I would like to know what everyone thinks of Nightwing Rebirth 1? Do you guys think this series will retain its momentum from Grayson, or be a better series all together. Im just happy he's not staying in Gotham.

I'll answer the second question first. I think Tom King's departure (and also Mikel Janin's) will likely ensure that NightwingRebirth will not reach the heights of Grayson. Tim Seeley is a solid writer but almost all of the best issues of Grayson were penned by Tom King. I'll put it this way, the Tim Seeley written issues of Grayson were like 7.5/10 while Tom King's were like 9/10. Not necessarily night and day, but noticeable. The best-case scenario I've been reading from fans is that Tim Seeley will attempt to take the best aspects of Grayson (the globe-trotting, the relationships. the themes, the dialogue), combine it with the best parts of a Nightwing (.....the costume, the moniker ) comic to form the ultimate Dick Grayson solo story. But, I think that a more realistic expectation is a slight improvement over the Kyle Higgins run which wasn't really bad tbh. I've been waiting to hear that nugget from an interview or tantalizing solicit that gets me hyped for the series, however, nothing has really grabbed my attention....yet.

In terms of Nightwing Rebirth 1, I thought it was a solid one-shot even though it read more like Grayson #21 than a Nightwing comic because Dick was Nightwing for one page. The strongest parts of the comic were clearly the character interactions between Dick/Damian and Dick/Bruce. The weakest parts were the inconsistent art and the fact that this comic had an opportunity to make me invested in the CoO direction for Dick Grayson and I was slightly less interested in it after reading the comic. I will admit that Lincoln March getting shot in the eye was rather amusing, but maybe they shouldn't have taken the bomb out of Damian in the first one shot of Nightwing Rebirth. I get why Tim Seeley did it because it means that Dick Grayson infiltrates CoO because he wants to, not because he's asked to or forced to...but...yeah I still don't care about the Owls. Overall, I gave the comic a 7/10.

Nightwing Rebirth was a nice way to tell fans what would still be part of the series and hopefully a good glimbs into the new supporting cast for non-Grayson readers. For me it was what the Rebirth Issues were supposed to be even though Dick got more of a Return instead of a Rebirth. I had honestly already forgotten about the bomb, so I'm glad we got this out of the way. Paquette sadly was not as good as he could have been but I also think he draws too royal for a Dick Grayson comic. His characters sometimes look so stuck up.

Nightwing has a chance to be just as good as Grayson or even better. But I don't think it will be able to hit its high note until the PoO and the Crossover are done, both ideas come from the editorial and that might have an effect on the writing. Seeley obviously wants to be done with the PoO pretty fast and he doesn't really write the Crossover. But writing is not everything and while Fernandez is not a bad artist but he does not come close to Janín. To is a different matter, he has been a fan favorite since he drew Robin. Overall I expect Seeley's Nightwing to be better than Higgin's but more because DC hopefully learned not to bombard the title with crossovers that destroy everything the solo established.

It gave closure to Grayson, while transitioning into Nightwing. I was actually surprised to see the bomb immediately removed from Damian so early on, but I think that shows that Seeley isn't trying to let this Owls storyline drag on for too long, which I definitely support. Have to agree with @youknowwhattodo and say that the character interactions between Dick and Bruce and Dick and Damian respectively were great to see. Felt this further helped the transition by showing you these are some of the most important people in his life and that wherever he goes that isn't going to change. Glad to see somebody put Lincoln March down, because Lord knows I found him annoying, along with the whole "Bruce has a brother" angle. Put him on ice and forget about him. Solid issue that has me interested to see where things will go from here.

TBH I think Dick needs someone like Seeley more than someone like King, Grayson was Seeley's direction and generally Seeley is the one who's shown interest in world building and expansion, Midnighter, Helena, Kathy Kane etc they were all there because of him. If left to King we'd have gotten nice stories but in the end I dont think Dick would've gotten anywhere or done anything noteworthy.

It kinda sucks dick to be honest

One of the better Rebirth books so far, in the top 5 or 6. It'll probably read better in trade, but Seeley has a clear direction he's working towards, focusing on the globetrotting aspect that the previous series utilized well. The Parliament of Owls is a secondary stopgap villain and will likely be disposed of as soon as they outlive their usefulness; Raptor makes for a far more interesting long-term antagonist, and a proper foil. Character dynamics are handled rather nicely; unlike some other Rebirth pairings (Green Arrow and Black Canary to be precise), the interactions between Dick and Barbara feel natural and unforced, using their friendship (as opposed to some unspoken for longing) as the basis of their dynamic. Internal narration is there, but it only provides a window to the protagonist's state of mind at that point, and wisely goes away when the art is capable of telling the story.

Is dick completely outclassed by raptor in the fighting department?

No he gets hit from behind.

So how's everyone enjoying Rebirth so far with the first arc over?

@nathaniel_christopher: I liked it quite a bit. Raptor is going to be a great archrival for Dick.

I can't wait for issue 10, I need to see Dick back in Blüdhaven now.

Agreed I was pretty satisfied overall. With the reveal at the end of the arc though I can't wait for Dick to take Raptor down.

Also, these writers keep teasing us with Dick and Barbara, they need to just go ahead and put the two of them in a relationship again lol

I'm really enjoying how this is going so far. Rebirth goes very well with Nightwing. I'm excited for the next two arcs, especially the Bludhaven one, and for the reason why he goes to Bludhaven

@nathaniel_christopher: Either put them in a relationship or divorce her from the story entirely. The "will they, won't they" shit is never interesting.

Orca. That's such a weird villain for Nightwing. And I'm actually kind of excited

And the runaways seem kind of like a cool idea to fight against / alongside Nightwing

I think it can be interesting for a little bit, but they've dragged it out too long at this point. Dixon handled it just fine back in the 90s in my opinion, when he was very clearly building them up with the intention of putting them together, dropping hints about their past and new information here and there, before having it culminate in a relationship. In the New 52 it's just been all over the place, with Barbara being against it, then wanting to try things out, then Dick being against it, then wanting to try things out, then both being pulled away from each other by other people, etc. It's worn out its welcome. Then the fact they've been dating other people all the while doesn't really help matters either.

So Raptor backstory just got interesting....

Loved #7

Raptor also has become a really interesting character now

I think this is the first time i've ever seen anything done with Dick's mother.

I'm calling it, Raptor is definitely a talon

Also, is it me or was anyone else reminded of BTAS episode "Night of the Ninja"? There are faint parallels.. Bruce's kidnapping springs to mind, Raptor's "Better than Batman" angle coinciding with the ninja's determination to upstage dojo rival Bats, Dick having to pull out all the stops to rescue his mentor and prove he's more than just a swashbuckling daredevil. Not knocking it, I actually dig the BTAS callbacks Higgins would drop when he was writing NW/Batman Beyond. Part of me is dying to find out what turned this former carnie into the grizzled vigilante he is today. The other part hopes theres more than meets the eye to Raptor. Is he another Talon reject like Saiko? Haly's was a breeding ground for the Court of Owls selection of assassins. The Parliament make for a nice villainous stable, who better than Grayson to keep them on the backfoot?

I really liked this issue. Honestly, I didn't quite enjoy the first arc but the comics keep just getting better and better.

Yeah, I really liked issue 9, especially how Post-Crisis Superman noted that, while New 52 Nightwing might be a little "grimmer" than the version he knew, Dick is the least changed in terms of personality between the Pre and Post-Flashpoint realities. The "multiversal constant". Not too serious or anything, but a fun little issue before we start the next arc.

Also, as a fan of the character, I also liked the Superboy-Prime cameo.

Really enjoying Nightwing, just wish they'd bring Helena back, she's better than Barbra

I would actually claim that Dick changed quite a lot and is far less grimm than pre flashpoint, at least since King a Seleey write him, Higgins was more in line with pre flashpoint.

What did everyone think of the first issue in Bludhaven?

The set-up was great, the publicity slogans were great, Dick's characterization was great, the coloring was great...

I only read 3 comics this week, but this one was easily the best (sorry Supes).

Really like the new Blüdhaven, always thought Dick needed a city similar to Las Vegas or Miami.

Bludhaven's return seems really cool. If I'm reading into it right, I like the direction this series is going is going to be really cool. Marcus To's art is amazing! I'm so excited that he's on the book.

@del_torro: Helena is in Batgirl and the Birds of Prey as Huntress.

@johanshieh: I knew she was in birds of prey, didn't know she was in bat girl. Was actually talking about her showing up in nightwings book. Haven't really followed any of the ladies, I mostly read batman, Nightwing and Robin books

I think Nightwing will start getting more cameos once he settles down in Bludhaven and he's able to do more travel missions

Wants to start reading this book but I just can't find the art appealing. Hope this change with To.

Sorry, quick question about the previous arc.

If I remember well, in the last issue of Grayson, Helena said she made a small list of people who's memories of Dick Grayson wouldn't be erased -- how does Raptor remember Dick? Is it just a small plot hole or did I miss out on anything?

12 issues in and this series is still going strong. I'll say that I liked the previous arc, what with it introducing Raptor, seeing Dick spread his wings as Nightwing again, and finally doing something worthwhile with his mother (I don't think that mothers get as much attention as fathers in the Batfamily, which really even applies to how Batman is the "father" to so many kinds, but there's no "mother" figure to be found). However, i'm liking the current Bludhaven arc even better. The Run-Offs are a nice little idea, which perfectly clashes with the lesson that Nightwing took away from Raptor's betrayal. It's natural for heroes to lose a bit of confidence in their ability to tell right from wrong sometimes, especially after the betrayal of someone they trusted, but Dick's the optimist in the family, the guy that see's the best in people, and who is willing to take of leap of faith (Nightwing could make a great Assassin if not for his no-kill policy lol). So, it's good to see him building himself back up, while also running around his old stomping grounds (From a historical standpoint lol).

I'm really excited for the upcoming Nightwing stories. Run-offs was such a brilliant idea, having a group of people who were so scared and hated Batman, to the point where they literally RAN OFF to go somewhere else. The next big arc seems to be something along the lines of someone hiring assassins to kill Dick and he's like "fuck this? I'm hunting them down" so he like travels all over, and one of the first people he goes after is his own Great Grandfather, which is one of my favorite Nightwing / Batman villains, just because of the dynamic alone. How many people in the DCU can say that one of their "equals" in terms of skill is their great grandfather.

The way nightwing is portrayed so far is pretty good too. Considering that he isn't "batman light" but also not a regressed version of himself. He seems to be at his skill level. The only thing I wish this series did more of was to see Dick with people as a civilian, because theres a good dynamic he has with so many people outside the costume as well.

Nightwing 18

Firstly, I like how the cover is a callback to Dick and Damian's time as Batman and Robin

Gallery

Oh DC, having Damian use a social media app called Chirper? lol funny stuff. Though I am always a fan of modern technology being included in comics, since it really doesn't make sense not to have younger heroes using something like that, like normal people do. Loved the hashtags

Nightwing is busy in Bludhaven #theoriginalrobin #bestrobin

Also liked that small tidbit, with Damian's phone case specifically having Nightwing's logo on it. Furthermore, it's a blue logo, which Nightwing has only just started using. That means Damian purchased a phone case with his big bro's logo on it recently I'll say it again, whatever flaws Damian has as a character, he and Dick worked well together as Batman and Robin and i've enjoyed that bond not being thrown aside in the New 52/Rebirth. Also, as a major Nightwing fan and believer in him being Bruce's heir, I was pretty stoked when the rest of the Teen Titans immediately cited him as being the natural successor were Bruce to ever hang up the cowl.

I think that Damian's reaction however is a bit of a...regression in character. Granted, he wants to be Batman one day and I really don't blame him. Like him or not, he's really only been raised for that (Or to take over the world, which he could probably just combine with being Batman anyways). He's more focused on it than any Robin previously, in terms of storylines. For Dick, and this ties into how the Titans reacted to Damian questioning them on who'd be the next Batman, it was always kind of a given that he'd become Batman if Bruce passed on. There was literally no one else for there to be a question. For Jason, he simply wasn't around long enough to be a candidate. For Tim, he specifically never wanted to be Batman or even Nightwing for that matter. He, originally, wanted to do his time helping Batman and then retire. From the minute he was introduced, Damian wanted to be Batman. However, him reacting so strongly against the idea of Dick being Batman seems forced. One, as Starfire points out, Dick's been Batman before. Twice Pre-Flashpoint and at least one of those times is still canon in the Post-Flashpoint world. Two, Damian was his Robin. So, it's not like he's unaware of Dick's history as Batman. Why is he acting shocked? Three, Damian came to accept Dick as Batman over time, outright arguing with his mother when she said Dick wasn't worthy of filling Bruce's shoes. So, what exactly is the issue now? Again, I still understand him wanting to be Batman, but this seems as a reaction he'd have had before the character development he went through with Dick, which is still clearly in play, because after their first encounter they fall right back into it. Damian knowing Dick, talking to him with respect, while still being slightly arrogant, stealing THEIR old Batmobile for pete's sake! Those are things that don't align with Damian's initial angry reaction to me.

Despite the short rant, lol, I still enjoyed the issue overall and it's always good to see these two characters together. I just think they could have transitioned into this in a way that made more sense for Damian and Dick's relationship. This honestly seems like more of a reaction Damian would have had had people been saying Red Robin should be the next Batman.

@nathaniel_christopher: To be fair, as loyal as Damian clearly is to Dick, I get the annoyance. Not only are other people saying He'll become Batman, #BestRobin etc so are his teammates without even a side thought that Damian could.

Even the most humble person would probably get slightly annoyed.

Fair point.

Damian was craving normalcy. His wounded pride was just an excuse he made for himself to visit his brother. His character arc was about him learning that Dick has his own problems and changes to deal with, and that all Damian could do was to be there for him.