Nightwing (v.4) #014 (2023)

 

Nightwing (vol.4) #104 (July, 2023)
"Rise of the Underworld, Finale"
Writer - Tom Taylor
Art - Travis Moore
Colors - Adriano Lucas
Letters - Wes Abbott
Edits - Berbey, Chen, Abernathy
Cover Price: $4.99

Been using the silly pre-ramble section of these pieces to talk more about the covers than I usually do... mostly because I've been away from writing for so long, that I still haven't quite found my footing. There are only so many times I can say, out loud and to myself, "Wow, it's weird to be writing again" and "Wonder how long THIS is going to last?".

With that in mind... hey, check out the cover! It's like that meme... and, well... I can't decide whether or not it annoys me! I feel like it really SHOULD but it kinda doesn't. I dunno, maybe I'm softening... or maybe my brain is smoothing. Whatever the case, here it is:

And yeah, I just Googled "Ohhh meme".

Anyway, howsabout I quit with the vampin' and we wrap up this first Titan-ic Dawn of DC arc?

--

We pick up right where we left off last issue... Nightwing has just been granted superpowers by Neron in the baddie's attempt at tempting our hero into signing Olivia's soul over to him. Dick's just getting a taste of the "great power"... two hours... but, it can be made permanent if he coughs up the kid's soul. Neron suggests our man try out his "new normal" by heading Themyscira way and helping out his Titanic pals... and so, that's exactly what he does.

It's almost as though he hates to admit it, but Nightwing appears to be having a great deal of fun with his nigh-on Kryptonian powers. The speed, the strength... he sees all the good he could do if he were to make this arrangement permanent. But, for now, he's got some friends to rescue! We next see him arriving on the shores of Themyscira, where the Titans have been downed by the trio of Grodd, Polaris, and the Grinning Man. Dick swoops down and nabs Gorilla Grodd, saving the good guys from his mental hoo-doo.

Upon his return, the Titans have rebounded... Starfire kayos Doctor Polaris, while Donna chokes out the Grinner. Raven checks in with Olivia to make sure she's okay... and, thankfully she's just fine. In a fun callback to ish #102, Dick reveals to his teammates that "he flies now". Okay, Tom ya bastid... I laughed. I tell ya, I truly wasn't expecting this to be funny. Like, maybe "dur-hur comicbook funny"... but not actually funny. Really good stuff.

Anyway, Raven reveals to the rest of the crew that this is, in fact, the real deal Dick. He speaks of his temporary arrangement with Neron, and how he's got these powers for the next hour and change. One of the Titans asks him what he plans to DO with the next 60-120 minutes... but, we'll have to come back to that.

First, let's head downstairs to Hell... where Neron is being visited by the 100 foot tall... TRIGON THE TERRIBLE... who, believe it or not, does NOT announce that he is Raven's dad. Huh, I guess that only goes one way then? Anyway, Trigon mocks Neron for having a problem with a little girl, and warns that it isn't a good look for any'a the Lords of the Underworld. Neron is told to get his house in order... or else.

Back to Dick, who is spending his power-hour(s) doing super-things with Wally. Using his powers for good... in ways he's never been able to before as a mere mortal. I gotta ask... Dick Grayson's been around for nearly a century now... is this really the first time he's gotten super powers? Can't be, right? Oh well. After helping out the Flash, Dick zips over to Metropolis to chat up, and shake hands with, Superman. Clark thinks being super-powered is a pretty good look for Nightwing. Together they head into space so Dick can get a gander of the planet he's been tasked with defending in it's full glory. The scene gets... a little preachy... but, it's point is well-taken. Their chat is interrupted by Oracle calling to let Nightwing know he is needed back on Themyscira... and so, off he goes.

Once there, he sees the Titans wrapped up in a battle with dozens of demons. Beast Boy, in the form of a unicorn, gallops over with Olivia on his back. He asks for Nightwing to zip the kid as far away from the ruckus as possible... and so, he does. Some miles away, while crossing some tundra... Dick's power hour(s) comes to an end. With a snap of his fingers, Neron drops our hero (and Olivia) into the snow. Once on the ground, Neron makes him the offer again. He could go back to being super-powered... forever. All's he's gotta do, is hand over the li'l one's soul.

Naturally, he ain't feelin' it. Olivia, seeing how much good a super-powered Nightwing can do for the world... suggests maybe he just signs her over. Instead of doing that, however, our man pulls out his escrima sticks and says: "Nightwing is Awesome". Now... you might be asking: Da hale is that all about? Well, this is another callback to the Nite-Mite issue (#98). Nightwing's Fifth-Dimensional Imp gave Dick a trigger phrase to give his sticks a bit of juice... that phrase was "Nightwing is Awesome". Turns out, the sticks still had a little bit of zsusz left in'em... and, with it, our hero is able to zap Neron back to his true form... which is, more or less, a pile of Lovecraftian gore. With that, our baddie blips back to Hell.

We jump ahead to Themyscira, where Olivia is welcomed to live and train among the Amazons... so, the Titans won't have to also be a daycare facility. Nightwing presents Olivia with a plaque, making her an honorary Titan. She decides on the codename "Nightbuster", blending Nightwing with Blockbuster, largely because it'd annoy her father to have his name mashed with Nightwing's. Raven reminds us that she has daddy issues as well (because we almost made it an entire issue without that), and promises Olivia that Neron won't ever bother her again before she leaves with her new crew.

We wrap up back in Hell about an hour later. Raven is visiting with Neron... telling him he's pretty much done. She kayos him before handing him over to Blaze. Blaze is grateful for the gift... but notices something a bit peculiar about our gal. It's almost as though a piece of her... is missing! We're told this will be continued... in Titans #1!

--

Ya know, when I started X-Lapsed back in 2020... I assumed I'd be starting my coverage with X-Men (vol.5) #1, which was the first of the Dawn of X line of books. I wanted to "hit the ground running", so to speak. Then, while rifling through my dedicated "current-year X-Book shortbox", I was reminded that the House of X and Power of X mini-series's's's's x-isted. Not gonna lie, I was kinda bummed out that I had this weird "prerequisite" I needed to devour and discuss before getting into the new status quo proper. Turned out that HoX/PoX was an absolute necessity in gaining a proper footing in the X-Men's "new normal"... it was also (mostly) an absolute blast to read.

When I got the half-assed bug to do do a Lapsed-Type-Thing with the Titans, I automatically assumed I'd begin with the Dawn of DC Titans (vol.whatever) #1. This was around the time I was chatting with a buddy of mine about how much I missed the Titans... and how, with the Dawn of DC volume, I felt like I was finally ready to get hurt again...

Buddy informed me that, if I didn't feel like waiting... the Dawn of DC issues of Nightwing were basically a Titans book in all but name. I suddenly found myself with those weird HoX/PoX pangs of bummed-outedness. Like I now had another prerequisite I needed to cover if I was actually serious about this project. What's more... (several of) these books were out NOW... so, I couldn't just daydream and fixate on some day in the future where I might write something... where I might script/perform something. To be a bit (more) precious (than usual) about it: The future... was now!

Well... turns out, this Titans-prereq... was an absolute blast to read. Not sure how necessary it will wind up being in the grand scheme of things... or if it's actual "must-reading" for folks who were planning on jumping in with Titans (vol.whatever) #1... but, speaking only for me... I'm so very glad I forced myself to read this. I tell ya, it takes a lot for me to actually crack the cover on a comic anymore... but, I truly couldn't be happier that I did!

You all know how I hate repeating myself (he repeats to himself), so I'll spare you all several painful paragraphs of me attempting to define "heart", "humor" and "real Titans stories"... just know that I definitely feel as though this arc HAD heart, WAS humorous, and FELT like a real Titans story.

While this was definitely a Titans story... it was with this final chapter that I felt like I was reminded that it isn't a Titans book. This is Nightwing's book, which I definitely don't have any problems with... but, it was with this issue that I feel the Titans were kind of relegated to the background. Again -- that's not a complaint, just an observation. It just sort of reminded me that, if this "Titans-Lapsed" project continues, that this might be the last issue of Nightwing we cover for quite some time. Not sure how intertwined the titles will be from this point on! Also not sure why that struck me as such a surprise... especially when the Bat-Emblem (rather than the Titans "T") is front and (off) center atop the cover!

Anyway, let's get outta the self-indulgent weeds and discuss some of what actually happened in this here book, eh?

We get to see Nightwing make use of his temporary superpowers... which was neat. I like the idea that he only had a "power hour" (well, two), and had to decide how to best use his time. I appreciated the choice(s) he made... using those powers to both do good, and to take in a grand view of who and what he's "doing the good" for.

While I felt the Superman scene started to lean into soapbox territory, I still feel it was well done... and, was pretty important in giving Dick perspective on the task laid before him. He and his will be stepping up and protecting the entire planet... and while I'm hoping this doesn't devolve into something akin to Captain Nightwing and the Planeteers, I thought it was a pretty powerful (and necessary) scene.

Taking out Neron with his Nite-Mite trigger phrase was cute... especially with how embarrassed Dick was to say "Nightwing is Awesome" back in issue #98. Though, if you started reading this title with the first Dawn of DC-branded issue (#101), you wouldn't know any'a that. I just so happened to read #98, mostly because I thought the cover was a hoot... not sure how many other new/lapsed readers did the same. Though, I certainly can't fault a book for paying off a story thread from an earlier arc... that's the kind of comics I personally dig. Sadly, the industry has long been in the business of training readers not feel the exact opposite.

Shuffling Olivia off to Themyscira was a good idea, in my opinion. While I liked the character, I was a little bit worried she'd wind up being the Titans latch-key kid. Like a Danny Chase or D.E.O. Kid du jour for the current generation. I'm glad that isn't going to be the case. She's off training with the Amazons, which keeps the door open for guest appearances, while not actually making her a "fixture". Best of both worlds!

Overall... like I've been saying (over and over again), this was a very good arc... and a really good pre-req for this new volume of Titans. If you're a Titans fan, or are simply Titans-curious, I'd recommend checking out this arc.

Next time out... we'll actually discuss Titans (vol.whatever) #1.

Sheehan Titans, Episode 3 - Nightwing #103 (2023)

Sheehan Titans, Episode Three - Nightwing (v.4) #103 (2023)

Taking a look at the penultimate chapter of our Dawn of DC Titans "pre-req" story arc.  During which, your humble host can't help to fumble and stumble over his words as he attempts to adequately describe and define why this storyline feels like a "real" Titans story... and how it has the nebulous quality of "heart".  It's a(nother) half-hour of me rambling is what I'm trying to say -- join me, won't you?

Are you a Titans fan, Titans curious, or Titans-Lapsed?  I'd love to hear your thoughts on this story and new-old direction for the fan-favorite team!

weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com

Nightwing (v.4) #103 (2023)

 

Nightwing (vol.4) #103 (June, 2023)
"Rise of the Underworld, Part 3 of 4"
Writer - Tom Taylor
Art - Travis Moore & Vasco Georgiev
Colors - Adriano Lucas
Letters - Wes Abbott
Edits - Berbey, Chen, Abernathy
Cover Price: $4.99

Last time we confabbed on an ish of Nightwing, I spent this sad little pre-ramble portion kind of complaining about and complimenting the cover. Well, here's another one! One that I actually quite dig! It was the first issue of Nightwing I bought "new" in many, many years (I did buy issues 100-102 the same day off the "six month wall", but this one was still a "new release"). I'm pretty sure, even if I hadn't already known that Nightwing was a "de facto Titans book" at the time, that this cover would have brought me back into the fold.

It's just a cool cover... plus it's got that classic TITANS logo!

Can the story inside be just as cool? Let's find out!

*NOTE* - As this is a new-ish ish, pics are at a minimum... though, be warned, you will be spoiled if you read past the dashes!

--

Picking up shortly after we left off last time, we join Raven... who, I'm sure I need to remind you is THE DAUGHTER OF TRIGON THE TERRIBLE... as she leads her fellow Titans, Beast Boy, Nightwing, and Cyborg through a portal into Hell. She insists on putting a sort of psychic blinding hex on her teammates to save them from having to see all the suffering... suffering they'd be powerless to stop.

Elsewhere in Hell, Neron is meeting up with Blaze... who is quick to mock him for being beaten by Blockbuster's nine-year old daughter. Oh, she's also cut the tongue out of one of Neron's demon underlings, so there's that. Neron lashes out with a TOOOM in order to kayo Blaze before revealing that he's about to head topside for a bit.

Speaking of topside, we shift scenes over to Themy... Thym... Th--... can I just call it Paradise Island? Okay, hold on... let me grab the damned book. A-hem, we shift scenes over to Themyscira -- where Donna Troy, Starfire, and Batgirl (iz Babs a Titan now too?) have taken young Olivia in order to teach her how to better fight. Not sure why they necessarily needed to bring her here... but, ehh... we'll allow it.

Back in Hell, the Titans happen across Blaze as she's coming to. It's actually HERE where we're "officially" reminded that Raven is THE DAUGHTER OF TRIGON THE TERRIBLE. Raven reveals that they are here looking for Neron's soul-contract filing cabinet. Blaze immediately cooperates in order to take Neron down a peg or two... leading them directly to the Big Bad's pointy, spiky, chainy tower. Blaze informs the gang that the "record-keeping computer" is located on the top floor. I know what you're (maybe) thinking... Neron keeps his records... on a computer? Isn't that perhaps a little "too cute by half"? Well, read on... it'll be worth it.

Nightwing asks Beast Boy to shapeshift into the form of a demon... which, if I'm remembering right, was something he was able to do during the (rough to the point where I still haven't read all of it) Bill Jaaska era of New Titans. Back then, he was able to transform into a whole lotta demonic and hellish shapes. Anyway, Gar-as-Demon makes like he's taken Dick and Vic captive in order to gain entry into the pointy, spiky, chainy tower. Upon learning that the Master of the House has gone topside, they drop the ruse and just blast and beat their way inside.

Once at the top floor, Vic takes a look at the late-80s/early-90s looking bank of PCs... and is shocked by -- all the icons Neron has on his desktop! Not to mention all the malware, spyware, pop-up ads, and all'a dat yadda yadda we had to deal with back in the long ago. It's actually a lot funnier than I'm making it seem. To the point where Vic warns Gar and Dick not to give him any of their personal information after he interfaces with this corrupted rig.

Our boys wind up inside Neron's hall of contracts, or whatever... and are able to find the Olivia contract. It's revealed here that her mother is... former Bat-love interest, Jezebel Jet... who is, unfortunately, currently dead and without a head. Ya see, if she were still alive, an argument could be made that the Olivia contract is invalid, due to the fact that she's a child... and that both of her parents didn't sign off on the deal. Dick, however, isn't outta tricks. More on that later.

From here, we shift scenes over to Iron Heights, where Flash is making sure The Grinning Man is still safely tucked away in a prison cell... which, at the moment, he still is -- but, not for long. Ya see, he's being visited by Neron... and somehow knows that Olivia's been taken to Thym... Theyr... that place where the Amazons live. Neron is a bit trepidatious about stepping to the Amazons, claiming it wouldn't have good optics... but, he's still got a plan.

Let's jump ahead to the next day and see it play out, eh?

Back on T-h-e-m-y-s-c-i-r-a, Olivia's training sesh rolls on. At some point, they're interrupted by Wonder Woman who asks the tot to give her "her best shot". Olivia summons all her might and throws a punch... which Wondy catches with ease. She then returns fire by kicking the everlovin' bejeezus out of the kid (which gets another TOOOM sound effect... they sure like that one, don't they?). The ladies start freaking out for a bit, before being hammered with psychic and magnetic attacks. Turns out, "Wonder Woman" is actually The Grinning Man (duh), and he's been joined by Doctor Polaris and Gorilla Grodd! Remember when either of the two latter names would've been major threats all by themselves?

Scene shift - over to Blüdhaven Town Hall, where Dick is filling out some paperwork, while Oracle fills HIM in on what's going down in Themyscira (hey, got it in one that time!). Nightwing sends Gar, Raven, and Vic out to help their teammates while he finishes up his clerical work. No sooner do the Titans warp out than Neron makes his presence known.

Turns out he really wants that kid's soul. After all, it was kinda promised to him, yes? Can't say that he's actually done anything wrong... a contract's a contract, right? Oh well. Like I said, he wants Olivia's soul... but, the paperwork Dick just filled out granted him custody of the child. He's just signed a temporary foster form making him Olivia's legal guardian... a legal guardian who hasn't signed on the dotted line for the fair-exchange of her mortal soul. Not sure social services ever works that quickly (I mean, we're not even into the "next business day" at this point)... but, we'll allow it.

Neron's all "oh, c'mon dude..." and attempts to make Dick an offer he can't refuse. He appeals to his mortality... and how, when compared to his friends, teammates, and peers in the superhero community -- he ain't diddly squat. He's got no actual "super" powers... not yet, anyway. Ya see, if Dick agrees to "play ball" with Neron, the Big Bad will grant him the power and strength of... a Kryptonian! We close out with our hero getting "just a taste".

--

Well... there's THREE in a row!

You know... the more I get back into writing, the more I realize my (many, many) weakness(es) as a writer. In my "analysis", I tend to become hyper-focused on certain things. Usually it has to do with whether or not the story we're discussing has the, say it with me, "nebulous quality of heart". There are few things in comics/fiction/entertainment/commentary analysis that I just can't seem to get over... and, top among that pile, is whether or not the "piece of business" in question has "heart". It's pure projection on my part... and, heck, I'm probably - at best - a deeply-flawed critic. After all, what is "heart"?

I could (and have in the past) keep chasing my tail about what this means... but, for your sake (and, I suppose, my own), I'll just pretend you know exactly what I'm rambling on about.

Now, I said all'a that -- or, hell, I tried to say all'a that -- so that I might say this. This story, to me, definitely has "heart".

Am I over-romanticizing it? Perhaps. Am I just really hungry for a classic-feeling Titans tale? Definitely. Am I asking myself easy questions to inflate my word count and to give myself an unearned appearance of pseudo-intelligence? You betcha!

The fact remains, however, that -- to me -- this story, thus far, is the most "Titans" thing I've read in ages. Like I said last time out, the characters feel like friends... which was a huge part of what made the classic team(s) feel special and stand out. The fact also remains that, over the past several years I've found it much easier to be negative and talk about why I don't like something -- which is probably part of the reason why (outside of everything I've already said) I'm having such a hard time putting into words why/how this story is "working" for me. It just is.

Is it perfect? Certainly not. Despite what the "10 outta 10" comics critic community shills tell ya, nothing is. Pitting the Titans against Gorilla Grodd and Doctor Polaris felt a bit outta nowhere... kinda like they just stopped on a couple of random pages of a Who's Who... omnibus. Nothing worth really holding against the story, just felt a bit like an afterthought (unless, of course, my current-year DC ignorance has blinded me to some context?) -- while also kind of selling short the threat each baddie would usually prove to be. I'm never a fan of seeing a villain "leveled down", especially for what feels like just some throwaway fight scene.

Dick becoming Olivia's "legal guardian" was clever... though, maybe a bit unrealistic. Which, yeah, we're hacking computers in Hell -- and, somehow, this is my "bridge too far". Dunno. Just kinda felt rushed. I'm pretty sure it took two weeks for me to get the "okay" to replace the natural grass in my front lawn with artificial turf... I imagine taking legal custody of the orphaned child of a supervillain might at least take "one business day"... then again, what do I know, I don't live in Blüdhaven.

Very minor quibbles aside... heck, they ain't even so much "quibbles"... just things that kinda stuck with me... but, those aside, there was also plenty to dig here!

The ladies taking Olivia to Themyscira for training was pretty cool and made sense. It also, at least to me, really hammered home that the Titans are "a team". Does that make sense? I mean, of course they're a team, right? Dunno how to explain it... but it was this scene that kinda made that "clear" to me. It said to me that this is more than just a one-off reunion... or some old friends just "hanging out" again. It made the whole thing feel more "real".

The Hell Heist was well done... and, (again) much to my surprise, quite funny! Vic's quips about his own "privacy settings" while hacking into Neron's ancient virus-filled PC inspired a sensible chuckle or two outta me... and, in comics (especially modern ones), that very rarely happens.

Dick getting tempted with the powers of a Kryptonian is a pretty neat twist, and the temporary costume he gets is really cool... but, as far as cliffhangers go, I mean -- does anybody think this'll be permanent? Does anybody think Nightwing is going to sign over the soul of a nine-year old girl to a Lord of the Underworld? Course not... but, what I AM looking forward to is seeing if our man struggles any with the decision... or, gets the opportunity to flex his new super-powered muscle.

I guess we'll all find out together! Ya know, unless you already read this arc.

Next time out, we'll wrap it up!

Sheehan Titans, Episode 2 - Nightwing #102 (2023)

Sheehan Titans, Episode Two - Nightwing #102 (May, 2023)

In which your humble host's inner comics cynic takes a good, hard look in the mirror!

Taking a look at Part 2 of the Dawn of DC Titans "pre-req" story, and having an uncharacteristically great time with it!  Listen to me stammer on and on about how this feels like a "genuine Titans story", without being able to actually put into words what a "genuine Titans story" ought to feel like!  I guess it's just one'a those things where ya know it when ya see it!

Are you currently reading, catching up on, or lapsed on the Titans?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

--

chrisisoninfiniteearths.com

weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

Nightwing (v.4) #102 (2023)

 

Nightwing (vol.4) #102 (May, 2023)
"Rise of the Underworld, Part 2 of 4"
Writer - Tom Taylor
Art - Travis Moore
Colors - Adriano Lucas
Letters - Wes Abbott
Edits - Berbey, Chen, Abernathy
Cover Price: $4.99

I think it'd be too strong to suggest I have a "love/hate" thing with this cover... probably more apt to say I gotta "like/dislike" thing with it. Granted, it is "current year" where comic book covers have been rendered as all but meaningless... what with variants, incentives, gimmicks, and et-cetera... but, this one is kind of a peculiar case.

On one hand... I can't argue that it's quite striking! The sort of cover that, will very likely "jump off the rack" at you and force you to take notice. For that I gotta give it points. However, it doesn't actually... ya know, say anything. I dunno... I'm most certainly wasting a whole lotta effort focusing on this... buuuuut, I've been way outta writing practice for quite some time at this point, so -- why not use this very minor gripe as a way to work out the kinks, eh? Well, the most surface-level of kinks... there'll be plenty more to follow as we work our way through this ish!

So, let's do it!

*NOTE* This is a recent-ish ish... so, I'm using fewer-than-usual pics. That said, this is still going to be a "spoilery synopsis".

--

We pick up at the Blüdhaven Morgue, where Nightwing (the real Nightwing), is escaping from one'a dem freezer drawers where the bodies are kept. Of course, last issue ended with our man getting THDed by a hunk of metal by The Grinning Man who had taken the form of a Vlatavian coroner. Anyhoo, with Dick free, he calls in to Oracle to get a twenty on the whereabouts of Raven and Starfire. Babs sez they were headed back to Beast Boy's palatial pad, which is troubling... since they certainly wouldn't have left without him. Nightwing asks to be patched through to Vic, who arrives lickety-split.

We shift over to Gar Logan's place... which, I'm not sure if this is supposed to be Steve Dayton's mansion, but it certainly looks like it, doesn't it? Anyway, our sweet Olivia is sleeping in one of the guest rooms, when she is woken by Nightwing... err, "Nightwing" in quotes, I suppose. He tells the girl that it ain't safe there, and they gotta beat it with the quickness. On the way out, Olivia sees that Beast Boy's been kayoed on the front steps... "Dick" tells her not to worry and keeps dragging her along. Once on the lawn, our imposter finds himself confronted by the real deal.

The pair'a Dicks have a pretty fun and contentious back 'n forth... which includes a bit where the Grinning Dick concludes that the Genuine Dick doesn't have any powers... a deduction he happens to find hi-larious (well, sadlarious, actually). The fellas fight a bit, neither really getting the better of the other. During a lull in the action standoff, our hero makes it clear to Olivia that he's the real-deal by invoking the name of his three-legged, potentially one-eyed dog, Bitewing. This leads to our sweet girl socking the hell out of the Grinning Dick from behind.

This is only a minor inconvenience for our baddie, however, as he recovers quickly... and just plain nabs Olivia and goes to fly away with her. Unfortunately for him, he just so happens to fly directly into Starfire, Raven, and Cyborg. So, uh, was Cyborg a founding member of the Justice League or not? I really don't wanna Google it for some reason... I'm almost certainly projecting but it feels like DC Comics wants me to, and I'm just being stubborn. Anyway, the Grinning Dick happily reveals to his "teammates" that, yeah -- he can fly now! Which is pretty funny.

When this doesn't work, the baddie just heaves Olivia into the horizon hoping to make his escape when the Titans naturally rush off to catch her... unfortunately for him, they don't! It's a really well done little bit of business. He's truly shocked that these heroes aren't going to try and rescue the girl... it's like he's appealing to them to do so. Of course we know Olivia isn't actually in any danger, as Donna Troy snatches the kiddo outta the sky with ease. The Grinning Dick realizes the jig up... just in time for him to take a Starfire/Cyborg "Care Bear Stare" to the chest.

The Grinning Dick is sent hurtling toward the ground, where he's met by Wally West... who TOOMs him in the mush.

From here, we get a cute scene of Olivia apologizing to a recovering Beast Boy for his getting hurt on account of her. Gar responds maturely... which, after reading pretty much every Gar Logan appearance from the 1980s up until Flashpoint, is the way I want him to act. Who-or-whatever the hell The New-52! Beast Boy is/was... that just plain sucked.

Once our Beast Boy's outta bed, it's time for the Titans to interrogate The Grinning Man. Donna employs the Lasso of Truth Persuasion to get him to spill the beans. It's just as we suspected during last issue's discussion... The Grinning Man signed over his soul to Neron in order to get his fantastical powers. Prior to that, he was a low-level baddie who called himself Disguise Master. We see him attempting to "take the form of" Superman in order to rob a bank vault. As you might imagine, this doesn't really pan out for this goof.

Oh, for those keeping track... it's at this point, we get our monthly reminder that Raven is, in fact, THE DAUGHTER OF TRIGON THE TERRIBLE. Gotta hand it to 'em, they saved this until well into the second-half of the issue!

So... with The Grinning Man mystery and threat pretty much solved, all that remains is to figure out how to get Neron to back off and leave Olivia alone. I'm not sure if I mentioned it last time, but Blockbuster, prior to his death, signed (his daughter) Olivia's soul over to Neron... which is why our Underworld pal is so hellbent (ha!) on collecting. It's explained here (by Raven) that, Neron doesn't really have much actual use for the soul of a nine-year-old girl... but, in order to appear strong to the other Lords of Hell, he's gotta follow through. It's all about posturing ya see.

Nightwing mentions that he'd really like to see this contract between Neron and Blockbuster... which causes Gar to joke about breaking into Hell and just swiping the thing from the Demon's filing cabinet. This... well, you ever been in a meeting or "problem-solving" conversation, where you make a really stupid joke in order to ease the mood? You ever make a silly suggestion... only to find that those you're chatting with think it might be "just crazy enough to work"? Yeah, that's what happening here. Much to his astonishment (and regret), Raven and the rest of the Titans think Gar's got the right idea... and so, it looks like our team is about to engage in something of a Hell Heist!

--

Welp... there's two in a row!

Two extremely fun Titans stories... from the dreaded, and oft-maligned (by me) "current year"! I'm not going to lie... I'm actually a bit taken aback by this. Very surprised. Not to go too deep into my own "comics baggage", but I honestly assumed that this little "project" of mine was destined to be a one-and-done. One of my preconceptions before starting this was the knowledge that many contemporary writers attempt (and fail) at being funny. Now, perhaps that isn't completely fair... humor, like anything else creative, is subjective. Maybe it's more apt so say that I simply don't find many contemporary writers to be funny. Cringy? Yeah. Try-hard? At times. But, funny? VERY seldom.

So, I was (unfairly) expecting this to kind of fall in line with the rest of the "not for me" sort of comedy. Imagine my surprise when I started to actually feel my lip curl several times during this reading. There was (in my opinion) a lot of quality humor in this issue! Not the sort of "meta" or "too clever for comics" stuff we often see nowadays, but actual funny bits. Funny bits with heart, even! This actually (and yeah, I'm totally overusing the word "actually" today, but please bear with me... I'm not a good writer) felt like an issue of Titans.

Like I said last time out, I know very little about this Tom Taylor cat (other than the mustard-and-bigotry topped hot dog)... but, damned if he doesn't have a good handle on these characters! Sure, we are only two-issues in on this Dawn of DC (which is a really dumb name for a "new era" that picks up immediately following the last) direction, but nowadays I feel like we know if a comic's for us or not within two pages, much less a couple of issues.

What I'm trying to say here... while taking my patented overly-wordy "scenic route"... is, I enjoyed this... and I'm pleasantly surprised that I did.

Let's get into some specifics, eh?

My main takeaway, and at this point in the article, I've probably brushed up against it... or flat-out stated it, several times already... is that this feels like a Titans story. I'm still not 100% (or, hell, even 50%) clear on what's canon as it pertains to (Teen) Titans history. DC Comics seems to be keeping things nebulous... plus, I'm a bit of an idiot, who isn't always the quickest on the draw when it comes to following a story. It feels as though there's this a la carte approach at play right now... continuity feels liquid... very much "made to order". I couldn't tell you if the original Teen Titans are the ones from Brave and the Bold #54 (1964) or Titans Hunt #1 (2015). I mean, up until literally yesterday (as of this writing) I wouldn't be able to tell you whether or not Terry Long, the Red-Menace Himself, was still in continuity (Flash #799 revealed that Granny Goodness raised Robert "Lord Chaos" Long)!

Even with that said, this issue (and the one before it) felt more like a "true" Titans story than anything I'd read since the pre-Flashpoint days. We don't get a whole lot of soapiness, but what we do get feels genuine. The Titans feel like a family again (or at the very least, friends), and aren't just a bunch of surly, snarky, young heroes seemingly being forced to live and fight crime together between Instagram posts.

When I first saw the Olivia character, I was a bit worried she was going to be relegated to... what I'd usually call the "rapping grandma" sort of character. For those of you who are unfamiliar with my stupid and oblique Chris-isms, that simply means "a lazy one-note/cheap-pop character", sort of like the "rapping grandma" who we'd seemingly get a different take on like every single week on America's Funniest Home Videos back in the long ago. I figured she'd get a quippy catchphrase and be the "funny, ha-ha" of the book... and, hell... that probably says more about me and my comics cynicism than the actual book. I was quite pleased to discover that this wasn't the case at all. Olivia Desmond is a most welcome presence, and is (to this point) a fun character to have as a part of the cast. Not sure I want her sticking around forever (we've seen how things go south when the Titans are forced into the "daycare" role - D.E.O. Kids, anyone?), but for now... and for this story, I have zero issues.

We do get a bit of backstory on The Grinning Man... which was exactly what I expected it to be. That doesn't make it bad, nor contrived... it was just a piece of business that even someone as dense as me could figure out with relative ease. I gotta say, when we first met him, I wasn't too impressed... but, seeing his "true form"... just a horrid smile plastered on a featureless black head... makes for quite the striking visual! Great work here with the design!

To sum things up... and repeat myself so I can add a few more words to my word-count... this issue (and arc up to this point) was a very pleasant surprise. I'm very happy I took a chance on picking this up... and what's more, that I forced myself to actually read it (rather than just filing it away like the savage/stupid completionist I am). Next time out, we'll chat up the penultimate chapter of this pre-Titans (volume whatever we're up to) Titans story.

Sheehan Titans, Episode 1 - Nightwing #101 (2023)

Sheehan Titans, Episode One - Nightwing (vol.4) #101 (April, 2023)

Long time, no see!

Welcome to brand-new awkwardly-titled Lapsed-Type-Thing, wherein your humble host attempts to regain his footing on another once-loved property he'd abandoned - The Titans!

Today, after a brief pre-ramble, we will discuss the first post-Dawn of DC issue of Nightwing (#101), along with the epilogue portion from Nightwing #100 while trying to reconcile who and what these characters are and how we got here!

Are you reading the newest Titans volume?  If so, did you also read this arc in Nightwing?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Nightwing (v.4) #101 (2023)

 

Nightwing (vol.4) #101 (April, 2023)
"Rise of the Underworld"
Writer - Tom Taylor
Art - Travis Moore
Colors - Adriano Lucas
Letters - Wes Abbott
Edits - Berbey, Chen, Abernathy
Cover Price: $4.99
On-Sale: February 21, 2023

Hmm... is this where I spend a few paragraphs writing about how "weird it feels" to try and write something again after a long break? Nah... probably not.

So, what inspired this? A "Random DC Comics Discussion and Review" on that site I started seven-some years ago to write... Random DC Comics Discussion and Reviews?! Well, a bit of trademark naval-gazing, and a trip down my own personal "rabbit hole". I took a beat this past weekend, and... during my "Chris is on Infinite Earths ReMaster Project", kind of found myself revisiting a lot of my old stuff. Lots of old... Titans stuff. The sort of stuff I used to write about... kind of a lot. It really made me stop and realize how much I missed these kids. Heck, I miss the "me" from back then too!

Can't say for certain this will be a "regular" thing... I mean, my track record for the past little while hasn't been all that hot. Honestly, as I'm sitting here writing this -- I can't say for certain I'm gonna even push "Publish". I guess we'll find out together, eh?

It's been a long while since I've been "away" from the Titans... heck, DC Comics as a whole. What's say we engage in another "Lapsed-type thing" and check out a Titanic Tale outta the pages of a recent-ish ish of Nightwing! Since this IS a recent-ish ish, I'm going to "skimp out" and try not to overload this one with pics. This piece will likely still spoil ya though.

--

Ya know, before we hop into Nightwing #101... we probably ought to chat up the epilogue portion of issue #100, as it pretty much tips that first Titanic domino. Total transparency here, I've only read the epilogue of this issue... so, I can't speak to the main story, which features something of a knock-down drag-out fight between the Titans and... I wanna say, some nu-baddie called Heartless? Don't know much about this new fella, though at first blush, he looks kinda like a generic nu-character whose primary reason for existing is so speculators could buy up as many copies of and nine-point-sixify his first appearance? Boy, it's usually a bit deeper into a project where I let my inner comics-cynic out. I'll do my best to keep it reined in. Anyway, I say all'a that to set the stage for what's to come. Dick 'n the Gang save Blüdhaven (gonna have to commit that Alt-0252 puts'a that dots'a over the "u" to memory!).

As the dust settles, our hero is approached by Superman and Wonder Woman, who'd like to make him an offer. Ya see, the Justice League is no more. Again, I've been current-year-DC-lapsed since... well, several current-years ago, so I'm ignorant to all things Dark Crisis... more ignorant than I usually am about things! All's I DO know is that, well, it happened... and there's no more Justice League. Superman and Wonder Woman recognize Dick's leadership qualities, specifically mentioning something that happened during this most recent Crisis (remember like 15 years ago we had "Final" Crisis? Imagine if that actually wound up being true!). Anyway, Dick initially believes he's being invited to join the League... but, it's made clear that they want him to do something "more".

Dick's gotta think about it... and so, we shift scenes. We next join our man, stood alongside Batman at Alfred's gravesite. Huh? Alfred's dead? How long do we give it til he's back? Six months? A year? Heck, I'm talkin' out my ass right now, for all I know, he's already been dead a few years! Anyway, Dick and Bruce have a genuinely touching conversation... the likes of which I haven't seen in quite some time. Very well done.

From here, Dick's decision has been made... and we jump back over to BlALT-0252dhaven. Hmm... that doesn't look right. Anyway. Dick is joined by Babs, a dog, and a young woman (Dick's sister?) who has his same haircut. I'll better familiarize myself with these folks as we go on, I promise. Dick reveals that he's buying a prison. We leap forward a month to a Nightwing press conference, where he reveals to the people of Blüdhaven that it's time for New Guardians (not those New Guardians, thankfully)... it is, indeed, time for the Titans. Our lineup includes: Starfire, Flash, Cyborg, Nightwing, Donna Troy, Beast Boy, and Raven.

Okay, the stage is set... now, into #101!

We open in the Depths of Hellᵀᴹ, where... izzat Despero... or just some Desperoish demon? Whoever it is, it don't much matter... our Big Bad appears to be our old friend from Underworld Unleashed, Neron! Have I covered that story here? Part of me thinks I have... but, I honestly wouldn't bet a penny either way. Anyhoo, Neron chats up the demons... upset that, should he decide to attack, that Nightwing would likely turn to one of his Titans teammates, Raven. Worth noting, we made it all the way to page three before being reminded that RAVEN IS THE DAUGHTER OF TRIGON THE TERRIBLE.

We shift scenes over to Vlatava, where Neron is seeking an audience with their King. Well, that's how it looks anyway... it's actually a new baddie called the Grinning Man who's taken the form of the King of Vlatava (I swear, both times I've typed this, I started to type Latveria). Anyhoo, our Lord of the Underworld is here because he wants a favor... he's wanting to reclaim a soul that he believes belongs to him... the soul of Olivia Desmond, daughter of Roland Desmond... Blockbuster!

Speakin' a whom, we zip over to Blüdhaven, where she's playing make believe with a couple of the Titans... Raven and Beast Boy! Full disclosure, part of the reason I'm reading this is to help me reconcile and make sense of who and what our current team of Titans actually are. Last I left the (Teen) Titans (circa 2019-2020), Gar was a social media-obsessed tween, and Raven was probably 15 or 16. They both seem a bit more mature now (and Gar is missing an eye?), but I can't say for certain. Has DC Comics decided that The New-52! into the early year(s) of Rebirth aren't a thing anymore... or, am I just an idiot? Have the characters started to age in real-time... or, do we just not worry about things like linear continuity anymore? I guess we'll have to read on to find out! Anyway, Raven, Gar, and Olivia are havin' themselves a time out in the woods.

They're soon joined by Nightwing and his three-legged dog, Bitewing. That's... a sentence I don't think I could've cooked up in my wildest dreams before now. Olivia mentions that the last time she saw the pup, he was able to talk... which is a reference to another recent-ish ish, where Dick met up with his 5th Dimensional Imp, Nite-Mite... which, I did read, and it was fun.

Dick pulls Raven off to the side so they can chat about a body found in the rubble of Titans Academy. Oh boy, I forgot all about Teen Titans Academy. Bought every single issue (since I'm an idiot), haven't read a one! Maybe this'll inspire me to make right on that? Oh no, they're referencing Dark Crisis (on Infinite Earths), too?! Welp, there's another stack'a books sitting right within my reach that I never bothered to open! I tell ya, I'm not a good comic book fan.

From here, we jump over to New York to check in on the wreckage of Titans Academy. While Nightwing and one of New York's Finest talk about the logistics of digging a corpse out from under the tower, Starfire just goes ahead and does the t'ing. It's revealed that the body belongs to one... King of Vlatava, Unnamed the First!

Once the body is nyoinked, Amanda Waller works her way over to our heroes. Waitasec, she's not super thin anymore? Are we really just disregarding all The New-52! stuff? I mean, I thought most of that stuff was trash, but I'm also a guy who doesn't wanna see any continuity swept under the rug! Anyway, she's kind of a dick to Dick.

Later, we join our man con-fabbing with a Vlatavian coroner. The, err, grinning coroner reveals that King Unnamed was seen back in Vlatava two days ago... which is odd, since this body on her table has been dead for weeks! Dick turns his back to her as the continue their conversation... and gets THDed on the noggin with some sort of metal apparatus. It's revealed that the Grinning Coroner is actually the Grinning Man... who then takes on the form of our titular hero.

We wrap up with Raven, Kory, and the Grinning Dick (ew) heading back to Blüdhaven through a portal.

--

Well, I'm not sure if it's just me really missing the Titans, but... ya know, I feel like there's a lot to dig here. Worth noting, there is a backup (this is a fi'dolla book, after all), but I just wanna look at (and talk about) the Titans stuff.

So, whattawegot?

The Grinning Man gimmick is one we've seen a hundred times before. I can't really fault it for being unoriginal, since it looks like it'll be necessary in facilitating the rest of this story. I might be denser than most, but the Grinning Man's relationship with Neron hasn't been made clear yet, right? I'm assuming there was a soul-swap-for-powers sort of sitch, but I could be wrong. It might could be completely apparent to everyone but me!

I feel like this issue might be a toughie for me to be completely unbiased in discussing, as it delivered in actually giving me a current-year Titans scene that didn't make me want to hurl my book across the room! It didn't "take me back" to the glory days, but it made me confident that there may be some of those ahead of us. It's so strange to me that, sometimes comics will, I dunno "withhold"... and other times, they'll over-give.

Fans of the Titans aren't a hard bunch to please. Fans of the Titans want... the Titans. I wouldn't dare speak for everybody, nor do I wanna paint with too broad 'a brush, but... I feel like we've been getting "teases"... actually, check that... more like "taunts" in how the Titans have been depicted. Flashes of the good stuff... just enough to give us hope that there's something good coming down the pike, only to absolutely fumble it. It's pretty much been that way since Flashpoint. Though, in fairness, I haven't read much in a few years now, so there might be some gold I missed?

Also... good grief, I'm back one day and I'm already bitching about Flashpoint? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all!

I kid, I kid.

I can't say that I know enough about our writer to have many good or bad expectations. From all appearances, he seems like a cool guy. One of my best pals is a big booster of Tom Taylor, and that's good enough for me. I bought every single issue of Superman: Son of Kal-El to support his work (yes, every issue... not just the one everybody bought). I do know he wrote that scene of Nightcrawler eating a mustard and bigotry-covered hot dog, but hey... everybody has an off day, right?

I do know that he will be writing the (just barely released) new Titans series, along with the artist from the last time the Titans had a great run (in my opinion, anyway), Nicola Scott! Looking forward to checking out the rest of this Nightwing arc before jumping into Titans (a book I double-dipped on, because I couldn't wait for my mail order to come in). If the covers are any indication, I think we've got some fun stuff ahead!

The art here is pretty fantastic as well. It feels "light". I'm not sure what that even means, but it's the only adjective that comes to mind. If you're a long time (or, perhaps even... lapsed) reader of Chris is on Infinite Earths, it's very much the sort of art I'd usually refer to as "candy".

Overall, like I said... I dug this. A lot. It's not reinventing any wheels... nor does it have to. It served as a little taste as to what a current-year Titans story could (and should) look and feel like. It's not trying too hard to evoke "teen" and it's not a team full of churlish kids staring at their phones. All fun, no cringe.