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Corny dialogue and millennial humor aside, this is a strong start for a run that I've only heard bad things about for some reason.
Dick is loveable, and smart while being just rash and vain enough to be flawed. I love the very regular mob boss villains like Blockbuster, and Maroni who give a sense of reality to the city of Bludhaven, while also being goofy enough to be comic book characters. Heartless is way more fantastical than the mob, but they've done enough to make me curious. The SUDDEN random lore drop about Dick's family definitely feels out of place, and I need to see where it goes first to have a proper opinion on it. Also, always love when the Batfamily gets involved.
That's the plot, but what's the HEART of the story? A big part of it is Dick realizing that all his years of punching criminals in the face has done nothing. Crime rate is just as bad (if not worse) since his return, and the economy serves only the rich and powerful. This story is him realizing that he wants to be more than just a vigilante, or a superhero; he wants to be the solution. Now, this is something Bruce has also realized, and tried to (and is still trying to) solve, but Bruce has a personal holy war against crime, one that is obsessive, which means that his focus is on being a symbol against crime rather than being a proper solution. Dick is not like his father, (mostly) and Bruce was a big part of that, but the biggest influence on him was Alfred, who gave Dick what he could not give to Bruce: love. With his new wisdom and money thanks to Alfred, who still keeps influencing him even after his death, he goes on a new journey to solve bigger problems, not just as Nightwing, but also as Dick Greyson.
THAT is fantastic for this character I've loved for so long. I love Batman, and his questionable judgements are what make him interesting, but Nightwing is different. He is the light of the DC universe, and having him turn into a billionaire like his father to just to show how different his approach will be is brilliant. Dick doesn't like crime sure, but his crusade isn't just against just crime, he wants to be more. Him realizing that he needs to be politically involved, and be a face that people can respect is perfect. Not to mention how much of a joy it is to read every page. The entire art team does an amazing job, and I love the cute almost instruction manual art style we get when he uses a new device. I wish the colours didn't feel so airbrushy sometimes, but that's a minor complaint.
The only big issue I have is that Bludhaven has no personality. It's never had one in my opinion, it's always has been a less interesting Gotham, and I really wanted Tom Taylor and the art team to inject some life into the city after all these years, but no; still the same boring American city suffering under capitalism (which is every city). I think the most personality Bludhaven ever got was when Tim and Cass were protecting that city in the early 2000s.
All in all, a great read and I'm excited to read more of this run.
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