Customer Reviews

Nightwing: Year One

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The writing team of Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon manage to strike the same kind of gold with Nightwing: Year One as they did with Batgirl: Year One and Robin: Year One before it. Showcasing the transition of Robin the Boy Wonder to the brooding Nightwing, Beatty and Dixon weave a tale that is surprisingly compelling and full of character development. Not to mention that there is plenty of action throughout this TPB as well, including a team up with the original Batgirl, and a confrontation with the Joker. The pencils by Scott McDaniel and inks by Joss Whedon's Fray inker Andy Owens are superb for the most part, even though they can look a bit cartoony from time to time. Virtually flawless and one of (if not the) best Nightwing stories ever, Nightwing: Year One is a welcome reminder of what a super hero comic should be. All in all, if you're a Bat-fan who enjoyed the previous Year One's, you'd do well to check this out.

This a great tpb laying the foundation of Dick Grayson's transformation from Robin to Nightwing. After a falling out with Batman when confronting Killer Croc goes awry, Dick goes to Metropolis to talk to Clark Kent. Superman gives Dick the inspiration of Nightwing after telling him the story of crime fighter in Krypton who is called Nightwing!

After helping Superman disarm a terrorist attack, Dick travels back to old circus where he and his parent were once performers. The mysterious Deadmen inhabits various bodies to give Dick some advice as well.

Upon returning to Gotham, he explores his feeling with Batgirl, confronts Jason Todd, the new Robin, and must work with Robin as Nightwing in order to save Alfred, who is disguised as Two Face after Batman is shot and is incapacitated.

Well-done story weaving in the growth and maturity of Dick from Robin to Nightwing. Must own book for Batman and Nightwing fans! Fantastic art by McDaniels as always.

I have always loved Batman as a superhero as he is a testament to human ingeninuty and will. His lack of 'super' abilities is what made him so appealing - Stephen King I think said it best when saying why Batman was better than Superman: Batman can't fly.

Robin never had appealed to me though. I always cringed when he featured, it seemed to me that even though he was designed to ground Batman and make him stronger, that the concept weakened him in some way.

In this graphic novel though, and through the Nightwing stories, Dick Grayson becomes in part the legend he worked with in Batman. As he journeys to become Nightwing, we see him come of age and take on for himself all the elements I loved about Batman. He is smart, tough and most of all NOT perfect. Learning by mistakes he truly grows as a character.

I highly recommend this as a beginning point for those wanting to look into Nightwing. The actual Nightwing series that starts with 'A Knight in Bludhaven' is definitely worth checking out after this one - it is where the action really begins. Check them all out!

Ahhh...Nightwing! I am trying to learn more about DC Comics (I grew up with Marvel), and one of the first characters I started with is Nightwing. I love Batman, but he has a long and complicated past. While Nightwing (Dick Grayson, the original Robin) has quite a past as well, the Nightwing series gives a newbie like me a good jumping in point as Dick takes on a new identity and starts a new life on his own. "Year One" provides a glimpse into how Batman and Robin split up, and how Robin becomes the much better dressed Nightwing.

The Highlights: Fabulous writing and art! I love what the writing team does with Dick Grayson's character, delving into what makes him tick without skimping on the action or using a bunch of flashbacks. The dialogue is also pretty funny at times. It has appearances by a lot of great heroes and villains, but the focus stays on Nightwing. This story also doesn't require a lot of previous knowledge of the DC Universe, but those who are familiar won't be disappointed either. Let me just say that I LOVE Scott McDaniel's art! It stands out from the typical superhero art. It's a little more stylized and cartoony, but in a very, very good way. His page layouts are also very refreshing and unique compared to the norm.

Things to Consider: If you're picky about art styles, check out some of McDaniel's work before you purchase this paperback. The cover doesn't give the full effect. Some other reviewers felt that Dick Grayson's character didn't match his characterization in the Teen Titans comics. I haven't read any Teen Titans, but I have read other Nightwing stories, and I love what they do with the Dick Grayson character in his own series.

I loved it! If you're not into Batman then this might not be your thing, but if you want fun and interesting stories with some classic Batman characters then I highly recommend this book! It's great to see how Dick Grayson sets out on his own to become a superhero that I find just as interesting as Batman.

I am, and will probably always be, a Batman fan first and foremost. However, Nightwing brings an attitude, style, and level of action to the comics that is very entertaining. He is very different from his mentor. Sometimes this is good, sometimes bad.

For instance, I see Nightwing as more reckless than Batman. Batman always has a plan within a plan within a plan. Nightwing is also a clever and careful person, but he is not afraid to get his hands dirty in an all-out brawl.

Second, Nightwing has a sense of humor. Not gonna find that with Batman.

Third, however, Nightwing just seems more consistent. Nightwing is a lot more like Dick Grayson, where Batman is nothing like Bruce Wayne. This creates a continuity of character in the Nightwing series.

Nightwing has left behind the Robin role, left the Titans, and now focused his eyes upon Bludhaven. Eventually, he will become the protector of Bludhaven as Batman is the protector of Gotham. He even has an antagonist who is his perfect spoil- the Blockbuster.

Nightwing: Year One introduces us to a character who will take a path different from the one of his mentor.

This is a must have for Robin/Nightwing fans. The story fills in some great details on Dick's transition from "Boy Wonder" to "Man Wonder".

Every character has their own voice and familiar characterization. Dick is brave and resourceful, Alfred is caring, Batman is callous and Jason Todd is a brat. The linear nature of the story is wonderful, not wasting time in re-caps and histories, but going forward with a great adventure.

The only drawback is the blocky, cartoony nature of the artwork, but the story is so well-written you hardly notice it.

What are you waiting for, buy this book!

Dick Grayson's truly captured in this book as the heroic hot shot charmer that he is, and you see the character begin to come into his own. As Grayson's origin story unfolds, any reader could easily grasp Nightwing's relationship with Batman and Barbara. Through his reaction upon learning about the new Robin, you get a measure of what kind of man he isn't. He isn't mean-spirited or hot-tempered. He isn't a fluff character with no substance. In the evolution of his reaction to Jason Todd he feels stung, not because of being replaced by a new Robin, but because of what that may signify. Has Bruce replaced his surrogate son?

"A guy can't be a Boy Wonder forever," and it seems that everyone understands that, and even Bruce, in the darkest corners of his mind, does too. Although, in small exchanges such as the one in the latest Infinite Crisis books between Wayne and Grayson, you catch a glimpse of the nostalgia between these two characters and an understanding. They're on equal footing as heroes now, and the events in this book are what set that into motion.

This origin story also plants a few tasty seeds for readers to follow in other books: the Barbara/Grayson dynamic, Nightwing/Blüdhaven, and Jason Todd, which later leads into another major storyline that I won't spoil here. And there's no better way to get hooked on a book than being dazzled by Chuck Dixon's and Scott Beatty's mojo.

Okay, the story's timeline as most of you know is questionable. With the introduction of Jason Todd so early, that otherwise doesn't bother me. The story is a good read, sit down and just enjoy it over a cup of tea. But the art is an atrocity. It looks like they really butchered the characters, makes me wish DC started hiring more Marvel Artists.

Really the only reason why I'm giving this book three stars is because the art is that bad. It had its moments every now and then where you can just look at a single panel for a good long time because the craft they put in it, but the panel next to it looks like garbage. The huge price tag doesn't help either. I only bought it because I have Batman, Robin, and Batgirl Year One, but it didn't seem to fit the same style Robin and Batgirl Year One had, and I think I can blame the artists for this one.

Not much to say that hasn't already been said. This is brilliant. The story is like a feast perfectly prepared. Everything is just right. There are no awkward fillers, the story isn't the decompressed at any single point. It flows perfectly from plot point to point. It's exciting, insightful, funny and heartwarming. The book is probably more fun if you know the Batman family continuity a little, but just as long as you know who the characters are it's a blast.

Definitely don't miss Batgirl: Year One (Batman) or Robin: Year One (Batman) either.

There comes a time when all Robins must leave the nest and fly solo, and in this case, take flight under the new name Nightwing. Yes it's a painful cliché, but so apropos. Parting can be such sweet sorry, but Dick Grayson needed to become his own man and the time was now. The natural evolution of Robin to NW was a long time coming, and fortunately Nightwing is one of the best new characters DC has created in years. Chuck Dixon and Scott Beatty bucked the recent trend of disappointing and pointless Year One stories as the two take us on a whirlwind "This is your life" journey from past to present connecting his pre-Batman days with his current status quo. He first travels to Metropolis for a heart to heart with his former World's Finest buddy Superman, and then on to the circus of his childhood, which also includes a surprise visit from the mysterious Deadman. Of course no Dick Grayson story would be complete without Barbara Gordon, the love of his life and occasional crime fighting partner. Their relationship is always a joy to read, and one of the more realistic and poignant portrayals in all of comics. We are finally brought full circle and a bit of future shock with his first encounter with his successor Jason Todd. Sorry Dick, no one is irreplaceable. The dialogue is sharp and the characterizations spot on. Naturally Batman once again has to play the heavy just as a means of triggering the story to begin with. So despite some internal friction, this iconic cast of characters is one big, but not necessarily happy, Batfamily, and we wouldn't want it any other way.