REVIEW: ‘Nightwing’ Issue 142

Nightwing issue 142 is published by DC Comics and written by Dan Watters, art by David Lapham, colors by Francesco Sebala, and letters by Wes Abbott.

This is Part Four of Week 4 of the Batman: Bad Seeds crossover. Nightwing may be out of the lockdown in Bludhaven, but spores are beginning to make their way downwind.

This is the first issue of this crossover that doesn’t take place inside Gotham. Instead, it takes place a few miles away in the city of Bludhaven. Nightwing is their guardian, and at first, he’s happy to stay out of the situation and protect his own city. Watters and many other writers have handled this excellently, even though each hero has been interrupted in their storylines.

Dick is dragged back to his old home by an emergency. At first, Nightwing Issue 142 feels tentative, but it becomes a more urgent chase as the story progresses. 

A truck full of something very dangerous is on its way to the flora-crippled Gotham, and it becomes a race against time to catch up. The book is intense and pressurized, making this issue instantly exciting. It also includes brilliantly twisted, in-depth stories that inspire the event in the first place. And it all stems from being downwind of Gotham.

The chaos of the supervillains in that city always has ramifications for Bludhaven. Even in this issue, the spores are blowing out of Gotham and into the streets of its neighbor. The effects create a tragic chain reaction that reaches a harrowing boiling point. And the ending is completely unexpected.

As a senior member of the Bat Family, and one of the most independent, this is a terrific exploration of Nightwing. At first, he has a narrow-minded focus on his target, someone who has nothing to do with what is about to unfold in Nightwing Issue 142. And when the first explosion rips through the city, there’s hesitation before Dick ultimately shifts to helping and saving lives.

A very dangerous person is in the truck, yet Grayson tries to appeal to them. He uses his sensitivity and kindness to try and break through a thick wall of anger and grief. Instead of being a violent vigilante, Nightwing is often seeking to prevent things from happening and calm situations. Watter gives the villain a beautiful amount of depth. There’s a reason why he’s suddenly snapped, and it’s complicated and born out of heartache as opposed to malice.

For much of Nightwing Issue 142, the hero is in the cockpit of his car. And so the dialogue between other people on the phone becomes a major part of the tension and energy within the comic.

The art is something of a mixed bag. The faces of certain characters can look off-putting at times. Not all of them, but there are particular angles of Nightwing where his face looks misshapen, and the main villain has a huge face that can seem flat, and it’s difficult for emotions to be ascertained.

But on the other hand, there are moments where Nightwing’s eyes narrow slightly through his domino mask to accentuate his anger or surprise. This is where close-ups matter, because both Nightwing and the other drivers are behind the wheel.

And to give Lapham more credit, when the civilians become affected by the ingested spores, the detail is sensational. The change in their eyes and mouths, turning them into a rabid, raving, inconsolable fury, is terrifying. The transition between Gotham and Bludhaven is also fantastic, because there’s a terrific reveal of how the once monolithic city has now become an impassable jungle.

The colors are incredibly dark. Most of Nightwing Issue 142 is coated in a dark blue tinge, as night falls across both cities. When there is a change in color, it affects the whole page. A fire creates an orange glow over everything, whilst there is a sickly green shade when someone gets affected by the spores. The lettering is very comfortable and easy to read.

Nightwing Issue 142 details ripples and ramifications. Bludhaven certainly has its own problems, but so many are caused simply by association and geography. Nightwing doesn’t even want to go to to his old stomping ground, but Gotham seems to have a magnet for trouble that is resonating out beyond its borders.

It’s fascinating that this comic doesn’t have anything for Nightwing to fight, but instead he just has to try and stop a disaster from happening. And it also highlights that the Bad Seeds event, whilst originally limited to Gotham, is beginning to seep elsewhere and become an even larger catastrophe.

Nightwing Issue 142 is available where comics are sold.