Downfall of the Republic...of Tomorrow
By: Andrew Hines
Dick Grayson, is easily my favorite of the sidekicks, any sidekick. Okay, scratch that, any former sidekick. He's a great character on his own as well, which makes him all the better. He doesn't rely on the lead character to make him seem useful. In his own way, he's almost a match for Batman. When it gets down to it, they're very close to being the same person. Both lost their parents to violent deaths at an early age, both are trained fighters and detectives and they both help the innocents of Gotham. The biggest difference is that Dick enjoys being a costumed crime-fighter. Bats does it out of a sense of duty. Nightwing finally puts the pieces of the puzzle together and has a knockdown, drag out fight with Paragon, the leader of the Republic of Tomorrow.
Kyle Higgins continues an awesome run on Nightwing #12. Having never read much of Higgins' work prior to the New 52, I gotta say, the dude knows what he's doing. Turning the former Boy Wonder into a character that I can't wait to read about every month. On top of that, he weaves wonderful yarns that help explain who Dick Grayson has become. He separates Nightwing from legend of the former Boy Wonder and shows how he's become a different man. He's grown up in some respects, but he's never lost his faith in people the way that Bruce, Jason and Damian have. Showing that in every issue is what makes Higgins a name to look for.
This is one more title where the art is a team sport. The pencils have been done by Andres Guinaldo, who I'm not too familiar with. It's really pretty cool, not exactly "A" material, more like a "B+". The action sequences are good, with almost no dead space. A few panels, such as Dick's expression on the last page, are slightly off, but otherwise, it's pretty good work. The inking from Raul Fernandez and Mark Irwin is good, but not over-the-top fantastic. Rod Reis' colors are pretty good, especially when partnered with Eddy Barrows' pencils and inks on the cover. The covers have been the most stand-out part of this series, aside from Higgins' script.
All things considered, it's a "B". The script, as I said, is good but that alone can't carry the whole weight of the issue. That being said, I still can't wait for the next regular issue of the series in August and the "0" issue next month.
