[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: Tom Taylor, Marv Wolfman and Michael W. Conrad
Art: Daniele Di Nicuolo, Bruno Redondo and Howard Porter
Colors: Adriano Lucas and Hi-Fi
Letters: Wes Abbott

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

It’s Dick Grayson’s birthday, and after a mission with Tim and Damian he faces a bigger threat…receiving the Key to the CIty of Bludhaven.

Positives

Some have criticized Tom Taylor’s run on Nightwing for not moving fast enough and settling into too many stories that are no more than “look how great Dick Grayson is” plots.  A couple issues ago I commented that it was clear that Taylor had settled in for the  long game with the Heartless storyline.  Taken together, this is a defining run for Nightwing.  Nightwing #113 not only continues to focus on Dick Grayson’s character and relationships, for my money the most significant part of any story, but also throws in some celebration (this SHOULD be issue #300) as well as a tease for what will be a definitive encounter with Heartless in the upcoming “Fallen Grayson” arc which will also be Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s swan song on the title.

Nightwing #113 opens with a fun action sequence with Dick, Tim Drake and Damian Wayne as they work a mission together.  Taylor peppers it with revealing and purposeful dialogue that not only propels the issue, but works the overall characterization of the three as well as supporting characters like Batman and Barbara Gordon.  This sections absolutely sings and is a “how to” balance story and character.

The majority of the issue is similar.  Dick receives the Key to the City from his sister, the mayor, and along the way Taylor makes the character bits stand out.  Not only does Bruce Wayne get a compliment on his parenting from Melinda’s mother, but Dick forces Barbara into the spotlight as he makes sure she is honored for her work as well.  These bits build these characters and the relationships between them.  It seems like a no brainer that Dick and Babs will at the very least be engaged to be married by the end of this run.  It’s a logical conclusion.

Positives Cont’d

Taylor turns over the scripting duties to comic book legend Marv Wolfman for a short sequence (illustrated by Bruno Redondo) that is as much from Marv’s own point of view as it is his in-story stand-in Marv (of Marv and George’s Pizza- George Perez that is).  It serves not only as a tribute to Nightwing/ Dick Grayson, but also to George Perez who passed nearly two years ago.  It’s a special moment that might get you a little misty.  The issue concludes with Heartless commencing the final stage of his plan to take out Dick Grayson.  

The second story by Michael W. Conrad and Howard Porter is a neat “silent” story in the tradition of “Silent Interlude” from G.I. Joe- A Real American Hero #21 and the opening sequence of Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 (1968).  Conrad and Porter present a five minute incident as Nightwing has to get on a train and defuse a bomb.  Slow down with this one in order to experience the excitement and Porter’s art.  Conrad uses a ticking clock throughout to give the reader a sense of the passage of time that is very effective.  Porter, inking himself on this story, appears to be channeling the legendary Gene Colan.  Porter’s linework and use of shadows seems evident of Colan’s influence.  It also serves as an argument that Porter should ink himself.

Negatives

While Di Nicuolo turns in a fine job on most of the art on the main story, Redondo has been missed for a lot of recent issues.  He’s as much a part of the success of this series as writer, Taylor.  It’s a shame the legacy numbering will only appear as an acknowledgement on this issue and won’t be reflected on future issues as the only numbering.  Dick Grayson deserves that.

Verdict

Nightwing #113 is a wonderful set up for the final Taylor/ Redondo arc.  Taylor reinforces the focus on character and relationship (including some not mentioned above), but prepares the reader for what will surely be a massive encounter between Dick and Heartless.  To top it off the issue is rounded out by a well conceived and beautifully illustrated story by Conrad and Porter, respectively.

The post Review: Nightwing #113- Legacy #300 appeared first on DC Comics News.

At the time Jason Todd wasn’t well liked by readers, but the vote to kill him was surprisingly close. From a total of 10,614 votes, fans decided that Jason should succumb to his injuries by a narrow 72-vote margin of 5,343 votes to 5,271. The story remains an important part of the Batman mythos to this day.  The “faux-simile” issue will hit comic shops on December 12! Put it on your pull list now! Robin Lives!

The post NYCC 2023: Robin Lives! appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: Tom Taylor and Michael W. Conrad
Art: Stephen Byrne and Serge Acuna
Colors: Adriano Lucas and Ivan Plascencia
Letters: Wes Abbott

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

Nightwing finally learns about Bea’s past, but in order to get the box that was stored in The Hold, he has to do a favor for her first that will cement her role as the new Captain Blud.

Positives

Tom Taylor keeps the story in Nightwing #107 focused on character.  This allows for whatever happens to feel legitimate.  It’s strange to see “Ric” Grayson in flashback, but Taylor makes it work because Dick is written accurately.  Bea is a bit of an unknown quantity since she’s been revealed to have a secret past, and what Taylor provides for her past is seamlessly woven into her previous appearances during the “Ric” era.  

The task Dick has to provide for Bea is not antithetical to him, but the situation provides some challenges.  He’s got to go off with Bea to apprehend her wanted criminal brother.  Barbara is not surprisingly a little concerned for multiple reasons.  Bea’s past is quite interesting as we learn that she is the new Captain Blud, the person in control of The Hold.  Bea’s mantle of Captain Blud dates back to the founding of Bludhaven, she’s descended from THAT Captain Blud.  This is an interesting legacy to fulfill and uphold. 

Positives Cont’d

The relationship between Bea and Dick is intriguing.  Dick’s a good person so he’s going to do the right thing.  There’s no lack of tension with Barbara, you can tell she’s a bit afraid.  While not spoken, it feels implied that she’s a little worried for Dick falling for Bea all over again.  It’s something nice to have on the table, but it’s not something that should come to pass.

The second story is the middle chapter of a three-part mystery.  Michael W. Conrad also focuses on  character, this time it’s Dick and Jason Todd.  Dick and Jason certainly have a complex relationship as brothers, brothers who are not alike, yet also have so much in common.  Conrad makes this the crux of the story, and it works very well.  The contrasts in personality make me think of the pre-Crisis Jason Todd that was much more like Dick Grayson.  How would this story have been different if this had been THAT Jason.

The mystery is good.  There’s not a lot that’s been revealed.  Last issue, we saw a fairly non-descript fellow watching Dick as he baked with Cassandra Cain.  This issue Dick and Jason get jumped by some thugs (it doesn’t go well for them) in an alley on this guys orders.  You just can’t tell what’s going to happen.  The character moments between Dick and his family/ friends make the unraveling enjoyable.

Negatives

The only negative with Nightwing #107 is the fear that Dick’s going to get knocked on his head and go back to being “Ric.”  Not that it would last, but it would be a difficult journey for Dick and Babs, AND Bea when Dick came back, AGAIN!  

Verdict

Nightwing #107 is another fine entry in the series.  If you’ve been enjoying this there’s no reason to think that you won’t enjoy this issue.  Character reigns supreme and there’s an intriguing story developing in the lead tale.  That sense of character continues in the second story and ties the issue together.  Hopefully, you’re here for Dick Grayson, the person and not simply the punch ups and actions.

The post Review: Nightwing #107 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: Tom Taylor and Michael W. Conrad
Art: Stephen Byrne and Serge Acuna
Colors: Adriano Lucas
Letters: Wes Abbott

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

Dick Grayson’s time as “Ric” Grayson finally catches up with Nightwing when he learns the secret of Bea Bennett.  Plus, Dick and Cassandra Cain are cooking up something in the back up story.

Positives

With crossovers and events out of the way, we finally get back to what was introduced in Nightwing #99.  Nightwing had learned of The Hold, a mysterious storage center that is run by a fellow named The Quartermaster.  In Nigthwing #106 we learn that Nightwing has had previous dealings with the Quartermaster when he was going by “Ric” Grayson.  It would’ve been easy to completely forget about “Ric,” but Tom Taylor has come up with a way to connect that part of Dick’s recent past despite the current run doing everything to make the readers forget it.

The revelation about Bea is a surprise and certainly has the potential for more development.  It extends an olive branch to those fans of the “Ric”/ Bea relationship while connecting Bea to the intriguing introduction of The Hold and the Quartermaster back in Nightiwng #99.  What “Ric” stored in the hold that is missing will of course drive the storyline.  Taylor has a plot element as well as character set up for this story arc.  The opening of Nightwing #106 also incudes a nice transition back to normalcy that includes a lighter moment with both Barbara and Beast Boy from the Titans.The inclusion of Heartless integrates this arc with the larger tale that Taylor has been telling.  Will this be the resolution to Heartless saga or is Taylor going to keep Heartless around as an arch nemesis for Dick Grayson?

The backup story in this issue is a nice treat as Dick is paired with Cassandra Cain in a return to the milieu of Batgirls.  It’s a fun change of pace story that sets up a continuing plotline.  Stephanie Brown also makes an appearance.  One can only hope that we’ll get a full on Nightwing/ Batgirls team-up as this story plays out!

Negatives

Nightwing has been one of DC’s best series for the past couple years, so it’s no surprise that this issue is short on negatives.  One can hope that Bruno Redondo will get back to regular interiors soon.  His work is missed.

Verdict

Nightwing #106 is a great start to a new story arc with a balanced approach between plot and character.  This issue continues to prove why this comic continues to be one of DC’s best.  Hopefully, this will be the start of an uninterrupted run of tales.  As Dick says in this issue, “We’ve had a lot going on.  But, it’s finally time to ask…What’s in the box?”

The post Review: Nightwing #106 appeared first on DC Comics News.

Tarzan and Family

Tarzan is a character whose initial adventures written by his creator, Edgar Rice Burroughs, are published from 1912-1947, a period of 35 years. But, how old is Tarzan? Does he age? It fairly easy to figure out how old Tarzan is when the first novel Tarzan of the Apes is first published. Though serialized in 1912, it’s not collected as a novel until 1914. With that in mind, we can look at the story itself to determine how old he is at the time of publication- 1912. In the story, Tarzan’s parents are shipwrecked off the coast of Africa in 1888. When Tarzan first meets other Caucasians he is 21. It’s safe enough to assume that when Tarzan meets Professor Porter, his daughter Jane and D’Arnot that the story is taking place in the present of 1912- the time of writing. This places Tarzan’s birth in the year 1891, meaning a reasonable 3 years passed from the time of his parents’ shipwreck to his birth.

Surprisingly, Burroughs introduces Korak, Tarzan’s son quite quickly.  His first appearance is as an infant in The Eternal Lover (aka The Eternal Savage) in which Tarzan and family make a guest appearance.   Korak appears next in The Beasts of Tarzan, the third of Burroughs Tarzan novels.  The fourth book in the series, The Son of Tarzan, features Korak (Jack Clayton).  This novel is set 10 years after The Beasts of Tarzan (1914).  This puts Tarzan himself in his early 30’s assuming that Jane became pregnant pretty quickly after they wed.  By the end of The Son of Tarzan, a number of years have passed and Korak is 18 which puts Tarzan about 40.   So, within the span of the first four novels, Tarzan has aged quite a bit.  But, there are 20 books to go!

It might be easy to place some of the later stories earlier in Tarzan’s career, except that there is a sense of continuity from story to story.  Not only does Korak get married and have a son himself, Jackie Clayton.  Korak is a supporting character in Books, 8-10, Tarzan the Terrible, Tarzan and the Golden Lion and Tarzan and the Ant Men.  These three books are all from the first half of 1920’s.  At this point, Tarzan is now a man in his 40’s having the adventures one would normally associate with a younger person.  As ludicrous as it sound, Tarzan is a grandfather at this point with Korak’s son Jackie being mentioned in these three books.  Without going on about the quality of the storytelling, the inclusion of children and grandchildren adds something to the Tarzan lore.  Tarzan’s family provides another level of drama, but also an additional aspect of relatability.  While Tarzan does not age out of his effectiveness, he’s still an older man.  As a perfect physical specimen he’s still believable in his adventures, or at least one can suspend disbelief enough so that he can still be the protagonist of these stories and still have a family, he’s not permanently stuck as a 30 year old without the story beats of growing older.

James Bond and the MCU

On the other side of things we have film.  A character like James Bond is perpetually stuck in his prime with very little character development.  The same tropes are recapitulated over and over to varying degrees of success.  With comic book films characters like Superman, Batman and Spider-Man are rebooted and/ or recast so that the issue of age can be bypassed.   This creates a situation in which the same stories tend to get told over and over.  The same villains are reused in each new series of films. 

Conversely, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has attempted to show that these characters can age.  Hawkeye’s children have been shown to grow, Cassie Lang has aged and Peter Parker has graduated high school.  A number of characters have died, and Tony Stark was shown to have married and had a daughter in Avengers: Endgame.  However, recasting and rebooting seems inevitable, it’s hard to imagine a character like Steve Rogers never appearing on the big screen again.  In Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy he attempted to give a proper ending to his set of Batman stories.  The effectiveness and quality of that ending s debatable, but it doesn’t change the fact that Bruce Wayne’s arc as Batman came to an end, giving the sense that he had grown and moved on and wasn’t stuck in the same spot in his life.  It’s a tricky balance, giving characters the opportunity to change and grow opens up story direction, while holding them prisoner to a set age range leads to reused stories and this tends to detract from the overall interest over time.

Milton Caniff’s Terry and the Pirates

Looking back at some early newspaper comic strips, we can see the value in letting characters in serialized fiction age, develop and grow.  In Terry and the Pirates, Milton Caniff allowed his characters to age in essentially real time.  When we first meet Terry Lee in 1934, he’s 10 years old.  As the strip progresses, we see Terry , not only aging, but maturing.  Without Terry aging, many of the high points of the strip would not come to pass.  He goes through puberty, discovers girls and experiences love.  Caniff explores a unique and surprising sexual tension between Terry when he is in his mid teens and Burma.  Burma, as readers know has been around the block and is at least 10 years older than Terry.  The strip is always topical.  Terry goes on to join the Army Air Corps when the United States becomes embroiled in World War II and he continues to learn more about love and about life.  If Caniff had not allowed Terry to age, the strip could not have become as renowned as it is, and it would not have reached the same heights of artistic greatness.  The best parts stem from it’s topical nature as well as how Terry matures as a person in that world.  

Peter Parker and  Dick Grayson

There are two excellent examples of what happens when traditional comic book characters are allowed to age and grow and experience real life- Spider-Man and the original Robin, Dick Grayson.  They are both characters that go from teenagers (pre-teen in Dick’s case) through college to adulthood.  From the outset of the “Marvel Age of Comics,” Stan Lee, Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby attempted to create characters and tell stories that had a lot more grounding and interpersonal drama than the static lives that had been portrayed since the late ’30’s/ early’40’s.

Peter Parker has a monumentally important character moment in the course of his first appearance and origin from Amazing Fantasy #15, that is well known to the general population- with great power comes great responsibility.  With the death of Uncle Ben, Peter learns that he has to use these powers with a purpose, and for the greater good.  The burden of responsibility becomes a core element of understanding Spider-Man’s motivation.  While this character growth as Peter Parker is essential to Spider-Man’s origin, it’s an example of how a character can grow and change emotionally.

More importantly, Peter Parker who  started out as a  high school student in 1962, graduates in 1965 in Amazing Spider-Man #28.   He subsequently enters Empire State University.  With the first few years of his existence, the character has aged in nearly real time.  His college years slow down to a crawl as he doesn’t finish college until Amazing Spider-Man #185 published in 1978.  Along with the supporting cast, A LOT happens to Peter in those years.  Imagine if he had just remained a high school student with the same problems.  It may be forgotten, but before Gwen Stacy died in Amazing Spider-Man #121, Peter had been considering proposing marriage.  He got a job as a staff photographer at the Daily Bugle and was trying to get settled so he and Gwen could have a life together.  This happened in Amazing Spider-Man #99 and it really sets things in motion for their relationship as it leads up to her death almost two years later.  

It’s not just Peter but his supporting cast.  Gwen goes through the death of her father and subsequent mourning, Mary Jane continues in and out of the group as Harry Osborn’s sometimes girlfriend, and Flash Thompson goes to Vietnam, does a tour and comes back a changed man.  All these play upon the life of Peter Parker.  At one point, Gwen even convinces Aunt May to ease up on Peter so she won’t continue to treat him like a child.  Ultimately, these stories aren’t possible without Peter aging and growing into a man.  Since “One More Day,” the storyline that retconned his marriage to Mary Jane, Peter has regressed back to seeming younger and things just happen to him without any sense of real growth or development.  He’s trapped in a cycle of his own bad luck.  Without Peter continuing to age and grow he will never get out of it.  Keeping Peter mired like this for the supposed sake of relatability only works if one expects readers to turn over every few years.  That was the philosophy about comic readership for years until the “Marvel Age of Comics” launched with Fantastic Four #1.  However, DC Comics did aging and character growth better, especially with Dick Grayson.

The original Robin, the Boy Wonder is the poster child for why characters should be allowed to grow and age.  From his first appearance in Detective Comics #38 in 1940, he was essentially unchanged for twenty-nine years.  Something finally happened in Batman #217, Dick Grayson went to college, Hudson University to be exact.  In the second half of the sixties, starting with the “new look” era for Batman, Dick had obviously had been shown to be older.  He wasn’t twelve anymore, he was certainly around 16 or 17.  While it didn’t happen overnight, it was a significant shift for the character.  Since then, Dick has been shown to continue to mature and age, including stepping into his own identity and out of Batman’s shadow as Nightwing.  This was chronicled chiefly in New Teen Titans, with his first appearance in his new identity in Tales of the Teen Titans #44 (July, 1984).  Since then, Dick has continued to be his own man.  He’s always part of the Bat-family, but there’s not way to take him back to being Robin.  So much has transpired in his life that regressing him would be a huge disservice to the character.  His current solo series by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo is without question one of DC’s best titles and has received numerous awards and nominations.  And, to think, Dan Didio wanted to kill him back in 2006 because he didn’t think characters who aged work.

How Slowly Should the Clock Move?

Along with Dick Grayson, fan favorite Wally West has shown personal and professional growth since he took over the mantle of The Flash at the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths.  In addition to maturing as a person into a husband and father, he had massive character development into the role of The Flash.  He went from someone not sure he could be The Flash to an iconic version of the character.  Fans decried his erasure from continuity in The New 52 so vociferously, that he was the prime mover for Rebirth occurring.  None of that would’ve been possible had Wally West not been allowed to age and grow.  It took around twenty years for wally to age up around ten years in story.  It’s easy enough to follow Dick Grayson’s journey with about four years per every in story year when analyzing his college years.  There’s not a hard and fast timeline, and some characters may age faster, but the development of characters and the ability to grow like people do is critical to good storytelling.  Readers almost always say they want characters to grow, what they don’t want is inorganic change, change for the sake of change and retcons that don’t fit the character.

What Happens Next?

At the time of this writing, Dick Grayson is enjoying critical and sales success.  Peter Parker is mired in a war between editorial and fans.  Spider-Man may still sell, but it’s not getting any accolades for the stories, whereas Nightwing is arguably the best book of the Big Two and just won an Eisner Award for best ongoing series.  What do you want to see?  Would you rather have Dick back as Robin?  Would you like Peter and Mary Jane’s marriage reinstated?  

Over on the original Earth-Two, DC Comics devoted a whole Earth to the concept of characters aging and growing in real time.  After the Crisis on Infinite Earths it became harder to do so with the legacy characters who were still around.  There’s a middle ground, but I think it’s essential for characters to be allowed to age and grow to give stories the sense that they matter, to make characters seem real as they go through their lives and to continually move things forward as opposed to keeping them in an unchanging status quo that doesn’t reflect real life changes.

Perhaps, it’s time to have a parallel Earth that reflects the characters as they move forward like the original Earth-Two.  Perhaps, there should be an imprint of timeless stories, but not written down to a younger audience.  Perhaps, there should just be some series set in the past that allow earlier points in continuity to be explored and clarified.  Ideally, there would be a way to keep classic versions of characters in a timeless manner, but also keep characters growing and developing to keep them interesting.  Given a choice, it would be best to allow characters to grow and develop and move forward in their lives, just like real life.

The post Should Comic Book Characters Age? appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad
Art: Daniele Di Nicuolo
Colors: Adriano Lucas
Letters: Wes Abbott

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

It’s Dick Grayson’s turn to experience the nightmares of Insomnia and reveal his greatest fears…and a couple are pretty clever!

Positives

The two most interesting aspects of this issue come at the end when we see what Dick Grayson is really afraid.  There’s a lot of potential in the idea that Dick’s nightmare is that he’s killed Batman and that Barbara Gordon becomes more machine than human.  Dick’s role as Robin is revisited monthly in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest and the concept is central to the idea of the shared DC Universe.  Dick is the iconic character that has been allowed to grow and change over time, he’s not perpetually stuck in the same 5 year age range, and he’s never been de-aged to take him back to his Robin days.  Dick being afraid of killing Batman goes right back to his early days as The Boy Wonder.  Very easily he could’ve inadvertently caused the death of the Caped Crusader.  It’s not a stretch.  It’s compelling to think that Dick still holds this in his head despite the fact one would expect he would’ve grown out of it.  It’s linked to the death of his parents as the idea of a “survivor’s complex” is explored.  We don’t get this outright in Knight Terrors Nightwing #1, but’s it’s there as an idea.

The idea that Barbara could become more machine that human is just as interesting in a different way.  Clearly, Dick loves the person Barbara is and it’s not dependent on her physical abilities.  As Babs has had to rely more on technology to keep her spinal column working correctly, it’s quite clever that Cloonan and Conrad see the possibility that Dick’s afraid she could end up relying on it too much and lose who she is in the process.  It could even be a meta-jab at DC for putting her back in the Batgirl role at the beginning of the New 52 when it’s clear that Oracle is the iconic Barbara Gordon!  While this will play out in the next issue in some fashion, it’s also possible that Dick is afraid Babs will end up relying too much on the technology of computers as Oracle and retreat from the physical world into a cybernetic world.  I think the former is what’s intended, but there are two possibilities.

Negatives

Unfortunately, Knight Terrors Nightwing #1 does suffer from one major problem and it’s that it’s part of the Knight Terrors event, so the majority of the mystery and tension is non-existent.  Cloonan and Conrad to there best to work within the framework with some great ideas outlined above and Di Nicuolo adds some truly frigthening images and gives us a truly scared Dick Grayson.

The creative team is limited by the framework and it doesn’t take much to imagine this issue taking place without the context of the Knight Terrors event and it being a real mystery for the reader.  This would up the stakes as well as give Dick a mystery to solve that the reader doesn’t already know the answer.  It’s a sort of backwards way to tell a story, usually you don’t give away the big reveal- it’s NIGHTMARES! as part of the solicit when holding that back could’ve been a really big surprise.  Again, one can’t hold Cloonan and Conrad responsible because they do their job in coming up with some compelling ideas that are innovative but also fit with the character.

Verdict

Going into Knight Terrors Nightwing #1 already knowing what Insomnia’s endgame is detracts from the issue greatly.  The creative team gives a great showing with what they have to work with, but this issue would’ve worked so much better had the audience not been privy to what was going on and Dick had to figure it out.  That said, there are some really compelling ideas from Cloonan and Conrad that have the potential to play out epically next issue and Di Nicuolo gives a great showing on the horror aspect.

The post Review: Knight Terrors: Nightwing #1 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Tom Taylor
Art: Nicola Scott
Colors: Annette Kwok
Letters: Wes Abbott

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

Who killed the Fastest Man Alive?  The fate of Wally West begins here!  While Dick takes on this task, Donna Troy leads the rest of Titans to Borneo to save the animals.

Positives

After seemingly allaying readers’ fears about Wally West, Titans #2 utilizes a number of call backs to trigger some nostalgia that instantly connects the long history of these characters to the current status quo.  Dick’s reputation as a detective leads him to take the lead on the investigation as to who murdered Wally West.  Wally himself will assist- what?  It’s not all bad news!

Titans #2 opens with a flashback to the younger version of these characters as they prepare to take on Brother Blood, this sequence is great because we get to see Dick as Robin, Donna in her classic red Wonder Girl attire as well as Garth in his original Aqualad look.  It immediately recalls the Wolfman/ Perez run of New Teen Titans that catapulted this group of characters to the top of the comic industry in the ’80’s.  The splash page is also an homage to the cover of New Teen Titans #1.  These touches are additional elements that build on the accurate character beats.

Positives Cont’d

It’s great to see Donna leading the team.  Donna Troy seems to have been passed over in the past 20 years in favor of other Wonder Girls, and it feels right that she gets to lead the team.  It’s interesting that Taylor has Donna and Kory talk about it since Kory had been the mentor for the most recent iteration of the Teen Titans in Teen Titans Academy.  The team is responding to what appears to be a massive natural disaster with a fire in Borneo.  It’s clever to show the team responding to natural disasters like JLA would or a  ” job for Superman” if they are supposed to be the preeminent super team in the DCU.  It contributes to the idea that the Titans ARE taking over for the Justice League.  Nicola Scott again does a fantastic job on the artwork.  She makes the younger version of the Titans in the flashback truly look younger.  Scott always delivers and Titans #2 is no exception.  

Negatives

One can only hope that the surprise ending is misdirection!  Stay tuned for details!

Verdict

Titans #2 is a step up from last issue.  The threat actually fits better and the set up with Brother Blood’s new lease on life works better than the distraction of Peacemaker and Amanda Waller.  Overall, Titans #2 feels more concise and directed in terms of plot, and the character moments enhance the plot more effectively.  If last issue didn’t grab you, this one may have what you want. Nicola Scott’s art remains consistently wonderful, however.

The post Review: Titans #2 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad
Art: Robbi Rodriguez
Colors: Rico Renzi
Letters: Becca Carey

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

It’s the conclusion to The Hill shooter storyline as well as the finale for this title.  How will the Batgirls catch the sniper and who is the sniper…or are there two shooters?

Positives

Batgirls #19, like every other issue of the series, is just plain fun.  There’s some great action, adventure and art along the way, and some heart, but we never lose sight of the fact that Cass and Steph are having fun.  Is it wrong for comics to be fun? No, it’s not.  There some more serious things touched on in this issue, but it’s hard not to connect with the pure enjoyment of reading a comic about characters that are fun- it’s what the original Robin, Dick Grayson was all about.

Cloonan and Conrad have built this series very effectively.  The stories rely on the characterization of Cass, Steph and Babs.  This issue brings to close a subplot that’s been running- Steph’s desire to be a better fighter.  She’s had some rough experiences of late, but she’s come through them and we see the results in this issue.  She’s gained some confidence and skill and it pays off in Batgirls #19.  Plus, her own natural talents in combat come to the fore as she takes down one of the shooters.  Who knew trash talking could be so effective?

Positives Cont’d

Robbi Rodriguez gives a stellar performance on the art this issue.  There are some great action and “pin-up” worthy shots throughout the book.  Be it the last page, one of the shooters taking a bullet or the fight choreography, Rodriguez brings his “A” game and stands out this issue perhaps more so than any other.  The choice to put Officer Brooks in the Ben Cooper Batman mask is a brilliant call back- more fun!  The unique color palette that’s been a mainstay of this title from both Sarah Stern and Rico Renzi keep the look of the book consistent here.  It’s a very exciting approach to use a limited yet specific set of colors to create a special feel and visual appearance for the series.  When I say it’s art I mean Art.

Conrad and Cloonan sign off with a couple of special moments.  First, Grace O’Halloran has faced a drinking problem throughout this series and this issue see’s her hard work come to fruition.  She’s honest with Roky about how hard it’s been, but she’s held on.  It’ a nice moment when Roky acknowledges that hard work.  It’s also a nice bit of personal growth and healing that’s not often shown for a supporting character.  It’s an adult theme handled well in a serious manner, and it’s a mature touch that is quite unique.

The final page gives the reader a true “goodbye.”  And, it’s something greater than a “thanks and farewell.”  It’s a mini treatise on shared experiences.  The idea that everyone is a Batgirl is an important plot point these final two issues.  This final page includes the reader.  All of us reading together over the past year and a half have shared these issues together and we, like Steph, Cass and Babs are now Batgirls as well because of this shared experience.  This is another mature piece of writing as it is something that can be applied to all experiences and teach us something about life.  So, think about the people with whom you’ve shared unique experiences, high school, college, work, military service, trauma, natural disaster…you are connected because of this.  The lesson is that we are more alike than different, we are all people here together, to think about how you treat your fellow man.  What would Batgirl do?  After all, we are all Batgirls, now.

Negatives

The obvious negative is that this is the last issue of Batgirls.  It’s difficult to understand why some books sell and why other don’t.  Every comic can’t be a best seller, but it hurts to see the books you love get cancelled, while other titles you will never read keep on going either continuously or via perpetual reboots.  Batgirls is a book that offers something different, something with more heart, more sensitivity, more…cleverness….  Recently I’ve been rereading the 2009 Power Girl series by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner.  Throughout the issues I’ve noticed house ads for a lot of series that I was loving back then that all got cancelled when DC rebooted with the New 52- Adventure Comics, Zatanna, and of course Power Girl.  Batgirls will be missed for all the reasons it’s been a great series, and especially because it isn’t just like everything else.

Verdict

Get out a few tissues for the tears you’ll have to wipe away as they roll over your smile as we say good by to Batgirls.  Batgirls #19 goes out with an inspiring and thoughtful message coupled with some great action, excellent art and beautiful colors.  Perhaps, one day we’ll meet again, this could be just the beginning.

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[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: Tom Taylor and C.S. Pacat
Art: Travis Moore and Daniel Hore & Jonan Trindade
Colors: Adriano Lucas
Letters: Wes Abbott

Reviewed by Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

Bestowed with Superman-like powers, Nightwing must face Neron’s temptation- hand over Olivia and keep the powers.  

Positives

Is there any question that Nightwing would know how to use super-powers wisely?  Nightwing and Superman (Clark Kent) have very similar personalities and outlooks on life, despite their dissimilar origins and because of their similar origins.  As this series has been all along, Nightwing #104 is character focused.  Taylor doesn’t ever make the reader try and believe that Nightwing is actually tempted to keep the power, it’s not in his nature.  The insight comes from seeing what Nightwing does with his short-lived powers and the obvious parallel that Taylor builds with the Man of Steel.  Clark’s appearance is appropriate in the issue as it also turns the plot back towards the mission the Justice League turned over to the Titans back in Nightwing #100, to take over for the League while the League is on hiatus.  

While Nightwing may not be tempted, the reader might be.  Even some of Dick’s teammates seem to wish he had the powers permanently as they observe how well they suit him.  This comparison to Superman runs deep in the Nighwing lore, Nightwing selected his name from Superman’s adventures in Kandor as Nightwing a Batman-like identity that Superman used for the first time back in Superman #158 (January 1963).  The history of the Kryptonian Nightwing has been altered through the years, but it remains a deep point of connection between Dick Grayson and Clark.

Negatives

If there’s negatives in Nightwing #104 they are sins of omission as opposed to commission.  Barbara (Batgirl/Oracle) Gordon while appearing in the background of the Titans’ fight with Neron’s hordes is missing in the wrap up.  This series has used Dick and Babs relationship that it feels odd for her not to have a significant moment at the end of story arc.  

While the editor’s note tells the reader when this story takes place, the timing doesn’t match up exactly with the publishing schedule.  Most significantly, it was a little odd reading Titans #1 last week when this issue clearly concludes before the events of that issue.

Verdict

Overall, the negatives in Nightwing #104 are minimal at best and the “Rise of the Underworld” story arc concludes with a strong look at Dick Grayson’s character.  Initially, while Neron seemed to fit as a villain for the Titans, he doesn’t seem like a proper antagonist for Nightwing.  Despite this the finale provides a character driven story that does fit what makes Nightwing tick.  The issue also utilizes the deep history between Dick and Clark to add depth to the events.

The post Review: Nightwing #104 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Tom Taylor
Art: Nicola Scott
Colors: Annette Kwok
Letters: Wes Abbott

Reviewed by: Matthew Lloyd

Summary

The Titans have taken the place of the on-hiatus Justice League.  But, just as they’re getting started and getting things in place, one of their own has been targeted- Wally West, The Flash!

Positives 

It’s hard not start with the beautiful art of Nicola Scott that graces the pages of Titans #1.  Whether it’s an intimate close shot of Raven holding Garfield as a mouse, or the wide shot of Dick and Donna talking to Garth on the beach or the new Titans Tower in Bludhaven, Scott makes the book look incredible.

One of the biggest draws for Dick Grayson as a character is that he’s been able to age, grow and develop.  This concept is applied to the Titans as a whole and it’s easy to see that this is the draw for the team- a group of friends who’ve grown up together.  It almost doesn’t matter what  crisis they face, it’s really about the group of friends- Nightwing, Donna Troy, Wally West, Garfield Logan, Victor Stone, Raven, Starfire and a number of others over the years.  Tom Taylor captures this as the team comes together for this new stage in their careers.   It’s really interesting that Garth (Aqualad/Tempest) is set apart in the story.  Dick makes it clear he wants Garth to be part of the Titans, but he can’t.  It’s nice to see that it’s not out of animosity or misunderstanding demonstrating simply that Garth has different priorities right now.

With all that Wally’s been through over the past five years beginning with Heroes in Crisis, it’s clear that the wound he suffers on the first page is not fatal despite the intensity of the dramatization in the issue.  It’s interestingly juxtaposed against the rest of the team bringing things together.  It’s going to be the journey of how Wally gets out of this as opposed to a shocking death.

Negatives

It seems like it’s a bit of piling on after Jeremy Adams has done all the work in undoing the damage wrought on the character.  It may feel tiresome to some to have Wally targeted on page one.  However, Wally, because of the trials he’s already come through is the only one who could be on the verge of death and it be clear it’s not a cheap stunt or meaningless death.

The inclusion of Peacemaker and Amanda Waller was a direction I didn’t expect and it feels slightly off.  Time will tell if they work as antagonists for the Titans.

Verdict

There’s a lot of heart in this issue as Scott communicates it through the characters faces and body language and Taylor wisely plays off the established history of these characters.  It began way back in Brave and the Bold #54  with Robin, Aqualad and Kid Flash, the sidekick proteges of the Justice League of America.  It then started again with the New Teen Titans in 1980 by Marv Wolfman and George Perez.  Titans #1 begins the latest series to feature these friends who’ve grown up together.  Certainly the journey will be fun and exciting, but the heart of this issue as well as the popularity of this group of characters is their friendship and shared experiences that continue on just like real life.

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