Dan Watters’ Nightwing has been different. While you’re getting the same high-flying action you’d expect from Dick Grayson, the former Boy Wonder is still trying to make Bludhaven a better place through charity. Thanks to the new villain Olivia Pearce and her company Spheric Solutions, Dick is starting to doubt himself and if his city wants to change. It’s not shocking that he’s having a hard time since his newest villain is a calmer and more patient version of Joker. However, there’s something else going on with her that reaches beyond the physical realm.
Nightwing No. 122 creative team
- Writer: Dan Watters
- Artist: Dexter Soy
- Colorist: Veronica Gandini
It's a Nightwing #122 kinda day today. Check it! pic.twitter.com/nxnQSOgV74
— Dexter Soy (@dextersoy) January 15, 2025
During one of their earlier adventures Batman and Robin (Dick Grayson) attempted to stop a group of villains called the Cirque du Sin. As Batman fights some of the crew, Robin chases their youngest member, Olivia Pearce who, at the time, was going by Colombina. When she tells Robin her codename, he shows his knowledge of circus history asking, “Colombina? As in the commedia dell'arte clown?”
As the chase continues, Colombina says that Robin should join the Cirus du Sin and that they will take him. The “they” she’s talking about wasn’t just her team. She's talking about Zanni, who reveals himself as a giant being who can rip through reality. After showing itself, they say, “Nice to meet you, little circus boy.” The Zanni is also the same being that opened Watters’ series talking about Nightwing and how they planned to change who he is. So far, it's working.
"The Cirque du Sin took me in. They made me Colombina. They made me glorious.Colombina by writer Dan Watters
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Zanni taking away Nightwing’s positivity is a smart move. Without his smile and hope, Dick is essentially Batman. A vigilante who’s more likely to break your arm rather than talk to you. If he continues down this path, Barbara Gordon and the Titans will distance themselves from him. Neither is something Dick wants or needs in his life. Bruce Wayne may be influential in his life, but he needs more than the brooding, anti-social father figure if he wants to stay sane.
Zanni isn’t something that Nightwing would normally fight. It can warp reality and influence Nightwing’s emotions (that happened in Nightwing No. 119). Meanwhile, Pearce is putting him and Bludhaven in danger in the real world. Zanni and Oliva’s motives aren’t clear. It seems like they want him dead, but maybe they’re hoping to restart the Cirque du Sin with Nightwing as the star attraction. The only way to make that happen is to break him. The one clear thing is Nightwing is fighting a battle of mind, body, and spirit. Stay tuned to Caped Crusades to see if he wins.
Are you enjoying Dan Watters’ Nightwing? What do you think Zanni and Olivia Pearce have planned for Dick Grayson? Let us know on the Bam Smack Pow Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter.