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Review: Nightwing #58

By Philip Schweier
March 20, 2019 - 05:27

Last issue, Ric Grayson agreed to join the Nightwings should he ever be needed. This issue, they need him right away, and for a guy who has no desire to be a hero, he sure is willing to put himself in danger on behalf of others. But then, he did suffer a traumatic head injury, so it’s an easy matter to explain his erratic actions.

The villain of this issue is the Joker’s Daughter (though it’s reasonable to presume she’s not really his offspring; just an unhinged groupie). For those who may not know, the Joker’s Daughter bedeviled Dick Grayson back when he was Robin the Boy Wonder, beginning in the pages of Batman Family #6 (July/August 1976). Her crimes were rather benign, and she later proved herself a hero, changed her name to Harlequin, and for a brief time was a member of the Teen Titans.

I like the notion of a team of Nightwings, but I would rather DC Comics either feature the team, or “Ric” Grayson, not both. Having Grayson step off stage indefinitely would be an opportunity for intrigue, and stories yet to be told – similar to when Sherlock Holmes “died” in the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories.

I have no doubt that Dick Grayson will return, as Nightwing. It’s the nature of comic books that radical changes are almost always temporary. Sure, Dick Grayson abandoning his Robin identity has been permanent, but considering the Boy Wonder costume has changed hands many times, what was Grayson to do. Join a super-secret spy organization?

Rating: 5/10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12