Writer: Benjamin Percy / Artist: Chris Mooneyham, Lalit Kumar Sharma / DC Comics
What Dwells Within… The Dark Web?
After teasing Batgirl’s future involvement with the Wyrm problem, the third entry in Percy’s The Bleeding Edge wastes no time in giving us the Nightwing/Batgirl team up Batfamily fans love to see. The relationship between Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon is one of the more iconic dynamics within the DC universe. Within this current cyberpunk-inspired arc, it introduces some interesting commentary about how technology has altered our interactions with our loved ones. True to his word, Percy continues to “take a knife to the nerve of the moment” and uses Nightwing to examine a lot of pertinent themes.
Nightwing is a social hero, so giving him a proper partner in vigilantism who is right there in the thick of battle just makes sense. Percy captures Barbara’s snark and playful humor. Having a character who can keep pace and even outmaneuver the ever-sardonic Dick gives the issue a brisk pacing. Some of the exposition slows down the second act, but the banter keeps thing interesting.
Mooneyham and Sharma’s artwork effortlessly blends together. There are plenty of clever panel layouts, small detail work, and eerie technological horrors to enjoy. It captures the grit and grime of the digitally gentrified Blüdhaven perfectly, yet distinguishes itself from its previous incarnations as a harbor town and a gambler’s den.
Nightwing #46 continues to be an exhilarating exhibition and examination of contemporary social issues. It has carefully leveraged the superheroic nature of the DC universe to give physical manifestation of our everyday fears. As the conspiracy behind Mirage Industries slowly unfurls to both us and our protagonist, we are forced to question the layered reality that we reside in — the intertwined nature of our physical and digital life. Percy continues to orchestrate an engaging tale that is peak Nightwing.
9.1 “Batfamily Team Ups” out of 10
Reading Nightwing? Find BNP’s other reviews of the series here.
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