Nightwing #115 is written by Tom Taylor and published by DC. Artwork is by Bruno Redondo, colours are by Adriano Lucas and letters by Wes Abbott. Main cover art (left) is by Redondo.
Nightwing #115 is available from today, in print and on digital where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
Part 2 of the Heartless saga continues! When things go up in flames, Dick must put his feelings aside and help Shelton, a.k.a. Heartless, find his butler. After all, a superhero’s job is to save everyone, even the very bad. But every noble sacrifice comes with a price, and Nightwing finds himself in a situation only someone as cunning as Heartless could’ve concocted.
Review
Part two of the “Fallen Grayson” storyline hits comic book stores today as I continue to exist in denial that there are only three more issues of Nightwing before Tom Taylor departs for pastures new. There’s absolutely no denying the scale and scope of this final arc as it feels like Dick faces his most insurmountable threat yet. Today’s issue only seeks to increase our heroes woes rather than beginning to conclude the series’ dangling plot threads.
We’re picking up right where we left off last month with Dick’s Pennyworth Foundation fundraiser burning to the ground both physically and metaphorically. Dick snaps in to hero mode, working to get everyone out of the building safely including Barbara and Bitewing. Unbeknownst to Dick, Heartless is still at the party and is the mastermind behind all of the chaos which is spiralling around him. Taylor keeps Nightwing #115 a tense read as both hero and villain enact their plans. The story is turning in to a game of chase with moves and countermoves building towards what must be an inevitable showdown.
Taylor is embracing the audience, clueing us in on Heartless’ movements before Dick. This not only adds to the tension but amps up our sense of concern knowing that Dick is walking in to a trap. If this were a movie or TV show there’s no way the audience wouldn’t all be screaming at the screen for Dick to go with Babs rather than running off to rescue Gerald the Butler aka the journalist who challenged Dick at the end of last issue and co-conspirator with Shelton aka Heartless. It’s tragic but in the most enthralling way possible.
With the trap snapped and Dick incapacitated there’s time for a brief flashback which picks up on his big fall glimpsed last month. The bigger picture isn’t quite coming together on these moments yet. Aside from illustrating the first time he fell it’s unclear how relevant these moments are. But given Taylor’s meticulously planned storylines I’m sure it will become clear in the future.
Now I don’t want to spoil where things go next. Nightwing is a rollercoaster which is only just reaching the peak of its ascension before a 90 degree drop. The unpredictable nature of the story is one of its most rewarding aspects. Zucco and Heartless’ celebrations at taking down one of their two most hated figures, the other being Nightwing, is short-lived and rocked by a revelation which drives the narrative in to another breathtaking cliffhanger moment.
It’s hard to imagine just how Taylor is going to wrap this story up with only three issues to go. But that’s part of the excitement. Knowing there’s only a finite amount of time and huge number of obstacles to overcome, Nightwing has to rise again at some point soon… right?
Verdict
I just don’t want this run to end…
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
