NIGHTWING #3

[ CIRCUS SALE ] 

Now Dick has a very perplexing dilemma. He wants to know who is this Saiko feller. Raya don’t know, and the circus is a no show, but what about that Elephant with an umbrella? Now what does this all mean? Well, why don’t you have a look-see as this comic book, Written by Kyle Higgins; Drawn by Eddy Barrow; and Published by DC Comics in December 2011.

So what’s the story morning glory?

This instalment of Nightwing, entitled ‘Past and Present’, is a story divisible by three.

Now the first third relates to Mr Haly’s funeral – where Dick reminisces, gets shouted at by Haly’s drunken son, Bryan, before he is then told by Raya, that an old friend of theirs, Zane, is a known felon, whom arranges contract hits.

Next, the second third of this story, we see Dick, in his Nightwing get up, confront Zane in his Chicago based penthouse. However, Zane has a mind-altering power that subjugates Nightwing, but only until Dick is able find a way to break free and clarify matters more succinctly.

And finally, the last third of this yarn; is the eventual round up of said events. Dick makes peace with Raya, due to a previous squabble they had at Haly’s funeral. And in addition to this, it is revealed who hired Saiko to kill Dick – Bryan, Haly’s son.

What is the most memorable sentence spoken in this issue?

I found it an insightful character portrait, when Raya said to Dick ‘You stay ahead of things that you do not want to deal with... including people. It is probably why you are so good at the trapeze. You look forward instead of back, Dick, its who you are’.

Very well put I thought, huh?

Was the story any good?

Like some of the other comic books released this month by DC Comics, I did find that Nightwing was also an improvement over last month’s wares. Personally speaking, I felt that this issue had more heart within the first and last sections of the tale, because things felt more relevant story wise.

As for the middle section on the other hand, well, its did not float my boat within the scheme of things – and just felt like a delay that revealed Dick has a prospective bad-guy on the horizon, whom was once his friend.

Was the art any good?

Now by in large, I do like Eddy Barrows’ artwork. Its clean, its bold, his caricature compositions are striking, and overall, his layouts do the job that he wants them to do.

Though, within this issue, I was not overly keen on his ‘translucent figures’ – because they come across as being too ridged and too static to actually feel lucid.  Granted, this may have something to do with inkers, Mayer and co., as well as co-penciler, Edwardo Pansica, also – because the style did change slightly mid-yarn.  

What is the best thing about this issue?

OK, I know that this may sound a bit morbid, but I though that the funeral section of this issue was the best part of it really. For me, this segment had an erstwhile quality to it, which made it heartfelt, pertinent, and associative to people whom have been to this type of shindig before. 

What is the worst thing about this issue?

Listen, I know that I have said this previously, but I did find that the middle section of this issue a bit too contrary for my liking. Initially, because we have seen this type of thing in other comic books – old friend gone bad, and now with superpowers. And subsequently, this part of the story did not lead anywhere – and it felt redundant within the larger picture (at the moment).

If you could sum up this issue in a phrase or saying, what would that phrase or saying be?

Yoda said it best I think, when he mused ‘Don’t think, dooooo’. (I can do the accent you know).

If this issue were a movie, an object, or a piece of music, what would that be and why? 

Well, this tale was heartfelt, re-collective, and bold in its execution. So I think that the show tune ‘Consider Yourself’ from Oliver, very appropriate somehow.

What do you think would have made this issue better than it was?

I would have liked to have seen Nightwing and Zane duke it out with words, rather than with fists and powers. That way we could have seen more character and personality in this issue, instead of just rehashed concept that we have all seen many times previous.

Final thoughts...

Now in the last 'Raya and Dick section' of this issue, Dick said that he was going to stay with the circus until he finds out who hired Halys killer. Please, I hope that this is not the case, and that he, Raya, and the gang, continue on the byways and highways of circus-dom.

What do you guys thinks? Spam me – and I will give you a banana.

Marks out of 10? 8.5