Nightwing #135 Preview

 

 

Nightwing answered the Zanni's call to save Nightwing-Prime and nine abducted children. He played Tin Can Alley, even if each tin can Dick overturned toppled a building in Blüdhaven. But Dick Grayson's victory means that Olivia Pearce loses. And even she's dead, Olivia Pearce is tired of losing to Dick Grayson. Can Nightwing free the children and escape the fifth dimension? And after all the destruction he's caused, how will Blüdhaven greet Nightwing's return? 

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Nightwing #135 Preview

Writer: Dan Watters

Artist: Dexter Soy

Cover Artists: Dexter Soy, Dave Johnson & Fabrizio De Tommaso

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Release Date: February 18, 2026

 

A Can’t-Miss conclusion to “Cirque Du Sin”!

 

Nightwing must lead Blüdhaven’s stolen children to safety, but the Zanni won’t let them go without a fight. With Nightwing-Prime at his side, the battle reaches its breaking point and sacrifices must be made! But while the city takes its first steps toward recovery, a darker plan begins to take shape in Blüdhaven’s halls of power…

 

Don’t miss the issue that changes Blüdhaven forever!

 

Now, let's take a look inside: 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

Nightwing #134 Review

 

Writer: Dan Watters

Artist: V Ken Marion

Colorist: Veronica Gandini

Letterer: Wes Abbott

Cover Artists: Dexter Soy; Elizabeth Torque with Sabine Rich; Phan Tuan Dat; Travis Moore with Sebastian Cheng

Editors: Jessica Berbey & Rob Levin

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: January 21, 2026

 

The Martian Manhunter is the world’s most powerful psychic. Yet the Cirque Du Sin troubles him. He realizes that a mysterious force is devouring Blüdhaven. So when Dick requests his help in tackling the Zanni, J’onn doesn't want him to go.

 

Still, Dick Grayson knows he can’t play it safe. The Zanni beheaded Olivia Pearce. Dick’s protégé, Nightwing-Prime, is on life support. And the Zanni has lured nine children to his Cirque du Sin. So, J’onn relents and sends Dick into the fifth dimension to free the children from the Zanni's control.

 

Dick Grayson grew up in a circus. He knows its rhythms and ways. But can he defeat the Zanni? Or will he end up as shapeless goo like his greatest fan, the fifth-dimensional imp Nite-Mite? Let's leap into Nightwing #134 and see!

 

Story

The media is baying for Nightwing’s blood. The streets of Blüdhaven have become warzones. But Barbara Gordon has tallied the numbers, and the results don’t lie. Heroes like Superman and Batman have endured greater trials. She encourages Dick Grayson to regard this crisis as a bump in the road. After he ignores her advice and throws himself into danger, Barbara confronts J’onn. Martian Manhunter opines on the power of ideas and how they shape the world around us. But Barbara doesn't want a philosophical debate. She wants to know why J’onn sent Dick into the lion’s den.

 

While Dan Watters' story follows Dick, J’onn, Police Commissioner Sawyer, and Barbara, Dick Grayson drives events in Nightwing #134. As J’onn tells Barbara, the fifth dimension dictates our reality. While ideas can impact our world, most are stillborn or die in infancy. The few that reach maturity often only achieve a fraction of their imagined potential. But as Nightwing faces the Zanni in his Cirque du Sin, their encounter has profound consequences for Blüdhaven.

 

While Dick Grayson challenges the Zanni in his stronghold, Dick's physical capabilities matter less than his mental acuity. Like his mentor, Dick must find a way around the rules his enemy imposes on him. His half-sister may have lost faith in Blüdhaven’s ability to change. Dick has entrusted her with the Pennyworth Foundation funds, believing Melinda can accomplish more with them in a less troubled city. But when Blüdhaven devolves into chaos, Dick Grayson must be the beacon of hope that Police Commissioner Sawyer has compared him with in Nightwing #134.

 

Art

As J’onn hovers above Titans Tower, he realizes how Dick Grayson converted an idea into reality. When he slips back inside to greet Barbara, the Martian Manhunter ponders how reality can warp an idea as he stares at Nite-Mite in a bowl. V Ken Marion provides a glimpse of Nightwing-Prime in the background to illustrate how even the best ideas are flawed. Yet as Barbara casts doubt upon the power of ideas, she leans against a doorway in a tilted panel in Nightwing #134.

 

Compared with the vibrant, life-affirming colors of Blüdhaven, Veronica Gandini paints the Cirque du Sin in muted tones. As Nightwing strides through the curtain-bounded big top, his black-and-blue suit contrasts with the pale green, mauve, and blue circus performers. Even the children enticed into the ghostly circus have lost their brightly colored appearance. As the beige and gray prisoners do their captor’s bidding, they portray how the quest to curtail freedom and dominate others drains the world of richness and vitality.

 

While characters speak black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons, Wes Abbott shares J’onn and Dick’s thoughts with white letters in colored narrative boxes. The Zanni speaks white letters into angular black balloons. The letters grow bold for intonation and swell for raised voices. Yet a seemingly helpless character demonstrates the power of an idea while speaking into a blue cloud in Nightwing #134. Thanks to DC Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

The Martian Manhunter fears Dick Grayson lacks the strength to withstand the Zanni's dominance. And when Dick arrives, he reexperiences the thrill of circus life. But with the fate of everyone in Blüdhaven in the balance, Dick Grayson must steel himself against the temptation of showmanship in Nightwing #134.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Nightwing #134. 

Nightwing #134 Preview

 

 

Like the Pied Piper, the Zanni calls Blüdhaven's children to his glowing big top. The Zanni's Cirque Du Sin has taken its toll on Dick Grayson. After serving Blüdhaven as its mayor, his half-sister, Melinda Grayson, is leaving town. Nightwing Prime, a street boy with a Kryptonian body, is on life support. Dick's greatest fan, the fifth dimensional imp Nite-Mite, resides in a jar. Even Olivia Pearce, the CEO of Spheric Solutions who served the Zanni, now lies dead. How can Nightwing possibly subdue to the Zanni? And can he rescue Blüdhaven's children from their new home in the fifth dimension?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Nightwing #134 Preview

Writer: Dan Watters

Artist: V Ken Marion

Cover Artists: Dexter Soy, V Ken Marion, Elizabeth Torque & Phan Tuan Dat

Sweater Weather Variant Cover Artist: Travis Moore

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Release Date: January 21, 2026

 

Nightwing caught in a deadly game!

 

In the heart of the Cirque du Sin, a carnival game is played for the souls of Blüdhaven’s children. But whether Nightwing wins or loses, the outcome of this game will have repercussions for his city forever.

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

Nightwing #133 Review

 

Writer: Dan Watters

Artist: V Ken Marion

Colorist: Veronica Gandini

Letterer: Wes Abbott

Cover Artists: Dexter Soy; Dustin Nguyen; Elizabeth Torque & Sabine Rich

Editors: Jessica Berbey & Rob Levin

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: December 17, 2025

 

Nightwing-Prime believed he was invincible. So, when he saw an opportunity to take Killer Moth down, he took it. Unfortunately, one of Spheric Solutions' wanderer robots shot the former 11-year-old street kid. After being transformed into a Kryptonian superhero by a fifth-dimensional imp, Bryce Moran can tackle almost anything Blüdhaven or Dick Grayson can throw at him. Sadly, a Kryptonite death ray isn't one of them.

 

With Bryce on life support in Titans Tower, Dick Grayson wasn't content to wait for Commissioner Sawyer to build her legal case against Spheric Solutions. But when he tackled Olivia Pearce, Nightwing got more than he bargained for. How will Nightwing emerge from their horrifying encounter? And can he rescue the children from Olivia and the Zanni's Cirque du Sin? Let's leap into Nightwing #133 and see!

 

Story

Dick sits vigil by Nightwing-Prime’s still body in Titans Tower. Bryce Moran was his protégé. Yet Dick couldn’t protect him. He’d been so sure he could tackle Olivia Pearce. Instead, using a suit Dick helped program, Olivia battled him across the skyline. Then, she made Nightwing look like a murderer on live TV. When Commissioner Sawyer visits, she turns off the TV news that reminds Dick of his failure. Then she clarifies what he should concentrate on.

 

In Nightwing #133, parents find their children's bedrooms empty. Their missing sons and daughters leave drawings behind to tell their parents where they have gone. Commissioner Sawyer knows she shouldn't be in Titans Tower. But she's less concerned about what has happened than about allowing this abduction of the next generation to continue.

 

Dan Watters shows that Dick Grayson has no shortage of supporters. Yet while the people in his life surround him, Dick waits for the person he most needs to confer with. Nightwing #133 invests in Dick Grayson's history, reminding us of his youth and the man he has become. He was Batman's first protégé. Dick Grayson has become Blüdhaven’s protector. But he grew up in a circus.

 

Even though he left after his parents died, Dick Grayson remembers what it felt like to entertain the crowds. He knows the magic the performers weave. It's not hard to remember the sense that anything can happen. But Dick Grayson walks a tightrope in Dan Watters' story. While embracing the abducted children's awe of the circus, Dick must steel himself against this Cirque du Sin, lest he also fall beneath its spell.

 

Art

A beam of light spears Nightwing and Olivia Pearce as they stand atop a building. When the camera nears, and Nightwing reaches out, Olivia’s head drops from her shoulders. Then Nightwing sits beside the technological womb sustaining Nightwing-Prime. Commissioner Sawyer can switch off the TV. Yet the towers rising beyond the wall window evoke Nightwing's rooftop battle with Olivia. Sawyer's long, dark coat emphasizes her history as a detective. The determination in her eyes reinforces her insistence that she was building a case against Olivia.

 

After V Ken Marion focuses on Nightwing’s mask, red eyes gaze upon a green-tinged city. Another person wearing a brown jacket disturbs his vigil as Nightwing sits on one of two brown boxes. Framed by the yellow strips of wall lighting, Nightwing rises to hand the visitor a brown file. But as a maze of snaking conduits seems to separate them, a girl clad in pink approaches a circus, while a young superhero clings to life in a magenta biobed. Yet red refuses to release its hold on Nightwing #133. From the red eyes that beheld the city, to the glowing circus, and Olivia’s red-and-black suit, Veronica Gandini ties the power of life to a realm that nestles uneasily against our own.

 

Wes Abbott fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase letters, and green and black narrative boxes with white letters. The letters grow bold for intonation and swell for raised voices, while Dick Grayson sits in readiness, awaiting the moment to act. Still, giant white letters in a red banner question whether any action he performs can salvage the trust of the city Nightwing loves. Thanks to DC Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Dick Grayson has paid a heavy price to become Blüdhaven’s protector. He continues to pay it every day for his adoptive city. People may accept their vigilante hero. But they're never quite sure how much darkness hides behind the mask. In Nightwing #133, Dick Grayson is angry. Still, he refuses to let the Zanni steal his love of life.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Nightwing #133. 

Nightwing #133 Preview

 

Nightwing-Prime believed he was invincible. So when he saw saw an opportunity to take Killer Moth down, he took it. Unfortunately, one of Spheric Solutions' wanderer robots shot the former street 11 year-old street kid. After being transformed into a Kryptonian superhero by a 5th Dimensional imp, Bryce Moran can tackle almost anything Blüdhaven or Dick Grayson can throw at him. But a Kryptonite death ray isn't one of them.

With Bryce on life support in the Titans Tower infirmary, Dick Grayson wasn't content to wait for Commissioner Sawyer to build her case to take Spheric Solutions down. But when he tackled Olivia Pearce, Nightwing got more than he bargained for. How will Nightwing emerge from their horrifying encounter? And can he rescue the children Olivia and the Zanni abducted for their Cirque du Sin? 

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

Nightwing #133

Writer: Dan Watters

Artist: V Ken Marion

Cover Artists: Dexter Soy, Dustin Nguyen & Elizabeth Torque

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: December 17, 2025

 

Blüdhaven is turning on its head. Nightwing doesn’t have time to care.

 

As strange disappearances grip the city, the mysterious Cirque du Sin seems to be gaining power. Now, to save the city’s children, Nightwing must follow the circus music where no one else dares.

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

Nightwing #132 Preview

 

 

Bryce Moran is an eleven-year-old gifted with Kryptonian powers. But since a meteorite of Kryptonite struck the Earth, superpowered people like Nightwing-Prime aren't as invulnerable as they used to be. While Nightwing tries to protect Bryce from himself, someone preys on the youth of Blüdhaven. Aside from keeping drugs off the streets, protecting his protege, and investigating a mysterious circus, what else does Dick Grayson have to worry about?

Here's all the info from DC Connect: 

Nightwing #132

Writer: Dan Watters

Artist: Dexter Soy

Cover Artists: Dexter Soy, Dustin Nguyen, Paolo Pantalena & Elizabeth Torque

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: November 19, 2025

 

The city stands against Nightwing!

 

Nightwing takes a page from Batman’s playbook and storms Spheric Solutions, ready to end his conflict with Olivia Pearce once and for all. Unbeknownst to Nightwing, she’s been planning for his arrival, and the battle quicky turns explosive, public, and personal. Can Blüdhaven’s hero survive when his own city turns against him?

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

Nightwing #131 Preview

 

 

How do you make someone relinquish power they shouldn't have? Nightwing promised the Justice League he would convince Bryce Moran to give up his superpowers. Instead, he decided to train the 11 year old boy in an adult's body wielding the power of Superman. Will Nightwing rue his compassion for the former street urchin? And what's all this about a magical circus?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Nightwing #131

Writer: Dan Watters

Artist: Dexter Soy

Cover Artists: Dexter Soy, Dustin Nguyen, Carolos Pagulayan & Jorge Fornés

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Issue Length:32 Pages

Release Date: October 15, 2025

 

An old enemy stalks Nightwing from the shadows!

 

Blüdhaven is changing. A new hero rises under Nightwing’s watchful eye while the mayor vows to wipe out crime and restore order. The streets of Blüdhaven are quieter, even cleaner, but a new darkness is creeping in beneath it all. An old enemy is pulling the mayor’s strings…and is about to make themselves known.

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

Nightwing #130 Preview

 

 

Some people only want to live in the present. But memories hold power. They can help you through the tough times. Dick Grayson's memories of the therapeutic powers of Alfred Pennyworth's Chicken Soup have shown their worth. The memories of a Kryptonian hero also proved significant in Dick Grayson's recent struggle. 

What trials will Nightwing face next? And how might his memories of growing up with Batman, and those of a scientist from the miniaturized Kryptonian city of Kandor, help Dick Grayson through them? 

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

Nightwing #130

Writer: Dan Watters

Artist: Dexter Soy

Cover Artists: Dexter Soy, Jorge Fornés, Juan Ferreyra, Kevin Wada & Ethan Young

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: September 17, 2025

 

Nightwing takes on a sidekick!

 

Nightwing finds himself thrust into the unlikely role of mentor to an aspiring hero with incredible power. But is the city of Blüdhaven big enough for both of them?

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

For more on the Kryptonian city of Kandor, see the current Supergirl series.

For more on Dick Grayson's time as Batman's sidekick, see my review of Batman & Robin: Year One #1.

For another great story from Dan Watters, see my review of Batman: Dark Patterns #10. 

 

Gunslinger Spawn #26 Review

 

Writer: Todd McFarlane

Artist & Inker: Dexter Soy

Colorist: Ivan Nunes

Letterer: Tom Orzechowski

Cover Artists: Ze Carlos; Gabriel Gomez

Publisher: Image

Price: 2.99

Release Date: November 22, 2023

 

Men came after Javier. He couldn’t kill them all. They tortured him and killed his sister. Why? Let’s leap into Gunslinger Spawn #26 and find out!

 

Story

Javier fashions his unique bullets, intent on killing his torturers and his sister's murderers. Like him, they now live among us. While Javier's thoughts return to the past, Taylor awakens in Waya’s home. He suffers as his body changes. Waya worries about them both. The 19^th Century Gunslinger and the gangly young man need each other.

 

In Gunslinger Spawn #26, Todd McFarlane salts Javier’s past with clues. As the men tortured him, they wanted to know his sister’s last words. They sought the source of his strength. We also learn the name of one assailant. Yet McFarlane leaves the reader demanding more. What did Javier do at his ranch that drew the men’s interest? And what about the uniforms they wore? Were the men sent on an official mission? Or were their uniforms merely disguises?

 

Art

Time and torture burnished Javier’s memories. He hung from a tree as knives pierced his flesh, arrows thudded into his chest, and bullets riddled his body. Left for dead in the grass, Javier lay staring at the sky. The burning sun echoed the fire blazing inside him. Ivan Nunes colors Javier's memories in yellow, orange, brown, and red. Dexter Soy's heavy inks threaten to leave us with silhouettes. Panels evoke sepia-toned photographs that last longer—and impart more warmth and color—than their Black and White cousins.

 

Dexter Soy focuses on foregrounds in Gunslinger Spawn #26. Detail and texture are everything to him. As Javier prepares for his next mission, Soy's panels seem photorealistic. Backgrounds blur away. Yet when Javier summons Dakota's gift, he roars away on a different type of steed. Backgrounds glow with blue, yellow, orange, and red. They swirl like colored liquids of different viscosities in a fish tank. The city rises behind him. The miles fall away. As Javier rides toward his revenge, his mask ripples like liquid metal and transforms his features.

 

Black uppercase words inhabit light yellow narrative boxes. As Todd McFarlane’s words guide us through Gunslinger Spawn #26, Tom Orzechowski outlines these boxes with gray. White dialogue balloons rarely intrude upon this grim tale, where turquoise sound effects match the wings of the insects that feast upon Javier's scarred and bleeding flesh. Dialogue balloons surprise on the final page with a color granted to another character in a recent issue. Does this signal that person’s return? Or something else?

 

Thanks to Image for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

As Javier rides toward his next victim, remembering the blackest day of his life, Taylor suffers, and changes threaten both men in Gunslinger Spawn #26.

 

Rating 8.8/10

 

For another dazzling cover see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

Gunslinger Spawn #25 Review

 

Writer: Todd McFarlane

Artist: Dexter Soy

Inker: Adelso Corona

Colorist: Ivan Nunes

Letterer: Tom Orzechowski

Cover Artists: Dan Panosian; Kevin Keane

Publisher: Image

Price: 2.99

Release Date: October 25, 2023

 

Gunslinger hungers for vengeance, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. Who's his latest target? Let’s leap into Gunslinger Spawn #25 and find out!

 

Story

Truckers work nights for little pay. They’re tireless and loyal, but why? A flaming steed brings one eighteen-wheeler to a halt. When Gunslinger questions him, the trucker admits the truth. He knew what he was transporting.

 

Javier's next target? The depot. Gunslinger slips inside the warehouse and tosses something on the boss's desk. The object startles the man, giving Gunslinger time to garrot him. Or at least question him. But then footsteps sound. So the hellspawn leaves to attend to the man’s workers. But don’t worry, Boss Man! Gunslinger will return!

 

Gunslinger Spawn #25 unreels at a furious pace. Those who hurt his sister Amy will pay. Forsaking his friend Taylor and his shaman Waya, Javier treads a dark road. Yet the darkness doesn’t drown the hellspawn’s soul. Gunslinger uses brains more than weapons to achieve his ends. The guilty must pay. Yet—for the most part—it's by their own hands.

 

Gunslinger Spawn Figure available at McFarlane.com

 

 

Art

Dexter Soy and Adelso Corona avoid double-page spreads and splash pages, delivering detailed, photorealistic art. Changing camera angles captures the energy without jarring the reader. Javier crouches in the shadows while an overweight boss strongarms someone on the phone. Panels focus on the action: knives thud into wood and flesh, feet race down hallways, Javier pulls his gun, and his eyes glow as he says, "I'll be back." Be warned. If King Spawn #26 got your pulse racing three weeks ago, Gunslinger #25 could push your galloping heart into the danger zone!

 

Gunslinger's knife gleams. Every ripple and skull on the hellspawn’s outfit shows. Wherever Javier's boots take him—inside the dark cab, into the dim warehouse, or inside the illuminated Boss Man’s office—Ivan Nunes' shading and highlighting get there first. Darkness and silhouettes enhance drama and tone down the flying blood. Even the details—Post-It Notes on a filing cabinet, books on a floating shelf, a slice of pizza in a cardboard box, or a can of soda—breathe life into this deadly tale,

 

Tom Orzechowski delivers easy-to-read dialogue in stylized balloons in Gunslinger Spawn #25. While the yellow words in brown boxes are slightly smaller, Todd McFarlane's concise narrative won't tax readers. Sparse sound effects accentuate the action as Javier evens the scales. But will achieving his revenge sate Javier's hunger?

 

Final Thoughts

While Javier bathes his gloves in blood, Gunslinger Spawn #25 puts those who treat our planet callously in the crosshairs.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For another cover see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.