After a 2 month hiatus without reading comics, I picked up Nightwing: Leaping into the Light by Tom Taylor. I had heard good things about this run, including its many Eisner Award nominations and recent wins. This was a very enjoyable run. I had a lot of fun reading it and would recommend it for anyone who wants to start reading Nightwing, or anyone who is looking for street-level superheroes. Read my review below for more details!
Background
Nightwing: Leaping into the Light can be found in the pages of Nightwing (vol. 4) #78-83. This story is the start of a new run by Tom Taylor and doesn’t require previous reading to follow it. Most of the background is explained through dialogue.
This story starts in the aftermath of several big events: Alfred Pennyworth is dead (this happened in the pages of Tom Taylor’s Batman which I haven’t read yet), Dick Grayson is settling into his Nightwing identity after being shot in the head and living with amnesia, and crime boss Blockbuster has cemented his power over the city of Blüdhaven. As these events unfold, Nightwing is determined to save his city from the crime, corruption, and poverty that rules over it.
The City at its Streets
Nightwing is a street-level hero, focusing on saving the poor and disenfranchised by patrolling the streets of the city. We don’t have giant asteroids, alien invasions, or world-ending threats. Instead, the main antagonists are the crime bosses and politicians that rule the city.
We first see Dick Grayson stand up to a group of bullies in a flashback. Then, we see Nightwing save a dog from abusive jocks in the present. The recurring theme is that Dick hates bullies, and in this run, he is determined to stop the bullies of his city, including the corrupt police force, politicians, and crime bosses.
Dick’s love for the city of Blüdhaven is characterized through his interaction with the city, for example helping a pizza place stay in business by buying pizza for the poor. His faith in the city is put in action when he depends on the goodwill of the residents to save a group of orphans on a burning pier.
Overall Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo (the artist) do a great job of treating the city as a character instead of just a setting.
Family and Friends
This story guest stars Babs Gordon (a.k.a. Oracle and the former Batgirl) and Tim Drake (a.k.a. Robin) as they support Dick in his quest to save the city. The love that the guest starts show towards Dick exemplifies the familial bond that has been built over decades of Batman comics. In many cases, Dick refers to Batman and Alfred as his fathers. And even when Dick gets captured, a group of heroes, including the Teen Titans and Batman, rush to his rescue (spoilers: The rescue is called off when he reveals he is safe). Throughout the story, we also see him consult with Superman, who he sees as a mentor figure. Overall, while this is a Nightwing solo title, the emphasis on family and friends provides a glimmer of light and hope amid the bleakness of the city.
Final Words
Despite being a dialogue-heavy comic book, there is still quite some action. The antagonists are scary and gruesome. The fight scenes are beautifully drawn and choreographed. The art is my favorite part of the comic book. It is detailed without taking itself too serious. The colors are vibrant, yet still manage to portray the bleakness of a crime-infested city. The writing is enjoyable, although, like many comics, pouts armchair philosophy and social commentary as if it was written by a college freshman who just finished an Intro to Humanities course (as someone who teaches Humanities in college, this hurts for me to say).
Score: 8/10
This story is enjoyable to read and has fantastic art. The action, adventure, and suspense makes this a great start to Tom Taylor’s run and left me wanting to read more.
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