CREATIVE TEAM:
Writer: Devin Grayson
Penciller: Zach Howard
Inkers: Andy Owens
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Editor: Michael Wright
YEAR: 2005
MONTH: January
ISSUE: 99
TITLE: "Back to Life"
PLOT:
Dick Grayson wakes in a bed in Wayne Manor. He is delirious from fever and sickness from a gunshot. Alfred tells him that he must rest and calms him.
Tarantula tries to stop a man from being attacked and ends up in a mob fight. Batman comes by and rescues her from the overwhelming odds. He confronts her about her vigilante activities. She tells him that she is doing it to help people not have to live a life that she has lived. Batman tells her that she is not qualified for this work. She tells him that he should teach her something and train her. Batman wordlessly turns and leaves.
Dick gets out of bed and insists that he has to go back out to stop the war. Alfred tells him that the war is over, but Gotham is now exclusively Batman’s undertaking. Dick questions him about where everyone else is, but Alfred says that Bruce insisted on telling him himself. Dick begins to go down stairs to get his gear to go back out on the streets. Alfred orders him to return to bed this instant. Alfred confesses to Dick that his main concern is Grayson’s change in attitude recently. He fears that the loss of Dick’s optimism and light heartedness will drive both Batman and Nightwing into the abyss.
Batman returns to the batcave and explains what is going on to Dick. He questions Bruce about whether or not they now what they are doing anymore. Dick feels lost. Bruce starts to talk business about how to stop Black Mask. Dick speeds out of the cave, ignoring Batman.
Review:
Devin Grayson finally has a chance for Nightwing to grasp what has happened with Blockbuster. War Games and the trip with Tarantula delayed his time to absorb what happened. She gives great characterization of the father son relationship between Dick and Bruce. Dick is finally ready to talk about Blockbuster’s death, but Bruce wants to concentrate on current business. The confrontation between Batman and Tarantula was really good. Here is another female vigilante, like Spoiler, that is seeking his guidance, but he can not take her in for fear of losing another. The art in this issue was not the best. The characters were drawn with too many straight lines. The style looked more like it belonged in one of the comics based on the cartoons instead of the main DC line.
Reviewed by: Darknight