Timala Elliott
Timala Elliott
Nightwing #109
DC Comics
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Stephen Byrne and Sami Basri
Colors by Adriano Lucas
Letters by Wes Abbott
The Rundown: Nightwing battles a deadly enemy to restore an old flame to her rightful leadership position. Robin hunts for Gotham’s missing animal-human hybrids.
The story opens with Nightwing overcoming a fear in an attempt to save someone important to him. After a flashback to his days as Robin, a conversation with Bea reveals the story behind the formation of both Blüdhaven and a secret society. Later, he helps Bea in her attempts to rescue her crew and stop someone seeking great power. Finally, the former lovers agree to share information regarding mutual enemies.
Damian Wayne’s Robin meets with Commissioner Montoya after stopping a potentially deadly confrontation. Their discussion leads him to investigate a dilapidated facility where he makes a startling discovery. Finally, the son of Batman finds himself compromised by an unknown assailant.
The Story: The finale of this swashbuckling story arc neatly resolves the romance of Ric Grayson and Beatrice Blüd. As a reader of the previous Nightwing iteration, I always thought the couple’s ending was too short. Here, Tom Taylor has given me (and I’m sure other readers) a conclusion to their story that I never knew I needed. Dick’s story has always been about the maintenance of his relationships and how they improve his life and compliment his hero work. For me, it was good to see an easily forgotten character become a powerful ally. All that’s left to say is great job to the creative team for this entertaining storyline.
Beastworld
This B-Story is listed as a prologue to the Titans crossover event. And while it gives sneak peek into what’s happening in Gotham and Blüdhaven, it’s only a teaser for a much greater adventure. Readers of the event will surely enjoy this entry.
The Art: Both stories use colorful illustrations with a modern, realistic design style. The action sequences are interesting and the attention to character expression and form emotionally enhances the narrative.
Nightwing #109
