Any Nightwing story where we get a partially-clothed Dick Grayson is going to get my attention and, sure enough, we got that on page 3. Damn DC for knowing how to pull me in!

KNIGHT TERRORS: NIGHTWING #1 is another tie-in removed from the main arc, though it’s strong enough to feel warranted as a standalone story. The narrative is similar to KNIGHT TERRORS: THE FLASH #1 with each main character unaware of his surroundings, causing additional layers of anxiety and panic given their lack of grasp on reality. I’ve really enjoyed this type of approach to telling nightmare stories as they come across as psychological thrillers mixed with additional horror elements.

The first issue of Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad’s story leaves Dick in mental shambles without a clear path forward. As a reader, Cloonan and Conrad kept me in the passenger seat the entire issue, as their haphazard scene transitions were a perfect complement to Dick’s confusion and descent into madness. This was all further complemented by the artistic decisions of main artist Daniele Di Nicuolo, colorist Adriano Lucas, and letterer Wes Abbott. Their combined talents provided a wonderful visual component that perfectly set the stage for an eerie nightmare adventure.

While this story may not meet the high bar set forth by Tom Taylor’s meticulous character exploration, and I may feel different if the second half tries to tie into Taylor’s current NIGHTWING run in some way, it is still an adequate representation of the character on it’s own. Oh, and did I mention we got a shirtless Dick pic? 😈

Rating: 8/10