Nightwing, Vol. 4: The Leap

Nightwing (2016)

by Tom Taylor, Jay Kristoff, C.S. Pacat

The fourth volume in the thrilling Nightwing epic is here!

Collecting the exciting tales from Nightwing's adventures, this volume includes Nightwing #97-100 and Nightwing 2022 Annual—these include an appearance from Nite-Mite—that's right, that meddling Nite-Mite booped himself over from the fifth dimension!

Also with Blockbuster off the table, the crime families all head to Bludhaven in an attempt to claim the city as their own...including Tony Zucco himself! Since his "daughter" Melinda Zucco is currently the mayor, and definitely not secretly working with Nightwing to take down crime bosses—it should be easy, right?!

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes, Batman, Fiction

200 pages, Hardcover

First published December 12, 2023

About the author

Once a professional juggler and fire eater, Tom Taylor is a #1 New York Times Bestselling, multi-award-winning comic book writer, playwright and screenwriter.

Well known for his work with DC Comics and Marvel, Taylor is the co-creator of NEVERLANDERS from Penguin Random House, SEVEN SECRETS from Boom Studios and the Aurealis-Award-winning graphic novel series THE DEEP. Taylor is also the Head Writer and Executive Producer of The Deep animated series, four seasons of which is broadcast in over 140 countries.

He is perhaps best known for the DC Comics series, DCEASED (Shadow Awards Winner), NIGHTWING (nominated for 5 Eisner Awards), SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL (GLAAD Award Nominee), INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, SUICIDE SQUAD, EARTH 2 and BATMAN/SUPERMAN as well as Marvel's FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN, ALL NEW WOLVERINE, X-MEN: RED, DARK AGES and SUPERIOR IRON MAN. Taylor is also the writer of many Star Wars series, which include STAR WARS: INVASION and STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES (Stan Lee Excelsior Award winner). Taylor has written for Marvel, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Boom Studios, Wildstorm, 2000 AD and Gestalt Comics.

He can be followed on twitter @TomTaylorMade.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally. We get the origin of Heartless.
To be honest, he feels a bit Hush-y to me. <--not that there's anything wrong with that.
But if Batman has Hush, then Dick can have Heartless, right? And don't get me wrong, it's not a carbon copy kind of thing, just an overall vibe I got from the character.



Nite-Mite was adorable. I loved that issue, and that's coming from someone who sometimes thought that the Bat-Mite stuff with Batman would get a bit OTT.



And the issue with Haley (Bite-wing) dreaming she was a superpet was so cute. I love her!



And this. Getouttahere.
I'm not crying, you're crying!




Everything with Babs and Dick was awesome. The Titans were, of course, a highlight to see again.
And the plot with Zucco and whatever that criminal safety deposit bank he tried to rob was great.
I'm enjoying Nightwing having a half-sister and seeing that relationship develop, as well.



Overall, another great issue that made me smile.
Highly Recommended for fans of Dick.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

"You are a warrior, and a man of peace. We have every confidence in you." -- Wonder Woman, paying a high compliment to the title character

I'd also like to take a moment to pay a compliment - there may not be 'sure things' in this world of ours, but a Nightwing graphic novel by the tag team of writer Tom Taylor and artist Bruno Redondo may be as close as one can get to such a certainty. I was again pleasantly surprised by (but no less appreciative) of the sustained quality they provide in both story - the 'Bludhaven' narrative continues from the prior volumes, but also includes a few short standalone tales, all adeptly mixing the action, drama, or humor - and artwork. It may sound like an oxymoron, but as portrayed here Dick Grayson a.k.a. Nightwing is a great progressive vigilante crimefighter, battling the worst of the city's criminal element yet not losing his humanity when also attempting to assist the various citizens in his new base of operations, the downtrodden metropolis of Bludhaven. A quiet moment late in the volume - with Grayon / Nightwing and Bruce Wayne / Batman finally having an open and honest graveside conversation at Alfred Pennyworth's burial plot - was touchingly done so well that I wanted to stand up and applaud . . . while also brushing the tears from my eyes. (I'm not kidding.) Yes, this series so far arguably deserves a place alongside the other great books about the extended 'Bat' family.

[Khurram · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book, with lots of action, changing roles (in the aftermath of the latest Crisis), and emotions. Just the scene between Bruce and Dick would be worth five stars on its own.

Blockbuster is dead. There is a power vacuum in Blüdhaven. Nightwing/Dick Grayson has some big choices to make in both their lives. A great march on yo issues 100, and the Annual 2022 contained the dark origin of Heartless.

There are a lot of interesting things to come out of this book. I especially like the way they show the differences between Nightwing and Batman. The different approaches/ways they deal with similar situations. The book finishes with a varient cover gallery and sketchbook designs of earlier Nightwing costumes.

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rare case of the filler being more interesting than the main story, the shift in art between panels only serves to fracture an already struggling story. Where the cameos worked before, this time a lot of them seem to be attempting to cover up the narrative shortcomings. That's not to say that there aren't moments that absolutely shine. It still has that Tom Taylor character flavour and remains good when compared to much of its competition, but it's the weakest of this particular run.

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another great volume and just wow it's the close of so many things and the beginning of so many more and I love it so much.

So here we have the return of Maroni and like when he is targeted it's upto Dick and Babs to protect him and we get to see their love for each other and its fun and then enter a 5th dimension imp called "Nite-mite" and he is so cute for real,so different than the other imps and I like the meta-commentary Taylor offers here and it's all in good fun. The stuff with Olivia and Neron will be a major one in the next volume.

But yeah also the return of Tony Zucco and I love how Taylor wraps things up with him, it's like such a great closure. And again just showing how far Melinda had come also and I like the closure.

Plus the origins of Heartless and the big centennial issue which is wild to think of in modern times and then seeing what happens when he let's loose criminals in Bludhaven and how Dick saved it but by trusting in people and that's such a great look at what makes Dick such a different hero and really wil make you love him more.

It's a very different feeling volume and it has these levels of hope and optimism and hoy by the time you're done reading and it's the end of so many things and the beginning of so many more, maybe the whole run will end up in a great way but so far I am loving it a lot, and the Titans status quo will be interesting to see especially after Dark crisis now that JL has disbanded and what this team does. Great volume tho :)

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall for me a slight decline in quality compared to some of the truly excellent previous volumes but I think TT just sets such an impossibly high standard he's really just competing against himself.



I liked the origin story for Heartless, and of course Taylor even somehow makes Nightwing's version of Bat-mite less obnoxious.



Still very much on the Dick Grayson train, looking forward to vol. 5!


My favourite comic cover ever, perhaps?

[gloire en espagnol · Rating 5 out of 5]

How have I not read this sooner ?
J’adore Nightwing mais ses comics et les volumes précédents didn’t stick with me. Je me rappelle avoir bien aimé mais je me rappelais même plus des plots et de pourquoi j’aimais Nightwing. Je me suis même dit c’est peut-être un gaslight que tu t’es fait avoir Nightwing en personnage préféré… Mais j’avais juste besoin qu’on me rappelle SON ESSENCE.
JE LAIME TELLEMENT. Son personnage is one of the greatest genre je pense à Nightwing j’entend le mot Espoir. Ce mec c’est vraiment how all men should be. Et même j’avais oublié à quel pont l’histoire et juste a sweet kiss on the cheek c’est drôle c’est heartfelt et ça promet tellement de bonnes choses.
Nightwing 🤝 Invincible = having toxic superhero dads but learning from their mistakes to be better persons and inspiring hope and being cutie patooties baby girls AND HAVING THE LAST NAME GRAYSON OMG

[Matthew Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every issue in this one was a BANGER. Very different issues, but all really intriguing. Ridiculously easy 5 stars for me.

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good volume!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo have made this Marvel Zombie place this run of Nightwing amongst his favourite comicbook runs of all-time. It’s truly great.

If only Bruno Redondo could manage to do all the artwork, without the need for various fill-in (sorry ‘guest’) artists, this would be five stars all the way from me.

The highlight of this volume for me was Dick and Bruce’s talk by Alfred’s grave. I had tears.

[Willow Heath]

This felt like the culmination of a story that has been building, and having so much fun along the way, for a while now. We have the hundredth issue of Nightwing in here, followed by the 2022 annual, which gives us the backstory to shadowy villain Heartless.

It's a fantastic arc that doubles down on the themes of system corruption, the failures of police, and even the evils of the prison system. It really highlights how Nightwing is, in many ways, a better Batman than Batman. He has ideals that are more useful and progressive and good for the future of humanity, and they get explored here so eloquently.

I continue to love this run on Nightwing so completely.

[Diz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt that the quality of the art in this series is dipping from this volume. There are a lot of alternate artists working on this, so the art style changes from issue to issue. That gives the book an uneven feel.

[Dimitris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Taylor is the perhaps the only writer whose filler issues are better than the main story. And that says a lot because the main story of his Nightwing run is actually superb

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite installment so far, but there were a couple of good moments. (One in particular between Dick and Bruce, and some interesting backstory was revealed about one of this run's major villains.) Aside from that, I felt like a lot of what happened here was pretty familiar territory. Not bad, but not terribly thrilling, either.

Forgot to mention that all the stuff with the imp was very dumb and did not fit in at all with the rest of the vibe! I'm sorry to be a hater.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

i don’t know how many times i can get away with just saying “dick grayson my beloved”.

[Jesse A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taylor is doing the best job at writing Nightwing in quite some time.

[Mohan Vemulapalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Nightwing: The Leap" is a rougher and choppier book than previous volumes in this series but most fans will still find it a rewarding read. This volume focuses on the power vacuum created by the fall of Blockbuster and also includes a few peripheral stories that flesh out the back stories of some of the heroes in this series and that of one of the primary villains. Expect, the return of Heartless for some major villainy, an impish adventure, a near wedding, Dick and Barbara mostly keeping it together, Mayor Zucco getting a rebrand and a new development for the Titans.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another really good volume of Nightwing, there were so many good moments in this book and I just had a great time reading this. This book in particular felt more like a compilation of extra Nightwing stories rather than adding to the main story (about a 50:50 split) but those stories were amazing so it didn’t take away from my enjoyment.

[Spens (Sphynx Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume isn't as strong as the previous ones but still great! I love the cast of characters and the explanation to some of the previous events. Also great character work for Nightwing.

[kesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

aw hell nah - the weakest link in taylor’s run. tf is a “nite mite”, why did the art change every page, is he ever going back to “the hold”?, why was everything solved with a titans cameo, and why didnt the story ever really go anywhere?

i mean ok taking a step back this volume explored the power vacuum left behind by certain characters’ deaths but there was sm filler, the next vol better be insane 😤

i really enjoyed the bruce-dick father-son relationship moment and heartless’ origin in the annual. idk ig dick-babs stuff was nice and gives dick that character d e p t h cs he js a guy. always enjoy redondo my goat’s art —

but it js didn’t hit the same :((( ik taylor’s writing is capable of diving into that deep dark stuff, i love what he’s been doing w the social commentary, i js need more stakes, more character dev and LESS TITANS AND FILLER PLS 🙏🙏 he’s treading that ya-adult line and idc ab labels i js need that good shit 🙇‍♂️

3/5.

[Alex Sarll]

The first issue had me sighing, as Dick laments the death of the arch-enemy who knew his identity and corrupted his city, rather than celebrating; the second reminded me why I still read this, interrupting a tense witness protection story by giving Nightwing his own fifth-dimensional imp, then following with the most adorable Bitewing scene yet. It's all like that; the Knightfall reprise rings false, the reveal of Heartless' identity falls flat, but then it'll hit you with an emotional Bruce/Dick encounter that's actually moving, instead of just making me want to slap them both. Probably the best conceivable series to star Nightwing, despite never quite overcoming my scepticism of the whole concept.

[Monita Roy Mohan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not my favourite. Too many one-off stories and we still haven’t concluded the Heartless arc.

The first story was the most solid one and wrapped up one storyline. The Nite-Mite story was fun, but so left field considering how grounded the series has been so far. The third issue was going ok and was close to normal, but it had that weird thing about The Hold.

The next arc with the prison break was also riveting, even though the art changed. I really loved that one page interaction between Bruce and Dick—this series has really done a lovely job of highlighting their relationship, even in brief snippets. This part also alludes to the future of Nightwing, but it’s tied to a Justice League series I haven’t read, so a recap would have been nice.

Things went downhill from there. We see Heartless’s backstory and it’s not good. I did not like this issue at all, it was gruesome and grotesque.

The book ends with two mini stories—one that was, I think, not real, and the other is with Jon Kent. I liked the last story.

This volume was not the strongest, given the number of random fillers and my dislike of the Heartless backstory. But I’ll check out what else Nightwing is up to now.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Leap includes the clean-up from Blockbuster's death and the introduction of a new direction for Bludhaven (Guess I better read that Titans series). As such, it's a bit of a tweener volume without much to stand on on its own. Also not helping: the art style shifts every few pages. Maybe Bruno Redondo was finally feeling a tad overworked? Reasonable!

The "Nite Mite" issue felt like an April Fool's joke. And Heartless's backstory seemed relatively by-the-books for such a strange dude. Don't get me wrong: The Leap is still a fast, fun Tom Taylor read starring the world's most lovable superhero, it's just not up to the standards of the previous few volumes.

[Machiavelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

A joyful, heartfelt celebration of legacy, teamwork, and heroism. The Leap continues Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s stellar Nightwing run with charm, warmth, and high stakes. Dick Grayson shines at the center of a sprawling DC family—from the Titans to the Bat-Family to Superman himself—and every appearance feels earned. Redondo’s art is dynamic and expressive, with panel work that’s as fun as it is inventive.

If you love stories about hope, found family, and doing the right thing even when it’s hard, this is one of the best superhero comics out there.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

The last time I tried to read this volume (back in January!) I struggled with the tone shift of one of the issues but this time I was able to enjoy it. Also love that the titans are coming into the fray ❤️

[Lucille]

Un tome plutôt inégal, des moments très beaux et mignons et d’autres qui traînent un peu en longueur et m’ont un peu ennuyé. Je retiens le positif et j’ai hâte de lire le tome 5 💙

[kate elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

something so comforting about dick and bruce being the father and son that bruce never had with his dad❤️ love love love this series

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Equal parts silly, to equal parts heart.

Another really solid volume. Between Nightmite and Haley's issue there's a lot of light fair, which might have detracted from the impact if it wasn't so well balanced with the grittier drama of the overall run's story. Honestly part of what sets Nightwing apart from the Bat is that he does have a brightness, so it's not unwelcome to see that shine through in this volume. Plus Nightmite is a great nod to his DC predecessors. I do think the last two issues elevated the volume overall, as the tonal shifts did feel a bit disjointed. Wasn't a fan of the art style change midway either, but I get it. When we switch back to the more grounded side of the story, we finally get some details on Heartless which might have felt contrived if not handled well but is actually terrifying and the standout of the volume. As a villain their turning out to be a great dark reflection to Dick. Nightwing mentoring Jon further is also a great extention of his relationship with Supes and showcases what a great father Bruce was so elegantly, while exploring how a son can be better than what he was taught. Teared up a little again in that last issue. Looking forward to more.

4 Adorable Dog Dreams out of 5

🐶🐶🐶🐶⬛

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essa edição do encadernado do Asa Noturna começa toda séria, com as pessoas em Bludhaven preocupadas com o vácuo de poder deixado pela morte do Arrasa-Quarteirão. Então Dick e Barbara precisam proteger um mafioso, mas logo na segunda edição do encadernado se deparam com o insólito Asa Mirim, um duende da quinta dimensão que é fanzaço do Asa Noturna. Ele acaba ajudando Dick e Barbara a lidarem com demônios. Em seguida temos uma edição anual que traz a origem do Sem Coração, um novo inimigo. Por fim, temos uma fuga em massa da prisão de Bludhaven em que os Titãs ajudam o Asa Noturna a dar cabo dos fugitivos. Das três histórias, as duas primeiras são boas e a terceira é a mais sem graça delas. Completam a edição duas historinhas curtas. Uma delas com a cachorrinha Asa Peluda se imaginando a heroína do dia e outra com Dick treinando Jonathan Kent, o filho do Superman.

[Jessica Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as strong as the previous issues by Taylor but it has some great moments. Nite-Mite was not for me, but luckily that issue was short. The Hold was cool and I love the Titans coming in (and the new Titan tower 🙌). Haley, of course, remains the goodest girl. I wasn't as invested in the overall story but hoping that'll change in the upcoming volumes