Written by: Tim Seeley
Art by: Yanick Paquette
Publisher: DC Comics
Generally speaking, I don’t think leading off every book in DC’s new line with a Rebirth one shot was a great idea. That’s not to say they’ve been bad (some of them have even been great), but their status as one shots means that they’re overburdened. In addition to being confusing to new readers, they have to establish the character(s) and also tell an engaging story, often at an accelerated rate. The result is that they’ve often felt kind of messy, and been overwrought with exposition.
While exposition isn’t a problem in Nightwing Rebirth, it definitely feels a little messy. There are shades of a great comic in here, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being the worst issue in this run on the character. Essentially, the issue is building up to Dick Grayson taking back the mantle of Nightwing, and that’s a cool story. It’s told in a series of semi-connected vignettes, but none of them really have enough substance to be all that impactful.
There are a few panels and lines that carry some serious weight (most of them between Bruce and Dick), but other than that, it felt like nothing ever went quite far enough. It’s a fun romp, but that’s about all I can say about the issue in terms of story. It’s moving at such an accelerated pace, with so much going on, that even seeing Dick don the costume again isn’t the triumphant moment it feels like it should be.
Regardless, Tim Seeley clearly understands the character. He wrote him exceptionally well in Grayson, and that definitely seems to be carrying over. Nightwing reads like Nightwing should read, and that is probably the most important part about this book. It’s also the reason I’m still excited for the main series to begin.
In terms of art, well, it’s Yanick Paquette. He certainly brings a very distinct style to the issue, and for the most part, it looks great. My one gripe is that pretty much all of the characters look they haven’t quite been able to shake their baby fat off. It’s odd, because that’s not something that I remember being a part of Paquette’s style. Apart from that, though, the aesthetic of the book is really solid.
The biggest bummer about this Rebirth issue is that there’s a constant feeling of “Well, this is good… but it could be incredible.” There’s just a bit too much happening a bit too quickly in this issue. So even when there are good moments, we don’t get to stick with them for long enough. Still, there’s enough about this book that I liked to bring me back for the main series.
