NIGHTWING #28

[ GIVE US OUR COUPONS, CREEP ] 

When Dick Grayson first debuted over half a century ago, I bet you anything he never envisioned how things were going to turn out for him in March, 2014. Still. Those are the way things happen sometimes, eh? All thanks to Kyle Higgins, Russell Dauterman, Will Conrad, plus the Publisher: DC Comics. Viva La Nightwing!!!

To QUOTE Douglas Horton: 'While seeking revenge, dig two graves - one for yourself'.

THE STORY:

Now I honestly thought I was having a pretty shitty day of it, today, especially when I had to fight off Spinebender before parting ways with my ex, Sonia Branch.

But no. Not really. My day got a whole lot worse when I heard the tragic news that Jen's parents had been murdered on the streets, only for her to then say to me...

'Dick. I know you're Nightwing. I've known that fact for a couple of days now. And that's why want us to join forces and track down my parents killer, together'.

Ouch!

THE GOOD:

Overall I'd say 'Butterfly Effects' was a pretty decent story to follow.

Firstly, I have to applaud Russell Dauterman's manga inspired artwork, because it was very character-driven on the page, and all in all he did a pretty impressive job of playing 'stand in' whilst my mate Willy was away.

Also, I have to mention those two great scenes between Dick and Sonya, plus Dick and Jen, as they blew me away because... well... let face it. Seeing Sonya leave in the way she did isn't the way I wanted to see her go. Plus that whole scenario with Jen figuring out Dick's secret identity, and then asking him to help track down her parent's murderer, had a very serendipitous tone to it in more ways than one.

Hint-Hint!

THE BAD:

I suppose the only slight gripe I had with this tale is that it felt rather breezy and ill paced in execution. Now please don't get me wrong. I didn't have a problem with the free-flowing narrative it ultimately conveyed. It's just that each segment of this tale came across rather disjointed within the whole. And this inadvertently imbued it with that loose start / stop quality which I'm personally not too fond of.

THE MUSIC:

I was wondering if someone out there can tell me why I thought of the Bob Marley classic, 'I Shot the Sheriff', whilst reading this story? If you know, please inform me when possible. Many thanks.

THE COMPARISON:

Imagine that you're driving through a picturesque Mediterranean country road on a hot summer's day, taking in all the sights and sounds it has on offer. When suddenly -- BRRRPT! -- you drive past a farm that's just ploughed it's land full of manure, thus making your experience rather pungent to say the least.   

OK. So have you got all of that, dear reader? I hope so. Cause in the best possible way that is what I feel about this adventure. Fast and breezy at first and then somewhat pungent thereafter.  

THE CONCLUSION:

By now I'm sure most of you have heard the tragic news that DC Comics are going to cancel this series of 'Nightwing' very-very soon. So, just as a 'head's up' to those in charge, I thought it would be a good idea for me to suggest how they can use him again once the deed is finally done.

1. Create another Bat-Book featuring all of Bruce's sidekicks -- Come on! What's one more going to hurt?
2. Turn Dick into a woman and call him Shirley -- Stranger things have happened!
3. Thrust Dick into Earth 2 and hope for the best -- Well, he was a member of the JSA during the 70s.
4. Get him to be a part of a 'New Titans' re-launch -- Tell me you wouldn't want to see this?
5. Make Dick the new Batman and then... -- Errr! On Second Thoughts. No. Let's not go down that road again. 

Nuff said.