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NIGHTWING #13

[ SHIVA SALE NOW ON
Oh my God, her comes' the new Lady Shiva. I've heard that she can be a right dirty diva. She doesn't do stairs. She wears pink underwear's. Plus one time she slept with the pop-star, Justin Bieber. Well, that what these guys told me. Writer: Tom DeFalco; Artist: Andreas Guinaldo; and Publisher: DC Comics in November 2012. I believe. 

So what’s the STORY morning glory?
To put it mildly, everyone favorite Bat-buddy, Nightwing, is very-very-very confused in this issue entitled 'The Hunter'. He's confused about his feeling towards the pretty lady who's helping him fund his new 'Amusement Mile' -- Sonia Branch. He's confused when Batgirl gives him the cold shoulder because he won't help her track down the Joker. And finally he's confused by the Penguins comments about Lady Shiva to boot.

  • Wait a minute! You do know who 'Lady Shiva' is, don't you?
  • She's that female assassin who beat-up Nightwing when he first became Robin.
  • Moreover, she's the same female assassin he runs into now -- THWAK! -- whilst trying to figure out why the gangsters in Gotham are running... BOOOM!
  • Oh! Forget it...

To be continued...

What is the most memorable SENTENCE OR CONVERSATION spoken in this issue?
Honest to God, I got a right kick out of that scene where Nightwing paid the Penguin a visit, and he queried him about the state of play with Gotham's gangs...

NIGHTWING: Casino seems a little empty. Anything to do with the Joker?
PENGUIN: Not at all. The clown prince of crime is usually great for business. You know criminals -- bunch of old gossips! Everyone pops in for the latest dirt.

Ha! Now isn't that something you could easily imagine? Two crook's gabbing about how another crook messed up with a crime or something? Class comment. It had real personality behind it.

What was the BEST thing about this issue?
Every time I see Sonia Branch in this book, I can't help but smile like the cat that's got the proverbial cream. Straight up. Her relationship with Dick really intrigues me on a very visceral level. Can it work? Will her father appear and f*ck things up? Will Dick's past come back to haunt him? Etcetera. Etcetera. Etcetera.

It's these types of questions which make this relationship so exciting to follow. 

What was the WORST thing about this issue?
My one slight gripe with this issue is how the Joker kept on being mentioned in it, for the sake of 'Bat-related tie-ins' and 'world-building' (if I may use DC's latest 'token phrase').

Well, was either the 'opening scene' or the 'Batgirl cameo' a much needed part of this story-line? Was their any point in her popping in, saying something about the Joker, and then popping off again?

No. Not really. Not yet -- anyway.

What was the most CREATIVE thing about this issue?
STORY: One of the stand-out scenes for me in this issue was the one where Dick spoke to that little girl whose parents are acrobats. Lovely. Just lovely. I loved the sentiment behind it. I loved the pathos behind it. And I loved the possibility that something more may come out of this in the future.

ART: Now when I first sat down and read this story, honest to God, I didn't realize Andreas Guinaldo stepped in and 'guest-pencilled' this issue. However, once I got to that Penguin scene, something seemed a bit moodier than normal, something to do with the depth of the inks and the pallet of the colours. Not in a bad way of course. Just in a more manga-esque manner.

Still nice though -- nice and crisp.

If you had to CAST TWO CHARACTERS in this comic book, who would they be and why?
NIGHTWING: If our ever-loving 'Wingster' was a sweet or a confectionery, what would he be? Yeah. That's what I was thinking too. Popping candy. As they're both bold, bouncy, and can makes you want to jump off of a small building.

PENGUIN: But as for this bird-faced bad-guy on the other hand, all I have to say about him is 'humbug'. Mint Humbugs. Because they're black and white, and have a slightly bitter aftertaste.

If this issue had a MOVIE TAG LINE, what would it be?
Women, Huh? You Wait For Ages For One Of Them To Come Along, And All Of A Sudden Two Show Up At Once.

One With A Knife Though.

If this issue were a MOVIE, an OBJECT, or a piece of MUSIC, what would that be and why? 
Conceptually, this is a story about a hero who's unsure if he can fight an opponent who bested him in the past. So why not compare it to the Jackie Chan flick, 'Drunken Master', just without the comedy, the bad-dubbing, or the kung-fu. Ha!




Alright. I know that I could have compared it to Karate Kid. But 'DM' came first, and is a lot better than either of them.

FINAL thoughts...
If I may, I only have one question I'd like to asks the chap and chap-ettes at DC Comics -- why does Lady Shiva look like a cyan version of the Dark Horse character, 'The Ghost'? Come on! Let's face facts! Does Shiva need a costume? She never had one before? Also, why make her seem like a ninja now, when the best things about her in the past, was that she looked like a very cute belly-dancer.

Heck, I remember when she was first introduced in the Richard Dragon ongoing series; all she wore was a white shirt and a pair of jeans!

Apart from that, though, let's hope this re-introduction isn't hindered too much by cosmetics. Shiva is a great character, and she is known for her deadly stare more than her wardrobe.

Say no more.

MARKS out of 10? 8.5

NIGHTWING #13 NIGHTWING #13 Reviewed by David Andrews on November 02, 2012 Rating: 5
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