And just like that, the brief arc “By the Book: Good Cop/Bad Cop” comes to a close. Detective Sawyer’s been tough on internal corruption from the BPD, and has tried her best to clean things up by weeding out those who seek personal gain over the duties of being an officer. That seems to have recently ruffled some feathers, as the ghost of Bludhaven’s first corrupt police officer has seemingly come back from the dead to haunt her. Surely ghosts aren’t real, right? Well, that’s actually beside the point, and up to interpretation, because the story is really about the people of Bludhaven. And frankly, this makes for one of the strongest issues of Dan Watters’ time writing Nightwing.
DC
The story is built on the parallels between how Detective Maggie Sawyer and Nightwing have been handling crime. Detective Sawyer, in many ways, is a lot like Commissioner (or whatever his title is now) Gordon. She’s trying her best, despite the odds being stacked against her. And that exasperation is best reflected through her attempts to hold onto a social life, a family, and a purpose. As she tries to crawl out of the depths of solitude, Watters does a splendid job reminding the readers that this series is, at its core (or at least since Watters came on board), about good people fighting against corruption.
In contrast, Nightwing is in some ways a bit like what people expect Batman to be like. Now, hold on before you get the pitchforks and walk with me here. Nightwing is shown as being relatively alone in his battle to save his city, and it’s wearing him down. He’s edgier, a bit more rough with folks, and only has one person to lean on in a city full of crime. Yet, he always makes sure to do the right thing while simultaneously reminding the innocents of Bludhaven that he’ll be there to protect them when all seems lost. The contrasting forms of heroes are balanced quite well between the two. As a result, the story becomes far more compelling and finds its roots in reminding readers to put their trust in the right people and stand up for those who can’t speak for themselves.
DC
Having Francesco Francavilla work on interiors here is nothing short of a dream come true. While Dexter Soy has been spectacular and Veronica Gandini has helped add grit and highlights to the series previously, Francavilla can match the tone in a unique way that feels worth appreciating. Francavilla’s thick line work and warm colors work well to ground the story in being one about the heart and soul of Nightwing and Detective Sawyer. By also being in charge of coloring, Francavilal can blend shadows into the rest of the page quite well to create a more ominous tone for the story as a whole. Altogether, the story is beautifully illustrated and perfectly complements the serious tone the issue carries.
This small interlude did a lot of heavy lifting to reinforce the direction Dan Watters’ plans to take Nightwing. The road ahead may not be an easy one, and it may get worse before things improve, but it’s becoming clearer that to create a better city, Nightwing and Detective Sawyer are going to have to learn how to meet each other in the middle more. Otherwise, it looks like the road ahead will only get worse for the pair. Given the way this issue ends, the story can reinforce the main focus Dan Watters has intended to shift the series towards – being a stronger statement on how Nightwing is different than other heroes, and why this difference makes for a unique and compelling story unlike any other.
It’s a shame this was only a two-issue arc, as it feels like the issue does end on a cliffhanger that could be followed up on in the immediate to better contextualize the street-level direction the arc took. This further felt off-putting considering how parts of the story feel like they could have benefited from more time learning about ‘Captain Hallow’ and what loose ends are left with his ghost. However, the story generally rallies from this misstep to become a captivating and worthwhile read. This issue is another spectacular read that should encourage readers that Nightwing is in safe hands.
You must be logged in to post a comment.