Art by: Bruno Redondo, Geraldo Borges, Caio Filipe
Colors by: Adriano Lucas
Letters by: Wes Abbott
Cover art by: Bruno Redondo
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: December 20, 2022
Nightwing #99 sees the return of Tony Zucco to Blüdhaven to take advantage of the power vacuum left by Blockbuster and Maroni. Will Mayor Melinda Zucco join her father so they can rule the city together?
Is It Good?
Hmm... well, Nightwing #99 is an odd issue. It's odd because it plants the seed of an intriguing mystery, then immediately sweeps it under the rug, contrary to how any reasonable person would react. It's unclear if Taylor is treading water on the mystery until issue #100 or if this issue falls victim to the dread decompression style plaguing the comics industry. Regardless, the net effect is a comic that builds momentum but suddenly stops. Odd.
We pick up with Mayor Melinda Zucco watching the biggest crime sting in Blüdhaven's history as gangsters, corrupt politicians, and law officers on the take are arrested in one fell swoop. Now, Tony Zucco returns (released for "good behavior") to persuade his daughter to join him in taking advantage of the swirling power vacuum left by Blockbuster and Maroni.
Zucco intends to pay for his power campaign by robbing a special vault that looks like a Fisherman's version of Gringotts from Harry Potter. When Nightwing gets wind of the robbery, he shows up in the nick of time to stop Zucco and his bodyguards (Double Dare) from succeeding. When the robbery is thwarted, the Bank Manager informs Nightwing that a special deposit box is waiting for him inside, and then... nothing.
"Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean 'nothing', Mr. Reviewer Guy?" you may wonder. Yes, that's right. Nothing.
We learn Blüdhaven has a whimsical Gringotts-style bank filled with eclectic (magical?) items, guarded by a secret security force who operated before there was a city. We learn a mysterious safety box earmarked for Nightwing has been waiting in the bank for years, unbeknownst to the titular character. So, what does Nightwing do? Nothing. He doesn't go back into the bank. He doesn't get the box and open it. The box isn't even mentioned for the rest of the issue. Nightwing simply spends the rest of the issue having a leisurely chat with his sister.
Again, it could be clearer if Taylor decided to tread water and push off the mystery box to the 100th issue, or if he simply decided to take his frustratingly sweet time to get around to the box. Either way, the result isn't intriguing. It's frustration with a comic that's half great and half a waste of time.
The art is generally very good. The line work is solid, and the brief battle between Nightwing and Double Dare on the Goonies pirate ship is visually entertaining, but most of the issue is taken up with people standing around talking, so there's little to see. Also, Lucas goes overboard with pinks, purples, and oranges, giving the characters a sunburned look that seems off.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces
Nightwing #99 is a half-good issue that builds an intriguing mystery through the first two acts. It then completely drops the mystery in the final act, leading to a frustratingly annoying conclusion. Besides the fumbled plot, the pacing and dialog are excellent. The art is generally good except for some odd color choices, and the action is entertaining.
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