NIGHTWING #138 (DC Comics)
Blüdhaven is a city with secrets and myths. Dick Grayson is finding out about some the hard way.
When a mysterious witch appears on a constructed super highway, Grayson’s dealing with her caused a major car wreck and fatalities. This turned into the lead domino of his collapsing public image. With every win, there’s still a looming presence of the witch who caused these problems.
The witch is just one city myth. Thee are more lurking in the shadows. Nightwing just stumbled across one outside of city limits.
NIGHTWING #138 by Dan Watters, Denys Cowan, Norm Rapmund, Francesco Segala& Wes Abbott sees Grayson get some needed help in dealing with a creature haunting a forest.
Let’s take a deeper dive into recent events.
NIGHTWING #138 by Dan Watters,Denys Cowan,Norm Rapmund, Francesco Segala& Wes Abbott (DC COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Watters takes Grayson out of his normal element. The result is a very surprising ordeal. A farmer’s investigation of a disturbance proves to be more than bargained for. It proves to be a needed break for Grayson from recent events. Seeing the phone calls come in from Barbara Gordon from Supermax carry weight as the witch encounter continues to grow. Grayson’s investigation leads into a shocking detail. Anytime alien are involved, things become tricky. Luckily, Grayson knows one with many answers to his question.
Starfire’s addition into the story plays out a few varying ways. The personal connection to the creature attacking is welcomed to grow the story. Another one is knowing the history between her and Grayson. Their dialogue is very candid. Readers watch as she taps into a buried side of his character, albeit briefly. The encounter with the alien provides some brief action while unlocking Starfire’s perspective of events. It mirrors handling Grayson’s guilt over events. This sets up the final pages nicely with a curious move by Grayson leading the way. A true look into the soul of a broken hero.
READ LAST ISSUE’S REVIEW HERE!
Cowan leans into a horror theme in the beginning pages. Watching the farmer look for who killed his animals builds to a dramatic reveal. A somber mood haunts Grayson as he relives Barbara Gordon’s arrest. His looks of self doubt take over panels. Readers can easily sense his frustration of events. Even when he arrives on the scene of the attack, there’s no give on the pressure he has put on himself. The farmer’s face in post attack sends a chill through the air as Grayson begins to work. A series of panels show Grayson waiting for help. The result is given a monster visual.
Starfire’s full page appearance shifts the look of the story. It become more personal as the former lovers break down events. Close-ups of their eyes tell a story all their own. Once the actual alien shows up, pacing picks up in the art. There’s a steady dose of action leading into a complicated discovery. The images inside this sequence show more sides to the event than one might think. It leads to a full page finish of events before one last personal look. The closing panels change course on the story’s direction, leaving everything up in the air.
FINAL GRADE: 8.4
An old friend comes in to check on Dick Grayson, but is he too far gone from the highway accident? Watters balances the personal banter with a solid mystery via the writing. Cowan and the art team show the pressure Grayson has put on his shoulders. This is a Nightwing story that blazes its’ own path of lore and fantasy.
Let me know your thoughts on Nightwing #138 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
