Happy 2022! Here's hoping this year is a good one. I am really excited to dive even deeper into all the DC Rebirth stories. This week I am continuing with the Bat family. I didn't have a whole lot of time for blog writing since I was visiting the family for the New Years weekend, so this post is going to be a little short.
Nightwing Volume No. 1: Better Than Batman includes Nightwing Rebirth #1, issues #1-4 and #7&8. Issues 5 and 6 are part of the Monster Men story that we will get to later. For this part 1, I am going to cover the Nightwing Rebirth #1. I will cover issues #1-4 later this week. So much happens in this issue and a fair amount of back story is needed that I am sure this will still be a fun read.
Nightwing Rebirth #1: In Gotham, Dick Grayson is fighting some fun looking muscle men gymnasts, whose skin is all kinds of different colors and they call themselves the Madmen. Dick is narrating, giving us a fair bit of backstory. First is the origin of the name Nightwing, he got it from Superman. On Krypton there were two heroes called Nightwing and Flamebird. "The Nightwing was the great rebuilder, the catalyst of change. Eternally reborn to start anew."
In the New 52 run, Nightwing "died" so that Dick could go undercover in a spy group called Spyral. Long story short, everyone in the Bat family thought he was dead, except Batman. There was a lot of drama, but now most people know he is not dead. (Note: this issue takes place really early in Rebirth, in the suggested reading this would have come out before Titans, Flash and Superman, titles whose first volumes I have covered in earlier posts.)
Once Dick is done foiling the Madmen, he meets up with Damian at The Secret Headquarters Arcade (which is a great name for an arcade). They have what I like to think of as a brotherly chat, with joking and teasing. Dick is happy to be alive and able to use his name and identity again. Damian figures Dick is having lady troubles (another long story short, while Dick was in the group Spyral, he met Helena Bertinelli, they started as enemies but ended as friends).
We flashback three days to see Dick walking through the halls of St. Hadrian's School for Girls (secret base of Spyral). Some girls tell Dick the Matron Bertinelli is late for teaching fighting class and that they are bummed he is leaving. Dick approaches Helena's office to try and talk to her and say goodbye (also that the students were asking about her). In her office we see Helena rocking her full Huntress outfit. (I do not think they actually talked, but I am looking forward to recapping, Batgirl and the Birds of Prey comic, coming soon.)
Back in the now, Dick and Damian are walking down the street. Dick tells us, via narration, that he and Helena are just friends (I guess they wanted that to be clear). He also narrates how becoming Batman for sometime and working with Damian caused him to love the little guy like a brother. Damian still thinks all the Spyral stuff was shady and he hopes Dick shut it all down. (Basically Spyral was trying to figure out all the secret identities of superheroes. I read all of the Grayson run and I'll be honest, I have no idea what Spyral was trying to do.) Dick assures Damian that Spyral is in good hands now.
Flashback two days, we see Dick and his old Spyral partner Tiger King (now the leader of Spyral) fighting a bunch of H.I.V.E members. (I don't really know what H.I.V.E is, other than a cool name for a bad guy group that I have seen in a few things. I looked up the acronym and it stands for Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination, which is a great name.) Anyway, lots of fighting and Dick asked Tiger for a favor while also saying goodbye. Tiger can't help Dick out but that is okay. (It is unclear what that favor is at this point.)
Now, Damian and Dick arrive back at Wayne Manor. Damian brings up the complication that is Midnighter. Dick tells us Midnighter calls them, "arch-frenemies." (I love Midnighter and in Grayson and Batman and Robin Eternal, he was great!)
Flashback to the day before now, in the Swiss Alps, Midnighter and Dick are fighting a renegade genetics experiment called "Project Killcorn." (It looks as if a yeti and unicorn had a really ugly, giant baby.) They use one of Midnighter's magic teleporting doors to take the Killcorn back to the God Garden. (Look...I know this is a lot. I encourage you to read more about Midnighter, he is a fun dude.) Dick is there to give Midnighter some info on where he can find more beasts that need rescuing. Dick reports that the Justice League is just happy they found a place for the things to go. Midnighter gives Dick a weird looking gun thing and tells him it will help the kid.
Back in the Batcave now, Dick is trying to get Damian to sit still. Damian is pouting, because he knew that a fun day out was a trick. Turns out the Parliament of Owls implanted a bomb in Damian's head. (Oof, super long story short. The Owls think they are controlling Dick now because of the bomb in Damian's head.) Dick sticks the thing up Damian's nose and removes the bomb. Batman shows up and Dick explains all about the Owls and how the device has Damian's DNA, so as far as the Owls know, the bomb is still in place.
Dick apologizes for the bomb and all the Owl stuff. Batman is just happy to have Dick back and says that the only person to blame is Lincoln March. (Lincoln March is maybe Bruce's younger brother turned evil by the Owls. It is not clear to me at all and I read all of the Owl story line.)
In Chania, Crete, Greece, Lincoln is giving a rousing speech to the Parliament of Owls. They all take off their white masks and put on black masks. He tells them all that they will be strong again with the leadership of soldiers trained by Nightwing. Before Lincoln can finish his monologue someone (unclear who it is) shoots him in the eye (killing him)?
Back at the Batcave, Batman sends Damian back to the arcade. Bruce asks Dick if he is sure about coming back into the fold. Dick gives a very long speech about how he is going to take down the Owls and he could do it as Robin, Batman, or Agent 37, but that is not the name the Owls try to steal from him. Dick is going to help his friends, beat the bad guys, and he is going to do it as Nightwing.
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