Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Nightwing #3

By Kevin Scott
September 1, 2016 - 22:48

Nightwing and Raptor have become the pride of the Parliament of Owls, successfully completing missions for them across the globe—but Batgirl is not happy. Can she convince Nightwing he’s gone too far, or has he fallen too far under Raptor’s influence?

This issue would have worked and been believable if this was the first (or one of) mission Dick had been on. Yes, he may be young, but he has still had a wealth of experience with Batman, the Teen Titans and Outsiders. So using the predictable tried and tested plot angles really takes the reader out of the story. A similar can be said about the way Batgirl interacts with Dick and Raptor. He is also constantly referencing the circus, as if it were yesterday. Surely there would have been over experiences that would be closer to mind for him to draw on. Seeley has to give the reader a passable reason for what is going on and why. Otherwise it is extremely difficult to stay invested.

A BIG problem with the art, especially with this issue, is the inconsistently when it cones to depicting Raptors skin tone. It is extremely disrespectful to flimflam all the time over his appearance.  Skin is not a t-shirt that can be interchanged at a whim. Plus, you never see this with Batman, Wonder Woman or Superman. So if the plan is to introduce a character of colour, respect and consideration must be shown in the details. I have to say as well, if the idea is to make Batgirl look like she’s weathering motorbike leathers, adding a cloak doesn’t enhance the look. A part from this Javier Fernandez and Chris Sotomayor do a solid job with creating the right tone for the book.

It’s hard to find the motivation to continue with this story, on the back of this issue. However the next issue seems to be the last of this arc. So hopefully it will offer a suitable conclusion.

Rating: 3 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12