Nightwing #87 // Review
Dick Grayson has made enemies. It's okay. He's used to that. There's a bounty on his head. He's no stranger to that either. He's only used to having the right people hate him under the mask, though. Now he's disliked by criminals without the mask, making trouble for him and his dog in Nightwing #87. Writer Tom Taylor and artist Bruno Redondo tell a fun, little story with a novel format that is given added depth courtesy of the colors of Adriano Lucas. A fun and stylish issue manages a degree of depth in one of the more visually appealing mainstream issues of 2021.
Dick Grayson wants to help people with actions that put him in the crosshairs of organized crime. Now he's a target both in and out of the mask. Criminals have kidnapped his dog, and now he's looking to save the life of his pet while dodging bullets of those who are looking to cash in on his death. Thankfully he doesn't have to go it alone: he's been alerted to his new status by his girlfriend. She only happens to be the original Batgirl. The dog will be as good as saved if they can come together quickly enough.
So it's an experimental format that recalls the covers of The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition. All the covers of that series could be placed end-to-end to form a long tapestry. The story for Nightwing #87 is one, long continuous chase from left to right that has Grayson running away and chasing after the kidnappers in a constant flow of motion. Not content to tell a simple chase story in a somewhat experimental format, Tom Taylor allows for depth in the narrative that casts light into Dick Grayson's psyche.
Redondo's architectural work is gorgeous. Clean lines and details allow the reader's eye to explore various corners of Blüdhaven's periphery, providing a vivid and diverse look at casual life in and around the edges of a traditional superhero action sequence. The story briskly glides along under Redondo's pen. In a conventional comic book, this sort of format runs the risk of looking a bit like little Billy's path in an old Family Circus comic. It could feel very, very silly. Redondo is strikingly clever with the way that the action flows, using the full depth of the visuals to keep it all moving in a way that's really, really appealing. Lucas' colors make metropolitan Blüdhaven look beautiful. Granted...the grimy side of things doesn't look quite as ugly as it should, but this is a strikingly stylish issue visually.
The sort of experimentation in Nightwing #87 breaks up the monotony of a long-running series without necessarily upstaging the story. One of the single most memorable issues of Marvel's G.I. Joe had Lara Hama delivering a story entirely without dialogue...and it didn't detract from the overall rhythm of the series. Nightwing #87's "Get Grayson" does the same.
