With the New 52’s arrival, there were many concerns amongst fans. One of the larger qualms included Dick Grayson switching from the ol’ bat costume back to his roots as Nightwing. While there were many naysayers out there (as I’m sure there still are and will be), Kyle Higgins’s Nightwing managed to prove that Dick can easily jump back into the suit and get back to action. With stellar artwork and a solid storyline, Nightwing #1 may leave some of the long-time Grayson fans a bit disappointed, but it is an excellent introduction to what appears to be a promising series for new fans and a decent read for comic fans in general.
The first issue revolves around Dick’s new life now that Bruce is back in town, and really gives the reader a chance to get to know what he lives like now, as well as what his thoughts about Gotham and his past. While many may find this aspect a bit on the boring side, it was definitely a great way to introduce us to Dick once again, and it was meshed with enough action to keep everyone happy. While the story wasn’t anything spectacular, Kyle Higgins managed to deliver a solid issue while still introducing us to his character, which is what was expected from a #1 issue.
As I said, the story wasn’t anything to go crazy for, but we also must keep in mind that this was an introductory issue. Although it was slow at first, but the end really picked up the pace of the story, and if Higgins continues along the same path that he ended this issue with, then I am most certainly excited for issue #2. And even though the issue wasn’t the most compelling, what really had me sold was the artwork.
Eddy Barrows really managed to make the action in Nightwing come alive, giving a wide array of shots and angles while still managing to make each fluid movement and easy to follow, Barrows was extremely dynamic with every opportunity given to him. Even during the more quiet parts of the story, Barrows gave very unique camera angles that give the whole comic a more exciting feel, which helped the story along.
As far as the first issue goes, I would recommend it to anyone semi-interested in what Nightwing has to offer. While I believe that the first half won’t have many intrigued, the second half is sure to please all. It is overall a very fun issue to read, and while it may not be as epic as oh…I don’t know…Batman #1 for example (just off the top of my head), it is still a solid first issue for a series that has major potential, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.