DCU Comic Book Reviews

NIGHTWING #135

321 Days, Part Three:  The Gang

October 2007

Written by Marv Wolfman

Pencils by Joe Bosco

Inks by Alex Silva

Cover by Ryan Sook

Synopsis

The Vigilante has Dick Grayson held captive and wants to know why Dick knows Metal Eddie.  Dick tells him that he knew Eddie when he was a teenager.  Even though Eddie and his gang were committing crimes, Dick stayed out of those things.  He only remained with Eddie’s group because he had fallen for Liu.  However, when Dick learned they were setting him up, and Wayne Tech, for a bigger score, Dick severed all ties with him.  Now, he has talked to Eddie and believes he has changed.  Vigilante doesn’t think so.  He tells Dick that Eddie will pay for his crimes.  Then he leaves.  As Dick recovers, he recalls how, as Robin, he stopped Metal Eddie and Liu from robbing Wayne Tech.  Now he has to figure out what is going on.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

These are the times that try a critic’s keyboard.  I liked this issue.  I liked how Wolfman is approaching this story as it unfolds with Dick reliving his past both figuratively in terms of the flashbacks as he encounters his past and also literally as he naively believes (once more) in the good he sees in both Eddie and Liu.  The set-up has been effective; I am curious to see how it all ends.  Yet this issue has one minor problem:  the interrogation did not seem right.  It took awhile, but I could not quite put my finger on it until that moment when Dick broke free.  It was a good moment (and well drawn by guest artists Bosco and Silva), but it struck me as being a little too late.  This is Nightwing, one of the foremost martial artists in the world.  I get that a thirsty, hungry Nightwing would not win a fight.  But my question is:  why did he wait so long.  I would guess that Dick willingly allowed himself to get up beat up and nearly starved to death so he could learn more about Vigilante.  But it is not in the issue.  A simple narrative box that states he doesn’t know Vigilante so why he interrogates Dick, Dick will learn more about him.  It provides a reason for Dick to remained tied down for 52 hours.  Without it, however, I was wondering why Dick (especially since he could break free when he wanted to, apparently) would sit there and take the punishment like he did.  So you can see my dilemma:  I liked the issue but for one small detail, but that detail makes a huge difference in the way the issue is viewed.  Hopefully Wolfman will address the situation in the next issue.   

 

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