Nightwing Annual 2024: Mission Inconsistent

One of the biggest flaws of recent superhero comics is a lack of non-hero-related supporting casts. Big Two comics have moved away from the civilian aspect of a supporting cast, whether that be friendship, family, or romance, in favor of building community within superhero families or amongst hero teams. While interesting in doses, a bit of the humanity found in these characters and a tension of worlds is lacking due to that switch. A book that has struggled with at times, but for the most part succeeded in returning to is the current Nightwing run’s utilization of an expanding supporting cast.  

Nightwing Annual 2024 – written and illustrated by Travis Moore with coloring from Ivan Plascencia and Alex Guimarães, and lettering by Wes Abbott – fills in the backstory of Bea Bennett, the current head of The Hold. A former flame of Dick Grayson during his Ric days, Bea went from a child of a corporate employee to a drifter, to an agent of Spyral, and then freelancer. Weaving in and out of the events of the Grayson solo series from the DC You era, Bennett worked to find the person responsible for her mother’s death. 

Like any good spy story, love gets in the way as Bea works to handle Ric Grayson, leading her to temporarily abandon her mission. Once Dick Grayson returns around the time of Event: Leviathan, Bea works to take down her mysterious enemy, the KGBeast. A failed recon pushes her further down as the story syncs up with the current Nightwing run and Bea gets to learn more about the game behind her life. 

Moore’s script is a mixed bag, thriving in the character-driven moments and maintaining a clipping pace. The issue stumbles in the larger plot mechanics, as the book struggles to link various elements of the last few Nightwing/Grayson runs while telling a compelling sky drama. The red-string, obsessive focus on continuity is a detriment to the story as it reduces the world and makes for a flimsy connection between Grayson and Bea. A character already built on pulpy twists is saddled with even more deep lore that strives for compelling but reads as homework. 

Focusing on the doomed romance of Bea and Grayson would have been an excellent tonal continuation while allowing for a more compelling spy story. Instead, Moore sacrifices that premise for a needlessly complicated plot that features roughly six twists/double crosses. The danger of an espionage story mirrors the world of the undercover agent, in that getting too deep can lead to problems. All of the twists become a hat on a hat, in that the buy-in of a superspy, pirate, hacker stretches the ability to suspend disbelief even in a world of superheroes. 

On the flip side of the scripting, Moore brings a kinetic pace that ensures that Bea’s life story never drags. The scenes move forward in time at a cascading pace that offers just enough to build tension and develop concrete character dynamics, enriching the tragedy of this doomed relationship. Thanks to that moving pace, the flaws in the spy plot never weigh down the book and the issues only become evident after finishing the story. This becomes an ultimate expression of good art and character elevating a messy plot to achieve a consistently enjoyable reading experience. 

Moore’s focus on character makes the case for artist-turned-writers, as the artwork enriches the story at every point. The linework lives and breathes in the medium and close-ups, as superspies are still seen as human while Bea moves between various missions and organizations. The escalating obsession and conflict in Bea is palpable from page one and gets ratcheted to eleven when the romance with Ric begins to blossom. Moore never backs away from centralizing the focus on the people inside of the spy suits, trading in rhythmic panels that highlight these personable qualities. 

For a book trading on the goodwill of a consistent, sometimes groundbreaking run, the coloring here matches that solid quality. There is an enriching yet neutral quality to the palettes that ensures the hues are never distracting. Nothing leaps out from the page as the tones match with the established blues and grays of both the superhero and superspy world. The color contrasts the deep turmoil of Bea, offering a smooth sense of sailing that ensures the story continues to move forward.