Nightwing #18 (mini review)

(w) Kyle Higgins     (a) Juan Jose Ryp


**SPOILERS FOR BATMAN INC #8**


All these "Requiem" issues lamenting the death of Damian Wayne have varying levels of actual requiem-ing. For instance, Batman and Robin #18 processed the tragedy by showcasing Bruce's spiral into depression, working for days without sleep and becoming increasingly aggressive, all while losing himself in the thought of his dead son. On the flipside, Red Hood and The Outlaws #18 barely makes mention of the events that transpired. Nightwing #18 finds a middle ground with Dick Grayson's emotional fallout.

While Kyle Higgins does a good job navigating Nightwing through his feelings of guilt and depression, it's kind of overkill. And not because of how it's written, but because most of Dick's emotional eureka moments happen twice. He talks about the destruction of Haly's Circus twice, he gets pissed at Bruce for lying twice, and he mentions how he and Damian were like brothers twice. It would have worked better if Higgins had perhaps worked his way from having Dick simply understand his situation to Nightwing accepting and processing Damian's death. Instead, the sentiments are played out by the middle of the issue, leaving Higgin's big reveal as the main focus of the second half. It's an interesting enough surprise, but already feels contrived. So, we'll see.

GRADE: 7/10