Nightwing #47 by Ben Percy, Chris Mooneyham, Nick Filardi and Klaus Janson packs an impressive amount of action and emotion in a beautifully illustrated and taut narrative.
Dick Grayson may want to consider a new career in cyber-security because the major tech upgrades coming to Blüdhaven mean deadly danger for everyone in the city. Nightwing battles the mysterious tech mogul Willem Cloke, who it turns out is just a front man for the real threat—the organization known only as the Dark Web! Time to change those passwords, Blüdhaven!
Nightwing #47
Written by: Benjamin Percy
Art by: Chris Mooneyham
Inks by: Klaus Janson
Colors by: Nick Filardi
Letters by: Carlos Mangual
Writing
Nightwing #47 starts with a brawl, and the narrative pace remains relentless the whole time. Dick Grayson fights so much and so fast in this issue, it’ll remind you of the ‘burly brawl‘ in The Matrix Reloaded. Ben Percy also writes one hell of an inner voice for Dick, as the bulk of the issue puts the reader inside Nightwing’s thoughts. It’s a great way to showcase how unique and important Grayson is as a character even though he is a huge part of the Bat-family.
This story arc, ‘Bleeding Edge’ has also been a strong one plotwise. Having Blüdhaven become what Percy himself called recently a “smart city” is a great way to make the city more unique in the DCU landscape, just like’s its hero. The growing ‘Dark Web’ conspiracy also hints at a larger story being told, one with ramifications not just for Blüdhaven but the whole of the DCU.
Art
This comic was a pleasure to look at. The art by Mooneyham, Janson, and Filardi is able to be both crispy and gritty. Maybe it’s the John Romita Jr variant cover (check it out below) that does it, but the pages have a strong JRJR feel to them. The fight scenes are brutal, yet told with efficiency and energetic line work. The frequent use of black panel borders also highlights the vibrant colors.
For such a text-heavy issue, the word balloons and narration boxes are also well placed and easy to read. This is smooth work by Carlos Mangual.
Conclusion
Nightwing #47 is exactly what you want in a monthly comic. An action-packed, driven narrative with great character moments illustrated energetically and visually appealing.
