Though this was at one time one of my favorite books, the many art changes (mostly for the worse) and the realization that it was never going to have any sort of closure sort of soured me on Nightwing. However, fans of the book will be happy to know that Grayson and Leonardi are very consistent with the tone that Dixon set on this book, mixing police corruption, a touch of personal life for Dick Grayson and high action into a solid read. There's a car/motorcycle chase scene at the close of the issue that is a lot of fun, and Grayson obviously enjoys writing the interaction between Nightwing and Oracle.
If I didn't know any better, I might not have noticed the transition from Grayson to Dixon, as the same elements, setting and general style are all in force in this issue. Grayson does overcomplicate her plot a little, with factions in the police department that are not easy to tell apart for Nightwing or the reader; I had trouble figuring out why the cops would be shooting at Nightwing at one point and then asking him if he was OK (rather than arresting him) a few pages later, for example. However, the basic idea, that corrupt cops are after this woman for unknown reasons and Nightwing is chasing them, are made plenty clear.
Really, the plot serves largely as an excuse for the action, and that is delivered in fine form. Though I miss the strong acrobatics that were a hallmark of McDaniel or the amazing anatomy and lush scenery that was Greg Land's contribution to the book, Leonardi and Delperdang are strong storytellers with a feel for action storytelling. In particular, the chase sequence, which features Nightwing using a motorcycle to deflect a rocket, is a stirring piece of work.
Grayson is trying to maintain a balance between Dick Grayson's personal life and his super-heroic life, and in general, she does a pretty good job. Little moments that show him interacting with neighborhood kids or the ongoing banter between Dick and Barbara help to establish their relationship for new readers as well as reassuring current readers that the status quo will be maintained. I wasn't as convinced by the introduction of Catalina Flores, who because of the brief nature of her scene came across as unbelievably aggressive and as an obvious complication for the Nightwing/Oracle relationship, but it's not really fair to judge the character on the basis of a two-page scene.
What drew me to Nightwing back during Dixon's tenure was consistently strong artwork and a feeling that Bludhaven and its inhabitants were characters as defined as Nightwing himself. Grayson seems to have maintained that feel, with a story featuring politics within the corrupt Bludhaven police department and a few "civilians" interacting with Nightwing in his off-time. And while this isn't the flashiest artwork that Nightwing has ever had, it still fits into the "consistent" and "strong" categories.
