Writer: Devin Grayson
Artists: Rick Leonardi (p), Jesse Delperdang & Dan Davis (i)
Publisher: DC
Plot:
The book opens with Dick Grayson stunned by the fact that Deathstroke, one of the deadliest assassins in the DCU is waiting for him in his apartment. He then discovers that Deathstroke is there to give him a heads up that he's been contracted to kill someone living in Bludhaven, and it would be best if Nightwing didn't interfere. We then see Nightwing sets out to discover who would have the money in Bludhaven to hire the pricey Deathstroke, but his investigation doesn't turn up any leads. We then join Dick the next day as he wearily stumbles into his day job, as an officer on the Bludhaven police force, and we see an investigative reporter is busy making noise in the station house with her attempts to learn more about Bludhaven's resident vigilante, Nightwing. We then see Dick heads off with his partner, but once outside the station he spots Deathstroke on the roof, and convinced he needs to act immediately, Dick puts on a display of agility that could very well expose his secret identity. However, Deathstroke proves to be more than a match for the unprepared Dick, and when the dust settles we see Deathstroke has escaped, and Dick is sporting a gunshot wound to his left arm, which will effectively remove him from action.
Comments:
Deathstroke was a regular on my top ten villain list for the better part of the ‘80s, but while the appeal of the character was greatly diminished by the overexposure that the character underwent in the early 1990s. However, this is a trend that sent a great many characters off the rails, as Lobo, Venom & Sabretooth were all overused, while mainstays like the Punisher & Ghost Rider were pushed into so many titles that they were effectively banned from the Marvel Universe for several years, a blow that Ghost Rider still hasn't quite recovered from. Now Deathstroke never really dropped completely off the radar, as he's made a handful of guest-appearances over the years in the Titans & Birds of Prey, but to the best of my knowledge this is his first visit to the pages of Nightwing. In any event Nightwing versus Deathstroke has always been a fight that gets my inner fanboy excited, as it's one of the few hand to hand contests where I'm always left with the sense that Dick is lucky to have walked away alive, and Deathstroke is also one of the few opponents who has beaten Nightwing on a fairly consistent basis. Now based on how this issue ends, as well as the preview box for the next issue it would appear that round two won't be playing out next issue, but I do hope the Deathstroke & Nightwing do meet again before this arc wraps up.
I also enjoy how this issue sets up the encounter, as having Deathstroke pay Nightwing a visit to announce he's going to perform a hit on someone in Bludhaven is a rather clever way of dispensing with most of the setup, and it also allows for a moment of interaction between the two characters that we haven't really seen before. Deathstroke almost comes across as a bigger brother figure as he talks with Dick, and while his job would probably be easier if he had simply snuck into town, performed the hit, and disappeared back into the shadows, it's also understandable that Deathstroke would want to make the game a little more interesting. It's almost like Deathstoke is daring Nightwing to stop him, and this sets up a fun "In the Line of Fire" type scenario, as we see our hero in a cat & mouse game with the killer. This issue also offers up a fairly impressive little twist on the regular encounter, as Dick is forced to take on Deathstroke while in his civilian identity, and not only does this immediately thrust Dick into the action, but it also limits the amount of death defying displays he can put on for fear of exposing his secret identity. The last page also offers up a fairly solid little hurdle that will effectively take Dick out of the action, at least the next little while.
Rick Leonardi is proving to be a very solid fit for this book, as he has a great eye when it come to delivering some truly exciting acting, and the quieter moments benefit from a solid array a facial expressions. The big action sequence in this issue is a very impressive bit of work, as one does get the sense that Deathstroke could've killed Dick if he wanted to, and that this little encounter was simply to show Dick how vulnerable he really was, though I guess he could be trying for someone being held by the Bludhaven police. In any event the action is clearly detailed, and when the bullets start flying the art does a wonderful job conveying the chaos of the situation. Also while it's a little throwaway scene I loved how the art detailed Dick's rapid climb up the stairwell toward his encounter with Deathstroke, as it's a solid display of the character's agility. The art also does some nice work on the smaller moments, as one can see how unsettled Dick is in the opening pages of this issue, as he struggles to get into his costume before Deathstroke can make his escape. There's also a great little scene that nicely suggests that Dick former partner/current captain knows Dick Grayson & Nightwing are one and the same, or at the very least she has her suspicions.
Final Word:
Nightwing versus Deathstroke is a pairing where one would have to pretty hard not to deliver a fan pleasing issue, and for her part Devin Grayson does manage to offer up an enjoyable enough taste of hopefully what's to come. Now I hope Dick's injury in the final pages only keeps him out of the fight for a single chapter, as I buy this book to follow the adventures of Nightwing, and it would be a real shame to have him warming the bench when Deathstroke finally found his way to Bludhaven. However, I'm certain Devin Grayson knows this and she'll deliver the big fight fans are looking for in the final chapter. As it stand this issue manages to establish the idea that Nightwing isn't overly confident in his ability to defeat Deathstroke, and the action sequence in this issue nicely establishes the idea that the fans should expect Deathstroke to be a formidable threat who isn't afraid to mix it up. This issue is quite entertaining, though I'll admit I'm a little concerned that we might be cheated of out the big show.
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