Nightwing is on his own. After playing a part in a multi-car pileup on Blüdhaven’s new superhighway that resulted in multiple deaths, Nightwing is determined to prove his innocence. But if there’s one thing you should know about Blüdhaven’s protector, it’s that he takes after his mentor – for better or for worse. Consequentially, Nightwing’s determination to uncover the secrets behind the mysterious spirit haunting Blüdhaven’s new superhighway has turned into a bit of an obsession. So much so, that even after his girlfriend is arrested, Dick Grayson has isolated himself more than ever before. Now, Dick’s finally got a lead as to what’s haunting his city. But to get closer to the truth, he’s going to need a little extra firepower for reinforcement.
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Something I think Dan Watters has been spectacular at is synthesizing genres. In Nightwing #138, we see threads of mystery, horror, and even science fiction overlap as the story progresses. Note how the initial pages give more focus towards horror elements: the issue begins at night in a farm, a farmer is attacked by a monster, and we quickly switch towards Dick and Barbara’s conversation as the news (which is attempting to villainize Nightwing) plays in the background. Through these initial moments, Watters creates a tone of suspense that reminds the reader that we should be a little scared of how this mystery is going to unfold. Then, the issue takes a large portion of its space to have Nightwing and [REDACTED] (hah, I bet you thought I’d spoil the Titans character that crosses over into this issue for you. Nah, go read the book and find out yourself!) team-up to try to track down the monster we saw at the beginning of the issue. As the story progresses, we find out not only what has been plaguing Blüdhaven’s farmers, but how it’s connected to someone close to Nightwing.
Watters uses the slower pacing here to create several emotionally-charged scenes that feel both true to character and well-placed rather than sloppy pandering. What about the science-fiction elements of this story? Well, that’s maybe more related to why a certain Titan is helping Nightwing in this story, so rather than going into how well the two work together, I think it’s better to focus on how Watters doesn’t overcrowd the issue. We’ve got, in my opinion, three overarching genres that help give the story drive (pun not intended). And none of them feel clustered or unnecessary. Rather, I found that the various genres that come into play in this issue help to reinforce how the series’ tone has shifted towards a grittier, more grounded approach. After all, despite all that happens here, this issue still felt purely Nightwing focused.
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Denys Cowan is nothing short of a superstar. The gritty and supernatural focus that Dan Watters has taken the series perfectly intersects with Cowan’s strengths as an artist. This issue’s paneling feels like the unsung hero of how Cowan is able to progress the issue while keeping an organic flow to its narrative. And while the issue doesn’t contain much action, Cowan makes sure that each moment of intensity feels as explosive to the reader as it does to the characters. In addition, Norm Rapmund and Francesco Segala perfectly marry the intrigue behind Watter’s direction for this issue with the intensity of Cowan’s pencils to deliver another issue full of depth and sharp colors. Altogether, I found this issue to be simply sensational.
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Overall, Nightwing #138 is another great issue that readers won’t want to miss. It’s an issue full of enough intrigue, surprises, and raw emotion that I wouldn’t be surprised if this story goes down as one of the most memorable that Watters has contributed to Nightwing’s mythos. Not to mention, the art in this story is simply breathtaking because of its sharp line work and soft colors. While we don’t completely know how the events here will connect to the superhighway, I’m sure that when we do learn the truth, we’ll be just as shocked as Nightwing.
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