The Good
With the very first page talking about Gotham City's "historic district," you know we're going to be in a treat. As Kyle Higgins demonstrated in GATES OF GOTHAM, there's a lot to the city and the city's past that should not be ignored. The idea that Higgins could be touching on more of the history is fascinating. There's a lot that could be explored. There is the question of how much of "Old" Gotham still exists but that mainly relies on whether or not Cataclysm has occurred in the "New 52."
The second bit I loved here was Nightwing continuing his investigation into the murders that resulted from the victims being beaten by his escrima sticks. We've often wondered what happens with all the Bat-toys that get thrown about. How many Batarangs are out there? Do they each have some advanced tech in them that allows them to be tracked and retrieved later? Aside from possible fingerprints or DNA (which Bruce has made sure will not lead to anyone in the Bat-Family), it's a great minor detail that just gets overlooked. Why someone would be trying to frame Nightwing is the big and interesting question.
This is just the tip of the iceberg in this issue. There's also more on what's next for Dick Grayson in terms of his future. Before the "New 52," he had determined Gotham was his home. Then with this series, he inherited Haly's Circus. His next decision is a clever one. If all that wasn't enough, we also see the return of a character that played a role in Dick's life before the "New 52" as well. You gotta love it.
The Bad
I'm willing to have an opened mind but I'm a little unsure of this new foe for Nightwing. There could be a lot for Dick to deal with and that could be a good thing in giving him some well deserved foes of his own. Without knowing more, there's a feeling that what is going on might be too big for no one (i.e. Batman) to have known about. It's possible this Paragon just arrived in town but he's set himself up in a pretty big way. The way he describes himself in relation to the city also has me a little concerned. But this is the introduction so we'll see what happens next.
The Verdict
I've been enjoying this series since the relaunch but there was something here that really made it stand out. It could be the hints of a bigger past for Gotham City or some closure on recent events and what Dick wants to do with his future. We're also finally seeing more on the investigation into the murders by his escrima sticks. It felt like that had to be put on hold because of Saiko's vendetta and the Night of the Owls crossover. Some of the decisions made here made me happy and seeing a character from before the "New 52" was great. It reassures us that we still have some of the stories that happened before in continuity. Nightwing gets a new villain here but we don't get the background on the character so it's hard to make a judgement on him. There's a lot going on and it's great to see Nightwing in the capable hands of Kyle Higgins. I feel like we're about to enter a new era for Nightwing.