Nightwing Issue 92 Review: “The Battle for Bludhaven’s Heart”

Nightwing issue 92 continues to do what I love so much about this series. The creative team once again drives home how important Dick Grayson is as a character, how much support he has from his family and friends, and how much he is loved. This issue highlights just why Nightwing is such a beloved character.

There will be some spoilers below.

This issue sees Dick back in Bludhaven continuing to implement the plans he has for helping the city using the money he had inherited from Alfred Pennyworth. It’s good to see that Dick has so many people in his corner supporting him even while villains like Blockbuster and Heartless want to tear him down. But neither Dick nor Nightwing will go down without a fight! (Not to mention the many superheroes who will come at moment’s notice to support him.)

Nightwing issue 92 begins with a flashback to Dick Grayson’s past as Robin, the Boy Wonder. I love these beginning pages so much, not just because they share further insight into the character of Dick Grayson, but also because they are reminiscent of classic Batman comics, but with some modern flair. It also provides some good history: the friendship that Robin and Batgirl had, Alfred to the rescue, and an understanding Bruce Wayne. (Even if Alfred had to give him the 3^rd degree first!) The point of the flashback was to show the reader that Dick Grayson will always fight to do what’s right and save as many people as he can.

In present time, Dick, Barbara, and their dog Haley go to the grand opening of Haven. This is one of the things Dick decided to do with the inheritance he received from Alfred. It is a place designed to provide sanctuary to all who need it. It is a place where people can feel safe, just like Bruce and Alfred made Dick feel safe after they took him in.

Dick and Barbara are not there alone, however. The Flash is constantly circling the area faster than people can see, Superman (Jon Kent) is there, and so are Bruce Wayne and his dog Ace. I appreciate that Bruce told Dick he wasn’t there just to make sure there was no trouble, but also because it’s a big day and he wanted to be there. So often we see Nightwing running off to Gotham to help Batman, so it’s nice to see Bruce just make his way over to Bludhaven to support his son.

Of course, things can never go smoothly in Bludhaven and Blockbuster is not happy with Dick Grayson for daring to provide a safety net for the people of this city. He has plans to destroy what Dick has created and of course, there is always the underlying threat of just what Heartless wants with Dick. But, I have a feeling Dick Grayson is someone that neither one of them will want to mess with in the end.

As always, writer Tom Taylor continues to deliver. Each issue of his take on Nightwing has been such a joy to read. I especially enjoyed the fact that he makes Bruce and Dick sound like family. He writes Bruce in a way where he truly acts like a father. I feel like that is something we don’t see often enough in more recent comics, but it was something that was definitely there back in the Golden Age and it’s good to see that aspect not be forgotten.

What really stuck out to me was when Blockbuster insinuated how it would be a shame if someone shot Dick in the head during Haven’s grand opening, Bruce came in between them to defend Dick. Of course, Dick can defend himself, but considering what Dick, Bruce, and the rest of Dick’s family and friends went through when KGBeast shot Dick in the head, his reaction completely made sense. I would have been more surprised if he didn’t intervene at all.

Bruno Redondo is once again back as the artist for this issue. I especially loved seeing his depiction of Dick as Robin. Every modern comic book artist has a different take on the character and Redondo’s feels very true to the source material. (He did not shy away from the short pants!) I also appreciate letterer Wes Abbott using the old Robin “The Boy Wonder” logo.

My favorite pages in this issue though have to be the 2-page spread that shows Nightwing leaping through the air with the buildings of Bludhaven and the moon behind him. Just a really striking page and Adriano Lucas’ colors just make it all the more gorgeous. It’s definitely more than worthy of being a computer wallpaper. (And DC Comics should really make it a poster! It’s that gorgeous.)

Nightwing issue 92 was truly a joy to read. It had everything I could want from a Nightwing comic. It showcased who Dick is as a character, it showed all of the support he gets from other superheroes, and it was just plain fun.

I know it won’t be sunshine and roses forever, but I’m certainly enjoying it for now and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Author: Jessica Rae

Jessica has a BA in music with an emphasis in voice and spends her day typesetting, editing, writing, and moderating webinars. Jessica primarily reviews anime and comic book series. She also offers insights on various movies, books, games, and other geeky topics.

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