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NIGHTWING #68
"Time & Motion"
Recommended (7/10)
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DC Comics
Writer: Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Trevor McCarthy
Inks: Rob Stull & Robert Campanella
Colors: Gregory Wright & Digital Chameleon
Letters: Willie Schubert
Editor: Michael Wright
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
Though I'm still finding "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive" a bit too hazy and ill-defined as a story, Nightwing #68 stands out as one of the stronger chapters of the story, and one of the stronger issues of Nightwing in a while. While still advancing the subplots of his running villains and introducing a new one, Dixon also serves up some strong characterization of Nightwing and Alfred and some intriguing clues about the murder of Vesper Fairchild. In fact, although I'm still not a fan of McCarthy's artwork for the most part, his final issue of Nightwing turns out to be his strongest art
performance.
The mystery of the story, one
of the strong elements of "Murderer?" is restored somewhat in this issue. Though
I'm still not entirely certain that the murder of Vesper didn't involve some
kind of split-personality in Bruce Wayne, the clues this issue point to a very
capable adversary, and I'm loving the investigative segments of the story. In
addition, the computer hack nature of the crime gave Dixon an opportunity to
talk about the various skills of Nightwing, Robin, Oracle and the rest of the
Batman family, showing off the knowledge that he has developed as one of the
longest-running writers of these characters.
Alongside the investigation
into Vesper's murder, Dixon continues his other plotlines, one of which is
looking a little long in the tooth and the other of which is looking
unimpressive so far. The partnership between corrupt and insane cop Soames and
insane and dangerous vigilante Tad seemed a good idea at first, but their
relationship really required some strange loyalties, and it seems odd that it
took this long for Tad to realize that Soames wasn't necessarily a good guy.
However, with the ominous off-panel gunshots, it seems this subplot may have
taken care of itself. Meanwhile, another new vigilante shows up to do the
over-the-top interrogation scene, and though there's certainly potential for the
future, so far I'm not terribly interested in her.
McCarthy has been a
controversial choice for the artist on this book, and it was pretty clear that
he was learning on the job. It's ironic that his last issue on the book is when
he finally starts showing some of the skill that no doubt earned him the shot at
the title in the first place. While the faces are still maddeningly inconsistent
and the anatomy is exaggerated in unflattering ways, the storytelling is much
clearer here than it has been in past issues. In particular, the interplay
between Alfred and Nightwing is pretty solid.
It seems like it has been a while since Nightwing was one of my favorite titles,
and though I don't see it reclaiming that position anytime soon, it was still
good to see an issue that reminded me why I used to be such a fan of Dixon's
work on the title. He manages to write a story that continues elements of his
own subplots while providing key plot details for the crossover story, and the
result is a story that gives "Fugitive" a stronger focus while also developing
the characters that Dixon has worked on for so long.
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