Nightwing vs Tony Zucco - Year Three or Second City?

[Claude]

So, I recently got the fourth volume of the New 52 Nightwing trade - and divorced from expectations, worry about Forever Evil, the context of the Bat Family at the time, the knowledge that the whole Chicago thing never took off and all that jazz.... It's a pretty solid, self-contained story about Nightwing fighting the Prankster and enountering Zucco again. Nicely characterised with strong art and a pleasant little twist on moral expectations.


Whereas Batman Year Three - the Post Crisis Nightwing/Zucco story - I'd say has rather less going for it. There's the brilliantly effective moment with a solemn Alfred sneaking out to offer Zucco huge amounts of cash if he just leaves town, and some nice commentary from Dick about how Bruce has dealt with the death of Jason. It's a pretty good bridge between "Death In The Family" and "Lonely Place Of Dying", but on it's own merits I'd say it comes very much second of the two stories.


Thoughts, people of the community?

[oasis1313]

Still waiting for the ULTIMATE kick-ass Nightwing story.

[byrd156]

Still waiting for the ULTIMATE kick-ass Nightwing story.

Well we are going to have to keep waiting.

[oasis1313]

Well we are going to have to keep waiting.

Yeah, I'm not holding my breath.

[Claude]

In fairness, they had longer than I've been alive to make The Ultimate Nightwing Story and didn't. Plenty of good ones. Plenty of Nightwing appearances in other titles' great stories. I actually have a lot of sympathy for Tynion's oft-mocked "great guest star, less exciting lead" description.

Even Year Three, here, where Dick faces his reaction to his parents' killer is a Detective Comics arc sharing centre stage with Batman!

[M L A]

Still waiting for the ULTIMATE kick-ass Nightwing story.

Yeah that won't happen if they keep putting mediocre/average writers on it.

This is why I'm gonna laugh pretty hard if Grayson ends up being the definite run for Dick and beats the usual contenders (Black Mirror, B&R, Robin YO, etc).

[exile001]

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of either story but I think I'd go for Second City mostly because I liked the new Prankster.

On Zucco himself, his story arc was a lot cleaner in SC and I liked the redemption angle. I expected it to feel a lot more forced.

Zucco's pretty generic in Y3, if I recall correctly (haven't read it in years), and the story made little impact on me.

As for Ultimate Nightwing, I still love the first 40 odd issues of Nightwing by Dixon. That said, if the sentiment is for that one, defining story you tell everyone to read, then fair enough. Still waiting.

New 52's Nightwing has been pretty darn disappointing leading up to his going out with a whimper in Forever Evil.

I wish DC hadn't retreated from making Harper Row then new Nightwing (as they insist on Dick moving on). I think when we finally get Bluebird we're all going to be damning those loudmouth "fans" who caused such a reaction from DC.

[RichSummers]

The only story I can think of as a "defining nightwing story" would probably be black mirror and Dick is wearing the batsuit in that one...

[oasis1313]

I wish DC hadn't retreated from making Harper Row then new Nightwing (as they insist on Dick moving on). I think when we finally get Bluebird we're all going to be damning those loudmouth "fans" who caused such a reaction from DC.

Everybody thinks it's so nice that Timmy called himself Red Robin instead of Robin out of respect for Jason Todd. What if Harper calls herself Blue Bell instead of Nightwing out of respect for the dead and otherwise-unlamented Dick Grayson? Wouldn't that be nice? Actually, I'm in no hurry for Blue Bell.

[exile001]

Everybody thinks it's so nice that Timmy called himself Red Robin instead of Robin out of respect for Jason Todd. What if Harper calls herself Blue Bell instead of Nightwing out of respect for the dead and otherwise-unlamented Dick Grayson? Wouldn't that be nice? Actually, I'm in no hurry for Blue Bell.

Um, I'm really missing your point. I can see the sarcasm, it just seems a bit scattershot.

Anyway, you don't like Harper? Any particular reason? I think she's great.

[Tuxedo Elf]

I always felt that the Court of Owls arc SHOULD have been that story, but they dropped the ball.