Nightwing #120 is written by Dan Watters and published by DC. Artwork is by Dexter Soy, colours by Veronica Gandini and letters by Wes Abbott. Main cover art (left) is by Soy.
Nightwing #120 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
With deadly experimental weapons in the hands of the city’s oh-so-corrupt police force, Nightwing must prevent a bloody war breaking out with the gangs of Blüdhaven—which would be easier if someone didn’t keep trying to blow him up!
Review
Dan Watters’ new run on Nightwing continues today with another grandiose issue illustrating that this new creative team is not holding back. After a solid critical reception for their first issue, it’s great to see Watters, Soy, Gandini and Abbott having fun with their storytelling and with this character.
We pick up right where we left off last month with Nightwing having found his way in to a weapons factory. It seems there might be a lot more to Spheric Solutions than meets the eye, especially with CEO Olivia Pearce watching from afar. Watters drops us back in to Nightwing just in time for some death-defying antics from Dick. Watters and Soy working perfectly in tandem to show Nightwing at his best in this moment, utilising his acrobatic skills and his gadgets to get himself out of danger. As opening go this one is big and that’s before the rabbit gets involved…
The high energy of the opening carries right through the issue. Watters has impressive stamina when it comes to keeping events chugging along. After events at the warehouse Dick finds himself parent to not one animal but two. Yes Haley is back! She survived being shot in Tom Taylor’s finale so we can put any concerns to bed on that one. But dogs and rabbits aren’t the best of bedfellows and that makes for a sleepless night for Dick. Whilst Nightwing is firing on all cylinders that doesn’t mean there isn’t still room for some levity. Watters works in these small moments of humour which delight as they add much needed variation to the tone.
In essence Nightwing #120 is another dazzling slice of setup for Watters and Soy’s first arc. The morning after Dick’s raid on the warehouse Olivia Pearce appears on TV to blame the Teddies for events the previous night. In doing so Pearce attempts to ignite a war between each of the city’s gangs, giving us another glimpse at Blüdhaven‘s underbelly. Of course Spheric Solutions is here to help with an arm of jet-packed, highly-armoured police. In that moment the penny drops for Dick and he realises who may be pulling the strings. The moment itself is really well constructed in Watters’ script as we’re already one step ahead of our hero. Just another part of this fresh approach to Nightwing where we’re accustomed to learning the facts alongside him.
As Nightwing leaps in to action the energy ratchets up a notch again. He’s a hero acting with a sense of understanding. With a target to take down he has purpose and drive but we are still one step ahead. With Dick yet to learn about the puppet master pulling the strings. Watters forces us in to our own realisation that we’ve been so caught up in the spectacle that we’ve forgotten there’s a slow burning story outside of all this when our villain who seems to know a lot about Nightwing. Hurtling in to the conclusion of issue #120 we’re devastatingly reminded of how dangerous it is to fly in to action without knowing all the facts.
After all of the acrobatics and all of Soy’s breathtaking artwork Nightwing finds himself on the back foot. The final pages make for an excellent cliffhanger which lights a fire under Nightwing. Soy’s final close-up depicts Nightwing as a grenade whose pin has just been pulled. Detonation is imminent and his target is Spheric…
Verdict
An adrenaline rush of an issue, Nightwing #120 is this new creative team hitting a massive home run. The pacing, action, dialogue and artwork are all exquisite. The only downside is the month wait following that tantalising cliffhanger.
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