Just
because Dick Grayson isn’t Nightwing any more doesn’t mean he’s not a hero.
Some level of morality still exists, and it continue to drives him to serve and
protect. Speaking of which, as Det. Alphonse Sapienza continues his masquerade
as Nightwing, he may discover he’s in over his head.
Honestly, I
like Sapienza. He’s a dedicated cop with all the right intentions, but vigilante
justice flies in the face of law and order. How long until this replacement
Nightwing is forced to reconcile the two? It’s a very narrow ledge he is
walking, and the longer he tries to balance the two, the more complex a character
he becomes. Perhaps he’ll have his own super-hero identity in the future.
As for Ric
Grayson, he makes it clear the Dick Grayson we once knew is gone, but Ric isn’t
too far removed. He still has the old instincts – not just for fighting crime
but also for being a partner and team leader. That’s what makes non-powered
super-heroes so super. Rather than a super-human ability, they have the wisdom
and skill toelevate themselves and others above the tide.
This issue
features the artwork of Travis Moore and Patch Zircher. Zircher’s work is consistent
with what I’ve seen previously in Action
Comics. Perhaps too consistent. In more than one scene, Sapienza looks more
like Superman in a Nightwing mask than another person. I think Nightwing is a different book, and calls
for a different artistic approach. But there is time for Zircher to work on
that.
Rating:
8/10