Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Nightwing #139
DC Comics
Nicienza, Kramer & Fauches
After ripping apart the issue of Robin in this crossover last week I will praise this issue with the same vigor. Nightwing is tasked with saving Robin. He cant let him fall into the Ra’s trap. This issue has great dialog and great action. It’s a very good issue. Sure, some of the same things I complained about in the Robin issue are in this one too, but this one just seems better.
First, I’ll start with the art. The art is fantastic. Nightwing looks menacing. He looks like Batman in a different suit. It fits. Robin looks angry, but unsure. He looks older, but still confused like a kid would be. Talia even looks like a smart, scheming, seductive woman, not a scared teenager or a cocktail waitress. The fighting is crisp and easy to follow. This issue has rock solid art and made it a very enjoyable read.
Nightwing tries talking to Robin, he tries fighting with Robin. I-Ching tries talking with Robin, he tries talking to Nightwing, he fights both of them. This issue has lots of twists and turns to it. You don’t know what Robin will do until he finally does it. I felt like this was a legitimate conflict whereas in the Robin issue it felt so phony.
Nightwing talks to Robin about how his parents are dead and so are Batman’s. Robin recognizes all of this. But in the Robin issue this was all largely ignored. Robin, in the previous issue, was just like, “Hey Ra’s Batman sucks, can I join your team?” The whole thing seemed just wrong and out of place.
Robin explains that he wants to investigate the pool as a type of research for cloning and he doesn’t really want to leap into the thing as the previous issue suggested. Robin understands that bringing back the dead probably isn’t the best idea, but he makes a good argument as to why that doesn’t matter. The issue of Robin didn’t touch any of this. Again, in the previous issue Robin was just like, “Dude, bring back my dead family, Ra’s.”
The secondary plots with this issue have Damian stowing away on the White Ghost’s helicopter. Which means he fell right into the trap. In the end Nightwing, Robin, Talia and Alfred take the jet over to Nanda, only to witness Ra’s possessing Damian. This sets up the ending nicely next week.
Look, was this issue perfect? No. It doesn’t explain why Batman isn’t injured anymore, or how Ra’s is now in his normal skin and not the monk’s or how the White Ghost is alive or why I-Ching is now “I Ching”, but the plot within this issue made sense. It has great artwork. And it seemed within the character of both Robin and Nightwing to be fighting for the reasons they claimed to be fighting for. Imagine that? An issue that makes sense to the reader. How nice is that?
If you are new to this series, don’t even try this issue on for size. You’ll get action, but you’ll be lost at this bringing people back from the dead stuff. If you are familiar with the characters and like some hero on hero fighting then this issue is up your alley. Nightwing cant beat Robin in a fight, so what happens?
This crossover has been a bumpy ride, but the two issues of Nightwing have been the best so far. What does that tell you?
4 out of 5 geek goggles.
