Nightwing #100: A Celebration of DC’s Past, Present, and Future

Credit needs to be given to all the artists of this issue, outside of just the always fantastic Bruno Redondo. Scott McDaniel, Eddy Barrows, Mikel Janín, Rick Leonardi, and Javier Fernandez all jump into this 56 page to remind readers how Nightwing has gotten up to one hundred issues. All of these artists bring back their styles which harken back to their times on the character. The best instance of this is a sequence where Nightwing is jumping through the air and each page transitions between the different costumes he’s worn over the years. We get to see that old popped collar jumpsuit all the way through the controversial New 52 red costume before he lands in his current uniform. These celebrations are often a mixed bag but Nightwing #100’s celebration of artists is truly a burst of nostalgia that will bring a tear to any DC fan’s eyes.

The plot of this issue simultaneously finishes up an arc from the ongoing series, bookends the Dark Crisis event, sets up the future of the character, and possibly sets up a future title. The continuation of the current arc unfortunately feels rushed here but it does serve as a satisfying conclusion to what’s been going on. Tom Taylor is able to blend this arc into this expansive story in a way that would cause most writers to falter. Taylor’s writing, as always, is top notch. There’s a reason that this run has been so celebrated. 

The most interesting thing about this issue is all the implications it sets up for the future. So far, Nightwing has been a hero for Bludhaven and has stuck to his city, but now the broader DC universe needs him and it will be interesting to see how Taylor continues his narrative with all of that going on. Joshua Williams has been very clear throughout all of Dark Crisis that Nightwing is going to be the head of the next phase of DC and this issue tells us exactly how.

That brings us to the thing that everyone is going to be talking about, the OG Titans are here and all signs point at Taylor writing their next series at some point in 2023. Since their inception, the Titans were supposed to be the next iteration of the Justice League and after about 60 years of continuity it looks like this will finally happen. The biggest two questions here are how this is going to effect the Nightwing book. Will Taylor write both titles or just stick to one? Will the Titans get their own relaunch or will they just be folded into the pages of the Nightwing series? The best part about these questions is the amount of hype and excitement that DC is drawing. All fans of DC should rejoice, no matter what direction Taylor goes in here, we know what he’s capable of and we can trust him to helm these characters into a satisfying and pleasing direction.