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Nightwing #10

Sweet Jesus, this looks so friggin' cool. Can't wait to see what he proposed to Lucius. Definitely going to play in his plan to help Old Gotham, but I wonder if it's a more long term plan for Gotham as well.

Weird, the link is bad. And double weird that it's in Maxim

Okay fixed the link

Be warned, matey. Thar be spoilers ahead...

I can't stress enough how much of a wonderful impact the new editor has had on this comic. The quality is night-and-day. The question I've been asking the past few months about what we'd get when Higgins was finally free to tell his own stories has been answered -- The dude has chops.

My concern with the character over the last 15 years has been the great lengths to which DC has gone to make Nightwing a less and less interesting and unique character, and the great frustration in that is that he's been so mired in Batman continuity during that time that you can't just pick up and do something totally new. It would be too much to have the comic completely shift focus, especially since so many people enjoyed Dick's turn as Batman.

So the question became, "How do you keep Nightwing in Gotham and NOT have him be a Batman knockoff?"

It's a tricky proposition to say the least, but it's a line Higgins has begun walking with great aplomb. Having Dick pick his own part of Gotham... It could very easily go wrong and come off like it's still Bruce's city or something too akin to what goes on in Daredevil. But Higgins addresses that by beginning to plant the seeds that will make this part of Gotham uniquely Nightwing's.

The idea of tying Dick Grayson so intrinsically to Old Gotham, and more specifically Amusement Mile, is a great one. Tying it even further into Dick's past by including both Zucco's daughter and a now much more relevant version of Haly's Circus (one that loses the non-existent traveling circus angle), makes it even better.

Higgins is taking great care in including these types of nuances to make these choices make sense for Dick Grayson. He's getting involved in Gotham, leveraging everything he has in an enormous financial risk that binds him even further to the city and this neighborhood in particular; and all in a way that stays true to who he is. Very much NOT the Prince of Gotham I was worried about, but rather a normal guy rolling up his sleeves and really getting involved in the community in a meaningful way. Rebuilding the heart of Gotham, being a big part of giving the city something to smile about, and doing so in a way that suits his character perfectly (affable, selfless, fun, hopeful) -- it's the perfect way to set Nightwing on his own path without him leaving Gotham.

The opening action sequence was pretty fun, and this mystery is FAR more complex and compelling than the shoddy one in the first arc. Don't know enough about Paragon and these Tomorrow People yet to comment, but I'm interested so far.

Whatever problems Higgins was having with the original editors have obviously been solved with the new regime. I really feel like this issue is his true #1 on this title, and it was a very strong piece of work. For the first time in a LONG time, I'm optimistic about the future of Nightwing...

I agree with everything you said up there, Jags.

I loved the beginning of this issue. Nightwing kicking a** all while discussing his future on the phone with Lucius. After disposing of them he makes his exit and right into his safe house. Really awesome stuff.

I loved seeing Sonia Zucco back as well. She is a character with a lot of potential for drama in this book. Can't wait to see her development as a supporting character. Also, I liked seeing the Deputy Mayor back. I hope to see him playing a role that Harvey Dent did before he became Two Face. Feeding Nightwing information and protecting him. It was cool finally seeing a character in a position of power acknowledge that a superhero saved them and they should do their best to help them. Makes me wonder, now that Lincoln March (we know who he is, but I don't want to spoil for those who didn't read Batman yet) is obviously out of the running for Mayor that the Deputy Mayor will take his spot in the upcoming election and maybe win? Nightwing may have a friend in real high places soon.

Also, even though he didn't have much screen time I already like Detective Nie as a foe to Nightwing. I really liked Dudley Soames before he became Torque in the previous volume. I really like the corrupt detective angle for a foe against Nightwing.

At first, I was a bit underwhelmed by the Amusement Mile reveal, but when I reread the book at home it felt so natural to me and I got the angle Higgins was going for. Dick's way of helping Gotham is to make people smile again. Makes too much sense. I can't wait to see how cleaning up Old Gotham progresses. I really love this angle of giving Nightwing his own neighborhood; his own Hell's Kitchen to deal with. I already feel the subplots beginning and we're only an issue in. That is a really good sign to me.

However, for this all to work it all hinges on giving Nightwing interesting villains to call his own. Which brings us to Paragon and the Tomorrow People. First off, I love the costume designs. One of the cooler looking villains I've seen created for the DCNu. Second, I'm a sucker for secret cults who have secret lairs/training grouds with a mysterious leader. Thirdly, the electrical whips? Yeah I can really get behind that. All of that. Hopefully, Higgins can carry through with it and you know what? I think he can.

I had really high hopes for this issue, maybe unfairly high expectations, but Higgin's delivered.

Loved the issue. The first 9 were clearly setting up to get us here, Dick established in Gotham with his own mission and purpose. While not everyone liked those first few issues, we couldn't have gotten here without them.

So, will the Joker take an interest in Nightwing moving into Amusement Mile?

One day, I will be strong enough not to click spoiler threads when I need to wait another week for my comics. Today was not that day.

I don't really have a lot to add to the comments, other than to say I enjoyed it a lot, and I'm glad to see that he will be staying with the circus...even if that means also staying in Gotham. I wasn't a huge fan of that idea, but I've loved all that Higgins has done so far, so I've been given no reason to think this won't be a success, as well. Thanks to Kyle for giving us a great start to this book, and a tremendous thanks to Eddy Barrows for bringing some of the best art currently at DC, to my favorite character!!

Kyle - any chance I can get you to pitch a Wally West book to DC too??

Oh man, the artwork is so amazing. There's so much detail and kenetic energy. The action just jumps off the page. It's amazing really. The second artist does a decent job too, but hopefull Barrows gets better and gets back to drawing full issues soon!

I finally got around to reading this just today. Sadly, Nightwing isn't on my "must immediately read" list these days, but with writing like this, it could definitely get there again. I hope it keeps going in this vein. The idea is very Daredevil-esque, making Amusement Mile NW's personal Hell's Kitchen, but it's a great idea just the same and about as good as we can expect unless he leaves Gotham to become a hard travelling hero.

I can also safely say that I like the new costume better than the old one.

Two good reviews for Nightwing in two months. An UNHEARD of feat when volume 1 was still going. This has already beat the Dixon/Grayson/Wolfman run.

My issue was sent to me today. Hoping to get it tomorrow... REALLY REALLY hoping.

Oh and for those reading "Unrehearsable" in the fanfic section, beginning in chapter 4, there's an Officer Kyle Robbins. (Mr. Higgins, if you're reading this message, the first name is NOT a coincidence...)

Where is all the love for this issue!? there's only 10 comments in this thread

I think that's a pretty good number. There aren't that many regular commenters here now, or at least that's how it seems.

it does seem to me like people have a lot more to say when they don't like something rather than when they do...

That's what I was noticing. It's a shame too because I rather have four pages of comments about how awesome a Nightwing issue is.