Nightwing 1: Traps and Trapezes

Comic Info

Nightwing (2) #3

Reprints Nightwing (2) #1-7 (November 2011-May 2012).  Dick Grayson finds himself drawn back to his pre-Bruce Wayne life in Haly’s Circus when he finds himself owner.  Unfortunately, Nightwing is also being hounded by an assassin named Saiko who claims he is a murderer.  With a cryptic warning from Haly before his death, Dick learns that his life and childhood might not have gone the direction intended and that someone had bigger plans that still could come back to haunt him.

Written by Kyle Higgins and illustrated by Eddy Barrows, Eduardo Pansica, and Geraldo Borges, Nightwing 1:  Traps and Trapezes kicks off the second volume of the Nightwing series.  The comic was part of DC’s massive New 52 relaunch overhaul of all their titles after Flashpoint.

Nightwing, of course, is the original Robin who first appeared in Detective Comics (1) #38 in April 1940 and this volume does go back to Dick’s roots by tying into his life in the circus.  I have always been a fan of the Dick Grayson Robin and followed his transformation into Nightwing in the pages of New Teen Titans…fortunately, Nightwing’s horrible ’80s/’90s costumes are gone and a rather standard but solid comic exists.

Nightwing (2) #4

Nightwing isn’t very inventive.  I will say that it is very classic in the comic book style.  The plots are comic book plots, and it does have a pretty good flow.  The comic has some bigger storylines, but also has a few nice stand-alone issues.  The “mystery” of the comic (the Raya/Raymond story) is pretty obvious and doesn’t provide many twists.

I wish that Higgins would capitalize on the circus aspect of the story and develop some of the characters (if he’s going to keep them around…and after this volume, I don’t know).  The story felt a bit like the ’90s Marvel Comics Blaze comic which also took place in the circus. The circus is a pretty rich environment and Nightwing could be a bit different if they used it like a show like Carnivale.

The Batman family books at this point of the DC relaunch are leading up to the Night of the Owls storyline and most of the subplot in Nightwing regards Dick’s ties to the Court of Owls.  This comic might not be the most compelling read, but it is fun, and I am looking forward to seeing where it goes.  Nightwing 1:  Traps and Trapezes is followed by Nightwing 2:  Night of the Owls.

Related Links:

Nightwing 2:  Night of the Owls

Nightwing 3:  Death of the Family

Nightwing 4:  Second City

Nightwing 5:  Setting Son