Nightwing Vol. 1: Leaping into the Light collection review

December 14, 2021 Jeffrey Lyles Batgirl, Batman, Bruno Redondo, Nightwing, Robin, Tom Taylor

Fresh off their fantastic run on Suicide Squad, writer Tom Taylor and artist Bruno Redondo reunited to usher in a new era for Nightwing.

Over the last few decades Dick Grayson has gone from potential Infinite Crisis casualty to filling in as Batman, running a traveling circus, being a secret agent to running around as an amnesiac taxi driver. Regardless of the creative teams, Nightwing’s adventures have been consistently solid.

It’s without hyperbole to say if this first collection of issues, Leaping into the Light is any indication, Taylor and Redondo’s run has the potential to be one of the most fondly remembered runs on the character.

Like he’s done on Injustice, the DCeased trilogy, Suicide Squad and Superman Son of Kal-El, Taylor truly gets his title character. Some writers come on to new titles and completely upend the status quo and how the character acts simply to force their story onto the character. With Taylor, it immediately reads like he’s been writing Nightwing for years.

Not only is his take on Dick Grayson consistent with other quality writers, Taylor captures the best aspects of the most prominent former sidekick. Taylor shows exactly why Nightwing should be considered an A-list character as he’s been trained by Batman, nurtured by Alfred, had strong friendships in the Teen Titans to keep him from getting as bleak as his mentor and is arguably the most well-loved DC hero this side of Superman.

Taylor reunites Dick with Barbara Gordon aka Oracle/Batgirl. He’s not rushing the relationship, but Taylor shows the unique nature of this pairing as they basically came up together as young heroes operating with Batman. Without a dedicated Batgirl book currently, Taylor has been able to keep Barbara as a core member of Nightwing’s supporting cast.

Another aspect of Leaping into the Light is Taylor isn’t afraid to embrace Dick’s status in the DC Universe so cameos come off natural instead of as a way to boost sales. A chat with Superman is easily one of the highlight’s of this collection. Adding Tim Drake to the supporting cast was another very welcome decision as Dick and Tim have the clearest sibling dynamic of the Bat Family.

Personal relationships are essential, but so is credible villains. Taylor introduces one in Heartless, a character who seems to literally steal victim’s hearts. Blockbuster is back as a menace and Taylor navigates this setup so it doesn’t just feel like a rehash/homage/rip-off of Daredevil/Kingpin. Another new face is Melinda Zucco, who has a deeper connection to Dick than her father being the man that killed Dick’s parents.

Just as key for the series is the artwork from Redondo. His style is gorgeous with incredibly emotive characters and big blockbuster style action sequences. There’s one sequence that felt like watching a trailer shot action scene. Redondo also uses a ghost style method with lighter drawings to show Nightwing springing into action, which allows for a better sense of his style of movement.

As impressive as Taylor’s scripts are, Redondo is equally just as vital a component of this partnership. Adriano Lucas’ colors are rich and intense with beautiful hues and gradients showcasing the natural daylight and nightlife of Bludhaven. Wes Abbott’s lettering is precise with just the right amount of emphasis on phrases and distinctions in dialogue exchanges.

Basically since the start of this creative team, Nightwing has been by far the best book DC has to offer. It’s both a classic portrayal of Dick Grayson that would work in any time frame while also approaching the character and his supporting cast with an eye to the future to disrupt the status quo in a thrilling fashion.

It was no coincidence that DC released Leaping into the Light a few weeks before Christmas. It’s an ideal stocking stuffer or gift under the tree for any DC fan.