with the wider DCU.  The results are ultimately fine, bolstered by good art from Bruno Redondo (in one issue) and pretty decent art from Geraldo Borges (in two).

We also get the crossover issue from “Superman:  Son of Kal-El” detailing Dick’s friendship with Jon “Superman” Kent.  It was a nice two-parter, but it’s going to be completely superfluous to anyone who’s already reading that series.

The standout issue for this volume, however, is the first one written by Tylor and illustrated by Redondo.  It’s where we find out that someone has put out a ten-million dollar hit on the character’s head… and stolen his beloved puppy Bitewing.  Given that the dog isn’t dead, just dognapped, we don’t get to see Nightwing go full John Wick on the goons involved.  He beats them up, has a brief team-up with Batgirl, and saves the pup in the end.

Recounted like that, the issue doesn’t sound like anything special.  Its appeal lies in how it’s told as Taylor and Redondo structure the whole thing to read like one continuous horizontal image.  The results are an impressive use of the comics form which smoothly draw you in as the action is conveyed in non-stop fashion, and playfully as well with the artist really leaning into showcasing Dick’s acrobatic abilities.  In short, it elevates the bog-standard story being told with an incredible amount of style and makes for the most memorable issue of the series yet in this run.