Welcome back to the circus, folks! To ring in the new year, Nightwing is taking us back to his early days as Robin! See, it turns out, he’s known Olivia Pearce longer than he realized. And so, to understand the future, he’s going to have to go back in time. In this issue, Nightwing is done playing nice with Bludhaven’s finest. Death hangs on his conscience, and in order to resolve it, he’s willing to connect his past and present to bring together a better tomorrow for his city. Here, Dan Watters and Dexter Soy continue their crusade of constantly raising the bar and delivering another exceptional story.
DC
While a majority of the story takes place in the past, it all feels pertinent. Sometimes, a flashback feels a bit unnecessary and too flashy, to herald an era long ago that drew readers in. But here, it has a purpose. For starters, Batman plays only a small role, which helps to separate the agency of Robin away from Batman and show why this is even important and capable of mattering today. When we learn how Olivia was connected with the circus, we also get what was Nightwing’s first glimpse at our mysterious foe lurking in the shadows. Not only that, but we even get a better hint at who he is! Furthermore, the majority of the story’s work winds up mattering quite a great deal, as we are able to see the wheels turn for Nightwing and understand how he is piecing together the connections between the past and present.
In addition, the story also does a good job of pushing the story forward without losing its footing. Again, flashback-focused stories can be tough. They also pose a risk of slowing down the urgency of the present as readers have to then wait a bit longer to see where things are headed, However, not only does Watters do a great job interweaving the two moments in time, but the tone and intensity of the present appear just as important. This is helped through the work of artist Dan Watters and colorist Veronica Gandini. There’s a grimdark and heavy cloud over Nightwing, and Soy and Gandini do a great job showing that. Dick is unraveling a bit and losing his patience with things, and that’s seen through his more swift movement and fighting style in this issue. Further, Soy does a splendid job conveying emotion through action and adding an element of intensity that the issue benefits from.
DC
Additionally, Gandini does a great job offsetting the past and present through her colors. While the past has a light shadow over it that makes it feel like an old film, the present is sharply illuminated. This contrast helps the story feel more engaging and helps to capture the two time periods well. The only complaint I have is there’s a slight inconsistency with Robin’s costume – it initially appears as the modern design by Dan Mora in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, but continues as its traditional Golden Age appearance. While this isn’t a huge problem, it’s something that might catch some readers’ attention. Altogether, the story is able to progress quite well and also does a great job conveying the gravity of the situation.
This is another great issue in Dan Watters’, Dexter Soy’s, and Veronica Gandini’s first arc on Nightwing. If readers weren’t quite sure what to expect from this team, hopefully, all doubts have been quelled. This story has continued the pacing of its predecessors while taking a quick pit stop in the past to help fill in the gaps between Dick and Olivia’s first meeting and their most recent. Altogether, this is another can’t miss Nightwing story!
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