NIGHTWING #21

[ NIGHTWING ON SALE ] 

My mate Joe always says to me 'Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer'. And do you know what? He's right you know. Bloody right. I saw it in this rip roaring adventure with everybody's favourite man-wonder, devised by the Writer: Kyle Higgins; and the Artist: Brett Booth; Published by DC Comics, in May, 2013.

Using GENERAL terms, answer the following 4 questions about this STORY entitled 'Cost of Living'.

• WHAT'S THE MAIN THRUST OF THIS TALE: Once he manages to get out of the Pranksters trap -- blindfolded -- Nightwing then swipes him away from the authorities, before forcing him to track down Tony Zucco.
• ARE THE MAIN OBJECTIVES ACHIEVED: Yeah. I suppose they are. To Dick's eventual chagrin.
• ANYTHING ELSE HAPPEN: In the past we find out the outcome of how one of Chicago's good-guys fairs against one of its bad-guys -- Slipshift Vs The Masked Killer.
• HOW DOES THIS STORY END: With a surprise knock at the door.

All in all, what is the most memorable SENTENCE OR CONVERSATION spoken in this issue?

Without a shadow of a doubt there were quite a few witty one-liners scattered throughout this issue that made me chuckle like monkey.

Yet, in my own opinion, the two standouts for me would have to be when the Prankster said...

'Well, That's that then'

... referring to Dick's nonchalant escape. Or when Dick said to a Police Office...

'Sniff, I think we use the same conditioner'

... whilst battling the authorities. 

Now that's funny, right?

What are the BEST bits about this issue?

(+) Brett Booth's artwork on this book is blooming magnificent. It's clean. It's well paced. It's expressive. And it's dynamic too. Please don't leave us, Brett. Pretty please. You do Nightwing so much justice; it'd be a crime if we lost you to another title.

(+) I did enjoy the bubbly way that this story was told, as the main thrust of its narrative wasn't interrupted too much by the fleeting sub-strands here and there.

(+) Maybe this is just a 'me thing', but I always go for tales where a hero forces a villain to help him out, even if it is only in a digital capacity.

(+) So Joe is a family man now, huh? And he was helped because he knew the Mayor's brother whilst in prison. Hmmm? Very interesting that. Very-very interesting.   

What are the WORST bits about this issue?

(-) Now if I'm going to be honest with you, folks, there wasn't that much to gripe about where this particular adventure was concerned. But if I had to pick something, it would have to be that its tone was a mite too jovial for this type of earthy yarn, giving it a somewhat debonair and kid-friendly slant.

Choose TWO CHARACTERS out of this comic book, and then compare them to two ANIMALS.

A BABOON SPIDER AS THE PRANKSTER: Did you know that this type of arachnid has a nasty habit as playing tricks on his fellow spiders, and is very good at word-processing too? True fact. Dick told me this once when he was drunk. 

A RAVEN AS NIGHTWING: OK. I know that this isn't a perfect match. As this bird doesn't have a red streak running along its chest. Nonetheless, you can see them both fluttering around Wayne Manor on occasion, plus they do look pretty whilst in the air. So that's something, huh?

What QUOTE would be appropriate to sum-up this story?

'No idea is so outlandish that it should not be considered with a searching but at the same time a steady eye' -- Winston Churchill

What SONG, THEME-TUNE, or MELODY, would complement this tale, as well as add and extra dimension to it by default?

'SOMETHING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO HEAVEN' BY PHIL COLLINS: Hey! I know what you're thinking, pal. 'This is a strange song to compare to this story'. Right? But it's not you know. Especially once you've played it and listened to its chorus. Ha!

ANYTHING Else?

There was a scene in this issue which depicted Dick's roommate, Michael, being handed a camera that belonged to the Pranksters. But would type of pictures could be on this device you might wonder. Surely not...

• Batman in a thong -- Ouch! That's too new 52.
• Monkeys in a wheelbarrow -- You gotta love a motor-bound primate.
• Dick's codpiece -- You know. Just in case he wanted to buy one on ebay.
• Kate Bush -- It's a secret crush he has.
• Some new designs for his costume -- because his current one is cr*p.
• Tony and the Mayor playing basketball together -- with a politician and a crook handling each other balls.
• Porn -- Well, it is possible.

Alright. Thats enough of my stuff and nonsense for this month, folks. All I have left to say is that this instalment of 'Nightwing' was a pretty good read. The art was great. The story was intriguing. And it has a promise of some good times ahead.

Say No More.