Nightwing #125 - Writer Marv Wolfman, Layouts Dan Jurgens, Finishes Norm Rapmund, Colors Moose Baumann
Premise - Dick Grayson is looking for a job and trying to figure out what he is doing with his life. He meets new friends and is trying to determine what an apparent new villain the Raptor is doing.
What I liked:
1) The writing. Devin Grayson and Bruce Jones are but a bitter memory and already fast fading. Marv Wolfman returns Dick Grayson as a hero. Dick is trying to find a job as a civilian while also fighting crime as Nightwing. An underlying mystery is being started with shadowy figures who want to fix the fact that Nightwing should have died in Infinite Crisis. It is not a perfect first effort, but Nightwing feels right again. Thanks Marv.
2) The art is good. A nice solid strong super-hero style and I enjoy Rapmund finishing the work and not just inking. Dan Jurgens does nice layouts, but sometimes his full pencils leave something to be desired. The coloring is also good for the book. Not an eye popping art job, but a clean solid well done art job. After all the muddled work from before I happy with this style for now.
What I Didn't Like:
1) Not enough happened. Still it was a first issue for the new team, but comics sometimes move too slow.
2) It is a little too clean cut. Chuck Dixon kept Dick a hero, but also gave him a fighting edge. I'll give Marv more time because he is just getting back to the character, but I want more of an edge to Dick.
Grade - B
Side Comment - This book has been in need of help for a long time and I think this issue shines so well because of where the book has been. Still having said that the easy grading and pure love for this book dissipates after this issue. They need to step up their game more to make this a top tier book. Nightwing is a favorite character of mine, so it is easier to make me happy on this book, then others.
Finally, Bruce Jones is gone. It was making me physically ill reading his last few issues.
ReplyDeleteMy creative team would've been better. Edgey and cool.
ReplyDeleteWolfman gets props for not making him a male model and adding the two girls living in his building who are genuinely interesting.
Nightwing, however, was written a little too generic for my taste. Retro is not the way to save him.
Still bad to boring is a step up.
And Wolfman also gets props for making Dan Didio the villain in the new version of the book. ;)
Jurgens needs to go. Like yesterday.
Cshiana - You'll see the book next week.
ReplyDeleteShawn - Boring is an upgrade and I know what you mean, but we need to give it another issue or two before we label it boring. Jurgens work has always been okay, never great, he maybe better off writing.
You see, I know Jurgens is capable of more and better.
ReplyDeleteJerry Ordway should be doing his finishes.
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ReplyDeleteShawn - You're right Ordway over Jurgens is great. That doesn't sound quite right.
ReplyDeletelol
ReplyDeleteWhen Jurgens did SUPERMAN back in the day, his FULL PENCILS were better than what he did this issue. His BLUDHAVEN series looked the same.
Hell, the back-up in 52 he did looked better than the first issue of his NIGHTWING.