The Good
The last issue of GRAYSON took a more emotional turn and had a pretty gripping story as it addressed Dick Grayson being equipped with a gun. This one, though? It's just a good time. Yeah, there's some plot developments here and there, but it's mostly about having a blast and playing with the simple fact that Dick Grayson is ridiculously good looking. Batman may be the world's greatest detective, but it's commonly agreed that Dick Grayson is the world's most attractive dude. So, take that, Bruce.
You know how in just about every comedy about guys in college or high school there comes a bit where they all give an unhealthy amount of attention to one really attractive girl or a group of them? You know, they'll take turns asking her out, awkwardly watch her, so on and so on? Yeah, GRAYSON puts an amusing spin on this by having Dick Grayson as the "hot character being ogled by the students." From the students' perspective, Grayson's purely eye candy and it's all about breaking the rules. They're students and they just want to have fun. Luckily, the experience is pretty fun for us, too. Not only does this give writer Tim Seeley a chance to produce more comedic dialogue, but it also gives us an opportunity to feel like Grayson's Nightwing again. It's a subtle way of showing what makes the character happy and concludes on a pretty uplifting note. It may not be dramatic, deep or emotional like the last chapter, but it made me smile and it's a nice dose of levity before we get back into the heavier material. This event also generates a very humorous new path for Grayson at Spyral. We have no idea how much focus this development will get as we move forward, but it has a lot of potential to keep things pretty entertaining.
Artist Mikel Janin and colorist Jeromy Cox embrace the sillier tone of this issue and it really shows. The handling of facial expressions gives the characters so much personality (I especially loved Dick's reaction upon hearing his new gig) and you can really appreciate the feeling of joy Grayson gets as he fluidly flips around the buildings. Now, they could have showed panel after panel of the chase, but instead of dragging things out, they cleverly dedicate the majority of the event to a splash page which shows the event in motion. Not only is this a creative way to follow the race and appreciate his agility, but it also brings this location (St. Hardian's Finishing School) to life. It no longer feels like random rooms and backgrounds -- now the entire campus is on display.
The Bad
Seeing as so much of the issue takes place in England, breaking away to chime in on Midnighter for just one page felt almost like a forced reminder that the guy's still out there. The scene doesn't take away from the more comedic tone, but it does seem a little random. It's also surprising to see last issue's death doesn't receive any emotional follow-up. It's basically addressed very quickly and then everyone moves on.
Maybe I'm overthinking things here, but if Mister Minos has technology that's that impressive, it's a little tough to believe he couldn't have listening devices applied to all potential suspects after discovering there's a problem. Maybe he does and we just don't know it yet? Guess we'll have to wait and see.
The Verdict
GRAYSON #4 takes a bit of a break from the bigger picture to simply have some fun. It gives Grayson a chance to be happy again and that joyous feeling is definitely shared by the reader. Overall, this is mostly filler, but it's lighthearted and enjoyable filler! Sometimes a little break from the more compelling and meaty material can be a good thing. Well, that's exactly what GRAYSON #4 is. If you want to see a bunch of jokes made about Grayson's looks and watch him flip around, you'll more than likely have a good time.
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