Nightwing, Vol. 1: On with the Show

Nightwing by Dan Watters

by Dan Watters, Dexter Soy (Artist), Veronica Gandini (Colorist)

Nightwing goes All-In! Join a brand-new creative team as they send Dick Grayson into a world of rival gangs and escalating violence in his home of Blüdhaven.

Dick Grayson joins DC's "All In" initiative with a brand-new creative team for Nightwing. It's not all sunshine when Blüdhaven erupts into a warzone between rival gangs fighting for the future of crime. Nightwing must push himself further than he ever has to save his home and legacy. Don't miss this groundbreaking new era from the new creative team of writer Dan Watters and artist Dexter Soy.

Collects: Nightwing #119-124

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

160 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2025

About the author

Dan Watters is a UK based comic book writer. His first book, LIMBO, was released through Image Comics in 2016. He has since written THE SHADOW at Dynamite Comics, and ASSASSIN’S CREED and WOLFENSTEIN for Titan Comics.

Currently he is writing the relaunch of LUCIFER for Vertigo’s Sandman Universe, as well as DEEP ROOTS for Vault Comics. Deeply rooted in London Town, and firmly of the Devil's party.

Reviews

[Khurram · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this grittier Nightwing book. The story the artwork and the characters are awesome. This is a great start to the new Nightwing series after reading this book I am definitely all in.

Since taking out the gangsters and criminal elements at the top of the underworld in Blüdhaven there is a power vacuum. Who will step in to take over and what is their connection to Nightwing?

The book is action-packed, but more than that it shows Nightwing/Dick's compassion and his grit. There is also a moral dilemma in the family. This is an all-around great book. The book finishes with a thumbnail variant cover gallery and a sketchbook of character designs.

[Anna Quilter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did originally read this as single issues and the story holds up...multi layered that continues into the next volume

[Utkarsh Bansal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between DC's Nightwing and Marvel's Ultimates, it's incredible to see superhero stories challenging the genre's fascist past and going as aggressively leftist as you can under a megacorporation. Hope the adaptations follow suit someday.

[Mattthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a decent start for the new creative team. overall, an enjoyable read. Artwork was not as good as Redondo, but still good. looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here.
Recommend.

[Vinicius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eu estava um pouco receoso com essa nova equipe criativa que assumiu o personagem pós Tom Taylor e Bruno Redondo, tendo em vista o sucesso que foi a fase. Porém, Dan Watters conseguiu entregar um roteiro consistente, que trabalhou bem o Dick Grayson e sua personalidade, assim como entregou uma premissa bacana para esse início de fase.

Na história, acompanhamos um problema clássico - que ja vimos em histórias do Batman - envolvendo corrupção e guerra de guangues. Bludhaven está enfrentando uma onda de crimes por conta do vácuo de poder deixado após os eventos da fase anterior do personagem.

Nesse ensejo, ao menos quatro gangues estão se enfrentando para ocupar esses espaço, após uma reunião entre seus respectivos líderes que acabou em uma explosão.

Além de toda essa violência que reverberou na população da cidade, Dick precisa lidar com uma nova empresa privada que se instalou em Bludhaven e esta fornecendo equipamento militar para a polícia. Esse embate esta gerando ainda mais caos na cidade e fazendo vítimas oriundas de uma violência policial desenfreada.

Dessa forma, Asa Noturna precisa lidar com o confronto entre as gangues e investigar essa empresa privada que esta influenciando em Bludhaven.

Assim, esse primeiro volume de Asa Noturna, mesmo não tendo os espetaculares desenhos do Bruno Redondo, consegue entregar uma arte legal. Somado a ela, o roteiro trabalhado é divertido e combina muito com super heróis, com o Dan Watters ainda pincelando alguns temas como violência policial e interferência/influencia de empresas privadas na política.

[Spens · Rating 5 out of 5]

WE ARE SO BACK!! After having first been introduced to Tom Taylor's run, I was so excited to continue learning about this character with this new run, and it didn't disappoint! In just this first volume, the new characters are intriguing, the art style is top-notch, and the plot has kept—and is keeping—me at the edge of my seat. I have to laugh at all the moments here though where Nightwing is posed so unnecessarily sexily. But hey, I'm not complaining. On with the show!

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.8 stars

[Anthony Tran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm having, soooo much fun. Wow. Dan Watters really gets it.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

A darker shift from the previous creative team and a slightly bumpy beginning. Still interesting enough to follow awhile even if I dislike retconned shadowy nigh-demon conspiracies

[Emma Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how any animal just gets named after Nightwing. I do like this art style..

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eu gosto muito do que Dan Watters faz nos roteiros, mas aqui nessa nova fase do Asa Noturna tudo demorou muito para engrenar. O roteirista coloca Dick Grayson no meio de uma licitação da prefeitura de Blüdhaven com uma empresa de segurança pública radical que promete liquidar com as quatro principais gangues que assolam a cidade. De repente, o Asa Noturna se vê tendo que dar guarida para desgarrados dessas associações de fora da lei. Mas somente lá pela penúltima e última edição desse encadernado é que a coisa começa a ficar interessante mesmo. Ah, e outra coisa: o arco só encerra no próximo encadernado. Também somado a isso, temos a arte de Dexter Soy, com traços um tanto apagados e uma tendência ao mangá, algo de que não gosto quando a proposta é super-heróis. Então fiquei balançado se devo ou não continuar acompanhando essa série.

[mica · Rating 4 out of 5]

TE AMO NIGHTWING!!! nananan muy bueno, me encantó todo

[Adam Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, now here's how a comic is supposed to handle action vs suspense!
Nightwing, firmly established in Bludhaven, no longer leader of the Titans, and billionaire is really attached to the city. His sister is Mayor and Oracle is there to guide his moves. All is good for Dick Grayson....
.... but after an attack kills all the mob bosses, in their midst of signing a peace agreement, a gang war is imminent! Who's responsible for starting it? Spheric Corp, led by a criminal from the Cirque du Sin (a villain organization that Dick fought as Robin with Batman), but using it as a way to arm Bludhaven police with overly strong weapons. Both the problem and the solution. Nightwing has to help save criminals from cops... but how will all this stop?

Looking forward to the next Volume. Great way to start "All In" for Nightwing.
Recommend.

[Arthur Hucknall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant continuation from tom taylor’s run. Dan Watters makes bludhaven his own building upon the groundwork of Taylor’s run. Watters truly understands the character of nightwing and i’m personally very excited for what’s to come in the next chapters of this story.

[Izabela Lewalski · Rating 5 out of 5]

4-5: A solid start to a new run

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like every time a new writer takes over Nightwing the foundation of their arc is based off their reaction to the previous writer's run. Since Rebirth, Tom Taylor tried to wanted to correct the infamous "Marc Grayson" arc by playing into the fanservice. Now Watters is trying to correct Taylor's sit-com storytelling by giving Dick a more discernable personality and reducing the supporting cast of his ex-machina hero friends. I really liked the set up of this story and the new characters seem to be promising. Great art too!

[Maddi Spletter · Rating 2 out of 5]

After finishing up the last volume, it felt a little off kilter. It felt like what Taylor and company had set up was thrown out and ignored. Melinda seems out of character, Babs was regulated to coms, and Haley was present for 3 pages (also the claim that Dick has never had a dog before when Bruce had Ace and Damien adopts every stray animal under the sun)

The storyline is interesting, but idk if I will continue to follow the new team.

[Lynzi Justice · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh yeah this rocked. nightwing is meeeeean!!!! this took what worked about the taylor run and made it so much better (ie. babs' involvement and haley). i actually feel like stuff is happening here! i love dexter soy's jason and his artwork here is really nice. excited to read the rest of this run :)

[Sky Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Nightwing works better in a group than by himself but this was still fun and the villain looks really interesting. The biggest reason I picked it up was for Dexter Soy lol😛

[Ryan Bartok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nightwing: On with the Show delivers a darker, grittier take on Nightwing, coming straight off Tom Taylor’s run and that shift is definitely a little jarring at first.

Some characters are pushed further into the background, and Barbara in particular feels much more like a sidekick compared to her role in Taylor’s run. Grayson, too, seems to have lost some of that hopeful edge he had developed, which gives this version of the character a noticeably different tone.

That said, Dan Watters crafts an interesting story for this new-look Nightwing, and I found myself quickly drawn into where he’s taking the character.

The artwork by Dexter Soy is a standout. It has a sharp, edgy style clean lines with a gritty feel that pairs perfectly with the tone of Watters’ writing.

A tonal shift that might catch you off guard, but one that sets up a compelling new direction for Nightwing.

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super fun!

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally really good writing. I just wish the various gangs weren't so flipping gimmicky.

[Tiernan Dunagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diabolical cliff hanger

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s giving Madagascar 3 in a good way

[Elif · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can’t help but compare every Nightwing issue or volume to Taylor and Redondo’s work… This volume was okay. The villains were aight. Art was fantastic! The art kinda saved it, not gonna lie.

[Zach Corbeil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the art but i thought the story was a little lacking. Didn’t feel like it had a satisfying ending and didn’t have any interesting villains. Still a lot of good Nightwing moments. Especially the bunny scene.

[Axel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Zanni is a very very interesting villain and I can't wait to see how he develops!

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So happy to be back with Nightwing for this new (to me) run! 💖 it’s off to a promising start!

[Emmanuella Adwoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Nightwing comic. I really liked his characterization and it was really funny when he was brooding in the dark because sometimes people forget that Dick can be dramatic as hell. The social issues brought up also reminded me of how DC should utilize Jason Todd. The "villain" was also very interesting when I understood what his actual purpose was. Ngl, I'm not the biggest fan of DickBabs and was confused on the whole Dick Grayson has a sister thing but I really like his sister even if she was making decisions that in the big picture aren't right

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo are hard acts to follow, but Dan Watters and Dexter Soy do a solid job of continuing Nightwing's gorgeous looking street-level adventures. That said, repetition has set in: once again, city officials are teaming up with the wrong sorts to "root out crime," meaning Nightwing has to fight the overpowered cops just as much as he has to fight the gangs.

The fresh twist here seems to be that Nightwing is actually siding with the gangs, or at least trying to get them to not fight each other after their leaders are all killed. Another oldie-but-goodie shows up in the villain pulling the strings, some carnival-related baddie from Nightwing's past. All told, it's a fine, if predictable narrative to follow. Dexter Soy's artwork goes darker than Bruno Redondo's, but it still looks terrific, making On with the Show a superb read to look at if nothing else.