Nightwing 3: Death of the Family

Comic Info

Nightwing (2) #13

Reprints Nightwing (2) #13-18, Batman (2) #17, and New 52:  Young Romance #1 (December 2012-May 2013).  Lady Shiva has come to Gotham, and Nightwing must deal with the skilled mercenary assassin.  Plus, someone is targeting the “Bat Family” and that includes Nightwing.  Unfortunately, Nightwing isn’t the only target and the Haly Circus and Amusement Mile of Gotham could become collateral damage if the Joker has his way.  Nightwing might not be strong enough to save the ones who rely on him.

Written by Kyle Higgins, Scott Snyder, and Tom DeFalco, Nightwing Volume 3:  Death of the Family is a DC Comics New 52 series.  Following Nightwing Volume 2:  Night of the Owls, the comic collection includes a tie-in to the Batman event series “Death of the Family” and features art by Eddy Barrows, Andres Guinaldo, Juan Jose Ryp, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, Mark Irwin, Raul Fernandez, Eber Ferreira, Sanford Greene, Roger Bonet, and Juan Albarran.  Issues in this volume were also included in The Joker:  Death of the Family and Batman Volume 3:  Death of the Family.

I always had a soft spot for Nightwing.  I loved the New Teen Titans, and as the original Robin, Nightwing always was the toughest Robin (or at least the longest Robin who survived through a lot), but the character often isn’t treated the best.  I always like to give Nightwing a chance.

Nightwing (2) #15

Part of the joy of the New 52 was the streamlining of the DC Comics.  Events in other comics actually affected events in other comics (at least for a while).  The Bat Family was brought together by New 52 and increased my interest in them in general.  While I kind of enjoyed “Night of the Owls”, “Death of the Family” was a bit poorly worked together and not the smoothest event series (especially considering they offed Damian not in Death of the Family but the next month or so).

Despite some criticism of the “Death of the Family” series as a whole, I kind of liked Nightwing’s role in the story.  The destruction of the circus was a good thing for the character since it had turned into a bit of a dead weight for Nightwing, and I didn’t feel it was used correctly.  It also was one of the last vestiges of Dick’s childhood, so it was like a purging of his past…another chance to be free.

Nightwing continues to be a pretty basic comic, but it is entertaining.  It isn’t a comic that reinvents the medium and this entry isn’t the even the best in the series.  I would still pick Nightwing over a lot of other “average” comics (and probably a few “popular” comics) simply because Nightwing is a character has earned his shot.  Nightwing 3:  Death of the Family is followed by Nightwing 4:  Second City.

Related Links:

Nightwing 1:  Traps and Trapezes

Nightwing 2:  Night of the Owls

Nightwing 4:  Second City

Nightwing 5:  Setting Son