Nightwing Must F*cking Die! Part Four

In Nightwing #19, Nightwing is back! We’re in great hands with artists Javier Fernandez and Minkyu Jung’s solid sequentials, Chris Sotomayor’s versatile palette, and writer Tim Seeley’s pitch perfect script.

Artists Unleashed!

These pros produce a fun, fast-paced installment in the Nightwing Must Die! arc.  The fun the team has taking the protector of the streets, Nightwing and transporting him to the Egyptian desert is palatable in the story they’ve created. Fernandez, Jung, and Seeley have the perfect mix of action and heart. Colorist Sotomayor gets to shine right out of the gate with the creepy Dr. Simon Hurt performing a sacrifice to summon a huge Nightwing in glorious blue.

We find Dick Grayson and his maybe pregnant girlfriend, Shawn Tsang disguised as trendy travel blog tourists as they are led into a trap. Dick and Shawn transform into our semi-dynamic duo, Nightwing and Defacer to dispatch some Anubis clad would-be assassins.

This is where scribe Seeley lays down some nice character dialogue that fleshes out Dick and Shawn’s relationship a bit more and shows a real connection between the two lovers. Unfortunately, the “dollotron” Deathwing drops a huge statue on Shawn. Deathwing really is a pain in the ass to Nightwing and not my favorite part of the overall story but I understand his necessity to ignite the identity crisis Dr. Hurt is driving Dick to and to open…

…Nightwing’s Third Eye

The whole reason Nightwing is in this messed up situation is to rescue his former partner Damian Wayne/Robin. Nightwing finally gets a shot at the mysterious Batman foe Dr. Hurt after walking down a creepy hall of alternate reality Dick Graysons. Dr. Hurt stands apparently triumphant over over an apparently sacrificed Robin.

Dick has had it and rushes Hurt only to fall into the hell of hells. Seeley succeeds in channeling the spooky enigmatic version of Dr. Simon Hurt that Grant Morrison created. Next issue should be even stranger.

Do yourself a favor and flip past the last page of the story to the two page spread tribute to artist Bernie Wrightson.