Nightwing #4

I don't know why this cover has me in the mood for jokes but here it goes. I've got two of them for you and they're themed. You've probably heard the first one but I have to tell it to set up the second one.

Joke #1: A grasshopper walks into a bar. The bartender says, "Hey! We've got a drink named after you!" So the grasshopper says, "You've got a drink called a Tom Collins?"

Joke #2: Batman walks into a bar. The bartender says, "Hey! We've got a drink named after you!" So Batman says, "You've got a drink called a Bruce Wayne? OH FUCK!"

I made up that second one. I heard the first one somewhere else. I like that version of the grasshopper joke better than the one where the grasshopper has a name that isn't also a drink. I should probably read the comic book now.

Oh wait! Let's all make a guess! How is Batgirl going to tell which one is the real Nightwing? I don't know which is why I'm asking everyone else! I also just noticed there is a new artist for this issue. I hope he's better than the last guy! The last guy was right about in the middle. So it's like that old game show Card Sharks and the model turns over an 8. It could go either way!

The comic opens with Batgirl in a car chase. She recklessly causes lots of traffic accidents and then fails to catch the shapeshifter that was driving it. Good job, Babs!

We then return to Nightwing who has just had more sex. I think he's doing as well as Batman has been doing and Nightwing only has one comic book!

I might be Nightwing! I haven't seen The Godfather either!

Dick's been traveling with the circus and banging Raya. So he's probably not in too much of a hurry to solve the Great Circus Caper. It appears they've been on the road for a few weeks since the end of the last issue. While down in Miami, Batgirl comes looking for him. What the hell does she want? Oh yeah! The shapeshifter!

All we need now is a little Starfire in the mix!

Speaking of Batgirl, I've got this story about a friend and his Batgirl doll growing up and how he...no, no. I just can't tell this story here! What if he does a web search for the terms "Babs" and "soldering iron" and "Batgirl" and "anatomically correct"? I probably shouldn't have even brought it up! I should probably just delete this whole paragraph! Just pretend you didn't read it, okay?

Now with Barbara Gordon and Raya in the same Circus Train, the drama is bound to turn way up! Although it doesn't, really. Barbara doesn't give it enough time and then she has to have nice words with Raya before she leaves and tells Raya Dick cares for her. Which, I think, scares Raya off! Wow! Good tactic, Batgirl!

People changing costumes on panel. Main character having sex. It's a lot like Batwoman but still no Teen Plus rating! More proof that DC (and most of conservative America) is afraid of sexual women.

Ding ding ding! Do we have a winner? Did anybody guess she could tell the real Nightwing because he was the uglier one? I sure didn't. Nightwing ends up turning Spinebender into glass with a large electric shock. He's not dead or anything. And they just leave him in the hopes that S.T.A.R. labs can fix him up.

The fight scene was well done but what was really well done was the dialogue and the relationship between Batgirl and Nightwing. I'm impressed with this book. It's a solid comic book that isn't trying too hard to be the next Sandman or trying to be gritty or shocking or trying to push new boundaries. It's just a really well done mainstream comic. And since I was bored with the first issue, I'm really happy about these last three issues. Nice job, Kyle Higgins. And I did like Trevor McCarthy's art better than Eddy Barrows. This call is really subjective and I can see people making a claim for the other way around. I just like Trevor's style a lot more than Eddy's.