Nightwing #139 Review

 

Nightwing #139 Review

Writer: Dan Watters

Penciler: Denys Cowan

Inker: Norm Rapmund

Colorist: Francesco Segala

Letterer: Wes Abbott

Cover Artist: Jorge Fornés

Variant Cover Artists: Ben Harvey & Gabriel Hardman

Editors: Jessica Berbey & Rob Levin

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: June 17, 2026

 

After the Zanni unleashes destruction on the city, Mayor Bisogni rebuilds Blüdhaven. But instead of uniting his community, his new superhighway divides the city into quadrants. As he destroys homes and communities, Bernard Bisogni awakens ancient terrors from their slumber.

 

When Dick Grayson followed reports of an attack on a truck driver, he found a woman walking amid the traffic on the superhighway. As she pressed a knife against his throat, Dick wondered if she had been released from a mental health hospital and returned to find her home had vanished. But then she wrenched the steering wheel from his hands.

 

As Dick's car veered across the lanes, vehicles piled into his car, and people died. Dick rescued the survivors from their smashed vehicles. But when he returned to his war, the lady had vanished. Did Dick Grayson dream up the witch of the crossroads? And will another woman haunt him as Dick searches for the truth? Let's leap into Nightwing #139 and see!

 

Story

Dick Grayson has battled insomnia since the multi-car collision. The victim’s deaths play on his soul. So, when Ms Eastbourne announces that she is building a case against Nightwing, he visits her. Cloaking his identity behind his costume, Dick explains what happened to him. Sadly, Nightwing cannot offer Ms Eastbourne any proof to back up his story. So, when she announces that she is moving forward with her case, Dick can only shrug and continue his efforts to safeguard Blüdhaven.

 

While Prosecutor Eastbourne seeks someone to blame, Detective Turpin makes an unwelcome discovery in Nightwing #139. When Commissioner Sawyer visits him by the river, she sees hands rising above the dark surface. Just as the superhighway has altered life in Blüdhaven and on outlying farms, Bisogni’s handiwork also affects the river currents. Once more, sleeping mysteries have awakened, and someone must investigate them.

 

Dan Watters’ story follows Dick Grayson’s search for justice. While people like Ms Eastbourne strive to do right by everyone, they also clock in and clock out. City employees place limits on their service to others and prioritize how they investigate mysteries. People like Ms Eastbourne make headlines by claiming that masked vigilantes lack accountability. Yet, Dick Grayson seeks justice for the footnotes in history in Nightwing #139.

 

Art

As reporters cluster before her, clutching microphones, phones, and cameras, Ms Eastbourne addresses Blüdhaven from a podium festooned with microphones. Yet even backed up by aides or officials, the Justice Center tilts behind her. Like a gargoyle, Nightwing perches on the corner of a building to watch. Then, he leaps over the street below, evoking his childhood training.

 

As Denys Cowan and Norm Rapmund chart Dick Grayson’s search for justice, Francesco Segala adorns Blüdhaven with muted colors in Nightwing #139. The blue in Dick’s costume shines as brightly as Ms Eastbourne’s indigo suit. Yet as Detective Turpin and Commissioner Sawyer make a discovery, resigned expressions accompany their drab green clothing. Orange and red adorn the bodies reclaimed by the watery depths. Yet their body language and dominant color bespeak how they fought for life.

 

As Wes Abbott places black uppercase dialogue in white balloons, intonation emboldens their words. Dick Grayson’s thoughts fill blue narrative boxes. A somber mood may have fallen upon Dick and his adoptive city. Yet after Starfire consigned her enemy to the flames, a figure cloaked in white, who survived another crucible of fire, comes to Dick Grayson’s aid. Thanks to DC Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

People work hard to make their lives matter. They pour their talents and energy into brightening other people's days. Yet even the best of us makes mistakes. By day, Ms Eastbourne argues that wrong and right are black-and-white and that Nightwing is guilty until proven innocent. Yet when the sun sets, Dick Grayson struggles with the shades of gray that seep into all our lives in Nightwing #139.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Nightwing #139.

 

For Dick Grayson's team-up with Starfire, see my review of Nightwing #138.

For Dick Grayson's team-up with Batman, see my preview of Nightwing #137.

For Dick Grayson's encounter with the witch of the crossroads, see my preview of Nightwing #136. 

 

Nightwing #138 Review

 

Nightwing #138 Review

Writer: Dan Watters

Penciler: Denys Cowan

Inker: Norm Rapmund

Colorist: Francesco Segala

Letterer: Wes Abbott

Cover Artists: Jorge Fornés, Dani & Philip Tan

Editors: Jessica Berbey & Rob Levin

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: May 20, 2026

 

When Nightwing ventured into the Cirque Du Sin, the Zanni forced him to play a game to rescue the abducted children. But his game had consequences for the outside world. When Nightwing returned to his city, he found buildings lying in ruins thanks to the Zanni's otherworldly contest.

 

Now, his sister is gone, and Bernard Bisogni has taken over the mayor’s office. Like Nero's plan to rebuild Rome, Biscogni's determination to reshape Blüdhaven unleashes chaos. Traffic jams proliferate. While the well-to-do relocate, poorer residents linger in the construction zones. And when the workers find skeletons amid the broken foundations, spirits arise to haunt the living. Can Dick Grayson sleep without suffering from constant nightmares amid these occult manifestations? And can he protect the city he loves amid rising outrage over his actions? Let's leap into Nightwing #135 and see!

 

Story

Once again, the media is baying for Nightwing’s blood. But this time, Ms Eastbourne is rallying public support to indict Nightwing on eight counts of manslaughter. As she did when the Zanni abducted children, Barbara Gordon tells him that accidents happen. But Dick Gordon is used to being a leader, and he has taken Blüdhaven under his protection.

 

Just like a captain is responsible for everything that occurs on his vessel, Dick holds himself accountable for the madness afflicting his city. And then, there is the disturbing symmetry. Dick rescued nine children from the Cirque Du Sin. Now, Ms Eastbourne has laid nine deaths (presumably including Olivia Pearce) at Nightwing's door.

 

Nightwing #138 follows Dick's investigation of cattle mutilation. When he interviews a farmer, Dick learns of similar attacks on nearby farms. At first, the farmer blamed troublesome kids from Blüdhaven for the attacks. Now, like Dick Grayson, Mr Jones suspects a supernatural attack.

 

In Dan Watters’ story, Dick Grayson is struggling. He can’t sleep. Dick knows that somewhere out there is the 300-year-old witch who caused the pileup. But his city is also changing. The new superhighway is a symbol that the Blüdhaven he knew is transforming. Dick Grayson is no stranger to death and rebirth. He knows that partnerships and team-ups aren't forever. No matter how well-intentioned, Dick disliked Batman venturing into his territory and telling him how to protect his city. But even if it makes him uncomfortable, Dick Grayson puts Blüdhaven and its surroundings above opening old wounds to protect others in Nightwing #138.

 

 

Art

Holding his rifle before him, a farmer descends a slope toward his barn. The expression on his face and the size of his barn reinforce his daily struggle to maintain his farm. Yet when Nightwing visits his stone house the next day, the muntin separating the window panes evokes the barred cells that Barbara Gordon now calls home. The farmer’s disfigured face reminds Dick what, for all her brave talk, might happen to Babs in Vandal Savage's new Supermax Penitentiary.

 

As Denys Cowan and Norm Rapmund enlarge the black-and-white image captured on Dick's phone, Francesco Segala enlivens it with a hint of Barbara's red hair. Interior lighting tinges the garage blue as Dick works on his black-and-blue car. When he turns on a monitor, streaks of green, purple, and orange obscure Ms Eastborne’s natural coloring. Yet, worn over her white blouse, the prosecutor’s blue vest suggests a potential link with Nightwing. At the farm, Dick conducts his investigation throughout the day in Nightwing #138. Then, after the blazing orange sky fades, someone arrives to aid Dick, glowing with radiant and regal colors.

 

While characters speak black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons, Wes Abbott portrays Dick’s thoughts and off-camera dialogue with black letters in blue narrative boxes. Barbara’s (or Oracle’s) black dialogue appears in green boxes. Faces on monitors speak into serrated balloons with lightning bolt arrows. The letters grow bold for intonation, swell for raised voices, and shrink for lowered voices. Yet as an enlarged cry provokes fright, a response in a star suggests the difficulties of overcoming trauma. Thanks to DC Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

People like Bruce Wayne and Barbara Gordon keep telling Dick Grayson that what happens to him isn’t his fault. Yet Batman has lost his Batcaves, and Barbara Gordon is in Supermax Penitentiary for being Oracle. Still, something Dick can’t rationally explain has awakened in Blüdhaven. And until he can put it to rest, Dick Grayson can’t sleep in Nightwing #138.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Nightwing #138.

 

For what happened last time, see my preview of Nightwing #137. 

Detective Comics #1105 Review

 

Writer: Tom Taylor

Artist & Colorist: Mikel Janín

Inkers: Mikel Janín, Wayne Faucher & Norm Rapmund

Letterer: Wes Abbott

Cover Artists: Mikel Janín, Greg Smallwood & Björn Barends

Editors: Jessica Berbey, Ben Meares & Rob Levin

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99

Release Date: January 28, 2026

 

Fear warned Batman of danger. But it also restrained him from going too far while apprehending criminals. As the Lion's virus takes over, Bruce feels his fear fading away. So, he phones a friend, hugs his son, and gives Superman the means to incapacitate him. Will the Lion's virus, and a protective suit that robs Bruce of any Human contact, turn him into a monster? And can Mr Terrific cure the Lion's virus before Superman has to incapacitate Batman? Let's grab our gasmasks, leap into Detective Comics #1105, and see!

 

Story

After watching his parents die, Bruce Wayne vowed to prevent other people from suffering the same nightmare. He embarked on his vigilante career to cure a culture corrupted by crime. But as the saying goes, you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. Like Olive Silverlock, Leo Kingsford lost his single parent to Batman. And like Olive, Leo suffered nightmares from how Batman apprehended his father.

 

While Bruce Wayne sent Olive to the prestigious Gotham Academy, Leo entered the foster system. When he feared going outside like agoraphobic researcher Daniel Toomey, Bruce Wayne earned Leo's gratitude for providing in-home schooling. But Leo's nightmare about the Batman who invaded his home and dragged his criminal father away never faded.

 

Tom Taylor weaves glimpses of Leo’s youth into Batman’s journey in Detective Comics #1105. But the focus remains on Batman as he follows up on what he has learned, confers with others protecting the city, and learns more about the boy who became the Lion. Even though he helped Leo, Bruce recognizes he altered the course of the young man’s life. But while Mr Terrific’s team furiously investigates Leo's virus and his sidekicks combat crime in Gotham, Batman learns more about his adversary.

 

As Batman shares his thoughts with the reader, he acknowledges that he has made mistakes. Yet Lois Lane’s warning returns to him. While Bruce asks others for input on his plans, his mind is working overtime, attempting to compensate for the loss of his fear. His suit may prevent him from infecting others. But Bruce Wayne remembers the bodies he found on the ship approaching Gotham, and how Leo's virus drove the people to kill each other in Detective Comics #1105.

 

Art

When Jim Gordon arrives, a uniformed officer points to an open window on the top story of an apartment complex. Gordon hangs his head as he enters. Young Leo sits cross-legged beside the couch, hugging his teddy bear. When the distraught boy attacks Gordon, a police badge nestles near Leo’s fraught features as the uniform officer places the child in a chokehold.

 

Mikel Janín lavishes a palette of blue, brown, yellow, red, and a virulent green on his, Wayne Faucher, and Norm Rapmund’s art. A softer palette shows Bruce trying to mitigate Leo’s fears as the young man tries to turn his life around. Green and beige frame scenes from Leo’s youth, while Batman evokes Bane as he strides through the present in a bulky silver and blue suit. Red gains the upper hand when another person shares their own memories of Leo, and the color joins the angry chorus of yellow and orange threatening to devour Gotham in Detective Comics #1105.

 

Wes Abbott fills white balloons with black uppercase dialogue and shares Batman’s thoughts as white uppercase letters in gray narrative boxes. Black dialogue in green balloons accompanies scenes set in the past, while Oracle's transmissions appear as dark green letters in green balloons. Sound effects highlight the dangers threatening Gotham and how Leo fought to overcome the fear the Batman instilled in his psyche. Thanks to DC Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Gotham is a scary place to live. And despite all of Batman's efforts to eradicate the criminal element from his city, Gotham still terrorizes its citizens. Bruce Wayne may work outside the law. He may have access to tools the police can only dream of using. Still, Bruce's youthful zeal to protect his city may have doomed its future in Detective Comics #1105.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Detective Comics #1105. 

Local Man #7 Review

 

Writer: Tim Seeley & Tony Fleecs

Artist: Tim Seeley & Tony Fleecs

Colorist: Brad Simpson & Felipe Sobreiro

Cover Artists: Tim Seeley, Tony Fleecs, Norm Rapmund & Brian Reber

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 22, 2023

 

Jack (“Don’t call me Crossjack”) Xaver has a new mission. Farmington Police Chief Brian Bucholz asked him to investigate a mysterious drowning death. What will Jack learn when he visits the Star Tribe commune? Let's leap into Local Man #7 and find out!

 

Story

The police found Mackenzie Cheng on dry land. Yet she had water in her lungs. The 16-year-old was one of Farmington’s future stars. The Star Tribe camped in Black River State Park. It's the nearest source of water. The hippies won't talk to the police. But before Bucholz sends Jack in, he warns: ask about Mackenzie and nothing else!

 

As Jack walks along the river, a voice calls out. He falls into the water. Spotting two men, he throws billiard balls at them. A man named Coochie Coo awakens him. In the yurt called the House Of Hearts, Coochie suggests Jack’s superpower isn’t his aim but his inner voice. Jack takes the hippie’s advice. Disregarding Bucholz’s orders, Jack visits Craig Massen, another youth on the poster in Inga's bakery café. Perhaps Craig can give him some clues regarding Mackenzie’s mysterious death.

 

In Local Man #3, Jack met with Stacy Wohl. She no longer used the name Frightside, but she mourned Hodag’s death. The villain-turned-author invoked a demon to question it about her former teammate’s murder, but someone killed her during the ceremony, allowing the demon to enter our world. Will Jack discover Stacy’s demon in Local Man #7? Where else might his investigations lead? After the sham of his Superhero career, Tim Seeley & Tony Fleecs’ ordinary hero embarks on a mind-bending and unsanctioned investigation.

 

 

 

Art

As Jack walks along the river, ghostly hands embrace him. Water arcs around him as he falls, suggesting a time vortex or the Twilight Zone. The hands clutch his neck, while circles and worms evoke bubbles and currents. Then the hearts tattooed on dreadlocked Coochie’s chest mimic the hearts adorning the interior and exterior walls of the commune’s love shack. While hippies dance outside by campfires, Coochie's eyes glaze as he puffs his smoking joint. Yet when Jack and his dog Pepper leave, the campfires blaze unattended.

 

Purple, orange, and blue spin like pinwheels and flow like currents through the evening sky as Jack's inner voice guides him. Brad Simpson's bright colors enhance scenes of Jack grabbing white dialogue balloons and bumping into wiggling panel borders. Softer colors adorn memories of Chief Brian Bucholz’s chat with Jack in Local Man #7. Greens, purples, and browns dominate Inga's kitchen. As she texts Jack and tells him that Brian's not home, the darker shades reveal highlights and shadows and suggest that Inga has the lights set low.

 

The explicit texts on Jack and Inga’s phones feature smaller lettering. Dialogue balloons feature a mix of small lowercase and larger-size uppercase black text. Sound effects attend Jack's dip in the river and when he follows in Mackenzie's footsteps. Yet my favorite panel is when the balloons--like the river splash--circle our small-town hero.

 

 

 

A short second story in Local Man #7, with art by Tim Seeley and colors from Felipe Sobreiro, provides a '90s-style look back on Jack's superhero adventures. Cartoon or Children’s Book-style illustrations featuring mono-shading follow Inga’s attempts to help Farmington shine.

 

Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Seeking to atone for the mistakes that cost him his glamorous superhero career, Jack investigates a mysterious drowning. Yet the sham Jack perpetuated to further his career seems slight compared to the compromises his former girlfriend Inga has made to save her struggling town. Local Man #7 asks how much one should sacrifice to help others and protect ideals when others no longer care.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

Preview interior art on my review at Comic Book Dispatch.