Tiger Shark and Blockbuster make their Rebirth-era Nightwing debuts in this week’s Nightwing #22. Is it good?
Narratively, writer Tim Seeley does a pretty good job in this issue. There are a lot of plot threads vying for page time here, and they all feel adequately handled. The first quarter or so of the issue is a tad slow, but once it gets going it becomes a very entertaining read. Tiger Shark’s character is particularly delightful; there’s a camp sensibility to his scenes that adds a sense of humor without reducing him to a joke. The Blockbuster in this issue isn’t the same Blockbuster as usual, but his relationship to the previous character shows potential for interesting plot developments to come.
One of the issue’s strengths is that we don’t just get good moments from the villains, but from Nightwing and his supporting cast as well. There’s a nice romantic scene between Dick and Shawn, as well as a scene where Dick discusses his concerns with some of the former Run-Offs. Seeley takes some time in this issue to develop Dick outside of his Nightwing guise, and it does a lot to help the character remain fleshed-out and likable.
The art team on this issue does a good job as well. The penciller is Miguel Mendonca and Vicente Cifuentes provides inks. The compositional choices throughout the issue are well-made and help to enhance feelings of movement. Some of my favorite artistic touches in this issue are the taxidermy décor animals in Tiger Shark’s base. These background details help to convey that Tiger Shark is menacing, but also over-the-top in a fun way. As per usual, Chris Sotomayor is the colorist for this issue, and he does a great job as always. Sotomayor’s varied and vibrant color palette is as enjoyable here as it always is, especially where Blüdhaven’s lighting are concerned.
Overall, this is a good issue. The art team does a good job, and there’s a lot that’s admirable in terms of the writing. A lot of plot elements for this arc are introduced, and none of the events feel shafted or inadequately developed thus far. My main con with the issue is that its beginning is slow and not as engaging as what follows it. Other than that, all of my complaints are minor (some panels where the line-art isn’t as detailed, a few odd composition choices, etc.). This is a solid issue all around, and definitely worth checking out.
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