2023 looks to be the biggest year in Dick Grayson’s history thanks to playing a major role in Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths. Before we get to that new status quo there are still things left to be done with everything Dick Grayson has done in and out of being Nightwing for Bludhaven. The big one is if he is prepared for what Bludhaven becomes now that Blockbuster was killed by Heartless. This has left a major power vacuum that could be filled by Heartless or another major crime boss. Let’s find out how Bludhaven gets set up with Nightwing #99.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Tom Taylor
Artist: Bruno Redondo and Geraldo Borges
Inker: Caio Filipe
Colorist: Adriano Lucas
Letterer: Wes Abbott
SYNOPSIS
Tony Zucco tries to use being Mayor Melinda Zucco’s father to convince his daughter to help him fill the power vacuum in Bludhaven left behind by Blockbuster’s death.
Melinda passes along the information on what Tony is planning to do to Dick Grayson.
Following the lead Nightwing finds Tony Zucco trying to steal from pirates with the help of Double Dare. After defeating Double Dare, Nightwing is able to capture Tony Zucco.
The group of pirates with Tony Zucco shows up and tries to kill Tony. With the help of the group’s quartermaster whom he saved earlier Nightwing is able to convince the pirates to not kill Tony.
As the pirates leave the quartermaster mentions there being a safe specifically for Nightwing to open.
Later, Melinda reveals the truth about her parentage to Tony when he is in jail and reveals she has officially changed her name to Melinda Grayson-Lin.
While Heartless is going about executing his plan to take over Bludhaven Nightwing reveals to his sister that he already has plans he is working on to protect the city from future threats. End of issue.
REVIEW
With how the finale of Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths set up Dick Grayson for 2023 made how Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, and Geraldo Borges finished off 2022 with Nightwing #99 even more important. Specifically when it came to how everything that’s been done in the two-year run by Taylor and Redondo is still positioned to continue rather than just be forgotten for Dick Grayson’s new position in the DC Universe post-Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths. Nightwing #99 successfully addresses that.
With how heavily involved Nightwing has been in Batman events and other things going on in Gotham City it would be fair to say that the attention has gone away from Bludhaven at many points. That has particularly hurt the development of the extended family Taylor introduced with Dick Grayson’s half-sister Melinda Zucco. While they have interacted at various points we haven’t had a meaningful interaction between Melinda and Dick since the revelation in Nightwing #81 and expanded on by Nightwing #82.
That long stretch along with the conclusion for the Battle For Bludhaven’s Heart did make the story in Nightwing #99 something that was something we got more of. To Taylor, Redondo, and Borges’s credit they make the timing work as they play right into how slimy of a crime boss Tony Zucco has always been. Tony Zucco is exactly the character you expect to try to take advantage of Blockbuster’s death and his daughter he hasn’t spoken to in years is the Mayor of Bludhaven.
Everything from the way Tony Zucco conducts himself from the way he talks to Melinda to the overconfident smirks makes you hate the character more. It’s a great build for a villain that you want to see get his comeuppance in the most embarrassing way possible. And you could say that happens with how Melinda and Dick Grayson team up to take him down. Not only that but Nightwing makes sure that Tony Zucco can’t reclaim his previous fortune and is now locked up without any power that likely got him out before Nightwing #99.
Having Double Dare involved as Tony Zucco’s muscle was also a cool thing to see more of Nightwing’s own rogue gallery be used. The art is especially well done to put over the skills these villains have compared to Nightwing. The double-page spread of Nightwing and Double Dare fighting all over the pirate ship was well choreographed.
Adding to how well things worked out was the payoff of Melinda finally officially changing her name to Melinda Grayson-Lin. Her showing the paperwork while revealing her real father is John Grayson to Tony Zucco made this character development even better. Now hopefully Taylor will continue to explore what it means for Dick to have a blood-related sister in his life and not just ignore what happened in Nightwing #99 with Melinda.
While not as in your face it was interesting to see that after Nightwing defeated Tony Zucco that one of the pirates that Zucco tried to steal from mentioned there being a safe for Nightwing to access. We don’t find out what this safe specifically for Nightwing is about. But given the way, this was said it does leave you wondering if we will learn more about the Grayson family in the future.
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FINAL THOUGHTS
Nightwing #99 is a strong issue for this series to end its 2022 on. We got a focus back on the dynamic between Dick Grayson and Melinda Grayson-Lin that got the payoff you would hope for. Now between this and how Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths ended Nightwing is set up to have his biggest year yet in 2023.
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10