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Grayson
Grayson, Volume 3: Nemesis
Red-hot creative team TIM SEELEY (BATMAN ETERNAL) and TOM KING (BATMAN) along with artist MIKEL JANÍN (JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK) continue the smash-hit adventure in GRAYSON VOL. 3: NEMESIS!
Dick Grayson is Agent 37, super spy extraordinaire, caught in a maze of mind games and hidden agendas. But with Batman dead, there is no one to bring this spy in from the cold. Now, someone is killing rival spies and setting it up to look like Dick is the murderer. With no one to trust, Grayson turns to the only people he can—those closest to him. Unfortunately, all of them think he’s dead, and some of them are none too pleased to see him again.
Reunited with his fellow Robins, Batgirl, and even Superman, Dick is about to find out that there’s no escaping Spyral—even in Gotham City!
Collecting: DC Sneak Peek: Grayson #1, Grayson #9-12, Annual #2.
Dick Grayson is Agent 37, super spy extraordinaire, caught in a maze of mind games and hidden agendas. But with Batman dead, there is no one to bring this spy in from the cold. Now, someone is killing rival spies and setting it up to look like Dick is the murderer. With no one to trust, Grayson turns to the only people he can—those closest to him. Unfortunately, all of them think he’s dead, and some of them are none too pleased to see him again.
Reunited with his fellow Robins, Batgirl, and even Superman, Dick is about to find out that there’s no escaping Spyral—even in Gotham City!
Collecting: DC Sneak Peek: Grayson #1, Grayson #9-12, Annual #2.
160 pages, Paperback
First published May 17, 2016
8 people are currently reading
721 people want to read
About the author
Tim Seeley
1,647 books609 followersTim Seeley is a comic book artist and writer known for his work on books such as G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Dark Elf Trilogy, Batman Eternal and Grayson. He is also the co-creator of the Image Comics titles Hack/Slash[1] and Revival, as well as the Dark Horse titles, ExSanguine and Sundowners. He lives in Chicago.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
December 8, 2020
(B+) 78% | Good
Notes: A run of recollecting, milking feels by confrontation, highlight reels and face reveals, but hot and cold in aggregation.
Notes: A run of recollecting, milking feels by confrontation, highlight reels and face reveals, but hot and cold in aggregation.
September 20, 2016
Much better than the last volume!
This was a bit of (I thought) a return to the fun feel of Vol 1: Agents of Spyral, which is what sucked me into this title to start with. Vol 2: We All Die At Dawn wasn't nearly as good, with its disjointed and confusing storyline, and lack of the tongue in cheek slickness that volume one had in spades. To say I was kind of iffy about picking this one up would be an understatement.
But Chris swore up and down that this volume was great, so I took a leap of faith.
He wasn't wrong.
While I still don't find the Spyral story amazing, I think that the beauty of Grayson is getting caught up in the moments. Some titles are less about the overall plotline, and are more about those moments that stand out, you know what I mean?
Gah! Right in the feels!
The art was just about as close to perfection (for me) as it gets. I'm not saying this is the best evah, but it really worked to compliment the story. A lot was able to be conveyed through the panels, because the facial expressions and body language was just fantastic.
I have to admit that I was less than enthusiastic while I was looking at the first issue, and I was afraid I was going to be disappointed again. But then it all started to come together, and my interest really perked up when Dick made his way back to Gotham.
To me, that was the best part of the story. I love the way everyone had a different reaction to finding out he was alive, and I enjoyed seeing how he interacted with the rest of the Batfamily.
The last part was Annual #2, which was a fun team-up with Superman, and well worth reading.
If you're a fan of Big Blue, you don't want to miss this little side story. It had a lighthearted feel to it that flowed well with the rest of the volume, and it's always good to see a hot guy who's comfortable enough with his masculinity to not mind occasionally being caught in another man's arms...
This was a bit of (I thought) a return to the fun feel of Vol 1: Agents of Spyral, which is what sucked me into this title to start with. Vol 2: We All Die At Dawn wasn't nearly as good, with its disjointed and confusing storyline, and lack of the tongue in cheek slickness that volume one had in spades. To say I was kind of iffy about picking this one up would be an understatement.
But Chris swore up and down that this volume was great, so I took a leap of faith.
He wasn't wrong.
While I still don't find the Spyral story amazing, I think that the beauty of Grayson is getting caught up in the moments. Some titles are less about the overall plotline, and are more about those moments that stand out, you know what I mean?
Gah! Right in the feels!
The art was just about as close to perfection (for me) as it gets. I'm not saying this is the best evah, but it really worked to compliment the story. A lot was able to be conveyed through the panels, because the facial expressions and body language was just fantastic.
I have to admit that I was less than enthusiastic while I was looking at the first issue, and I was afraid I was going to be disappointed again. But then it all started to come together, and my interest really perked up when Dick made his way back to Gotham.
To me, that was the best part of the story. I love the way everyone had a different reaction to finding out he was alive, and I enjoyed seeing how he interacted with the rest of the Batfamily.
The last part was Annual #2, which was a fun team-up with Superman, and well worth reading.
If you're a fan of Big Blue, you don't want to miss this little side story. It had a lighthearted feel to it that flowed well with the rest of the volume, and it's always good to see a hot guy who's comfortable enough with his masculinity to not mind occasionally being caught in another man's arms...
June 21, 2016
Actually, that was really good. I'm very surprised. Glad I didn't give up on this series.
June 8, 2020
Mikel Janin's art is spectacular. The story meanders some. The stories seem to be written for someone with a short attention span. These are mostly self contained. With Dick dealing with the fallout of Batman's amnesia and teaming up with Superman. Big things happen like Spyral's hypnos getting hacked and by the next issue everything's hunky-dory and the spies are sticking those things back in their eyes without pause. What I don't like about the series is how Grayson is a spy who knows nothing about what's going on in the DCU. He doesn't know what happened to Batman for a long time or that Clark Kent was outed as Superman.
Received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 6, 2020
Marginally better than Grayson, Volume 2: We All Die At Dawn but not as good as Grayson, Volume 1: Agents of Spyral. The in issue #12 was good, but not enough to redeem this vol as a whole.
May 5, 2025
Alot better than the last volume. 3.25 stars.
August 4, 2016
I don't know if I'm going to read past this.
I love moments of Grayson. In this volume the moments with Grayson visiting a Bruce (who doesn't remember him due to End Game events) or Jason, Tim, or Barbra were all very well done. My favorite one was with Damien, which was such a wonderful reunion.
On the flipside, the second half, all the Spyral shit or whatever is so boring, convoluted, and messy. I don't care about any of it. It feels like a shitty Bond or Mission Impossible script. And it makes me not want to sadly finish this series.
People who are up to date, is it worth it? Should I finish it? Do we get more human character building moments with Dick or more Spy mehness?
I love moments of Grayson. In this volume the moments with Grayson visiting a Bruce (who doesn't remember him due to End Game events) or Jason, Tim, or Barbra were all very well done. My favorite one was with Damien, which was such a wonderful reunion.
On the flipside, the second half, all the Spyral shit or whatever is so boring, convoluted, and messy. I don't care about any of it. It feels like a shitty Bond or Mission Impossible script. And it makes me not want to sadly finish this series.
People who are up to date, is it worth it? Should I finish it? Do we get more human character building moments with Dick or more Spy mehness?
September 6, 2020
The Batfamily finding out Dick’s alive ❤️ and that Damian/Dick panel! He lives his Batman
July 11, 2017
3.5 stars.
So, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what didn't work about this volume for me. There were several humorous moments to enjoy. Especially the comments about Dick's most famous feature:
I loved the target referring to him as a "common thief with the most beautiful butt I've ever seen." I feel your pain, lady. I really do.
The art by Mikel Janin continues to be gorgeous! I love the way he draws Dick's physicality. He's so graceful and skilled and I tend to have a hard time if books don't draw his movements as being different from everyone else's. It's part of the reason I enjoyed Dick's run as Batsy. He doesn't move like Bruce, all power and control; Dick's a showman, he's artful and supremely confident in his movements. He flies around like a trapeze artist without strings and one of the coolest things about the Grayson series is that he does all of this without ziplines.
This volume starts out well enough. Dick's on a mission for Spyral to retrieve something. He's working alongside the equally handsome, Agent 1 and their working beneath Helena after their boss left/died (I don't really remember, its's been a while). Dick is charming and elusive as usual and I just like watching him do things. I could read 100 issues about Dick Grayson drawn by Mikel Janin and never get bored. He just makes everyone look so damn attractive.
Anyway, as this is happening, Spyral agents around the globe are being murdered with sticks that are thought to be Dick's Escrima sticks. No one's sure who it is and Helena thinks it's Agent 1. The conclusion of this mystery wasn't super satisfying but I loved Dick going meta for a moment with his speech:
Dick later finds out what the mysterious package was and who it was for and nopes out of the agency. With good reason, I might add. Although, it confuses me that he thought Helena and the agency would just let him go.
After this, it becomes a story of Dick wanting to break free of Spyral and it's lies. He goes home to the manor and meets an amnesiac Bruce Wayne. Here's where I reveal the fact that I know little to nothing about the New 52. I've only read Wonder Woman, Batgirl, vol 1 of Nightwing, Son of Batman, Red Hood and the Outlaws, and Birds of Prey. I heard so many horror stories about that period of comics and I basically ran in the other direction. All of this to say that I had no clue when or how Bruce lost his memory. This was all news to me. However, it was kind of an interesting, sad moment when Dick has to act like he's not Bruce's son. I kind of wanted more of that than the stuff we get later in this book.
Because he needs help getting out of Spyral, Dick recruits the rest of the Batfam. This means telling Tim, Jason, Damian and Babs that he's not dead. Of course, they don't take it really well. Jason's pissed because you can lie to the world but you "don't do that to another Robin". I adore their relationship and this interaction was really interesting to see. Babs is... annoyed? I don't really know, it was kind of hard to tell. Full confession: I hate Burnside!Babs. I avoided her run but she cropped up in other books and this is the version we got going into Rebirth and she's nothing like the woman I fell in love with. She's kind of smarmy and seemed slightly apathetic about Dick being back which was weird.
The best and most surprising scene was Damian's reaction:
I loved everything I read of the run where Dick was Batman and Damian was Robin. They have great chemistry and I really like that Dick basically calls Damian out on being a jerk and is the cool older brother to Damian's violently protective Robin. I would gladly read more about them working together and this moment was surprisingly sweet and adorable.
With all of this reactions, there are bubbles in the background with dialogue from Dick's past interactions with these members of the Batfam and that was pretty cool to see.
After this, we get the Grayson annual which basically puts a halt to the story we were reading. Annoyingly so as I'm introduced to a confusing version of Supes. As I said above, I'm New 52 ignorant so I have no clue why he lost his powers or why he has a buzzcut. While I didn't care about this plot, I liked seeing Clark and Dick interact. They're adorable together and it's like watching Bruce's shining optimists be friends. Clark's kind of like Dick's godfather and they talk about their history, how Dick got the inspiration for the name "Nightwing" from one of Clark's stories about Krypton. I may not remember exactly but I think some of the panels are even callbacks to Nightwing: Year One. Also, we got this adorable moment:
So, this wasn't a slam dunk. I don't think I really enjoyed any aspect of the plot lines after the first issue. However, I still really enjoyed Dick in this volume. So, if you love Dick Grayson and are short on books to read about him, it's a recommend. If you're looking for Dick in a great story, there are several other books I can recommend.
3.5 stars.
So, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what didn't work about this volume for me. There were several humorous moments to enjoy. Especially the comments about Dick's most famous feature:
I loved the target referring to him as a "common thief with the most beautiful butt I've ever seen." I feel your pain, lady. I really do.
The art by Mikel Janin continues to be gorgeous! I love the way he draws Dick's physicality. He's so graceful and skilled and I tend to have a hard time if books don't draw his movements as being different from everyone else's. It's part of the reason I enjoyed Dick's run as Batsy. He doesn't move like Bruce, all power and control; Dick's a showman, he's artful and supremely confident in his movements. He flies around like a trapeze artist without strings and one of the coolest things about the Grayson series is that he does all of this without ziplines.
This volume starts out well enough. Dick's on a mission for Spyral to retrieve something. He's working alongside the equally handsome, Agent 1 and their working beneath Helena after their boss left/died (I don't really remember, its's been a while). Dick is charming and elusive as usual and I just like watching him do things. I could read 100 issues about Dick Grayson drawn by Mikel Janin and never get bored. He just makes everyone look so damn attractive.
Anyway, as this is happening, Spyral agents around the globe are being murdered with sticks that are thought to be Dick's Escrima sticks. No one's sure who it is and Helena thinks it's Agent 1. The conclusion of this mystery wasn't super satisfying but I loved Dick going meta for a moment with his speech:
"I mean, really, how many times have we been through this? I get it. Someone's bad who's not supposed to be bad. *gasp*."
Dick later finds out what the mysterious package was and who it was for and nopes out of the agency. With good reason, I might add. Although, it confuses me that he thought Helena and the agency would just let him go.
After this, it becomes a story of Dick wanting to break free of Spyral and it's lies. He goes home to the manor and meets an amnesiac Bruce Wayne. Here's where I reveal the fact that I know little to nothing about the New 52. I've only read Wonder Woman, Batgirl, vol 1 of Nightwing, Son of Batman, Red Hood and the Outlaws, and Birds of Prey. I heard so many horror stories about that period of comics and I basically ran in the other direction. All of this to say that I had no clue when or how Bruce lost his memory. This was all news to me. However, it was kind of an interesting, sad moment when Dick has to act like he's not Bruce's son. I kind of wanted more of that than the stuff we get later in this book.
Because he needs help getting out of Spyral, Dick recruits the rest of the Batfam. This means telling Tim, Jason, Damian and Babs that he's not dead. Of course, they don't take it really well. Jason's pissed because you can lie to the world but you "don't do that to another Robin". I adore their relationship and this interaction was really interesting to see. Babs is... annoyed? I don't really know, it was kind of hard to tell. Full confession: I hate Burnside!Babs. I avoided her run but she cropped up in other books and this is the version we got going into Rebirth and she's nothing like the woman I fell in love with. She's kind of smarmy and seemed slightly apathetic about Dick being back which was weird.
The best and most surprising scene was Damian's reaction:
I loved everything I read of the run where Dick was Batman and Damian was Robin. They have great chemistry and I really like that Dick basically calls Damian out on being a jerk and is the cool older brother to Damian's violently protective Robin. I would gladly read more about them working together and this moment was surprisingly sweet and adorable.
With all of this reactions, there are bubbles in the background with dialogue from Dick's past interactions with these members of the Batfam and that was pretty cool to see.
After this, we get the Grayson annual which basically puts a halt to the story we were reading. Annoyingly so as I'm introduced to a confusing version of Supes. As I said above, I'm New 52 ignorant so I have no clue why he lost his powers or why he has a buzzcut. While I didn't care about this plot, I liked seeing Clark and Dick interact. They're adorable together and it's like watching Bruce's shining optimists be friends. Clark's kind of like Dick's godfather and they talk about their history, how Dick got the inspiration for the name "Nightwing" from one of Clark's stories about Krypton. I may not remember exactly but I think some of the panels are even callbacks to Nightwing: Year One. Also, we got this adorable moment:
So, this wasn't a slam dunk. I don't think I really enjoyed any aspect of the plot lines after the first issue. However, I still really enjoyed Dick in this volume. So, if you love Dick Grayson and are short on books to read about him, it's a recommend. If you're looking for Dick in a great story, there are several other books I can recommend.
3.5 stars.
February 13, 2019
This series should be a lot more enjoyable to proper Batman fans who at least know all the different Robins. For me it was less accessible, but that may also be due to all the jumping around from one scene to another and what I see as redundant scenes, at least for now. The spy game was never more confusing. At least the artwork is solid.
Grayson wants out of the spy business, but he is being suspected of killing other agents in Spyral. Malone has assumed control of Spyral. She is sheltering Grayson from Agent 1 who is easily convinced that the former is a rogue agent.
Grayson wants out of the spy business, but he is being suspected of killing other agents in Spyral. Malone has assumed control of Spyral. She is sheltering Grayson from Agent 1 who is easily convinced that the former is a rogue agent.
September 20, 2021
The Grayson are thin little collections in a series that didn't really take off fro me, at least not until this volume. Mr. Minos has been replaced as the head of Spyral, and now it is discovered that someone has been killing off other agency counter-agents on Agent 37's missions...
February 3, 2017
It's official- I am addicted to this series. The story's are action packed and the self-reflective comedy made me literally laugh out loud; gems like Grayson seeing his famous backside for himself (long story) and saying to himself, "I don't see what the big deal is."
May 19, 2016
I'm still reading some of the older New 52 stuff. In most of the series that I'm reading, I've only made it up to volume 4. This series came out about the time most of the series I'm reading had already released 6 or 7 volumes. I wouldn't have even started this series yet if I had not won volume 2 of Grayson from Goodreads. I'm really glad that I did though because this series is amazing.
I really like the character Dick Grayson. Tom King and Tim Seeley handle Dick very well. (Haha!) King and Seeley plot out these stories together, and Seeley writes up the script. Grayson has always been a fun loving wisecracker even back when he was Robin. He continued to be so as Nightwing. So, why should he stop now? Seeley really gets this about Grayson and that particular aspect of the character had me laughing out loud a few times during this volume.
What really surprised me in this book are the touching moments Dick has with his pseudo siblings in the Batfamily. Grayson goes to Gotham at one point because he's lost contact with Batman. When he gets there, Alfred informs him that Bruce has amnesia and has no clue that he is Batman. Dick decides to visit the current Robin, Damian, and the 2 former ones, Jason and Tim. These are nice moments, but my favorite part is when he goes to see Barbara Gordon/Batgirl. Dick and Babs are the 2 members of the Batfamily, besides Batman, that have known each other the longest. They have a rich history together and it was really cool seeing both of them together one more time.
Grayson is a spy so action, adventure, and mystery play large roles in these issues. The book starts off with the readers finding out someone has been killing operatives from other agencies in every city Grayson goes to on assignment. All signs point to Grayson as the culprit, but in the world of espionage, when something seems to be too convenient, it usually is. Since Grayson is the hero of the story, we know he's being set up. Helena Bertinelli informs Grayson that someone is framing him. While Dick is trying to figure out what is going on, he crosses path with Lex Luthor. This part of the book has a really fun James Bond-ish feel to it. Seeley and King have done a masterful job with this portion of the story, and the things that happen here make me wish I had volume 4 in my hands already.
After this part of the story, Dick heads to Gotham and meets with all of the previously mentioned people. As he's about to leave, he meets Superman, who has somehow lost most of his powers. This story takes place in Annual #2, and has the 2 heroes facing off against Blockbuster and the Fist of Cain. Grayson had some run-ins with Fist guys earlier in the series, and after the events in this annual, it looks like they'll be troubling him again in the future.
I don't know who came up with the bright idea to have Bruce Wayne lose his memory, but that seems like some cheap plot from a daytime soap opera or an angle that would be used in professional wrestling. I know it wasn't Tom King or Tim Seeley because neither of those guys are on the Batman books where those events take place. They do manage to work that into their story rather nicely though. The same can be said about Superman on both counts. Superman isn't right without his powers because he can't do all of the things Superman should be able to do, but Seeley and King manage to work him into their own story and utilize him to the best of his limited abilities. It was also kind of fun seeing the interactions between him and Grayson. Overall, the writing in this series is superb. King and Seeley knocked another one out of the park with this volume. Their collaborative writing gets 5 stars.
Mikel Janin returns as the series artist for every issue except the annual which is drawn by Alvaro Martinez Bueno. The art in the annual isn't nearly as good as what is produced by Janin, but it is nowhere near bad enough to bring the art score down any at all. Janin has some of the best art, if not the best, in comics today. Even though I know his art is going to be fantastic before I see what comes next, I still can't help but to be awed by how beautiful he makes every single panel look. Helena Bertinelli continues to be my favorite continuing character in this series. Since Batgirl is one of my all-time favorite characters, I have to mention how great she looks in this. I could sit here and gush about Janin's art until I had a 10 page essay's worth of paragraphs, but I'll save everyone from having to read all of that and just say that every single panel drawn by Mikel is equally as fantastic as the writing in this series. 5 stars for the art.
This is an all-around 5 star book. This is the best superhero comic out there right now as far as I'm concerned. If you're a fan of the character Dick Grayson you should be reading this series. If you like either of the writers, you should be reading it as well. Mikel Janin fans should be all over this because of his art. Hell, even if you don't really know anything about the characters, writers, or artist but want something that looks great and has a fun story to go with it, you NEED to pick this series up.
I really like the character Dick Grayson. Tom King and Tim Seeley handle Dick very well. (Haha!) King and Seeley plot out these stories together, and Seeley writes up the script. Grayson has always been a fun loving wisecracker even back when he was Robin. He continued to be so as Nightwing. So, why should he stop now? Seeley really gets this about Grayson and that particular aspect of the character had me laughing out loud a few times during this volume.
What really surprised me in this book are the touching moments Dick has with his pseudo siblings in the Batfamily. Grayson goes to Gotham at one point because he's lost contact with Batman. When he gets there, Alfred informs him that Bruce has amnesia and has no clue that he is Batman. Dick decides to visit the current Robin, Damian, and the 2 former ones, Jason and Tim. These are nice moments, but my favorite part is when he goes to see Barbara Gordon/Batgirl. Dick and Babs are the 2 members of the Batfamily, besides Batman, that have known each other the longest. They have a rich history together and it was really cool seeing both of them together one more time.
Grayson is a spy so action, adventure, and mystery play large roles in these issues. The book starts off with the readers finding out someone has been killing operatives from other agencies in every city Grayson goes to on assignment. All signs point to Grayson as the culprit, but in the world of espionage, when something seems to be too convenient, it usually is. Since Grayson is the hero of the story, we know he's being set up. Helena Bertinelli informs Grayson that someone is framing him. While Dick is trying to figure out what is going on, he crosses path with Lex Luthor. This part of the book has a really fun James Bond-ish feel to it. Seeley and King have done a masterful job with this portion of the story, and the things that happen here make me wish I had volume 4 in my hands already.
After this part of the story, Dick heads to Gotham and meets with all of the previously mentioned people. As he's about to leave, he meets Superman, who has somehow lost most of his powers. This story takes place in Annual #2, and has the 2 heroes facing off against Blockbuster and the Fist of Cain. Grayson had some run-ins with Fist guys earlier in the series, and after the events in this annual, it looks like they'll be troubling him again in the future.
I don't know who came up with the bright idea to have Bruce Wayne lose his memory, but that seems like some cheap plot from a daytime soap opera or an angle that would be used in professional wrestling. I know it wasn't Tom King or Tim Seeley because neither of those guys are on the Batman books where those events take place. They do manage to work that into their story rather nicely though. The same can be said about Superman on both counts. Superman isn't right without his powers because he can't do all of the things Superman should be able to do, but Seeley and King manage to work him into their own story and utilize him to the best of his limited abilities. It was also kind of fun seeing the interactions between him and Grayson. Overall, the writing in this series is superb. King and Seeley knocked another one out of the park with this volume. Their collaborative writing gets 5 stars.
Mikel Janin returns as the series artist for every issue except the annual which is drawn by Alvaro Martinez Bueno. The art in the annual isn't nearly as good as what is produced by Janin, but it is nowhere near bad enough to bring the art score down any at all. Janin has some of the best art, if not the best, in comics today. Even though I know his art is going to be fantastic before I see what comes next, I still can't help but to be awed by how beautiful he makes every single panel look. Helena Bertinelli continues to be my favorite continuing character in this series. Since Batgirl is one of my all-time favorite characters, I have to mention how great she looks in this. I could sit here and gush about Janin's art until I had a 10 page essay's worth of paragraphs, but I'll save everyone from having to read all of that and just say that every single panel drawn by Mikel is equally as fantastic as the writing in this series. 5 stars for the art.
This is an all-around 5 star book. This is the best superhero comic out there right now as far as I'm concerned. If you're a fan of the character Dick Grayson you should be reading this series. If you like either of the writers, you should be reading it as well. Mikel Janin fans should be all over this because of his art. Hell, even if you don't really know anything about the characters, writers, or artist but want something that looks great and has a fun story to go with it, you NEED to pick this series up.
September 16, 2022
A killer is on the loose and framing Dick for starting a spy war. This volume is great... a reunion of the Robins, a knock-off Hulk and everyone is checking out Dick's crapper as usual. Only trash part is New 52 Superman... blue jeans and a motorcycle? I hate them deballing my guy. He's a loser but this book isnt.
June 23, 2016
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways. I hadn't read the first two volumes of the series so I nabbed them from the library in order to be up to speed, so you're getting a three-fer in this review!
Comics and graphic novels have reached something of a renaissance in recent years, with amazing work being put out through independent publishers. Sadly, Marvel and DC have generally failed to keep pace with the fantastic storytelling arising from the creator-owned sphere, with both companies flailing around in search of an identity. I wish I could say that Grayson bucks the trend, but this series is actually emblematic of the glut of uncreative drivel being produced by the "big two" comics companies.
Prior to the beginning of this series, Batman's former sidekickRobin Nightwing Batman Nightwing Dick Grayson died, undied (immediately, as opposed to the six months or so that it usually takes for a comic book character to resurrect), and was chosen to infiltrate the spy network "Spyral" by Batman, while keeping his undeath a secret for some unclear reason. There's a ton of backstory glossed over, which makes for a somewhat confusing experience as multiple characters, organizations, and events are referenced that would apparently require having read a lot of unspecified prior DC books. The fact that DC rebooted its universe a few years back makes things even more shaky, as some elements from before that reboot seem to have been retained unaltered, some retained with fudging of the specifics, and others that seem to share elements of pre-reboot continuity but don't remotely jibe with the original version. As somebody who hasn't been reading the "New 52" it's hard to tell whether any given element is unclear because the author is deliberately obfuscating as part of the plot, there's knowledge you're assumed to have from other books, or whether there's just some bad writing involved.
Aside from the fact that pretty much anything published by DC Comics is built on a shaky foundation due to all the rebooting, this book's central premise is strange. Dick Grayson has always been a character that loves the spotlight, so he's not exactly the natural choice to send on an infiltration mission. Surprisingly, Spyral accepts him with open arms, seeing a superhero who has steadfastly refused to kill for his entire career as an ideal candidate for spy and assassin. Grayson proceeds to make it as obvious as possible that he's a mole, because he's mostly written as an idiot, and Spyral's agents go out of their way to avoid realizing that he's a mole, because they're mostly written as idiots.
Grayson is a terrible spy, Spyral is a terrible spy organization, and the stories are sort of uncomfortable mash-ups of superheroism and generic action movie tropes, with very few spy elements making their way in. For a book that's supposed to be about spies, it bears very little resemblance to The Avengers (Steed and Peel) and far more to The Avengers (Rogers and Romanov). Each issue was mostly self-contained, so the plots were thin and far more rushed than you would receive from a good, typically meaty spy story, with everything generally resolved by Grayson beating somebody up or someone being shot. Ongoing subplots are dropped or resolved in an unsatisfactory way, character motivations and actions are inconsistent across issues or even within the same issue at times, and there is a lot of content that seems superfluous to the individual or overarching plots.
Those are the broad problems with the book, but on a slightly different note let's go on a brief digression about Dick Grayson's ass. In all three volumes of Grayson, the titular character is put on sexual display to the greatest extent possible. Scenes of him standing around are most frequently done with his butt front and center, when flying through the air he often contorts himself so that his rippling chest and rear end are visible to the reader, he is constantly shirtless for absolutely no reason, he is repeatedly shown doing things like working out in boxers or changing his clothes, and an entire issue has a quartet of teenaged girls talking about how attractive they find his hindquarters (to the point of giving each cheek a name). There's also clear gay subtext thrown in by the homosexual character Midnighter, directed toward Grayson by an imposter and vice versa, and from Grayson toward his male partner, while still showing him as a virile guy that knows exactly how to please a woman. I bring this up because I am clearly not the intended audience for this book, it was obviously looking to appeal to the female gaze, though I would bet money that there's a big gay male following for this title as well. Now, you might be assuming (incorrectly), that this is a complaint, but quite the contrary: I think it's great. For years prudes have been complaining about sexy female characters being drawn to please a straight male reader base; well, now here's the reverse for the distaff readership. Enjoy, ladies (and gay men), because there's nothing at all wrong with books parading around sexy characters, male or female.
Outside of people who want to ogle Dick Grayson, I can't recommend this series. Compared to some of the stupendous spy comics that have come out over the past couple of decades, it's downright amateurish. The bar was set very high by Greg Rucka's Queen & Country and Ed Brubaker's Sleeper, and DC Comics is currently set up in a way that only allows it to produce generic, mediocre trash, regardless of genre.
(Hey. Hey you. I want you to make note of the fact that I refrained from making any "Dick"-related double entendres in this unnecessarily long review, demonstrating that I am more mature than most other reviewers and the author of the book.)
Comics and graphic novels have reached something of a renaissance in recent years, with amazing work being put out through independent publishers. Sadly, Marvel and DC have generally failed to keep pace with the fantastic storytelling arising from the creator-owned sphere, with both companies flailing around in search of an identity. I wish I could say that Grayson bucks the trend, but this series is actually emblematic of the glut of uncreative drivel being produced by the "big two" comics companies.
Prior to the beginning of this series, Batman's former sidekick
Aside from the fact that pretty much anything published by DC Comics is built on a shaky foundation due to all the rebooting, this book's central premise is strange. Dick Grayson has always been a character that loves the spotlight, so he's not exactly the natural choice to send on an infiltration mission. Surprisingly, Spyral accepts him with open arms, seeing a superhero who has steadfastly refused to kill for his entire career as an ideal candidate for spy and assassin. Grayson proceeds to make it as obvious as possible that he's a mole, because he's mostly written as an idiot, and Spyral's agents go out of their way to avoid realizing that he's a mole, because they're mostly written as idiots.
Grayson is a terrible spy, Spyral is a terrible spy organization, and the stories are sort of uncomfortable mash-ups of superheroism and generic action movie tropes, with very few spy elements making their way in. For a book that's supposed to be about spies, it bears very little resemblance to The Avengers (Steed and Peel) and far more to The Avengers (Rogers and Romanov). Each issue was mostly self-contained, so the plots were thin and far more rushed than you would receive from a good, typically meaty spy story, with everything generally resolved by Grayson beating somebody up or someone being shot. Ongoing subplots are dropped or resolved in an unsatisfactory way, character motivations and actions are inconsistent across issues or even within the same issue at times, and there is a lot of content that seems superfluous to the individual or overarching plots.
Those are the broad problems with the book, but on a slightly different note let's go on a brief digression about Dick Grayson's ass. In all three volumes of Grayson, the titular character is put on sexual display to the greatest extent possible. Scenes of him standing around are most frequently done with his butt front and center, when flying through the air he often contorts himself so that his rippling chest and rear end are visible to the reader, he is constantly shirtless for absolutely no reason, he is repeatedly shown doing things like working out in boxers or changing his clothes, and an entire issue has a quartet of teenaged girls talking about how attractive they find his hindquarters (to the point of giving each cheek a name). There's also clear gay subtext thrown in by the homosexual character Midnighter, directed toward Grayson by an imposter and vice versa, and from Grayson toward his male partner, while still showing him as a virile guy that knows exactly how to please a woman. I bring this up because I am clearly not the intended audience for this book, it was obviously looking to appeal to the female gaze, though I would bet money that there's a big gay male following for this title as well. Now, you might be assuming (incorrectly), that this is a complaint, but quite the contrary: I think it's great. For years prudes have been complaining about sexy female characters being drawn to please a straight male reader base; well, now here's the reverse for the distaff readership. Enjoy, ladies (and gay men), because there's nothing at all wrong with books parading around sexy characters, male or female.
Outside of people who want to ogle Dick Grayson, I can't recommend this series. Compared to some of the stupendous spy comics that have come out over the past couple of decades, it's downright amateurish. The bar was set very high by Greg Rucka's Queen & Country and Ed Brubaker's Sleeper, and DC Comics is currently set up in a way that only allows it to produce generic, mediocre trash, regardless of genre.
(Hey. Hey you. I want you to make note of the fact that I refrained from making any "Dick"-related double entendres in this unnecessarily long review, demonstrating that I am more mature than most other reviewers and the author of the book.)
August 15, 2016
The production values on this are great - the art is slick, flashy and fun to look at. But why do I feel like the story is using sleight of hand and misdirection to distract from a lack of heart? Also, it's always irritating when you have to go digging in other series to find out what's going on - Batman has amnesia? Lex Luthor is in charge of the Justice League? Superman can't fly anymore? What?
I'll continue to peek in on this title from time to time - but it's not one of my top picks.
I'll continue to peek in on this title from time to time - but it's not one of my top picks.
April 26, 2018
Honestly it’s all fun and games and then they hit you hard with all sorts of bat fam nostalgia/feelings, it’s p rude. (Seriously though I loved that issue)
One thing is sometimes they go a bit *too* far with the Dick’s-butt jokes? Like, I love that as much as anyone, but when it’s coming from an all-male team that also feels the need to reemphasize how straight he is, and make him uncomfortable when Supes carries him etc etc?
One thing is sometimes they go a bit *too* far with the Dick’s-butt jokes? Like, I love that as much as anyone, but when it’s coming from an all-male team that also feels the need to reemphasize how straight he is, and make him uncomfortable when Supes carries him etc etc?
February 2, 2017
This was much better than the previous books and shows that this series has some potential. I will admit I felt kinda lost on the other characters of Batman, and Superman as I have only briefly read the stories of them at this point of time this takes place. I think I will read volume 4 and see how that one works out.
April 19, 2017
Won this in a Goodreads giveaway.
Great series in which Dick Grayson (the 1st Robin) is a super-spy who has run-ins with an amnesiac Bruce Wayne, the Bat Family, and a mostly depowered Superman.
Great series in which Dick Grayson (the 1st Robin) is a super-spy who has run-ins with an amnesiac Bruce Wayne, the Bat Family, and a mostly depowered Superman.
July 3, 2018
Grayson Volume 3 picks up the slack that Volume 2 left behind. Action is all well and good (I mean, this is a comic book), but what gets me invested in a storyline is exploring personal relationships and character development, and that’s exactly what Nemesis relies on.
I love the enunciation on Dick’s relationship with Batman and even Superman. I know that a lot of people prefer to put Dick in the category of Batman’s son, but I grew up with the more old school tv show, so I’ve always seen the two of them as brothers/ best friends (to be fair, the two of them can still be read either way). Originally, Dick arrived in the Batman comics even before Alfred, and was the first character to really help Bruce/Batman develop his image and deepen his character, so I appreciate DC’s moves to acknowledge the importance of their relationship. Also, Dick has known Superman about just as long as Bruce and it was fun looking into the dynamic between the three of them, and Dick and Clark more specifically. Grayson paints Dick as more of an equal and that’s exactly what I like to see.
Also that nice li’l section with Dick and his family just warmed the icy chips off my heart. Dick’s confrontations with the rest of the batfam fixed some of the problems I had with the first and second volumes, where it seemed really off that Bruce, Barbara and just a pinch of Kori, were the only relationships being acknowledged.
The one thing that really got me though, is that Dick has lived in Gotham for how long with a stoic man-baby who loves harbouring secrets and should definitely be in therapy, has mentored a reformed (or...reforming) child assassin, has been to his adopted brother’s funeral only to find him again as a murdering anti-hero, his former girlfriend lost her legs after being shot in the spine, and his other ex was enslaved and later became part of a team belonging to said murder-brother, he learned he was supposed to be tortured into becoming a Talon, and has been fighting crazed psychopaths for the past few years...but it’s working undercover for Spyral that disillusions him? That doesn’t feel right at all, especially since Dick knew how bad Spyral was from the get-go. I understand that his feelings for Lex Luthor might be less than sugary bffs for life feelings, but the man did bring Dick back to life and help save the world, and this isn’t Dick’s first rodeo, or circus I guess I should say.
All the hints towards homosexuality (his role as a gay gym instructor, asking “Am I straight?”, his hot/cold relationship with Midnighter, “girl-boy”, and the almost-kiss with his impersonator to name a few) seem to be leading up to a reveal of Dick’s character as bisexual, which would be exciting. I’ve always read Dick Grayson as having a more fluid sexuality. If this is DC’s way of just poking fun though...not cool, but also not unexpected, so we’ll see. A man can be confident in himself and be bisexual, damn.
Ok, and I can’t with Dick and Clark’s ending scene and the whole “we’re just guys”, because all I can think of is that vine:
“Couple of dudes being guys.”
“Guys being dudes.”
“Dudes being gay.”
“Show me your dick Steve.”
https://youtu.be/1aYVFbgvRNw
I love the enunciation on Dick’s relationship with Batman and even Superman. I know that a lot of people prefer to put Dick in the category of Batman’s son, but I grew up with the more old school tv show, so I’ve always seen the two of them as brothers/ best friends (to be fair, the two of them can still be read either way). Originally, Dick arrived in the Batman comics even before Alfred, and was the first character to really help Bruce/Batman develop his image and deepen his character, so I appreciate DC’s moves to acknowledge the importance of their relationship. Also, Dick has known Superman about just as long as Bruce and it was fun looking into the dynamic between the three of them, and Dick and Clark more specifically. Grayson paints Dick as more of an equal and that’s exactly what I like to see.
Also that nice li’l section with Dick and his family just warmed the icy chips off my heart. Dick’s confrontations with the rest of the batfam fixed some of the problems I had with the first and second volumes, where it seemed really off that Bruce, Barbara and just a pinch of Kori, were the only relationships being acknowledged.
The one thing that really got me though, is that Dick has lived in Gotham for how long with a stoic man-baby who loves harbouring secrets and should definitely be in therapy, has mentored a reformed (or...reforming) child assassin, has been to his adopted brother’s funeral only to find him again as a murdering anti-hero, his former girlfriend lost her legs after being shot in the spine, and his other ex was enslaved and later became part of a team belonging to said murder-brother, he learned he was supposed to be tortured into becoming a Talon, and has been fighting crazed psychopaths for the past few years...but it’s working undercover for Spyral that disillusions him? That doesn’t feel right at all, especially since Dick knew how bad Spyral was from the get-go. I understand that his feelings for Lex Luthor might be less than sugary bffs for life feelings, but the man did bring Dick back to life and help save the world, and this isn’t Dick’s first rodeo, or circus I guess I should say.
All the hints towards homosexuality (his role as a gay gym instructor, asking “Am I straight?”, his hot/cold relationship with Midnighter, “girl-boy”, and the almost-kiss with his impersonator to name a few) seem to be leading up to a reveal of Dick’s character as bisexual, which would be exciting. I’ve always read Dick Grayson as having a more fluid sexuality. If this is DC’s way of just poking fun though...not cool, but also not unexpected, so we’ll see. A man can be confident in himself and be bisexual, damn.
Ok, and I can’t with Dick and Clark’s ending scene and the whole “we’re just guys”, because all I can think of is that vine:
“Couple of dudes being guys.”
“Guys being dudes.”
“Dudes being gay.”
“Show me your dick Steve.”
https://youtu.be/1aYVFbgvRNw
April 20, 2018
Hrrm. This series is so hit and miss, but none of the hits hit hard. There was one pretty great issue that ended (paused?) the main story arc, then it ended on an awful issue where Dick has to say goodbye to Gotham before being forced back to work with Spyral. At this point in DC (New 52), Bruce Wayne is an amnesiac, Gordon has started to play Batman in a mech suit, Lois Lane has outed Clark Kent as Superman, and Clark is far less Super than ever (since his creation in the late '30s). For some reason he's in Gotham and does a team-up with Grayson, but now he looks like actually like a brawny ex-farmboy-turned-tryhard-badboy, sporting a scruffy face, military crew cut, t-shirt and jeans with an impractical leather belt and full-size smartphone, and he rides a motorcycle. But he can't fly or see through things. Dick Grayson, on the other hand, doesn't even need his Spyral Hypnos implants to take out enemies, as long as they're presumed-straight mega-babe ladies. This whole series tries really hard to play up the angle that Dick Grayson is really attractive - so much so that his superiors and enemies trip over themselves, stop whatever they're doing, and are incapable of referring to him in a professional manner. Come on, you guys. I know what they're trying to do here, and it's not working. He doesn't look any better than Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne on their regular days. Citing Grayson as an example of "but men are JUST as sexualized in comics as women" is NOT gonna fly (any more than Superman in this comic...zing!?).
I don't have any desire to see where this story goes after this, though I do already have a few other books with the same characters (written by Tom King) on deck from the library still, so...we'll see.
I don't have any desire to see where this story goes after this, though I do already have a few other books with the same characters (written by Tom King) on deck from the library still, so...we'll see.
May 31, 2020
This was pretty good, up until Superman was introduced. He was a parody of himself at best. The rest of the plot was pretty good, and the art was good as well.
June 8, 2016
They're really embracing the whole Dick Grayson as James Bond in this book. The opening scene could have appeared before an elaborately staged James Bond credit sequence and it's great. It fits in with Dick's tendency to drop quips every time he's in a fight. I've always loved the references to Dick's relationship with Batman, like the exchange with the boy at the start. "I think about Batman when I'm scared, you know?" "Yeah, I know..."
It's something I felt was missing in the New 52 reboot, that bond between them and it continues to be one of my favourite parts of this series. We never got a chance to see them as Batman and Robin this time around so it's nice at how strong a connection they have in this book.
The highlight of the book was Dick going through the Bat-family and revealing he was still alive, I enjoyed seeing the various reactions, particularly Damian who you'd expect would be angry was just overjoyed to have his big brother back.
My one criticism is Mikel Janin's art. More specifically after seeing Dick Grayson drawn by Janin, I never want to see him drawn by anyone else, he's so beautiful. Janin perfectly captures that lovable dorkiness that is Grayson.
It's something I felt was missing in the New 52 reboot, that bond between them and it continues to be one of my favourite parts of this series. We never got a chance to see them as Batman and Robin this time around so it's nice at how strong a connection they have in this book.
The highlight of the book was Dick going through the Bat-family and revealing he was still alive, I enjoyed seeing the various reactions, particularly Damian who you'd expect would be angry was just overjoyed to have his big brother back.
My one criticism is Mikel Janin's art. More specifically after seeing Dick Grayson drawn by Janin, I never want to see him drawn by anyone else, he's so beautiful. Janin perfectly captures that lovable dorkiness that is Grayson.
September 25, 2016
Another great volume of adventures with Dick Grayson, aka Agent 37.
Grayson is being framed as a murderer and it's up to him and a reluctant Agent 1 to solve the mystery. We also get a chapter where Dick goes back to Gotham and meets up with his family. There are some great scenes with each character reacting to the knowledge that Dick isn't dead.
The best part, though, is definitely the Annual chapter. It's a team-up between Grayson and a depowered Superman that has tons of action and the fun quips and comments that make this book fun.
The art is consistently solid, but the story has slight moments where evens seem a little disconnected. There were a couple of times when I wasn't sure how we got to a certain scene.
It's nothing major enough to keep the reader from enjoying, just enough to keep it from being fantastic.
Grayson is being framed as a murderer and it's up to him and a reluctant Agent 1 to solve the mystery. We also get a chapter where Dick goes back to Gotham and meets up with his family. There are some great scenes with each character reacting to the knowledge that Dick isn't dead.
The best part, though, is definitely the Annual chapter. It's a team-up between Grayson and a depowered Superman that has tons of action and the fun quips and comments that make this book fun.
The art is consistently solid, but the story has slight moments where evens seem a little disconnected. There were a couple of times when I wasn't sure how we got to a certain scene.
It's nothing major enough to keep the reader from enjoying, just enough to keep it from being fantastic.
May 30, 2016
In most trades, you can read them without having in depth knowledge of the rest of the story. For this specific arc, I wouldn't recommend it. A lot of what happens here follows events that took place either in the previous issues or even in much earlier times.
King, Seeley, and Janin are freaking fantastic and Dick Grayson is fabulous as he really comes into his own as a spy. Dick has been tasked with trying to infiltrate and take down Spyral from the inside, which is not resolved until the next arc. Overall solid but definitely read in the context of the rest of the story.
King, Seeley, and Janin are freaking fantastic and Dick Grayson is fabulous as he really comes into his own as a spy. Dick has been tasked with trying to infiltrate and take down Spyral from the inside, which is not resolved until the next arc. Overall solid but definitely read in the context of the rest of the story.
March 8, 2019
Let me start by saying I am not a Nightwing fan, so I don't know how true to his single issues this is. But I absolutely loved this series. I hadn't read Tom King before his Batman run, but it was so good I needed to find more from him. This did not disappoint, it had the heart and raw emotion I have come to love from Tom King's work. Tons of action and beautiful artwork. Everything I want in a comic.
June 21, 2016
This is by far the best volume of Grayson yet. The stories were interesting, they finally linked him back up with the Batfamily and those were some good moments. I liked that this was a more serious collection of comics, with some humor mixed in as well. I think the creative team finally hit their "groove" so to speak.
I received an advanced copy of this from NetGalley.com and the publisher.
I received an advanced copy of this from NetGalley.com and the publisher.
October 25, 2016
5 stars
Nice to see Dick again. It was good that the members of the Bat family found out that Dick is alive. The Fist of Cain was very interesting. Little weird too. Agent 0, Luka Netz. Thought Doctor Netz was a woman. Hehe. Hope Helena will do a good job as the Director of Spyral.
Can't wait to read more Bat family comics!!!!
Nice to see Dick again. It was good that the members of the Bat family found out that Dick is alive. The Fist of Cain was very interesting. Little weird too. Agent 0, Luka Netz. Thought Doctor Netz was a woman. Hehe. Hope Helena will do a good job as the Director of Spyral.
Can't wait to read more Bat family comics!!!!
May 15, 2016
I really enjoy the panels, the drawers are incredibly talents in regards of details. The story was interesting, maintaining the mystery on it compelling the reader to go on.
Disclaimer: I got a copy from netgalley for my honest opinion on the title
Disclaimer: I got a copy from netgalley for my honest opinion on the title
April 28, 2016
I loved the first part of the story. Then they went to the Spyral thing; I still don't understand much about it, hope that the next issue explains more.
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