Nightwing #132 - DC Comics

NIGHTWING No. 132, January 2026

If there’s one distinct difference between Dick Grayson’s attitude towards fighting crime as opposed to Bruce Wayne’s, it’s that the Dark Knight’s ‘heir apparent’ appears far more emotional when it comes to tackling his opponents, and Nightwing’s behaviour in “Slap Stick” appears to prove this point rather nicely. In fact, Olivia Pearce’s diabolical plan appears to solely rely upon that very fact as a clearly enraged guardian of Blüdhaven allows his temper to get the better of him and unwisely races into a deadly confrontation with Spheric Solutions’ boss in full view of the city’s media; “Cut it! Cut it! We apologise for these violent images -- We didn’t expect on a live feed --”

Sadly however, the grisly conclusion to this sinister spectacle appears a little rushed, and may well leave a few readers wondering whether Dan Watters’ willingness to cut short a couple of this comic’s sub-plots was a little impatient of him – such as the rather intriguing notion of the woman wearing a suit whose smart fibres had read Grayson’s “every motion” whilst he battled Nite-Mite’s bemusing takeover of Titans Tower. Considering that Pearce herself was a former Circus performer, this notion alone could easily have populated an entire twenty-two-page publication, as the two went toe-to-toe across the roof-tops of the former whaling town.

In addition the rather ghoulish revelation that Olivia is actually a headless zombie also appears to have been swiftly brushed under the carpet, to allow Nightwing to angrily face the Zanni at the book’s conclusion. So terrifying an eye-opener doesn’t disappointingly lead to Dick realising he’s possibly unable to defeat someone who is Undead, or lead to the original Boy Wonder facing down a gaggle of walking, flesh-eating cadavers. But instead is simply used by the British author to fool the press into thinking that Nightwing has somehow killed his foe before the metropolis’ television cameras.

Perhaps far more palatable than the penmanship is therefore Dexter Soy’s pencilling, which does a first-rate job of depicting the pulse-pounding fury flowing through the titular character's veins from start to finish. This is clearly a Teen Titan focused upon simply tracing down the Zanni, and resultantly a protagonist who is extremely vulnerable to being manipulated into certain situations. Furthermore, the sheer weight of the super-hero’s frustration when he does finally find his real opponent is superbly sketched, especially once Grayson realises it has come at the cost of a person’s life.

The regular cover art of "NIGHTWING" #132 by Dexter Soy

Star Wars: Jedi Knights #5 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS No. 5, September 2025

Permeated with a persistent aura of untrustworthiness and treachery, Marc Guggenheim’s narrative for Issue Five of “Star Wars: Jedi Knights” arguably provides a rather intriguing insight into Count Dooku’s exploits before the Force Sensitive fully fell to the dark side of the Force. In fact, it seems clear that the future Darth Tyranus is already willing to cold-bloodedly kill his opponents “years before the Battle of Naboo”, and is already cultivating the wariness of Jedi Council Members such as Yaddle with his evident inclination to give in to his fury; “If that were so, you wouldn’t strike someone down in anger.”

Furthermore, the American author is very good at making his readers doubt as to whether the Count of House Serenno would actually have survived his encounter with Lonkus’ Wookie raiding party if he’d been alone, and question that his capture was just a ruse so the former Jedi Master could be taken to meet his attackers' leader face-to-face so as to kill them all. Certainly, Yaddle seems to doubt the man would have succeeded without her and Seera Longa’s help. But considering how easily Dooku appears to escape the criminals’ clutches, even when he’s chained-up, his predicament begs some tantalising ‘what if’ questions.

Likewise this twenty-page-periodical gives its audience an early look at Viceroy Nute Gunray’s descent into darkness, and the beginning of his relationship with Sheev Palpatine. Though not mentioned by name it’s clear that the Trade Federation representative is already up to his neck in dishonest dealings for the Galactic Senator, and now needs Darth Sidious to dispatch Dooku to “safeguard” the Neimoidian’s property from the supposedly legitimate Gillanter corporation as a favour. This plot-thread genuinely helps sell just how patiently planned the future Emperor’s plans are, and shows just how much his hand was guiding Gunray’s actions even before the illegal blockade of Naboo.

Perhaps therefore this comic’s one minor quibble lies with Madibek Musabekov’s design choice for one of the Wookie crooks who debatably is so thin and short-furred that it looks more like a red version of Dr. Seuss’ Grinch than a killer from the planet Kashyyyk. Other than this rather curious faux pas the illustrator’s pencilling is spot on – especially when it comes to selling the anger in Dooku and the Count’s sinister future predication as to the Jedi Council’s fate.

The regular cover art of "STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS" #5 by Rahzzah

Nightwing #131 - DC Comics

NIGHTWING No. 131, December 2025

Despite Nightwing teaming up with an eleven-year-old who appears to have all the powers of Superman, Dan Watters’ script for this particular twenty-two-page periodical may well surprise its readers by not just relying upon Bryce Moran rescuing Dick Grayson’s acrobatic alter-ego whenever the masked vigilante finds himself in trouble. Indeed, for much of the titular character’s battle against Killer Moth, the ‘Kryptonian’ largely stays in the shadows, simply watching how his mentor reacts to Drury Walker's somewhat over-the-top antics until the unexpected arrival of the Clean-Cut Crew; “He’s still coming to grips with his powers. But all things considered he’s doing a great job.”

Furthermore, the English author rather quickly evens up the power gap between Bludhaven’s latest metahuman and the sinister Spheric Solutions, by depicting its owner Olivia Pearce quickly taking advantage of the fact that “Kryptonite isn’t as rare a resource as it used to be”, and arming one of her Wanderer Robots with a ray-gun specifically powered by the deadly radioactive mineral. Such a plot device genuinely adds some vulnerability to an otherwise invincible protagonist, and allows the writer to subsequently tap into the kid's very evident flaw that he simply doesn’t know how to protect himself.

Lastly, Issue One Hundred And Thirty One of “Nightwing” also contains a nice little ‘personality piece’ between the vigilante and his metropolis’ increasingly amiable Police Commissioner. This relationship is still a far cry from that experienced between Jim Gordon and Batman in the dark days of Gotham City, but it shows a definite drop in hostilities. In fact, Maggie Sawyer actually calls on Grayson’s help to investigate a sudden flurry of missing children, and even acknowledges that Dick was correct in suspecting “the CEO of Spheric Solutions” formerly worked for the super criminal gang Cirque Du Sin.

Similarly as successful is Dexter Soy’s artwork, which does a very nice job of switching from this comic’s sedentary, dialogue driven scenes with those packed full of pulse-pounding pace. In addition, the illustrator somehow manages to capture poor Bryce being trapped inside a heavily-muscled man’s body by imbuing him with the subtle movements any onlooker would expect from a bored youngster who has been told to read “Forensic Pathology And Toxicology – An Introduction” rather than fly around in outer space.

The regular cover art of "NIGHTWING" #131 by Dexter Soy

Deadly Hands Of K'un-Lun #3 - Marvel Comics

DEADLY HANDS OF K'UN-LUN No. 3, June 2026

Considering just how many martial artists, Inhumans, Gods, and costumed crime-fighters are crammed into this twenty-page comic, some within this book’s audience probably couldn’t help but imagine the writer Yifan Jiang simply throwing as big a bucketload of characters at his manuscript as he could muster. True, this approach definitely provides a publication packed full of fisticuffs, karate chops and mystical machinations. However, it will also surely make the head spin of anyone actually reading it; “Juniors, well met! You… must be the new trainees! I am Pei, the sixty-eighth Iron Fist.”

In fact, it’s arguably wise for anyone perusing this periodical not to try and keep track of so many figures from the disconcertingly complicated lore of K’un-Lun, and simply allow themselves to be carried along by its incredibly violent, as well as pulse-pounding, storyline. Furthermore, despite the mini-series progressing a plethora of different sub-plots simultaneously, the central battle in Manhattan concerning Iron Fist, Elektra and White Tiger is clearly the author’s main focus, and certainly provides this adventure with a somewhat shocking conclusion.

What is also a bit of a pity though is that Karnak, “the Inhuman’s most powerful fighter”, isn’t given a little more ‘screen-time’ smacking Davos and his assassins around the Tower of Wisdom. Those bibliophiles old enough to recollect Jack Kirby’s design for the Advisor of the Inhuman Royal Family’s original costume might slightly balk at the man’s latest choice in attire. But that still doesn’t stop the thrill of watching him effortlessly kick and punch his way through a small army of highly inferior War Fists.

Easily this comic’s greatest asset is therefore the layouts of Paco Medina and Alessandro Miracolo, whose artwork immediately sucks in any onlookers even though this book’s opening scene comprises of little more than a disagreement between Danny Rand and the Egyptian deity Osiris in the Underworld. Of particular note has to be the way each and every body blow actually appears to reverberate upon their unfortunate target, as well as the exhilarating moment when White Tiger summons her Tiger God to manifest itself into a form somewhat akin to that of He-Man’s Battle Cat, and subsequently rides the giant beast into the very heart of battle.

The regular cover art of "DEADLY HANDS OF K'UN-LUN" #3 by Leinil Francis Yu

Nightwing #130 - DC Comics

NIGHTWING No. 130, November 2025

Seeing as the first part of Dan Watters’ storyline for Issue One Hundred And Thirty of “Nightwing” deals with the titular character fighting a seemingly never ending battle against the corruption of wannabe Mayor Bernard Bisogni, whilst its later pages explore a potential Superman-level threat to Bludhaven, many a bibliophile may well view this comic as containing two rather contrasting halves. And resultantly, may then feel that the book’s initial ‘deep dive’ into the shady politician’s dealings with the Blockbuster Gang fits in far better with Dick Grayson’s street-level alter-ego, than a being whose very presence alone warrants the dramatic arrival of the Justice League; “You don’t need any help tracking down your faux Kryptonian?”

Unfortunately however, it is this second plot-thread which the English writer seemingly chooses to put the more effort into by having the original Boy Wonder rather unconvincingly decide that young Bryce Moran should remain as “an aspiring hero with incredible power” - albeit with the Teen Titan as his mentor. This decision debatably comes completely out of the blue, and seems to go against everything Grayson was planning to do – even to the point of bringing Night-Hare with him to show the fake Van-Zee that in his present super-powered state he might hurt the little critter by accident.

In addition, the London-born author also tries to ‘push’ the responsibility of the ill-advised choice onto the youngster’s shoulders, by penning Dick feeling that the former juvenile criminal has somehow made a “good point” and that the city’s guardian had somehow been talked into letting the boy remaining as he is. Neither of which the lad actually does. Indeed, the 'youngster in a man’s body' appears to agree with Nightwing’s belief that he should revert back to his true self, and is a millisecond away from drinking a drop of Bat-Mite Soup when he’s stopped from doing so.

Somewhat surprisingly though, regular artist Dextor Soy’s contribution to this publication also seems to be equally ‘hit or miss’, with the Filipino doing a first-rate job on the vast majority of this comic’s pencilling, until he strangely begins giving the likes of Wonder Woman, Superman and Bryce some disconcertingly doe-shaped, almost romantic-looking eyes. Whether this technique is used to perhaps show innocence or goodness on behalf of these individuals is difficult to say. But the style does debatably jar with that used to draw the aforementioned Bisogni much earlier in the book.

The regular cover art of "NIGHTWING" #130 by Dexter Soy

Conan The Barbarian: Scourge Of The Serpent #3 - Titan Comics

CONAN THE BARBARIAN: SCOURGE OF THE SERPENT No.3, December 2025

Having debatably done little more than adapt a trio of Robert E. Howard’s previously published prose adventures in this mini-series’ first two instalments, it can be argued that Jim Zub finally starts to take the steering wheel with his narrative for Issue Three of “Conan: Scourge Of The Serpent”. In fact, the Canadian author appears to go to quite considerable lengths to drag out the Cimmerian’s encounter with the serpentine deity from “The God In The Bowl”, inflating a single line of words which tells of the hero instantly decapitating the gorgon into a lengthy, action sequence filled full of desperate lunges and slithering feints - And all so that the barbarian’s fight for life can simultaneously reach its zenith alongside that of King Kull and John Kirowan.

Surprisingly however, the same cannot be said of the Animex Honorary Award-winner’s handling of “The Haunter Of The Ring”, in which the exploits of John Conrad’s partner are arguably quite severely truncated from those deeds found in the novella’s original text. Admittedly, this abbreviation still follows the general flow of the tome by having the Professor face his greatest antagonist Yosef Vrolok. But rather then drive to the villain’s home, the writer snatches at the chance to add his own spectral spin to the confrontation by having Kirowan instead simply trade blows with a murderous manifestation of his rival at Jim Gordon's house.

Such a blatant divergence from Howard’s work might be a bit too much for those purists reading this comic. However, the move actually imbues the narrative with some much-needed pace and ghostly ambiance. Indeed, it allows the significantly more modern tale to tie-in quite nicely with both Conan and Kull’s own battles against green-hued serpent-like foes; especially when it becomes clear that the snake-eyed medusa haunting poor Evelyn’s every thought is associated with the Cimmerian’s most notorious nemesis Thoth-Amon.

Undoubtedly helping mesh all these different threads and time-streams together are “Ironclad Ivan Gil” and colour artist “Jumping Jao Canola”. Together the creative pair appear particularly inventive when it comes to extending the barbarian’s aforementioned tussle with a fair-faced serpent in the Nemedian municipality of Numalia. Yet the duo’s work is also first-rate when it comes to convincingly telling of Vrolok’s mystical materialisation from beyond the grave in Boston 1934.

The regular cover art of "CONAN THE BARBARIAN: SCOURGE OF THE SERPENT" #3 by Gerardo Zaffino

Nightwing #129 - DC Comics

NIGHTWING No. 129, October 2025

Whilst Barbara Gordon is entirely right that “things work differently in the Fifth Dimension -- in ways unimaginable and indescribable to our Fourth-Dimensional minds”, it doesn’t mean that having Dan Watters pen Nite-Mite’s corruption of Titans Tower being resolved by Alfred Pennyworth’s recipe for chicken soup will sit particularly well with many within this comic’s audience. Indeed, the entire analogy of Dick Grayson supposedly being the chicken and Nightwing’s heavily mutated pet dog Hayley being the vegetables probably struck many a bibliophile as being something of an incomprehensible, utterly bemusing mess.

Similarly as disconcerting though has to be the distinct lack of information as to what happened to Dyxl in the first place. It’s clear from Oracle’s narration that the fifth dimensional imp is in pain and “in a panic, he built Titanis” using “whatever material was at hand”. However, just what caused the injury in the first place is never explored leaving the reader to ponder whether the titular character’s “self-declared biggest fan” was attacked by the malevolent Zanni or perhaps innocently lured across to our universe by Olivia Pearce and her sinister Spheric Solutions.?

Lastly, when Nite-Mite does finally calm down enough to fully restore the likes of Hayley and Titans Tower back to their former glory, why does Bryce Moran remain in the form of Van-Zee, and fly off to stand vigil over Blüdhaven from orbit..? Obviously the eleven-year-old boy is desperately keen to keep hold of the abilities of Superman’s cousin and help save the world. But how he’s able to retain the Kryptonian’s powers after everything else inside the T-shaped facility is restored is not clarified – unless perhaps Dyxl inconveniently fell asleep before having a chance to transform him back to a child again.  

One person who does appear to be thoroughly enjoying Watters’ narrative for this twenty-six-page periodical is Dexter Soy, who is clearly having fun pencilling a giant rabid dog-monster, a huge multi-tentacled blob, a decidedly dodgy-looking Night-Hare and an imposing Van-Zee. In fact, some fans may well argue that this comic is worth its cover price alone simply for the humorous interior illustrations, even if the customer isn’t particularly won over by the book’s actual 'Wizard Of Oz' storyline.

The regular cover art of "NIGHTWING" #129 by Dexter Soy with Adriano Lucas