Nightwing #124 - DC Comics

NIGHTWING No. 124, May 2025

Whilst “DC Comics” solicitation synopsis for Issue One Hundred and Twenty Four of “Nightwing” might bare little resemblance to the comic’s actual contents, Dan Watters’ narrative for the book probably still managed to successfully maintain the interest of its readers. In fact, “Ringmaster” contains a rather clever plot device to ensure that the titular character’s usual aura of invincibility is well and truly shattered by the time Dick Grayson makes an unwise stand against Spheric Solutions latest fully-automated police robot; “Hey, Big Boy. I know your CPU is a test animal, so I’d rather go easy on you…”

Furthermore, the English writer quite cleverly brings the Zanni and his nefarious sounding Cirque du Sin to the fore by penning that the Fifth Dimensional Imp can now be clearly seen by the original Robin due to the super-hero’s severe blood loss. Such a move really helps to raise the already high stakes for the ongoing tale’s overall storyline, as well as making it crystal clear that Batman’s former Boy Wonder is no longer facing just a mortal adversary who wants to take over Blüdhaven. But rather a far more omnipotent “ancient conceptual being born from humanity’s earliest attempts at performance.”

In addition, despite there being no sign of the “heist” upon Olivia Pearce’s sinister Corporation as promised by its Burbank-based publisher, this twenty-two-page periodical still manages to include a little bit of adrenaline-fuelled action towards its end during Nightwing’s aforementioned fight against a Wanderer-01s Robot. Admittedly some critics of this particular publication might suggest the short-lived battle is rather ‘too little, too late.’ However, due to Grayson’s weakened condition, the confrontation’s build-up is arguably just as exciting as the fracas which follows Dick’s impetuous motorbike ride, and also provides Watters with the opportunity to give his audience a bit of a shock ending – courtesy of little Bryce.

Of course so much of the anticipation behind these final panels would be far less if it wasn’t for Dexter Soy’s attention-grabbing pencilling. The artist proves particularly prodigious at providing any onlooker with a tantalising insight into the shadowy world of the Zanni, most notably when Blüdhaven’s protector is either racing to save the Teddy Gang from a well-orchestrated massacre, or later when he sees a circus elephant charging straight at him rather than Spheric Solutions’ killer automaton.

The regular cover art of "NIGHTWING" #124 by Dexter Soy with Veronica Gandini