Nightwing #147 Review

Creative Team

Writer: Peter Tomasi

Artist: Don Kramer

Inker: Jay Leisten

Issue Rating

Story: 9/10

Art: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

Issue Developments

Two Face ask Nightwing for a favor: save one of his former lover Carol Bermingham from when he was still just Harvey Dent who supposebly is a witness to a crime and is being guarded by the Witness Protection Program. Nightwing degrugingly accepts to save Carol but before he leaves Nightwing puches Two-Face in the face.Before he goes to save Carol, Nightwing saves some a couple Two-face was holding for ransome at an ols refinery in case Nightwing didn't accept to save Carol.

Nightwing then saves Carol from some assassins posing as FBI agents and takes her to the court house to give her statement to the court. After the court has ajourned Carol is about to board a helicopter when a sniper starts shoting the agents escorting her. Carol quickly boards the helicopter but as they are in the air the pilot is shot through the head. Luckly for Carol Nightwing was watching the whole time and is able to save Carol with his jet-glider(AKA The Winger). As Nightwing and Carol land on the ground Carol appears to be blending but in reality it is Nightwing who it is bleeding and she is cover with his blood.

Highlights of the Issue

"Nightwing gets his own night-signal"

"Ahh the memories"

Review

Even though Nightwing #147 is suppose to be a tie-in issue to "Batman RIP" don't let it fool you because this is a Nightwing/Two-Face story. The online real tie-in this issue may have to the "Batman RIP" is on the cover and the throw-away line of Nightwing saying that Bruce is busy dealing with Black Glove to monitor Gotham this issue has really nothing to do with Morrison current storyline over in Batman. If your someone who is only looking for issues that directly tie-in to "Batman RIP" than I recommend go get Robin 175-176. But for anyone that is a Nightwing fan this is a must have.

What made Nightwing #147 such a great read is how well Peter Tomasi has been writing Dick Grayson/Nightwing since coming the start of his run. Tomasi gets that Nightwing is just not Batman-lite like he was when he was Robin but he is his own man. How Dick as Nightwing is what Bruce as Batman would be if he did not shut himself off from the world like he does. While Nightwing may not be as feared as Batman, most of the Bat-villains and as well as other villains know that Nightwing is not someone to be taken lightly and just as good as Batman in martial art and detective skills. But for a while now a lot of DC writers like to use Nightwing as a stepping to make some villains a greater threat when they face Batman (cough*Vigalante*cough). Tomasi gets that Dick Grayson is 1/2 Batman and 1/2 James Bond.

I have always liked the relationship Dick has with Two-Face. While Bruce feels slightly responsible for Harvey becoming Two-Face and always tries to bring back Harvey to his "old" self Dick does not share that belief. To Dick he knows that Harvey will never be anything but Two-Face and he will never return to being Harvey Dent public defender. And while he was able to exercise his demon's with Two-Face back back when he was Batman during "The Prodigal Son" arc for Dick Two-Face will always represents his first real failure and defeat as a superhero. Next to Deathstroke Two-Face is probably Dick's greatest enemy and like Deathstroke I hate that more writers don't pick up on this fact and have Dick have more confrontations with Deathstroke or Two Face. I loved that even though Dick may hate Two-Face his heroic nature will not let himself turn his back on someone especially if there is someone life on the line. Also while Dick accepted to do this favor for Two-Face he did not hesistate in knocking Two-Face on his ass before he left.

I like how Tomasi wrote Two-Face in this issue and with The Dark Knight out I have been suprised that no writer has used Two-Face in a Bat-books. Here we have a Two-Face a sympathetic figure and a true villain out for his own greed.I like how Two-Face was able to annoy Nightwing with that night-signal and Two-Face just knows how to get under the skin of Nightwing showing how much history they have with one another. And even though he was asking Nightwing for a favor as Harvey Dent he could not help himself with his Two-Face personality to hold a couple hostage in a refinery ready to kill if Nightwing did not do him this favor.

I am interested to see who was the sniper trying to kill Carol at the end of the issue. If it is not Two-Face it was probably Deadshot but I may be wrong. But it will be interesting to see how a bloodied Nightwing will be able to save the day.

Don Kramer's art was just awsome. Kramer supply plenty of great art for an issue that was mostly action to Tomasi's story. Kramer is one of my favorite Bat-artist and one of my favorite artist in the business. This was an overall well crafted issue both in writting and art.