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Review: Nightwing #13

By Philip Schweier
January 18, 2017 - 13:39

Guilt and redemption can be a challenge to reconcile. In the case of Nightwing, it’s borderline tiresome. Here’s a guy who has spent most of his life fighting side by side with Batman, the Teen Titans and several other heroes. He (briefly) sided with Raptor, a villainous character in a bid to do some good. But Raptor went to far and now Nightwing is consumed with remorse for his temporary lapse of judgment.

Get off the cross, Nightwing, someone else needs the wood. This tortured-hero-consumed-by-guilt is getting real old real fast.

Nightwing is trying very hard to save not only himself, but also a small group of minor super-villain wannabes. Here’s a clue: if you don’t want to be treated like a criminal, don’t do criminal things. It’s something that is heard in many communities around the world, including mine. People gripe that because of their history or skin color or address, they’re subject to being “profiled” as a criminal. I’m not saying it’s an invalid statement, but the first line of defense is not to complain, or wish for an improvement. The first strategy should be to not break the law.

But I digress – largely because I find this kind of writing counter-productive. It seems as if Seeley is molding the motivations and reactions to fit the circumstances, rather than allowing them to follow a more logical, reasonable path.

Nightwing and his new team are closing in on the person intent on carving a big chunk of Bludhaven’s criminal empire for himself. It culminates with a mad dash to the mayor’s office an unmasking of the true culprit. But despite his heroics and all he has tried to accomplish, the police of Bludhaven are not receptive to his help, and it remains to be seen how long Bludhaven will have a super-hero.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12