Nightwing #127 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 and Adriano Lucas.
Nightwing #127 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
When the former Titans Tower is taken over by something monstrous, Nightwing is forced to partner with his enemies at Spheric Solutions to save those trapped inside. But what is this terrible thing that has come to Blüdhaven…and why does it seem to be after Nightwing himself?
Review
Blüdhaven has become a dangerous and complex city to navigate in the pages of Nightwing. As the series returns to comic book stores today with its 127th issue Dick and the series supporting cast about to find themselves caught up in an inter dimensional mess caused by overarching nemesis The Zanni. But with crises much closer to home on his plate, can Dick look after those he loves the most as well as the city he calls home?
It’s hard to believe it’s already been nine months since Dan Watters and Dexter Soy took over Nightwing. The pairing has take to the series without missing a beat. At this stage Blüdhaven is the most nuanced and lively it has been since Dick was cop back in the late 90’s. At this stage in Watters’ ongoing arc there’s such a varied and well fleshed out guest cast that Nightwing feels very much like an ensemble piece with Dick at its core. Whilst I hate to feed in to the narrative that Nightwing is somehow replacing Batman at the centre of the DCU, this is the closest these books have ever felt to being on par with each other which his really saying something.
There’s a lot in play as we come in to issue. Watters is continuing to build on the presence of Bryce, a former member of the Teddies who is determined to help out. There’s been potential nods to Bryce taking on a sidekick role in the book and I wonder if this is something we’re building towards. For now though he’s a supporting player in a story which really centres around the Titans Tower building which sits almost empty in the centre of the city. The building itself plays a central focus in the story and moving forwards will be even more key to this arc.
Many readers will also pick up on the narration in this issue. It’s provided by a third party character in a very “if you know, you know” scenario. The reveal comes at the end of the issue but I’m sure you’ll get there in the first couple of pages like I did. Watters is putting a cool spin on a character normally associated with more impish and irksome storylines. The overlap with The Zanni storyline plays in to the inter-dimensional nature of the threat. It also neatly balances the series’ ability to keep Nightwing a street level hero even against the most theatrical of villains.
What hits so hard is Watters’ ability to emphasise Dick’s emotional maturity and empathy. Here it shines through most in the scenes with Barbara and in the hospital. But Watters never fails to ensure that every issues, no matter how action-packed, is underpinned by Dick’s humanity. There’s a chance that this could alienate parts of the audience by becoming overwrought. But Watters shows a keen understanding of the level of emotion to inject in to proceedings to make Dick a sympathetic and sometimes reluctant hero.
Helping to emphasise all of those elements is Dexter Soy and Veronica Gandini. I feel like a broken record on this but Nightwing is such a great looking book. This team is able to hone in a highlight some of those quieter, character focussed moments. But this in particular also challenges both to create a scale and scope which elevates the book to a more traditional superhero level. Nightwing has always been a book which balances the striking blue of Dick’s costume against the gloomy backdrop of the city. But seeing Gandini’s incredible use of purple in this issue adds a whole new level of colour which really pops on the page.
Verdict
Nightwing #127 is yet another success for the team of Watters, Soy, Gandini and Abbott. Neatly balancing its hero’s humanity against a foe of inter-dimensional standards.
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