Nightwing: Leaping Into the Light

Nightwing, Vol. 1: Leaping into the Light by Tom Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nightwing: Leaping into the Light collects Nightwing 78-83.

Dick Grayson was my first favorite super hero but I've read curiously few of his solo adventures. This book carries a lofty reputation so I gave it a shot.

On the heels of Alfred's death, Dick Grayson inherits a vast fortune. Bludhaven gets a new mayor with ties to organized crime and to Grayson. A killer stalks the streets of Bludhaven, ripping out the hearts of homeless people. And Dick gets a dog.

This is good shit, no two ways about it. I've often said that Nightwing should be used to tell Batman stories that probably wouldn't work with today's version of Batman and this feels like it's going in that direction. Nightwing feels like a happier, more likeable Batman and we'll soon see what he's going to do with his acquired wealth. Is this run going to explore the "Batman would be better off creating social programs with his billions" idea that surfaces on the internet every few weeks? Probably.

Bruno Redondo's art is pretty slick and the coloring does a lot for it. Many modern comics look overdone to me but this is right in the sweet spot. The color palette isn't as subdued as Matt Fraction's Hawkeye run but Adriano Lucas understands that less is more in most cases. Anyway, Bruno's Nightwing looks like an acrobat rather than a body builder and the rest of his figures look right to me.

Taylor has a good handle on the Bat-family and I'm excited to see where this run goes in the future. Thanks to whomever said Nightwing was the best DC book going today. I'm in for the duration. Five out of five stars.


View all my reviews