Okay. Here it is. Dick's first solo series. Yayyy. My summaries are detailed. Enjoy.
| Nightwing - 4 Part Solo Series |
| Number | Date | Summary |
| 1 | Sept 95 |  The Resignation (Nightwing... mostly Dick) Okay, first of all, its all about Dick and I love it. Second, I'm not crazy about the size of Nightwing. I think the artist has gone far too muscled. I see Dick as an acrobat, not a wrestler.
Story Summary: The story opens with Dick rescuing Miggie Webster who has been kidnapped. Dick has a running monologue during the fight, but it is a bit dark. Batman is watching. Dick makes some interesting comparisions between himself and Batman. At the end, Dick rescues the girl and he and Batman talk. Dick comments on the fact that he isn't as good as Bruce... no one is, he says. He tells Bruce that he hated being Batman. Dick has decided to resign from the hero business to 'find' Dick Grayson. The run down of this history is probably necessary, but is a bit stilted. He ends up giving his costume to Batman and then walks away. His first night of freedom is lonely and he finds it difficult to sleep. In the moring, on the verge of trying to call for a 'cornflake' pizza, Alfred appears like the guardian angel we all know that he is. (g)Not only has be brought breakfast, but some old papers concerning the death of Dick's parents. Dick discovers a warning letter among them and decides to pursue the lead to Kravia..."one of he most despotic nations in the world." We nip across to Kravia to discover that the leader there wants to tie up loose ends... specifically Dick Grayson. He hires an assassin to kill Dick. The story ends with Dick kissing Miggie and the assassin approaching Dick. All in all, the story is interesting but I find Dick's character a little too driven and dark. |
| 2 | Oct 95 |  The Renewal (Nightwing & Dick) Once again, Dick is drawn a little on the ‘ape’ side. (G) And as for his fashion sense. The pokadot shirt is hideous. (g) Worst of all is the rat's tail he has when he he dones the new suit. Please cut off the pony tail!!
Story Summary: The assassin moves in but Miggie reappears and Dick heads off with her, leaving the killer to bide his time. Dick meets Miggie family and laments on the fact that it is the family he missed out on. Next, Dick returns to his apartment and his ambushed by the assassin… who is certainly a professional. The assassin fails, but gets away… but not without dropping his phone. Using it, Dick hits redial and discovers the Kravia is at the bottom of the attempt on his life. After a brief cross to Kravia, we head to the Batcave where Alfred sprouts off some good one-liners - “He did not leave an itinerary, but pursuing evildoers would be a good guess.” Oracle provides Dick with some background on Kravia.
Dick: “Thanks, Oracle. I owe you.”
Oracle: “That you do, Bright Eyes.”
Harold appears with a new costume for Dick… one that is bullet-proof and has all manner of goodies hidden in it. Dick hires a plane and parachutes into Kravia only to find himself landing in the middle of some genocide. He is attacked by soldiers and gives them the slip until he receives a call from Miggie. Comic ends with Dick in the soldiers search lights. |
| 3 | Nov 95 |  (Nightwing) Nightwing easily takes care of the soldiers and call Miggie only to be cut off mid call. It is clear that she is in trouble but he is distracted by a scream. He investigates and rescues a family from being slaughters but soldiers wearing uniforms that wouldn’t be out of place in Star Wars. The man he rescues agrees to help Dick get into the palace but double crosses him… slams him over the back of the head with an iron bar. When Dick wakes, he’s unmasked, tied to a chair and being interrogated by the Prince himself. After some questions, Dick his taken to a pit to endure the ‘traditional death of traitors’. That is, he’s doused in honey and then they release the rats. In the pit with him is the Prince’s fathers who fills Dick in on what he wants to know. The old man is the Prime Minister… he substituted his son for the real prince after killing the boy. Unfortunately, the murder was witnessed by Dick’s parents. The pair escape only to be shot.
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| 4 | Dec 95 |  (Nightwing) Dick’s suit protects him from injury and he takes care of the guard. He and the old man (Von Cart) escape Kravia and return to the United States where Dick’s assists Von Cart to contact the media to tell his story. Dick returns to his apparent and on the answering machine is a message from Miggie. He calls her and she pleads for him to help her… her father is drunk, has gone crazy and has a gun. As Dick is about to go and rescue her, our friendly assassin reappears. Dick pretty much takes him apart, and then borrows the thug's bike and races off to Miggie’s. He arrives just after she shoots her father. Nightwing then goes to the hospital to ask the final question of Von Cart… did Kravia have his parents killed? The answer is no. As he leaves the hospital room, Batman is waiting. The exchange between them is heartening. Batman asks if he wants to talk… a first, Dick notes. Dick has come full circle. Dick speaks of his adoration for Bruce and his love for him. He has realized that his ‘family’ isn’t perfect, but then no one’s is.
“You and Alfred gave me a home and you gave me what we don’t mention. The ‘L’ word. You were the best family I could have had. Thanks.“
Dick has realized that Nighwing is who he is and that he needs to use what’s he’s been given to help those who can’t help themselves.
“I have just arrived in the present. I’m moving into the future.”
All in all, the series wasn't too bad. I found Dick's character very negative in the beginning, but he comes around more in the end. We just need to get rid of the pony tail. Yuk. |
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