Nightwing #79 Review: Full of Heart

Writer: Tom Taylor / Artist: Bruno Redondo and Adriano Lucas / DC Comics That’s it. Hand the Eisner to the Nightwing team right now. I don’t care if we’re only two issues in. This is my favorite book coming out. Issue #79, or the second issue in this new direction of the book, has Nightwing getting settled into Bludhaven as he figures out just exactly what his place is in this city. He knows he wants to help, but he’s not sure how to do it yet.  The issue is framed in a way that shows that Dick has always had a safety net at some point in his life, and even though he fell often, it was never the devastating blow that it could have been. He ultimately decides that he wants to be the safety net for Bludhaven. And if that’s not the best way to describe a superhero’s relationship to their city, I don’t know what is. 

This issue was all heart. It had Dick buying food for the underserved, while boosting the sales of a corner pizza joint. And it had Dick building a community with the people on the streets.  Taylor makes writing look so effortless. It’s kind of ridiculous. Every time I read his stories, no matter who he’s writing, I always feel as if I’m peeking into the lives of real people. It’s no exception in this Nightwing book. That should always be the goal as a writer, but it’s not always the reality. Especially in mainstream comics.  Redondo is gifting us with some truly incredible art and layouts. My mind was blown a few times in this issue by looking…