Cool Stuff So Far

Peter Tomasi and Rags Morales are poised to bring Nightwing back in a big way. As a long time fan of Nightwing who was wondering why Tim Drake got his own series first, Nightwing was a welcome addition to my long boxes. Only problem was that after Chuck Dixon left, writer after writer failed to present Nightwing as he should be presented. They made him Batman-Lite, giving him so many problems and fits of depression that he wasn't recognizable as Dick Grayson, the circus acrobat who was the personality opposite of Batman. Batman was grim and serious, Grayson was happy and playful. Right from the start, we get that Dick Grayson back and after two years in New York, Tomasi has Grayson setting down real roots, not working as a male model. I think anyone who thought Didio was right should take a look at this book and eat their words.

This is the most honest idea ever presented in a DC comic. If someone you loved was dying, you would yell for the same person.

Batman & The Outsiders

Not to call DC's editorial competency into question, but doesn't this promo shot

pretty much ruin the planned weekly mini-series that builds the team? Maybe it's misdirection.

Also, if Batman will be leading the Outsiders now, does that mean there will be a spot open in the Justice League? As much as I like the Big Three in the JLA, DC seems to have a one team membership limit and not having Nightwing on a team makes me think DC is freeing him up for death. He could go to the Titans, but what would be the point of two junior Batmen on one team, no matter how badass it would be?

That's All Lies!

I was in the comic book store, Big Monkey to you fellas, and arguing about the nature of the new mutliverse. As I understood it, all the universes(universi) exist together but in different dimensions, overlapping each other. Others thought the universes were separate and independant of each other. What it came down to, really, was whether the worlds were split apart or kind of formed back together.

So, I went back to 52 Week Fifty-Two. I found this:

I don't know whether it supports my theory all the universes are connected but it sure sounds that way.


Also, in Nightwing Annual #2, I disagreed with Marc Andreyko rewriting history to say that Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson were the same age. Others said that didn't happen.

It did:


And so I can rest now, secure in the knowledge that Jon Hex knows his shit.

Discrepancies: My Continuing Battle With 52

So, I now find myself going through not only World War III, but 52 as well to find where the story pretty much goes round the bend. Which brings us to Nightwing.

Being caught up with the kinetic storytelling of 52, I didn't see the irregularities until I read WWIII and the reasoning behind it. The writers forgot to deal with the changes of One Year Later that 52 was supposed to address. But one of the things you'd think the writers would keep in mind was that at the end of Infinite Crisis, Batman, Robin and Nightwing went on a world tour to get back on track after Batman's meltdown. In Nightwing: OYL, Dick Grayson moves to New York to restart his Nightwing career after a long absence.

Now, I don't have the issue in front of me, because I buried it somewhere. It's godawful. But in continuity. Anyway, Grayson's kind of whiny about not being in the game for awhile and not being in prime shape.

But is a month really that long a time?

Unlike Bruce and Tim (Bruce Timm, weird), Nightwing almost immediately came back to Gotham and was in active duty up until Week Forty-Eight. So besides not having enough downtime as the headliners of the Bat-Family, what the hell could he complain about in Nightwing: OYL? He should have still been at the top of his game.