Ricky Church reviews Nightwing: Rebirth #1…
He’s been Robin, Batman, a spy, a ghost. Now, Dick Grayson returns to Gotham City to reclaim the life that was taken from him. But when a new evil threatens those he loves most, Nightwing faces being torn away from home once again in order to destroy the dark force once and for all. Powerhouse artist Yanick Paquette (BATMAN, SWAMP THING) joins series writer Tim Seeley (GRAYSON, BATMAN & ROBIN ETERNAL) to return Nightwing to the DC superhero stage!
SEE ALSO: Check out a preview of Nightwing: Rebirth #1
For the last couple of years Dick Grayson has left his Nightwing persona behind as he joined the international espionage organization SPYRAL. Though Tom King (who is now writing the main Batman title) had a celebrated run on Grayson, something has been missing from the Batman comics since Dick Grayson was believed to be dead and no longer interacting with the Bat-family. That’s all set to change now as Grayson reclaims the Nightwing mantle and reconnects with Batman and Damian Wayne in Nightwing Rebirth.
Writer Tim Seeley has a good grasp on Nightwing’s personality, injecting plenty of humour in his interactions with the various characters. The highlight, of course, is his time with Damian. Their relationship has evolved so much over the last few years from their time during Grant Morrison’s epic Batman & Robin and Batman Incorporated stories and Seeley easily adapts the core of that relationship in this issue, matching Morrison’s dynamic.
While this issue is Nightwing’s rebirth, it actually offers a lot of closure for Grayson, spending most of its time with characters from that series as Dick transitions back to a superhero. Readers who didn’t check out Grayson might be a little lost, but Seeley is able to give the basics on each SPYRAL member through conversations with Damian. Unlike many other Rebirth titles, Nightwing: Rebirth doesn’t do much to set up his ongoing title, yet serves as a great reminder as to why Dick Grayson has remained such a fan-favourite character over the years.
Yanick Paquette’s art is crisp with brief, dynamic action sequences. Nathan Fairbairn’s colours pop right off the page, being one of the more vibrant issues DC Rebirth has offered yet. Their combined art makes it a joy to see Dick back as Nightwing in the issue’s final page, and back in his black-and-blue colour scheme no less. Though it might be a little while longer before Nightwing operates back in Gotham City once again, Nightwing: Rebirth is, at least, a welcome return for Nightwing that offers closure on his previous adventure while opening up a new one. With Seeley at the helm, Nightwing’s next chapter is already off to a good start.
Rating: 8/10
Ricky Church
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Originally published July 14, 2016. Updated November 14, 2019.
