Nightwing seems go have gotten over its mini slump and is becoming a far more enjoyable and unpredictable ride. Read Full Review

Nightwing #51 continues the most recent upset in Dick Grayson's life with quiet reflection and character moments that allow the shock from last issue to settle and ruminate into what might become the most memorable Nightwing story in recent memory. Read Full Review

NIGHTWING #51 is a solid issue. The outstanding artwork is a visual spectacle. The characters come to life, right off the page. Other than one or two plot holes, this comic has an intriguing story line that is worth reading. Read Full Review

Nightwing #51 is easily my personal pick of the week (even if I wasn't reviewing it). It continues with a strong character driven story (my favorite kind of stories), and keeps us guessing where this story is going to end up. The introduction of the Bld's new protector could make things easier for Ric to let go of his former self, or it could be another person he'll need to stop. He could also be the person Scarecrow takes out before Dick comes back. The artwork is some of the best art I've seen all series, which is saying a lot. There is still a lot more story to go, and I get more excited with every new panel we get! Read Full Review

It's a new beginning for Ric Grayson and while some are already losing their minds over it, I think it has potential.  Nightwing fans have been through this all before and while some will never get used to it, let's wait and see how it plays out.  For now, I am on the Ric trolley. Read Full Review

I do think this is an enjoyable story. People are flipping out about this very unnecessarily in my mind. Just wait and see how the story is going to play out; in the meantime, enjoy the stunning Moore/Brown artwork. Read Full Review

Much like the titular character. It's the same style and feel to the body of work. Just a new mind running the show. Read Full Review

But forthose wondering how Ric Grayson would carry on as Nightwing, boy, wonder nomore. The answer is on the last page. Read Full Review

That final page has definitely piqued my interest! Read Full Review

Sharp and lean, the future of Nightwing looks to be in some pretty capable hands thanks to Fabian Nicieza and Scott Lobdell.  Read Full Review

Although this run has less and less to do with the acrobatic fights Nightwing is known for, it has more and more to do with the man behind the mask, and that's certainly a refreshing change of pace. Read Full Review

To reiterated, Moore and Brown's artwork is fantastic, and the switches between artist highlight the different scenes brilliant mini-arcs that Lobdell and Nicieza set up, even if the content isn't the greatest filler. I'm hoping the next issue will bring some of the spark back to the series, because this one dragged just a little. Read Full Review

While I'm sure that this iteration of our hero will turn a lot of people off, I'm pretty excited for what's to come for the first time in a long time and I hope that Scott Lobdell can keep it up as he continues this series.  The art in this issue works really well for the story at hand and there's just so much going on that I can't wait to see how our amnesia afflicted hero will deal with it......... or if he'll deal with it at all. Read Full Review

Lastly, looks like a Bldhaven cop, Detective Sapienza, is taking over the mantle of Nightwing Looks very similar to Nightwing, especially with the mask on. Not sure how everyone's going to receive the gun though. I give him three issues, max. Read Full Review

Consider Nightwing #51 a mission statement for Lobdells new direction for the character. While not action-packed or chock full of detail or plot, what we have here are the seeds for a host of new ideas and stories that make me genuinely excited for whats to come. From what seemed a dull and lifeless idea, Nightwing #51 now brings the promise of a tale that will stay true to the core of this character we all love. And with a great art team to accompany him, Ill definitely be returning for issue #52 to see if Lobdell can pull it all off. Read Full Review

The art is a little inconsistent on this as well. Hopefully it turns around in the upcoming issues. It's not bad but it's uneven. And it could be better. Read Full Review

It still has that tactical street war vibe, but if you were a fan the boy in Batman's shadow, Dick Grayson and wanted him to stay the same forever then maybe you won't like this new direction. But if you're like me and enjoy the idea of him but just didn't feel his story line was being utilized correctly I would recommend picking up a copy of this issue. Read Full Review

When the focus was on Dick Grayson, or should I say Ric Grayson, new status quo Nightwing #51 is at its best. Scott Lobdell and Fabian Nicieza show a good understanding of how such a traumatic event like being shot in the head would affect someone. Unfortunately its problems with the smaller details and an ending that falls flat that kept Nightwing #51 from reaching its full potential. Read Full Review

This issue isn't particularly awful, but it isn't very good either. I was correct in my guess that Scarecrow seems to be the main arc for this villain. Perhaps Dr. Crane has something to do with our protagonist's nightmares? Why is Dick Grayson so bad at burning things? Are we going to be treated to a copycat Nightwing story similar to One Year Later? Read Full Review

It's painfully obvious that the story is cobbled together at the last moment from leftover scraps and a few new ideas from the new creative team. It's extremely disjointed and would get lower than a neutral grade if it weren't for Moore's art. Read Full Review

It's a valiant effort from all parties to an imperfect situation, but this issue is a reminder that despite the best laid plans, comic books are more than just the sum of their parts. Read Full Review

If this arc of Nightwing does anything, it fundamentally highlights some of the major problems facing the comic book industry at the moment. 1. Publishers clearly don't plan stories well, or simply don't carry out plans. 2. They're completely disconnected from their audiences " not that comics should be a complete fan service. 3. They're losing grasp of the core, fundamental elements of their characters. I urge you to pass on this book. Pass on this run. Go find an indie comic to support or check something else out, because this is a nightmare. Read Full Review

Nightwing #51 feels very clearly slapped together at the last second, with two writers, two artists, and two colorists " and it shows. It's also probably the most half-assed comic I've read in quite some time. Read Full Review

Dick Grayson has the circus blood.

Dick became Nightwing to escape Robin. He became Ric to escape Nightwing. Isn't that poetic and ironic, Mr. Grayson?

Just added to my pull. I like the new direction!

I decided to start following Nightwing # 50, since it begins a new arc for the character. While there were some inconsistencies in issue 51 (Dick's appearance starting on page 14), this arc is opening up endless possibilities for the character.

Richard is trying desperately to forget his life as Dick and forge a new path as Ric; however his subconscious and body will not let him forget who he truly is. He realizes that becoming a blank slate will not be as easy as he anticipated. It'll be interesting to watch him try to suppress his former life.

Alfred proves time and time again that he is the true patriarch of the Batfamily. Ric was more receptive to Alfred than he was to Barbara in # 50. Alfred was more understanding and patient with Ric's current circumstances; whereas Barbara just seemed desperate to have things return to normal without considering the situation. It's cool to see how Ric reacts to the different members of the family. Hopefully we'll get Tim, Damian, Jason and Bruce in upcoming issues; sooner rather than later. I could see Damian or Tim breaking through to Ric.

Something else interesting we learn is that Ric remembers his parents and his life before the Batfamily. This actually explains a lot about his current behavior. Moving from home to home; not caring about putting down permanent roots and trying to forget his time as a vigilante. Out of all the Batfamily, Dick had the most idyllic childhood. It's understandable that Ric would cling to the best parts of his life and try to suppress the trauma's that occurred as Nightwing. While Nightwing helped shape the man he is today, we can't deny his life has been riddled with trauma. I hope they explore more of Dick's childhood before his parent's death in the circus. He referenced it in #50 and we got a panel in #51. I would love to see a young and carefree Richard Grayson. We may see a side of him we've never seen before.

The reader is introduced to a new character who is going to take up the mantle of Nightwing in Dick's absence. Without Nightwing, Bludhaven is going to hell. It's a testament of how important Nightwing is to his city. Although Bludhaven needs a protector, I don't see this going over well with the Batfamily; and based on future solicitations, he's not the Nightwing the city needs. If anything, Dick will have some new allies after he reclaims the Nightwing mantle.

And finally, Scarecrow is operating in Bludhaven. We get a short panel tying Scarecrow to a crime in # 50. Scarecrow is a scary villain on your best day; but him facing off with a trauma filled Nightwing (Dick) and a rookie trying to be Nightwing will lead to disaster. I can't wait to see what horrors unfold.

If you have not followed Nightwing in Rebirth, # 50 is a great place to begin because everything is new and fresh. Ric's subconscious is fighting to come to the forefront and it'll be amazing when it finally happens. more

"Good night, Master Dick"

I am liking this more and more. I like Dick Grayson, I love Agent 37, but Nightwing never appealed to me. Does that make sense? He always kinda felt for me like Batman Light.

But this new story, the aftermath of Batman #55, picked my interest. I'm sure he will get back to his old self in due time (so there is no need for an outrage), just like Gordon Batman or depowered Superman, but I'm interested in the road leading up to that moment. And the epilogue at the end guarantees that I will read the next issue.

One gripe though. Not a big fan of the art change mid-though the issue. The first half is much more visually appealing.

This issue was ok, but nothing really happened. I dont like the idea of another wannabe hero- just this time Nightwing gets copied. The old solicitaions did't mention a Nightwing copy, so I guess that's the idea of the new writer. Even so Scarecrow luckily is still part of the story, the old solicitation seems to have made more sense. Overall I think this Nightwing copy is a bad idea, so I hope he gets killed off pretty fast.

When the writing and the art makes the reader feel something, that is one of my favorite things about reading comics. And for me that happened in this issue with Alfred. When he put the money on the table and also asking if he’s doing okay. Unfortunately I saw on Page 14 the art of Ric and wow that was shit. With the issue itself, I’m trying to give it the benefit of the doubt but it was crap. Feel like at times they say he lost his memory about being Nightwing and other times we see that he still remembers. Just to remind us that Scarecrow is still part of the story he gets a useless page. Just as useless as they are reminding us that Nightwing is a cab driver. The cliffhanger didn’t grab my attention as well

This comic is fine but I don’t know how invested I really am in Nightwing at the moment. I want to see what happens with Nightcop, because I choose to live in a world where this is not going to go exactly like it will probably go.

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Darkseid24 - Jun 2, 2019

Im one of the few people, who like it. Especially Scarecrow‘s story. You should give it a chance.

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Not feeling this. There's not much here for me.

Expect little more than predictable cliches and dry exposition. Nepotism is killing DC.

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SomeDummy - Oct 18, 2018

yup, they just love to go back to the same terrible well of writers.

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THE GOOD:

-Travis Moore is a good artist. It's a shame he didn't do the whole issue.

-I liked that dream sequence. It was pretty well-done.

THE BAD:

-Wait, his name's Ric now? I thought it was Gray, as indicated by the other issue. Oh well, its not as if anyone's trying to force-feed us this whole new status-quo thing by giving him another name, right?

-That Scarecrow shadow-play thing didn't work. First of all, it feels way to forced. Second, it makes no sense how physically, that shadow could be cast! None!

-I wasn't a fan of Garry Brown's art. It disrupted the flow of the issue, and felt too two-dimensional to me.

-Wait, so a detective, who, ahem, came out of nowhere, is now wearing the Nightwing costume for no indicated reason?! What the hell, Lobdell!? more

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ohhaimark - Oct 22, 2018

Well, my point with Ric is the whole force-fed thing. The Detective was still introduced sloppily even with that brief setup. And the shadow felt forced, what I said about the physical nature of it was my sucky attempt at a joke…. I have a terrible sense of humor.

myconius - Oct 24, 2018

they're calling him Ric now?? aye yai yai!! -_-

ohhaimark - Oct 25, 2018

I know…sigh.

myconius - Oct 25, 2018

this new stunt is further proof that DC just has no idea what to do with Dick Grayson anymore. they should have just left Dick paired up with Damian as Batman & Robin and had Bruce patrolling Gotham solo. every once in a while have the three of them team up. ....if they are going to keep Dick as Nightwing, then keep him as a regular supporting character in the Batman and Detective Comics series, like how he was in the 90's thru 00's. he's best when he's paired up with Bruce, Babs or Damian.

ohhaimark - Oct 25, 2018

That is totally true. He does not work very well in a solo series at all. It’s also frustrating to see them constantly replacing storylines, creative teams, etc. every 10 or so issues.

myconius - Oct 25, 2018

the Nightwing series from the 90's definitely had it's high points, but they were smart about it. they kept the story loosely still tied to events in Gotham fairly often. it didn't feel as divorced from the Bat-family as say the majority of the new52 or rebirth nightwing series. neither one of those ever reached the level of being as entertaining as the 1996 series. one of DC's biggest problems is taking great supporting characters and trying to branch them into their own series.

ohhaimark - Oct 26, 2018

That is totally true. I easily gave up on Batgirl about 2 issues in. I enjoyed Red Hood for a while, but its lost a lot of quality.

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It's just a shame...they are destroying one of my absolute favorite comics characters. This is like something that Marvel would do. Come on DC, forget this garbage and give us back Nightwing (Dick Grayson).

I thought issue 50 was the worst DC could do to Nightwing, I was not looking to be proven wrong so soon and to such a degree.

So now Dick Grayson is Ric, a knock-off Red Hood type without the story, personality, drive and gear to justify it. I doubt anyone asked for this. Might as well give him a mullet, 70’s stash, beer gut and have him believe he peaked in hgh school with an identity like this.

Also, having “Generic Person” replace the man who was The Heart of the DC Universe? Well done, good job! The force a facepalm would have to cover the feeling this generates would be enough to kill a person. It’s Nite-Wing all over again.

But I guess if a company is willing to kill off Wally West after he proved himself the better Flash over Barry “Golden Boy” Allen, there are no depths they won’t sink to.

There is no art good enough to even begin to compensate the atrocity of the writing. Shame on DC. more