GRAYSON #8 Preview/Discussion

[Mister Ferro]

Looks like a certain someone wants Dick all to themselves.

[Rakzo]

I can't believe how sexualized Dick is in this series, this is so sexist!



Great issue.

[Fuzzy Cactus]

Lois Lane is actually Kathy Kane. Gasp!

[dropkickjake]

This was good. I'm a little bit sad to see Minos die, though we saw at least four copies of him in the past two issues, and they seemed capable of independent thought and and action. He did say it was a "light composite," acting as him, but this is also the issue that said "Thats what spies do. We lie." Here's to hoping that Minos is actually a group of people rather than one person, and that Kathy killed the only one with actual knowledge of the justice league's identities. Minos would be a great addition to Dick's rogues gallery.

Looks like the St Hadrians girls are indeed something of an unofficial sidekick team for Dick. Perfect. They need to give themselves a name.

Any theories on the new partner? Kathy herself perhaps? I think Kathy takes an "M role" personally. Could also be Tiger, who we still haven't seen as a true enemy yet and he could certainly use some quality page time. Maybe we get Cass reintroduced? My theory: Something happens to Helena and Dick and Tiger have to team up to track her down. This mission leads to their falling out.

welp. time for two months of being tided over by Dick as Nightwing.

[Mister Ferro]

RIP Hot/Crazy Scale
Beginning of time-2015
You did your part in the Grand Scheme

(que in Carry on My Wayward Son by Kansas)

[K. Jones]

Deadbatgirls? Lord Death Girls? Web-Girls? Eh, I'm not even going to try too hard.

Kathy is untouchable man. Agent 0 is a better spy than Agent 1, naturally. This was an interesting issue. Admittedly it felt more like a "midseason cliffhanger" before we go on break than a proper "Season Finale", where the story gets a big revelation or three that flip the script and make new dynamics play out. But I liked the story a lot (for what it represents or symbolizes with Dick - not to mention the mild "Tower of Babel" overtones!) as well as the fact that YET AGAIN (as always), Kathy has just used Bruce for her own purposes and he bought it hook, line and sinker and donated his most amazing ally to her freely! Crafty crafty spider lady.

But it was generally nice. We get a lot of answers - but they're not the "full answers", which is totally appropriate. We get the inevitable heel-turn, subverted because that was the goal all along. We get Dick having to team up with Tiger from #3, the girls helping out after their appearances in #2 and #4, basically all the "local" elements unite to deal with the arc components. And of course the slick parallels (showcased deftly with Janin's panels) that indicate some mirror imagery with Helena and Kathy.

I'm eager to get to June. Although wasn't the ending supposed to be more cliffhangery?

And more curious than ever who Minos was supposed to be.

[Punisher007]

I guess Superbaby is actually Wonder Baby.

Wait what?

[Badou]

This issue felt rushed, which is surprising given how dragged out the whole Paragon story felt. Overall I thought the issue was a let down. I just expected more I guess. Something with a better payoff. I mean after 8 issues of this Paragon story and Minos the big reveal is that he wanted to reveal the Justice League members' identities to the press? Really? Why not leak it online or something if you cared so much? His whole motivation just felt sort of poorly conceived. Then Paragon gets defeated in like 3 panels after they spent the whole arc building him collecting his parts. The Paragon Dick fought in Higgins' Nightwing run was a bigger threat, haha.

I mean were we supposed to care about Minos and his plan? Both weren't really developed that well so it is difficult for me to really care in the end, especially when we don't even know who he is and why he cared beyond some expository dialogue. Plus you sort of know going in that they wouldn't be allowed to reveal the JL members' identities in a series like Grayson. So there was never any threat for them to get exposed and the story aspect felt flimsy from the start. Yes, it was nice to see Kathy Kane, or who is assumed to be her, at the end, but most of us probably guessed what was going to happen as soon as we saw the preview.

I just expected something more. I just keep waiting for that payoff and I never get it with this series. Like there was more to Minos' plan like a clever twist, there was more to why Spyral even cared about the heroes in the first place, more insight on why Bruce had Dick infiltrate Spyral and why no one else could, or just something else leading into a two month break. We didn't get that.

[Csjbo08]

Wait what?

The baby had the heart of Wonder Woman, not Superman, which actually makes sense according to the Spyral monitor that had Diana as the next hero to be 'uncovered' after Grayson #3. Not to mention, Diana is often referred to as the heart of whichever team she's in....mostly.

[Stormcrow]

This issue was great, everything I want from this series. Just think it could have used more buildup instead of whatever was going on last issue...

Really happy to see Kathy Kane back!

[jules]

Any theories on the new partner? Kathy herself perhaps? I think Kathy takes an "M role" personally. Could also be Tiger, who we still haven't seen as a true enemy yet and he could certainly use some quality page time. Maybe we get Cass reintroduced? My theory: Something happens to Helena and Dick and Tiger have to team up to track her down. This mission leads to their falling out.

My first thought was that - with Minos gone - Helena will take over as head of the branch of Spyral based at St Hadrian's, and that Dick will end up being paired with Agent 1 instead.

I expect Kathy to continue lurking in the shadows for a while longer, playing tug-of-war with Bruce over Dick, while trying to make sure that neither of them even knows there's a game being played.

We still need to know where Helena stands, of course. Since she was the one who nominated Dick for recruitment, was that part of Kathy's plan, or something she did independently?

Oh, and I'm hoping that Minos isn't gone for good. He's far too much fun for that. Hopefully he sent along one of his light projections to the meeting with the journalist, just as he sent one to get taken down by Spyral, just as a precautionary measure against the possibility that what actually happened would happen.

And more curious than ever who Minos was supposed to be.

Me too. Mind you, the fact that we didn't get the reveal of his identity is one of the reasons why I think it possible he might turn up again.

[OWL45]

This issue was great, everything I want from this series. Just think it could have used more buildup instead of whatever was going on last issue...

Really happy to see Kathy Kane back!

I agree with you. Two issues of this would have been outstanding. With that said I thought it was a great issue. It seems like the first 8 issues were more about working him into the setting and building a cast of characters. It seems like the real story is about to start. Kathy Kane is a badass.

[Sirzechs]

Dick taking on a League mash up monster with what he learned instead of a uber armor is the best thing I've seen this week.

[Godlike13]

Loved it. Everything came together. Minos, Spyrals true objective (They, or she, knew Batman would said Dick if they made him think they were after the heroes identities. Sly devils.), Paragon, Tiger, even the pervy girls had a role. And Agent Zero!!! So frigging cool. Damn u Convergence.

[Godlike13]

And more curious than ever who Minos was supposed to be.

Me too. I hope they go back to it at some point. I would be surprised if he was actually former cliche villain. One of the obscure ones no one remembers.

I just expected something more. I just keep waiting for that payoff and I never get it with this series. Like there was more to Minos' plan like a clever twist, there was more to why Spyral even cared about the heroes in the first place, more insight on why Bruce had Dick infiltrate Spyral and why no one else could, or just something else leading into a two month break. We didn't get that.

It was all a ploy. Minos, the heroes, they wanted Bruce to send Dick to infiltrate Spyral. Like a fly, or flying Grayson, into a spiders web. They wanted Dick. That was the twist.