I freaking loved this issue. I loved the story, as well as the visual style. Schmidt's artwork only compliments the tone of the Percy's writing. I think, what I enjoy most about the Nightwing comics is that he is being pushed to his limits. It's obvious that Dick's having a hard time fighting Wyrm, especially as he doesn't fully understand what he's fighting against. Read Full Review

It's a very compelling issue. I am happy with the new direction this book has taken. Percy is doing something new and interesting. The art by Schmidt is great as well. It's like animation it's so sleek. This is a perfect annual for Nightwing. You can't ask for more. Read Full Review

Nightwing Annual #1 is a great story that sets up future story arcs and benefits from relevant themes and excellent dialogue. Some story beats could benefit from some closure. Read Full Review

After a hit-and-miss first arc, Benjamin Percy's Nightwing run may be hitting its groove with a creepy annual that escalates the threat of Wyrm and the Dark Web into Gotham City. Read Full Review

Getting a glimpse into the newsroom of Gotham is a welcome change of pace as Percy draws several parallels between the familiar inundation of information and familiar chants of fake news. Some of the quips are a bit heavy-handed, but that's part of the charm of comics. As the issue progresses, the main themes are paired with beautiful artwork courtesy of Schmidt. The integration of television static is a wonderful visual element and the action sequences give such a fun liveliness to our acrobatic hero. Plus Vire, the villain on the cover, becomes that much more frightening when given a chance to flex on the page. Read Full Review

NIGHTWING ANNUAL #1 is a fantastic issue. Despite some confusing plot points, everything awesome about Nightwing is in this comic. And his relationship with Batgirl is in the spotlight inNIGHTWING ANNUAL #1. Also, Otto Schmidt's art style is vibrant and refreshing, his work is a visual treat. Read Full Review

Terrific dialogue, clean lines, bright colors and a gripping plot. While the art was not exactly to my taste it was still very good, and was perfectly suited to the content and subject matter. No, this annual wasn't perfect, but it was an essential chapter in the continuing story. Seriously guys and girls, if you regularly read the monthly Nightwing series you do not want to miss this installment. Read Full Review

Also, I don't care about the talk they had in Batgirl #25. These two make as much sense together as anyone else. Read Full Review

But despitesuch Batman 66 camp aside, this is afabulous reunion of writer Benjamin Percy and artists Otto Schmidt. They didvery well together on Green Arrow acouple of years ago, and I anticipate equal success on Nightwing. Schmidt has a rendering style that is equal partsPlayboy and Hanna-Barbera. Others might struggle to make that work, but hemakes it look easy. Read Full Review

Nightwings tech wars adventure isnt over yet, but Percy and Schmidt gave it the boost it needed for the next round. Read Full Review

Nightwing Annual #1 was exactly what the Dark Web plotline need to create interest in the bigger story Benjamin Percy is telling with his run on this series. From beginning to end Percy is able to make Vire, Wyrm and the Dark Web come off as viable threats that Nightwing and the entire Batman Family must watch out for. The hook ending of Nightwing Annual #1 propels the next chapter in the Dark Web story with great moment behind it. Read Full Review

The story in Nightwing Annual #1 was odd. The characters' dialogue felt off and the story as a whole did not flow very well. The saving grace is some delightful artwork from Otto Schmidt. His character work is fantastic and is always stunning to look at. Nightwing is a character I always want to like and get into, but Nightwing Annual #1 did not help that out. Read Full Review

While I love what Percy is doing with Nightwing in the short amount of time since he took over this title, this Annual was just a misstep for me. Throughout the issue, I felt like we ran into 2 or 3 storylines I would have rather seen play out. I just finished the issue feeling a little disappointed. Still, we did get a new villain (who is the stuff of nightmares), the Babs/Grayson relationship, and Grayson has got a new toy I am very excited to see get used a lot in the near future. Read Full Review

Subtlety is completely lost on this issue, and the series as a whole. The analogies and metaphors about the digital age, the corruption of media, and our reliance on technology are completely over the top and in your face. Read Full Review

This Annual continues the Dark Web story and it's a story that should have ended issues ago.  It just isn't interesting and Ben Percy continues to shove words in Nightwing's mouth that really don't fit.  The art is good, but I am tired of everything else. Read Full Review

Nightwing Annual #1 is a poorly written book that leans heavily on fan-service to create intrigue rather than just telling a good story with well-written characters. Take away the fan-service, and you're left with a shell of a plot that honestly feels more like propaganda than an actual story. Read Full Review

An issue filled with clunky tech speak, bad puns, awkward dialogue, a poor characterization of the main characters, a heavy handed approach to the dangers of technology and a plot that is just spinning its wheels. Give this story arc a pass and pick up Percy's run on Green Arrow instead. Read Full Review

Nightwing Annual #1 stumbles on just about every front. The dialogue is often laughable, it tries to tackle subjects that it cant get a grip on, the plot is loose and not compelling, and the artwork does not gel. I almost want to recommend it for how bad it really is, but Im not that kind of reviewer. I suggest giving it a hard pass. Read Full Review

Good god, why do they insist on giving Nightwing such crappy shallow writers? Hes not a "gym rat" plase stop.

I know some people dig Otto, but everyone looks like an eastern European doll/tool designed to sit on an end table and deshell nuts, and I dont dig it.

I read rumors they are going to drop Dick off a friggen cliff or something, major brain storm there Mr King, but its gotta be better than this.

I liked the use of the terminals in this comic, it’s interesting how they can change their appearance and makes them a fun villain.
The art style won’t be everyone’s taste but I enjoyed it.
The story seems like it could go somewhere interesting, but I’m ready to move from it and get into something new.

I didn’t enjoy how nightwing was represented at times and he’s not a “gym rat”.
Some of the dialogue felt really out of place in a nightwing comic.

Overall I wouldn’t recommend this one, but it’s not the worst comic you could get, but it is $4.99 which the mediocre story a little more disappointing

The writing is so bizarrely innocent and ignorant of technology that I legitimately think it reaches the ridiculousness of a B-movie and is a fun read, despite it feeling like being funny was not its intention.

Too much camp and hamfisted dialogue.

THE GOOD:

-I liked the execution of Terminals a lot. It was a pretty good take on a group of transforming villains that was pretty typical, it still worked.

-Once we got into it, the execution of the Feed interviews was pretty morbid and well-done. That meatball line was so, so messed up.

-Nightwing's internal monologue worked very well in this issue. It was a solid exploration of modern day news and media, which is original and unique.

THE BAD:

-The art didn't work. It was too simplistic and stiff. I liked the portrayal of Batgirl but not anyone else. The lack of backgrounds was distracting, almost as distracting as using the same background just zoomed in five times over.

-They rushed the story way too much, the Feed was introduced way, way too fast and the story almost felt as if it was trying too hard to cram way too much into an extra sized issue.

-Vicki Vale. What the heck is with her character in this issue? She is pointless, has the most forced romance I've ever seen in my life, and just has terrible lines.

-Wasn't buying the semi. Just, why? What's the point?

-A very, very weak villain in this issue. Aside from the Terminals, Karna Shifton aka the Vire was just executed embarrassingly bad.

-The end was also very weak. Nothing about the end note makes me anticipate the actual next issue of Nightwing. more