Future State :: Nightwing

Future State: Nightwing #1

(January, 2021)

Cover by Nicola Scott, Annette Kwok

Cover Sketch by Nicola Scott

Batman is gone! Now, Nightwing has taken on the mission of keeping the citizens of Gotham City safe from the Magistrate. But to do that, he’ll have stay one step ahead of the Magistrate! And you know things have gotten bad in Gotham when the safest place for Dick to hide out is the abandoned Arkham Asylum! When Nightwing gets a visit from a mask claiming to be the new Batman... does he fight like one?

Future State: Nightwing #2

(February, 2021)

Cover by Nicola Scott, Annette Kwok

Cover Sketch by Nicola Scott

It’s an all-new dynamic for the Dynamic Duo when Nightwing and Gotham’s mysterious new Batman join forces against the Magistrate. But when the totalitarian force controlling the city declares the two heroes their primary targets, Nightwing will need to call on the full force of his hidden resistance, including two Batgirls, Huntress, and Two-Face! But even then, will it be enough? Find out in this action-packed conclusion!

Nightwing Character Design by Nicola Scott

Merry Christmas!!!

Superman #165

(December, 2000)

"Help!"

Cover by Ed McGuinness, Cam Smith, Tanya Horie, Richard Horie

90's X-Men

Artwork by Russell Dauterman

Nightwing #78

(March, 2021)

Artwork by Bruno Redondo

The Merry X-Men Holiday Special

(December, 2018)

Cover by David Nakayama

Batman Variants by Jorge Jimenez

From "Their Dark Designs" to "The Joker War," Jorge Jiménez’s character designs showcase the cast of Batman with new faces and old friends.

James Tynion IV, Jorge Jiménez and Guillem March's Batman run has introduced novel new characters to the Batman mythos, and one of the most anticipated moments landed in Batman #92, as Punchline comes face to face with Harley Quinn!

With "The Joker War" approaching, fans will meet even more new characters created by Tynion IV and Jiménez. Punchline, the Designer, the Underbroker, Clownhunter, and more join Batman’s most famous friends and foes on 1:25 card stock variant covers of every issue from Batman #92 through #100! Each cover features Jiménez’s design work, showing off his process of crafting Gotham’s newest residents, or his distinct interpretations of its familiar faces.

The 1:25 covers feature Jiménez’s illustrations of the following characters:

Batman #92 - Punchline

Batman #93 - The Designer

Batman #94 - The Underbroker

Batman #95 - Joker

Batman #96 - Clownhunter

Batman #97 - Harley Quinn

Batman #98 - Catwoman

Batman #99 - Nightwing

Each cover is available to comic book retailers who order at least 25 copies of Batman #92 through #100, the climactic final issue of “The Joker War.” The variant cover to issue #100 is still to be revealed. “The Joker War” starts in July’s Batman #95.

The Art of Nicola Scott

SUPERMAN

Action Comics #1000

(April, 2018)

BATMAN

Detective Comics #1000

(March, 2019)

WONDER WOMAN

Wonder Woman #750

(January, 2020)

NIGHTWING

Con Print

(September, 2019)

GREEN LANTERN

Green Lantern 80th Anniversary

(May, 2020)

Artwork by Nicola Scott

Colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr.

Nightwing #0

Writers: Kyle Higgins and Tom DeFalco

Artist: Eddy Barrows

The biggest challenge in front of the Bat-books with the New 52 relaunch was compressing the bulk of their rich stories into just five years of continuity. More specifically, how Batman's sidekicks fit into this short time frame has been the apple of discord amongst fans. Gail Simone took good care of figuring out Batgirl's timeline; in this issue, Kyle Higgins repeats the same feat by giving Dick Grayson a neat new start. The first Robin started his career not as a child, but almost as an adult, and his motivation does not lie in the heart of tragedy as Batman's, but rather in the spirit of moving forward. An interesting aspect of this new Dick Grayson is his ability to read body language; it is almost his super-power, and another quality that makes him unique. The dynamic between Batman and the first Robin seems to indicate theirs was not a long association, which works just fine within the limited five year period. All in all, Perpetual Motion is a very satisfying tale.

Robin by Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, and Rod Reis

Nightwing #11

Writer: Kyle Higgins

Artist: Andres Guinaldo

Nightwing gets acquainted with Paragon and his Republic of Tomorrow during an explosive opening fight that showcases Dick's resourcefulness and quick thinking. The issue also features a rare bonding moment with Damian Wayne, what looks like the beginning of a potential relationship with Sonia Zucco, and a defying encounter with Travis Nie. Speaking of the persistent detective, the reason behind his harassing behavior towards Nightwing is revealed in a natural, commendable manner; kudos to DC for continuing the expansion of character diversity. Kyle Higgins uses elements that go back to the start of the series to tell his story, which is in a way rewarding to loyal followers of the title; yet, new readers will not get lost since references to previous events are clearly laid out. Andres Guinaldo gets his first solo stint in the book, and thanks to Rod Reis' colors, the art transition is a bit easier on the eyes.

Nightwing #10

Writer: Kyle Higgins

Artists: Eddy Barrows & Geraldo Borges

With a new purpose after learning of his connection to the Court of Owls, Nightwing sets on a new enterprise, if anything, to spite those who believed his fate and Gotham's were already decided. Having Dick settle permanently in the city is a much more interesting prospect than having him tour around with Haly's circus; despite the potential for adventures on the road, Gotham offers enough mysteries and action as proven in the first chapter of "Republic of Tomorrow, Today." Nightwing's cast expands in the form of deputy Kavanaugh, shady detective Nie, and mafia daughter Sonia Zucco; each one bringing their own dose of conflict to the party. His villains gallery also gains a new member in Paragon, who seems to be at least tangentially associated to recent events and Gotham's history. Barrows and Borges bring Higgins' script to life with vibrant and energetic pencils to successfully kick start this new arc.

Nightwing #9

Writer: Kyle Higgins

Artists: Eddy Barrows & Andres Guinaldo

While "The Court of Owls" might be one of Batman's greatest stories ever told, it for sure is the one that redefined the character of Dick Grayson to his core. This tie-in to "Night of the Owls" certainly cements that. Through Talon William Cobb -Dick's ancestor- more of Gotham's past and nature is revealed, as well as Haly's Circus true, sinister purpose. Higgins is able to recreate the Grayson lineage in such an organic, non-forced manner, that it is almost as if it had been designed like that from the very beginning. Barrows and Guinaldo's shared art duties are yet another highlight of this issue, and the crossover in general. Their post-Victorian interpretation of old Gotham is flawless, while the present day fight scenes are crisp and fluid. The impact this secret origin will have on Nightwing is still to be seen; the potential for endless conflict and turmoil is clear, but right now the book is in such good hands, that it should not be seen with any concern.

Nightwing #8

Writer: Kyle Higgins

Artist: Eddy Barrows

A secret chapter of Gotham's past is revealed in "Bloodlines," and told from quite an unexpected point of view: that of a Talon's. Connected directly to the crisis in Batman #8, Nightwing enters into the "Night of the Owls" by responding to Alfred's distress call and rushing to City Hall to protect Mayor Hady. The entire issue switches back and forth between events that took place over a century ago, and those occurring the night the Talons strike Gotham; both equally compelling and thrilling. Eddy Barrows illustrates the whole story with intricate and detailed traces; particularly worthy of mention are those of the flashback sequences. Drawing clothing and architecture for a period piece is extremely challenging, and Rod Reis' colors are the perfect complement to provide the right ambiance. With a double cliffhanger, the issue builds great momentum for this crossover.

Nightwing #7

Masterfully played, Mr. Kyle Higgins. Nightwing's final confrontation against Saiko turned out to be just the lid of an ugly, ugly can of worms; one that took Dick Grayson's whole life and in a most unexpected twist put it at the center of a dark and sinister conspiracy. Without making any significant changes to the superficial story, Higgins has retconned the character's origin down to its roots, and bridged the events of this series to those being told by Scott Snyder in "Batman," so revealing the one true enemy in the story: Gotham. There is nothing to say about Eddy Barrows and Geraldo Borges' work that has not been said before; their seamless collaboration delivers some of the best art in the New 52. Their overlapping panels, and the use of scenes as the background for others, make for very distinctive and energetic visuals.  All in all, a great issue with surprising "Turning Points."

Nightwing #6

After the demonic events of last issue, Nightwing returns to more grounded action when Haly's circus makes a stop in Texas.  Searching for clues that could take him to Saiko, Nightwing does not realize that the enemy is right in front of him, or that he's being played by friends.  From there, the story focuses on characterization, including a visit by Alfred Pennyworth, who is seldom seen outside the mansion or the cave. The art team led by Eddy Barrows delivers another great visual experience; particularly notorious are the detailed and vivid backgrounds featuring the city of Austin.  The plot does not advance significantly, except at the end, when Saiko makes his presence known and reveals his identity to Nightwing right before committing an atrocious act.  The last page is yet another example of the edgier side of this new universe.

Nightwing #5

Things take a supernatural turn for Nightwing when Haly's Circus stops in New Orleans for a show.  With a perfect balance between heroics and characterization (and some motorcycle bragging in between), Kyle Higgins writes a nice self contained story, while adding another piece to the overall puzzle that is the current arc.  One interesting fact we learn in this issue is that Etrigan the demon has not surfaced in present times -not yet.  The return of Eddy Barrows to the series is more than welcome; he really outdid himself in this issue with very intricate and fluid pencils; just in time for the shocking revelation of the last page: holy mother of crap! I did not see that one coming.  January seems to be a lucky month for many of the New 52, and this is not the exception; "'Til Death do us Part" is the best issue of the series to date.

Nightwing #4

Kyle Higgins brings Nightwing and Batgirl together in "South Beach Connection."  It is so pleasant to see when creators  communicate and are in synch with each other; this issue not only is a nice stand-alone story for Nightwing, but also a nice follow-up of sorts to Gail Simone's Batgirl #3.  This team-up serves not just to go after some bad guy, but also to patch things up between Dick and Barbara; the combination of action and character development was just right.  By the end of the issue, the road takes us back to the ongoing story and sets the stage for next issue with a new mystery in Haly's circus.  While I missed Eddy Barrows' pencils, Trevor McCarthy did a great job with his movie-like action sequences, and continuing with the theme of after-images when illustrating acrobatics.  Overall, this was a fun and enjoyable issue that no fan of Nightwing or Batgirl can miss.

Nightwing #3

You know how family and friends reconnect at weddings and funerals?  Well, Nightwing #3 is no wedding.  The mystery of C.C. Haly's death gets trickier as more suspects pop-up amongst the circus family during the old man's service.  First the good:  The art by Eddy Barrows and Eduardo Pansica is superb, especially in those action sequences with the after-images of Nighwing's acrobatics; also cool is the nod to Nightwing's old costume, which in itself acknowledges a lot of the character's backstory. One thing I didn't like was the campy way used to get Dick out of a bad situation; I frown upon the old "reversing the polarity" solution.  A huge no-no in this issue: the "Five years ago" flashback; it raises too many questions. "Years ago" would have been good enough to keep everyone entertained and happy.

Nightwing #2

Nightwing returns to his roots in "Haly's wish", written by Kyle Higgins and pencilled by Eddy Barrows.  The story picks up right where issue #1 ended, with Nightwing fighting a new menace who's trying to kill Dick Grayson.  The action scenes as illustrated by Eddy Barrows are simply amazing; never the same angle, and always full of dynamism.  Those facial expressions and close-ups though, looked very awkward; as if he feels more comfortable drawing masked characters.  Kyle Higgins exploits inner dialogue the right way, and hints at a new mystery to be introduced in the Nightwing mythos that I'm sure will be a huge part of the character going foward; apparently Haly's Circus was not just that, but much more... what does this mean?  Interesting!  Nightwing #2 was a solid issue with all the ingredients for a great story.