Nightwing #60: City Ablaze (pt. 2)

Ric Grayson and Hutch (Nightwing Red) put their training and personal lives aside to run headfirst into a fire and do what they do best, save people. Joined by their team leader (Nightwing Prime) they encounter the cause of the fire, as things burn, and questions are raised.

The team of Nightwing’s seemed like a good idea at the time. But it’s starting to become the least interesting thing about this book. Even the amnesiac angle with Ric seems to have played itself.

The Grayson series proved that you CAN do different things with the classic character and have them feel inspired, hit levels new levels of greatness. But despite the strengths in Jurgens writing I’m hoping this storyline wraps up sooner rather than later.

On Jurgens writing, he displays a great grasp on the four other members of team Nightwing. His dialogue when it comes to police procedural is so consistent with what we know of police investigations. But his story is starting to come loose. Read the page where Nightwing Prime explains why he assumed the identity. It just doesn’t make sense. There are holes in that logic. If that’s intentional and something we’ll revisit later then great, but nothing really gives the impression that’s a seed being planted.

The shifting perspective of the narrative really works. If this is to masquerade as a team book this is a great way to do it and it only highlights how fleshed out Jurgens has this cast.

The art is on par with the last issue. Believe me, consistency is an underrated plus in this age of rotating artists and fill-ins. I’m starting to get a Gene Colan/Klaus Janson vibe from it, which suits the story if not the era. But the layouts are strong and it gels with the writing well.

You can almost see where the mystery of this issue will end up, but the villain does come off as a run of the mill monster and only gets as much of a look in as the previous issue.

This issue is further team and character development, amidst the backdrop of some straight forward action, it hits its mark without batting for the fences.