Series Review: Nightwing by Tom Taylor
Hot take alert! …or maybe not?
The internet seems to be very divided on how it feels about Tom Taylor’s run on the much loved DC character Dick Grayson a.k.a. Nightwing.
Some loved it for the fluff and feel-good moments that Taylor littered throughout the series, while others are very critical on that same topic, claiming that the series as a whole was without substance and had low stakes.
In case you don’t know, Nightwing was originally Batman’s very first Robin. Over the extremely long and convoluted history of the characters, there have been many times where the two haven’t been on speaking terms, and might even have hated each other. Taylor’s run shows them at what I believe to be their very best. They are father and son, and always have each other's backs.
Many members of the Bat Family make an appearance throughout the series, with Barbara Gordon playing a huge role as Dick’s girlfriend and crime fighting partner, Batgirl.
Other DC characters also make appearances, and this was criticized as Taylor not making Nightwing the sole focus and hero of the story. The flip side, and the viewpoint that I would argue for, is that it shows Nightwing as one of the best leaders DC has right now. Not only do members of the Bat Family look to him for help and advice, but also members of the Titans, and even the Justice League, reach out to him.
As for the criticism of it having low stakes, in a way, that’s not entirely wrong. Batman and Robin originally fought street crime, but over the decades they have been involved more and more frequently in fights and storylines that have world-ending consequences.
Taylor brought it back down to earth for us. The two major villains of the series, Heartless and Blockbuster, are definitely intelligent, strong and terrifying opponents, but they are by no means going to try and take over the world. What they are trying to do is own Bludhaven. This sort of street level villain is where heroes like Nightwing truly shine, because the stakes are more personal.
This wasn’t meant to be some grand epic story, it was meant to be a more intimate tale about a city and the people who call it home fighting to make it better. Honestly, I think Taylor crushed it and I loved every minute of the series!
Tom Taylor's Nightwing run is available at our library in hard copy or on Hoopla. (The Hoopla link should work for any library that has the item in their Hoopla collection, not just LCPL!) Start with Leaping Into the Light.
