If there is one thing that really bugged me about this recent issue of Nightwing it’s that of the macguiffin villain. He’s a demon, he rhymes, and he’s yellow….But he’s NOT Etrigan the Demon. Come again? I know with the new DCU Etrigan is being used in different capacities but why does it seem that Higgins wasn’t allowed to use him? It doesn’t impact the issue all that much but it was just a constant annoyance throughout the issue.

Having said my major nitpick this was another solid issue in building a good universe for Dick Grayson. Kyle Higgins does a great job mixing in the action and melodrama at a given notice. One minute we have more sexy time with Dick and his recent girlfriend, then the next he’s doing several kicks to the face against (Not Etrigan)a demon. Nightwing is a different beast (ha!) then Batman because he seems to have more fluidity into his fights so Higgins definitely knows the strengths of what makes Dick such a great superhero. The circus is getting a bit tiresome though plus: what made this the city of New Orleans other then characters constantly reminding us?

Eddy Barrows is back as artist and again it must be said my opinion of him has changed for the better since this title started. He’s aping off of Neal Adams to be sure, but it works better then his ugly designs from the Superman art he did. I am a bit of a sucker for those sequences where he makes Nightwing transparent to show movement because it’s a sweet looking effect. Barrows is also taking some talents from Gary Frank I noticed because there are times I literally checked the credits to see he didn’t do the pages. That’s how close he was mimicking him. So while sometimes I don’t like artists (not stealing) taking specific styles for their own merit at least Barrows is doing it with two great artists and not say Greg Land.

I was on the fence about this title it must be said. This is a very solid and enjoyable series by Higgins but I didn’t know if I wanted to keep it ongoing. But then you get that final, really shocking revelation at the end and I’ll be damned if I didn’t say Higgins got me for another issue. It certainly doesn’t hurt we have Mr. Barrows-Frank-Adams making it look pretty.