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Nightwing (1996) (New Edition Trades)
Nightwing by Peter J. Tomasi (Nightwing
When the bodies of nefarious villains and fallen heroes begin to disappear from their final resting places, Dick Grayson is drawn into a mysterious, life-altering adventure! Nightwing falls into a web of intrigue involving Talia al Ghul and the diabolical Dr. Creighton Kendall. As the stakes get higher, Nightwing finds not only his own life in danger, but quite possibly the future of the entire country. Collects issues #140-153.
359 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 21, 2020
7 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Peter J. Tomasi
1,395 books470 followersPeter J. Tomasi is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, such as Batman And Robin; Superman; Super Sons; Batman: Detective Comics; Green Lantern Corps; and Superman/Wonder Woman; as well as Batman: Arkham Knight; Brightest Day; Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors; Nightwing; Black Adam, and many more.
In the course of his staff career at DC Comics, Tomasi served as a group editor and ushered in new eras for Batman, Green Lantern, and the JSA, along with a host of special projects like Kingdom Come.
He is also the author of the creator-owned titles House Of Penance with artist Ian Bertram; Light Brigade with artist Peter Snejbjerg; The Mighty with Keith Champagne and Chris Samnee; and the critically acclaimed epic graphic novel The Bridge: How The Roeblings Connected Brooklyn To New York, illustrated by Sara DuVall and published by Abrams ComicArts.
In 2018 New York Times best-selling author Tomasi received the Inkpot Award for achievement in comics.
In the course of his staff career at DC Comics, Tomasi served as a group editor and ushered in new eras for Batman, Green Lantern, and the JSA, along with a host of special projects like Kingdom Come.
He is also the author of the creator-owned titles House Of Penance with artist Ian Bertram; Light Brigade with artist Peter Snejbjerg; The Mighty with Keith Champagne and Chris Samnee; and the critically acclaimed epic graphic novel The Bridge: How The Roeblings Connected Brooklyn To New York, illustrated by Sara DuVall and published by Abrams ComicArts.
In 2018 New York Times best-selling author Tomasi received the Inkpot Award for achievement in comics.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 12, 2020
DC is finally bringing some of these Nightwing books back into print. This one covers Nightwing's time in New York before coming home to Gotham after Batman: R.I.P. It's also the last year of the original title. I liked what Tomasi was doing, establishing Nightwing in both real world NYC, by making him the curator of The Cloisters, a real museum in Upper Manhattan, and rooting him in the larger DCU by having him interact with the JSA and Superman. The two main stories are very good. The first arc had Nightwing looking into the grave robberies of superhuman remains. While the second was a showdown with Two-Face and it was one of the best Two-Face stories I've read. Two-Face makes a great foil for Nightwing. The last couple of issues are about Nightwing processing what happened in Baman: R.I.P.
August 19, 2021
So I'm a bit torn on this.
It feels for sure like Tomasi had least 2-3 MORE arcs to tell. His first arc setting up who dick is and how he works with the Bat family. Second arc really getting deeper into who nightwing is and how he takes care of his city/crime. Then as we're about to get to a bigger picture, Bruce's dumbass dies. Which eventually leads Dick into taking that Batman Mantle for a bit. Which is one of my favorite eras of Batman but still...sucks to cut Tomasi's story short.
Saying that I did enjoy it. First arc main story about clones and such is okay but Dick and his relationship with Tim and such is great. The second story is even better with Two Face, and really gets to showcase both the character and the city he protects come to life. Also, the ending is great and then the two transition chapters before DIck becomes Batman is good too.
SO yeah dunno if I loved it but it was a solid start for me with some great moments. A 3.5 out of 5.
It feels for sure like Tomasi had least 2-3 MORE arcs to tell. His first arc setting up who dick is and how he works with the Bat family. Second arc really getting deeper into who nightwing is and how he takes care of his city/crime. Then as we're about to get to a bigger picture, Bruce's dumbass dies. Which eventually leads Dick into taking that Batman Mantle for a bit. Which is one of my favorite eras of Batman but still...sucks to cut Tomasi's story short.
Saying that I did enjoy it. First arc main story about clones and such is okay but Dick and his relationship with Tim and such is great. The second story is even better with Two Face, and really gets to showcase both the character and the city he protects come to life. Also, the ending is great and then the two transition chapters before DIck becomes Batman is good too.
SO yeah dunno if I loved it but it was a solid start for me with some great moments. A 3.5 out of 5.
June 13, 2020
Action! Mystery! Romance! (well kinda) Now this is how you write a Nightwing story. The plot consists of three basic premises: Part 1. Nightwing moves to NYC and sets out to solve a case of mysterious individuals body-snatching dead villains. Part 2. Harvey Dent comes to Nightwing and begs him to protect an old flame from a dastardly criminal. Part 3. Batman has died (or has he?) and Dick must decide how to honor his memory. Each story showcases Grayson’s affable nature and deeply personal sense of justice; whether he’s interacting with one of his super-friends, the Bat Family, or the smaller cast members invented by Tomasi, he’s always got the charm turned on. He’s also so quippy. Soooo quippy.
There’s a thread throughout Tomasi’s run of Dick Grayson trying to find a balance between his responsibilities as a hero and his own passions as a young man, that I think works well to an extent. We see him take an interest in skydiving in a few beautifully realized sequences across the story, dropping from increasingly great heights as he contemplates his life’s trajectory. His romance du jour, on the other hand, is just that. I couldn’t even remember the girl’s name, she’s that inconsequential to the plot. Still, it makes sense for Dick Grayson to falter in the relationship department—he’s constantly moving around, he has a secret identity, and he was raised by Batman, so no surprises there. I got the sense that Tomasi really understood this character.
The villain plots aren’t earth-shattering, but the intrigue and the occasional body horror (fair warning) were enough to keep my eyes glued to the page. And even though the stories build off of previous continuity, there isn’t too much reliance on it to say that you’d have a hard time diving into this book without background knowledge.
In the art department, I should give props that the style never shifted too far, despite there being about 3 different pencillers throughout the book. Many of the high-flying action scenes are properly cinematic, and Nightwing’s acrobatic physiology is always captured well. (this is where I would work in the cheap joke about his best ass-ets) In my opinion some of the best visuals come from the first story arc, with some…let’s say 'twisted angelic imagery,’ while later scenes in the Bat-cave are practically designed to induce a sense of chilling nostalgia.
Overall, highly recommended.
There’s a thread throughout Tomasi’s run of Dick Grayson trying to find a balance between his responsibilities as a hero and his own passions as a young man, that I think works well to an extent. We see him take an interest in skydiving in a few beautifully realized sequences across the story, dropping from increasingly great heights as he contemplates his life’s trajectory. His romance du jour, on the other hand, is just that. I couldn’t even remember the girl’s name, she’s that inconsequential to the plot. Still, it makes sense for Dick Grayson to falter in the relationship department—he’s constantly moving around, he has a secret identity, and he was raised by Batman, so no surprises there. I got the sense that Tomasi really understood this character.
The villain plots aren’t earth-shattering, but the intrigue and the occasional body horror (fair warning) were enough to keep my eyes glued to the page. And even though the stories build off of previous continuity, there isn’t too much reliance on it to say that you’d have a hard time diving into this book without background knowledge.
In the art department, I should give props that the style never shifted too far, despite there being about 3 different pencillers throughout the book. Many of the high-flying action scenes are properly cinematic, and Nightwing’s acrobatic physiology is always captured well. (this is where I would work in the cheap joke about his best ass-ets) In my opinion some of the best visuals come from the first story arc, with some…let’s say 'twisted angelic imagery,’ while later scenes in the Bat-cave are practically designed to induce a sense of chilling nostalgia.
Overall, highly recommended.
November 21, 2020
This is a review of the entire 13 year series of 155 issues.
I'd never read a single Nightwing book but with the entire series available on the DC Universe Infinite I thought I'd dig in for a deep dive and read all 155 issues. I came away a huge fan of the character and the series which is nearly flawless. What a great period for the entire Bat Family of books. Chuck Dixon is a brilliant writer.
Recommended to me by the Uncanny Omar on the Youtube channel, Near Mint Condition.
I'd never read a single Nightwing book but with the entire series available on the DC Universe Infinite I thought I'd dig in for a deep dive and read all 155 issues. I came away a huge fan of the character and the series which is nearly flawless. What a great period for the entire Bat Family of books. Chuck Dixon is a brilliant writer.
Recommended to me by the Uncanny Omar on the Youtube channel, Near Mint Condition.
July 24, 2021
That ending bit with Dick and Barbara skydiving was the cutest thing ever.
Nightwing > every other superhero
Nightwing > every other superhero
December 14, 2024
NIGHTWING‼️‼️ YEAH‼️‼️
December 31, 2020
This is my second ever Nightwing comic I've read. Like the other one I've read (Year One), I absolutely loved it.
To briefly summarize the story without spoiling too much, it begins with Nightwing having to fight a bunch of flying monsters that are somehow connected to Talia al'Ghul. This is the main storyline advertised on the front and back covers, but it only covers about half this collection. There's actually more storylines after this one completes. After the flying monster storyline wraps up, about 2/3rd of the remaining half of the story is about Nightwing unexpectedly fulfilling a request by Harvey Dent to protect someone. The final 1/3rd or so of the book involves the Batman RIP storyline.
My favorite thing about Nightwing is that he has all of Batman's talents (or at least almost all), but he's also way more socially well-adjusted. In terms of his ability to live a regular life, he may even be the most well-adjusted superhero out there. I love how in both Nightwing comics I've read so far that he's hanging out with other superheroes, going out on dates, and generally just having about as healthy a social life as one can while being a superhero.
This comic is fun while still having its serious moments. Especially toward the end, where the story overlaps with the Batman RIP storyline. Nightwing faces a lot in this collection, but there's always time for levity, kindness, and connection with others. For me, it strikes a perfect balance.
Overall, this was a great graphic novel that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Nightwing is quickly becoming a favorite superhero of mine. If you like superhero stories that strike a good balance of action, fun, and a hint of Batman-esque darkness, then you'll like this one.
To briefly summarize the story without spoiling too much, it begins with Nightwing having to fight a bunch of flying monsters that are somehow connected to Talia al'Ghul. This is the main storyline advertised on the front and back covers, but it only covers about half this collection. There's actually more storylines after this one completes. After the flying monster storyline wraps up, about 2/3rd of the remaining half of the story is about Nightwing unexpectedly fulfilling a request by Harvey Dent to protect someone. The final 1/3rd or so of the book involves the Batman RIP storyline.
My favorite thing about Nightwing is that he has all of Batman's talents (or at least almost all), but he's also way more socially well-adjusted. In terms of his ability to live a regular life, he may even be the most well-adjusted superhero out there. I love how in both Nightwing comics I've read so far that he's hanging out with other superheroes, going out on dates, and generally just having about as healthy a social life as one can while being a superhero.
This comic is fun while still having its serious moments. Especially toward the end, where the story overlaps with the Batman RIP storyline. Nightwing faces a lot in this collection, but there's always time for levity, kindness, and connection with others. For me, it strikes a perfect balance.
Overall, this was a great graphic novel that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Nightwing is quickly becoming a favorite superhero of mine. If you like superhero stories that strike a good balance of action, fun, and a hint of Batman-esque darkness, then you'll like this one.
March 16, 2023
I was going to try to read the Nightwing books I have in ‘timeline’ order but this one doesn’t seem to have any particular place in the time between the other books, so I figure to put it right after the Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul.
Chapter Four is Nightwing and Robin (Tim Drake) working together and every since Chuck Dixon wrote them in the first Nightwing comic series they’ve been a great example of brothers working together and a lot of fun to read. It doesn’t disappoint here.
What’s even nicer is that after the very weird but interesting story of Ra’s Al Ghul trying to build an army of Chinese winged guys is another story of Two-Face calling Nightwing for help.
It shows off one of the coolest things about Nightwing. Unlike Batman he knows he lives in a world of grey, where things are never so simple as good and bad. Where instead of being entirely outside the system, he tries to use it as it was intended, but still without needing to stay in its rigid lines. Not to say that plenty of blood and action doesn’t still happen!
I’ve definitely seen this before (its an old bit that almost always pays off) but they dose Nightwing on some Scarecrow fear gas which brings out some deeply personal terrors and of course he can’t tell what’s real and whats hallucinogenic and just has to go through it no matter what. But here it’s done with the right combination of some fantastic art and some character bits that could only come from Nightwing (this time is personal!) to made a really cool issue.
Wow. Brutal. It’s kind of a telling sign. They can write things for Nightwing that would never work for Batman precisely because Batman is so cold-blooded and callous about the fight. But with Nightwing you believe that he cares about everyone he’s vowed to protect.
For Batman it’s about protecting the city. But for Nightwing it’s about protecting this person.
It ends in a fun story about Dick and Barbara. These seem to be always done right. The fantasy guy who does amazing stuff and the fantasy girl who always appreciates it. Can’t complain about that. I give it five stars because if you end with a guy in love with Batgirl, you’ve got me where you want me.
Chapter Four is Nightwing and Robin (Tim Drake) working together and every since Chuck Dixon wrote them in the first Nightwing comic series they’ve been a great example of brothers working together and a lot of fun to read. It doesn’t disappoint here.
What’s even nicer is that after the very weird but interesting story of Ra’s Al Ghul trying to build an army of Chinese winged guys is another story of Two-Face calling Nightwing for help.
It shows off one of the coolest things about Nightwing. Unlike Batman he knows he lives in a world of grey, where things are never so simple as good and bad. Where instead of being entirely outside the system, he tries to use it as it was intended, but still without needing to stay in its rigid lines. Not to say that plenty of blood and action doesn’t still happen!
I’ve definitely seen this before (its an old bit that almost always pays off) but they dose Nightwing on some Scarecrow fear gas which brings out some deeply personal terrors and of course he can’t tell what’s real and whats hallucinogenic and just has to go through it no matter what. But here it’s done with the right combination of some fantastic art and some character bits that could only come from Nightwing (this time is personal!) to made a really cool issue.
Wow. Brutal. It’s kind of a telling sign. They can write things for Nightwing that would never work for Batman precisely because Batman is so cold-blooded and callous about the fight. But with Nightwing you believe that he cares about everyone he’s vowed to protect.
For Batman it’s about protecting the city. But for Nightwing it’s about protecting this person.
It ends in a fun story about Dick and Barbara. These seem to be always done right. The fantasy guy who does amazing stuff and the fantasy girl who always appreciates it. Can’t complain about that. I give it five stars because if you end with a guy in love with Batgirl, you’ve got me where you want me.
October 5, 2021
A very good run. I believe Tomasi is the guy, if you want to read a good DC book.
This is the last Nightwing's run before he took Batman's mantle on Morrison/Quietly run. Dick's in NYC, trying to take care of the city. The first arc was nice, but i believe it has more dialogue than normal. We had like, 4 pages of Dick having a conversation with Tim Drake, after they stole Batman's jet, trying to follow a trail to a bad guy. I don't know, it was weird. But, in the other end, "The Big Leap" storyline was awesome! Two face has a major part in it and it was nice to follow his relationship with Dick and all that happened between then, when Dick was our Boy Wonder.
And the art is just amazing! Rags Morales is just a monster, and the colors were great as well.
Give it a try. It's not a Dixon/Mcdaniels run, but it's a rum that bring some respect to our Dick boy.
This is the last Nightwing's run before he took Batman's mantle on Morrison/Quietly run. Dick's in NYC, trying to take care of the city. The first arc was nice, but i believe it has more dialogue than normal. We had like, 4 pages of Dick having a conversation with Tim Drake, after they stole Batman's jet, trying to follow a trail to a bad guy. I don't know, it was weird. But, in the other end, "The Big Leap" storyline was awesome! Two face has a major part in it and it was nice to follow his relationship with Dick and all that happened between then, when Dick was our Boy Wonder.
And the art is just amazing! Rags Morales is just a monster, and the colors were great as well.
Give it a try. It's not a Dixon/Mcdaniels run, but it's a rum that bring some respect to our Dick boy.
July 17, 2021
I was excited to read this. Nightwing and Peter J Tomasi sounds like a match made in heaven! I was, however, sourly disappointed. Tomasi’s writing just didn’t feel like he was on his game. The vast majority of this book felt like melodramatic filler quite honestly. I forgot the first arc (about winged science experiments stealing hero corpses, which eventually leads...nowhere) almost as soon as I finished it, and the first 3 quarters of the book was a slog. I didn’t much care about the mad scientist, or what Talia was doing, or Dick’s short-lived fling. Two-Face was more interesting, as well as Ra’s. The last few issues were markedly better, as they show Dick coping with the loss of Bruce and what his absence entails, and was just enough for me to round up my 2.5 rating.
December 7, 2024
There's a lot of story in this book, and almost all of is great. That's because for 90 percent of the stories in here Dick Grayson feels exactly like the character I know and love. There's some character moments I might not necessarily agree with and some choices I wasn't fond of, but everything is guided by Tomasi and Co's love of Nightwing and a desire to see what new things they could do with the character. They clearly had a lot of fun working on this book and that translated to the reading experience.
June 19, 2021
4
Favorite Peter J Tomasi comic I've read this far. Great Ark throughout his run.
Particularly the Great Leap, Two Face makes a great villain for Dick.
Nightwing is definitely one of DC unsung Heroes there are many layers to the character.
Favorite Peter J Tomasi comic I've read this far. Great Ark throughout his run.
Particularly the Great Leap, Two Face makes a great villain for Dick.
Nightwing is definitely one of DC unsung Heroes there are many layers to the character.
December 28, 2023
Enjoyed Dick starting again in New York. A very good jumping on point, however RIP ends this run.
Not Tomasi's best work but it's a solid story for Nightwing. Big surprise from the Carol/Two-Face story.
Solid art from Morales and Kramer.
Not Tomasi's best work but it's a solid story for Nightwing. Big surprise from the Carol/Two-Face story.
Solid art from Morales and Kramer.
February 23, 2020
I am a sucker for anything Nightwing
August 1, 2020
This was a good run, but the fact that a lot of people consider this to be the best run of the character just goes to show how much unused potential it has.
October 5, 2021
Lots of time spent setting up but overall a pretty short run.
This is basically the lead up to Dick taking over as Batman.
This is basically the lead up to Dick taking over as Batman.
October 10, 2021
Peter Tomasi's obvious affection for the characters he writes overshadows most of the quibbles I have with the overall story.
October 21, 2021
I really wanted to like this more than I did as Nightwing is one of my favourite DC characters but the stories just felt so weak especially in comparison to Dixon and O'Neils work.
August 17, 2023
6.5/10
November 3, 2025
My favorite one of this Nightwing run
January 1, 2026
this was basically dick grayson running around new york like carrie bradshaw and jumping out of planes 10/10
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews