DC Rebirth review - Nightwing/Justice League

Time for me to review an insane amount of comics all in one go, again. Let’s skip the intro and get on with it

Nightwing

Dick Grayson is back as Nightwing, YAY! But we’ve got loose ends to tie up regarding a crossover called Robin War from last December. I did not read Robin War. But this is a relaunch title and I shouldn’t need to.

In writer's position we have half of the creative team off Grayson with Tim Seeley. Yanick Paquette and Nathan Fairbairn do art for the rebirth issue. Paquette had had a stint on Swamp Thing, did a bit of Batman Incorporated and a fill in for the main Batman title (pre-Rebirth), whilst Fairbairn has largely being doing works with image comics. The main 4 issue all have the same pair with Javier Fernández and Chris Sotomayor. Fernández had been working on the Red Hood/Arsenal series with Lobdell

Sorry, mention of Lobdell seems to do that to me now, Sotomayor had done some various works at Marvel. OK, let’s dive in

After defeating long time Blue Beetle (Ted Kord, pre-new52) enemies the madmen, he and Damian hang out at an arcade for a bit. Damian hasn’t really shown up much since Rebirth but seeing as he’s supposed to star in 2 ongoing titles, the Teen Titans one and the much-delayed Supersons, we may be seeing more of him soon.

3 days ago, Dick was leaving the headquarters of SPYRAL, she checks up on Helena who is now the Huntress and heading to Batgirl and the Birds of Prey. In the present Dick and Damian are heading home, Damian feels a little faint but he chocks it down to eyestrain.

2 days ago, Dick helps his former ally take care of business in Florida. Back in the present the duo head into Wayne Manor. Damian asks about Midnighter. Yesterday, the two had been fighting a monster in the Swiss Alps. He gives dick a device as thanks for his help. That device is a syringe to take a bomb out of someone’s head. Much akin to the infamous scene of Total Recall.

In the present they get the bomb out of Damian’s head, Batman asks what’s going on and Dick reveals that because the container is made from Damian’s DNA, the parliament of owls still think it’s there, they still have leverage over Nightwing.

In the court of owls, Lincoln March is killed. He was apparently revived during Robin War because erm… They were intending to keep him on ice for 10 years, why?! Anyway, Dick promises the infiltrate and pull apart the Court of Owls from the inside as Nightwing.

So, #1 opens with a zombie couple finding a casket of gold and being murdered by I presume a Kobra agent. Dick defeats a few guards and threatens someone and is brought to the Parliament of Owls who don’t like the fact he’s not killed anyone yet.

Apparently, the guy was named Raptor and the court made a counter-offer to bring him to their side, and they want Nightwing to work with him. Nightwing refuses on both counts. He’ll stop others advancing into their territory and scare people a bit but he won’t kill. Dick goes to Bruce for advice but he’s basically told to p*ss off.

He goes to meet Batgirl in Burnside and she questions him before they go out on the town. Nightwing does his thing as the Court of Owls puppet before Raptor confronts him. They fight but Raptor ends up victor and says he needs a new mentor. Everything Batman taught him is wrong. Cue Weird Al joke

Issue 2 opens with Nightwing regaining his senses and Raptor eventually convincing that the two work together. Kobra have laid siege to a vessel belonging to high ranking member of the parliament and their job is to rescue the passengers before the arrive to a Kobra-friendly shore. We cut to Tokyo where Batgirl is now and fighting odd generic skeleton thugs, she promises to meet up with him at Midnight tomorrow. Guess who’s missing that date?

They fight off some of Kobra goons but Nightwing ditches Raptor to find out why the parliament want the ship. He finds some dead bodies which give birth to erm, whatever the hell she’s supposed to be who attacks Nightwing but is rescued by Raptor. The ship was full of refugees, people easily missed that Kobra could experiment on. But minus the few already dead, they’re rescued by Nightwing and Raptor. Raptor says the court plan to build a new nation in Greece, these will be the workers.

And it’s exceptionally unclear what happens next but the Court of Owls are satisfied and Raptor and Nightwing duke it out again. It’s kind of implied the refugees remain the prisoners of the Owls, Nightwing had to give them up to ensure his cover. Raptor says he too is playing the long game with the owls. Batgirl arrives at the location for date but Dick isn’t there. I’m not sure but it’s implied that he only just received the location anyway.

#3 opens with Batgirl confronting the two, they’re heading into the home of a maze designer named Knute Rudd, who has established a major base for them in Greece but now is the court’s target, they want him killed and the blueprints destroyed. Nightwing plans to take them instead. Batgirl says she’s heading with them, stop them going over the edge.

They head and in and the maze is filled with puzzles and traps and bits of history. Raptor ditches them briefly and they think he managed to kill Knute. He reports back to the owls as he and Nightwing fight again but it turns out Knute pretended to be dead, the blood was actually Raptor’s own. In exchange they get the blueprints.

Batgirl storms off, she doesn’t want Dick to continue down the road, but Dick feels he has to. They’re about to head off to finish this but first they need to make a stop in Raptor’s home in Turkey. 100 years ago, the Court of Owls in Gotham needed to keep track of who gave what to their coffer, they hired a mad inventor to create the ‘book of wisdom’ which is unreadable but to a select few. He has the mad inventor in a cage.

Her name is Doctor Leviticus, and she agrees to give them the coins needed to be able to read the book if she gets a space where she’s out of reach of the law. They agree and are soon given the tour of the court’s new headquarters. They pass some of the refugees in cages and Nightwing’s decided that it’s the time to strike. Raptor agrees.

Two members of the court contact the Orator about the two helping the refugees and are soon killed as the Orator transforms into a giant monster who attacks Dick and Raptor. They manage to hold it off long enough to lose it in the maze. They find the book but Raptor is bleeding out. Fortunately, Dick has a blood transfusion kit handy (how convenient) to save him.

The monster attacks again and they flee with the book. They find the exit but Raptor doesn’t wish to go to jail and splits off, fortunately Agent One is there to catch Nightwing on a boat the refugees had found their way to, and delivers the book to SPYRAL. Nightwing reports to Batman, despite everything he believes Raptor can be trusted. In the next scene we see him deliver news to KOBRA, his mission was successful. He convinced Doctor Leviticus to open a back door into the book, every time SPYRAL discovers a name, they will as well.

So, Nightwing #1-4, what do I like, what don’t I like. Let’s take a closer look

I’ll start by saying, that aside from the Rebirth issue, I’m not a fan of the artwork. It’s rough, sketchy and lacking in detail and it really doesn’t fit my vision of a Nightwing title.

The story feels kinda forced on at the moment. This is not a classic superhero title and that’s a shame because that’s what you’re after when you’re buying a Nightwing title. This feels more like Grayson 2.0 and whilst I enjoyed Grayson, I was in no hurry to return to it.

There’s also rather annoying amounts of padding, the flash forward/flashback at the beginning of pages 2 and 3 are completely unnecessary, and honestly I’m not all comfortable with Batman throwing someone off a building, nightmare or not.

I also really don’t care much for when Batgirl shows up in this. They really need to develop their relationship again before any more breakups can occur here. What I do like then, I like the fact that Nightwing never loses sight of why he’s there and thank god they didn’t spread it out over 10+ issues, this story is over and leave it be.

I also kinda like Raptor. He’s a unique challenge to Nightwing that really wasn’t in his rogues’ gallery before, and it sets up him against KOBRA, a longstanding DC Cult that hasn’t had much attention brought to it lately. Hopefully he can take them down from the outside.

If you liked Grayson, you might like this title, and I’m staying on a bit longer hoping for something a little better in the coming issues, this is not the best of starts for Nightwing’s return.

Rebirth #1 – 7.5/10

#1-4 5/10

And finally, because this is the last biweekly title I was picking up, we have Justice League. Written by Brian Hitch, *sigh* who wrote Justice League of America (a title yet to complete its run I might add) which I reviewed last year, and did not enjoy. Tony Daniel is the artist for #1-3, his work I do enjoy, he’s joined by Sandu Florea (Deathstroke) and Tomeu Morey (Detective comics New52). Brian Hitch himself helped draw the Rebirth issue with Daniel Henriques (Justice League of America) and Scott Hanna (Green Lantern Corps) doing inking and Alex Sinclair (Batman and Robin) doing colouring. #4 sees Jesus Merino (Astro City) and Andy Owens (Convergence: The Atom) doing the art with Tomeu Morey continuing with the colouring.

We open with New York (wait, is this a Marvel movie?) being attacked by a giant monster of sorts. Superman is wondering what’s drawing these things to Earth. Lois advises that he should reach out, the League needs Superman. And she might have a point as the monster’s henchmen are vastly outnumbering the League. The henchmen things are taking human hosts and infecting their minds, Cyborg’s using boom tubes to get them out of the way. It’s not being hurt from the outside, but maybe if they head inside they could hurt it enough to make it leave.

After another scene with Superman and Lois, we cut to Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz, Earth’s Green Lanterns because…. I’m not really caught up with Green Lantern stuff. Cyborg scans the brain and finds an area that’s connected to every other part of the creature.

Batman flashes back to them at the watchtower discussing the appearance of the new Superman. Wonder Woman is upset and angry not just at his death but the re-emergence of the original Superman. Batman doesn’t trust him and wants him close so they can work out what’s really going on.

Aquaman begins holding his head in agony, he’s able to hear the creature through his telepathy. This was just the first wave and there are others coming. Cyborg is overwhelmed and the boom tubes begin to close, Simon and Jessica arrive and dome up the creature’s hands because.. I don’t know and find their way to the League in seconds. Superman arrives also and gives them target’s found when he scanned the creature.

It’s injured but it will regenerate. The creature tells Aquaman his way would’ve been a mercy as it makes its retreat. They split up, promising to be ready as the news praises the Justice League.

#1 opens with Wonder Woman having yet another inner monologue about who she is. Geoff Johns did this already in Darkseid War, get on with it. As she preaches about peace in her head whilst destroying an armada on foreign soil arm with a lightning bolt. How peaceful. An Earthquake strikes and kills most of the Russian soldiers, one blames Wonder Woman but she had nothing to do with it.

Turns out all the rest of the superheroes of the universe took a day off because in a day of international Earthquakes, it’s solely down to the Justice League to save everybody. The Green Lanterns have secured Beijing whilst Flash has secured California and Victor is working in New York. Aquaman is helping his people as Atlantis has been hit, tidal waves are approaching Hong Kong and thanks to Jessica being the ideas woman and Simon being actually able to make constructs (I don’t know, I’m not reading Green Lanterns) they manage to divert the wave. However their rings being to falter and fall. Voices of the dead call to Wonder Woman, they are the kindred, based presumably on the Wildstorm characters.

As Flash’s speed begins to die out, Cyborg makes contact with Batman, who’s found a ship in Gotham which he’s investigating. Some bugs are released from it which begin to infect the people nearby. Aquaman is attacked by some Atlanteans, possessed and muttering phrases like ‘stolen words.’

As Atlantis crumbles, Wonder Woman fends off the last of the dead and claims they’re coming for the Kindred.

Issue 2 opens with Simon Baz…. HOLY SHIT! NO! That is a fleet of ships he’s created on his own, no! That’s too much, you can’t concentrate on all of that at once, I… no! Oh and their powers are back now, just FYI. Meanwhile, Jessica who in this issue and the last said couldn’t make constructs makes a construct to save the city from the tidal wave.

Flash recovers but he and Simon are confronted by those possessed by the Kingrid and both touched. If his constructs just faded, I’d guess that’s most of Hong Kong dead then. Batman contacts the Flash, the possession seems to have stopped. He heads to Gotham and grabs all the insect things. Batman says the CDC and ARGUS should take a look. Aquaman was saved by some convenient crystals, grabs them and swims away.

Cyborg reveals his scans have found 4 devices in the Earth’s crust and they triggered the earthquakes, they’re building to another one, and the wold could be torn apart. They need to investigate but the Green Lanterns are the only ones of the group that could survive it and their rings have cut out once already. Wonder Woman tells Batman to ask “him.”

The alarms sounds and thousands of ships like the one Batman found are heading to Earth. Aquaman heads back to Atlantis looking for answers, one of the guards spots him and tells him the crystals are the zodiac crystals that were held in the museum before it fell. The evacuation isn’t going well, all the possessed Atlanteans are merging into a single entity.

Batman confronts Superman and says they need him to head into the centre of the Earth.

In Australia, Japan and Russia the possessed are forming similar entities to the one in Atlantis. Wonder Woman confronts them with her lightning bolt and bursts through the creature’s outer shell, she’s dragged inside. The manage to communicate with each other. Thd Green Lanterns and the Flash are dealing with the inbound ships, Flash tells the Green Lanterns to cut off the attack at the source.

Batman calls Cyborg to kent farm. Simon and Jessica head through a wormhole to ‘non-sectored space’ whatever that means to a half-destroyed looking planet that is the source of all the ships. They begin attacking. Lois and Superman say their goodbyes as Cyborg booms Superman into the earth’s core to find those machines. One of the ships attacks and it’s up to Cyborg and Batman to protect Lois and John

Superman is having a hard time adjusting, it’s too hot, the current’s stopping his flight and with the pressure he can’t get his bearings. In Atlantis the being goes on about stolen magic. The zodiac crystals were once singing but soon stop. The kindred spirits rise. Each taking on a separate part of power, the light of the colour spectrum, the power of the stars, magic and speed and motion. Superman finds one of the machines but his heat vision is useless, he doesn’t know what to do.

#4 opens with the Green Lanterns spouting the most generic dialogue I’ve ever seen whilst fighting back the missiles. The creatures from the crashed ship attack Cyborg specifically. Batman tries to go into help but Cyborg manages to hack them back and shut them down, in turn he’s found out their plan and they are screwed. The 5 entities spout generic dialogue about purging and world breaking and begin singing.

Arthur can hear and they continue to evacuate Atlantis as it continues to collapse under more earthquakes. Cyborg explains that the aliens are attacking humanoid planets and converting the populace into something non-human. The earthquakes machines are still in tact and are a failsafe which will destroy the world. Superman begins punching at one of them but it doesn’t work.

Flash runs into the entities and is drawn into them. Wonder Woman questions the kindred and it’s all generic answers about the purge and the end of everything and bla bla bla, Superman uses everything he has to push on of the devices, he’s successful and is about to retreat to regain his strength before realising there may be redundancies, he needs to destroy all of them.

Cyborg gains contact from the Flash within the Kindred network and soon passes out. The Green Lanterns destroy the last of the rockets and descend onto the planet to find the entire populace looking like Cyborg.

So that was Justice League, what do I think? Let’s take a closer look.

I’ll say this, I liked it better reading the 5 issues together than I did as separate issues. The first issue is an ok, if relatively standard one-shot issue which does barely anything to set up the events of the main book. Sure it briefly explores Superman but it’s a minimum effort. Still, it’s not terrible.

Issue 1 is probably the worst of the 4 issues because it is loaded with padding. The first 7 pages with Wonder Woman could’ve easily been condensed and it didn’t feel like the scope was given with just the hero roster from the League.

The character work is weak for the most part, unfortunately it’s much like his previous Justice League book where the characters feel relatively bland and generic. This particularly a problem with Simon and Jessica who are relatively new characters and needed more done to them.

But to the story itself, it’s much like his Rao one really, it’s shrouded in mystery, plenty of action with lots of questions with very few answers and those that are given are generally fairly generic and open to interpretation. I’m not sure whether we’re looking at one or two threats here, for example, and that should not need to be a mystery.

The artwork is good but honestly, I feel like the previous justice league title looked better, even if the art was the root cause of the many delays the title had.

Rebirth 6/10

#1-4 5.5/10

OK, that was my look at DC: Rebirth the biweekly titles, you’ll see 4 issue tests + Rebirth reviews of the remaining titles as they come. I’m currently looking to crack at Titans, Teen Titans, Gotham Academy: Second Semester, Super Sons and Blue Beetle, I’ll see you for those. 

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Images/clips used in this review belong to DC Comics. All images in this review are subject to fair use