Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Nightwing # 147

By Koppy McFad
August 10, 2008 - 02:28

Two-Face forces Nightwing into protecting a witness against an army of mob assassins.

This is suppose to be a tie-in with the "Batman RIP" storyline running in the BATMAN and DETECTIVE comics but from the looks of the cover, it is just as much an attempt to cash in on Two-Face's new prominence following the release of "THE DARK KNIGHT" movie.

In fact, there seems to be little in this story to link it with 'Batman RIP,' other than the fact that Batman is missing in action and Nightwing is forced to undertake this mission for him. Two-Face compels him to defend a former sweetheart from the mob who want to prevent the woman from testifying against them. From there, we see some amazing feats of derring-do that are right out of a Hong Kong action movie.

The art is moody, yet finely-done. For once, the dark shadows are not used to obscure the detail and the craftsmanship in the pencils. Nightwing looks very impressive and his agility is showcased well. Two-Face doesn't really have that large a presence in the book. He looks recognisable but compared to the fully fleshed-out (pun intended) version that we saw in the movie, he just doesn't stand out.

There is really nothing very wrong with this book, (although that hang-gliding trick with the helicopter looks reaaallllly unbelievable.) It just seems ordinary, despite the huge effort that the creative team has clearly put into it. Perhaps the best thing about this book is that it can stand alone and can be enjoyed without reading the whole 'Batman RIP' story. Of course, those who are following the 'Batman RIP' storyline might be annoyed if they buy this issue and then realise they could have skipped it entirely.

P.S. , the cover is symbolic. Nightwing undergoes a lot of suffering in this issue but he does not get acid thrown onto half of his face.

Rating: 6 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12