Story: Venn Diagram, Part Three: That and a Buck Fifty (22 pages)
(previous part in Nightwing #81, continued in Nightwing #83)
Writer(s): Devin Grayson
Pencils: Mike Lilly
Inks: Jesse Delperdang
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing, Deathstroke / Slade Wilson, Captain Amy Rohrbach
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Roland Desmond / Blockbuster II, Mister Westbrook, Gannon, Officer Janey (property custodian), Jim Rohrbach, Chief Phillip Addad, Inspector Mac Arnot (off-screen)
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Romances:
Blüdhaven Details:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: Venn Diagram, Part Two: Friends Under Fire (22 pages)
(previous part in Nightwing #80, next part in Nightwing #82)
Writer(s): Devin Grayson
Pencils: Rick Leonardi
Inks: Jesse Delperdang, John Nyberg
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing, Cassandra Cain / Batgirl III, Deathstroke / Slade Wilson, Captain Amy Rohrbach
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Barbara Gordon / Oracle, Bruce Wayne / Batman, Alfred Pennyworth, Inspector Mac Arnot, Maxine Michaels, Luke, Chief Phillip Addad
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Romances:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: Venn Diagram, Part One: Close Encounters (22 pages)
(continued from Nightwing #79, next part in Nightwing #81)
Writer(s): Devin Grayson
Pencils: Rick Leonardi
Inks: Jesse Delperdang, Dan Davis
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Romances:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: No Son of Mine (22 pages)
(continued from Nightwing #78, continued in Nightwing #80)
Writer(s): Devin Grayson
Pencils: Rick Leonardi
Inks: Jesse Delperdang
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Romances:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: Supercop (22 pages)
(continued from Nightwing #77, continued in Nightwing #79)
Writer(s): Devin Grayson
Pencils: Rick Leonardi
Inks: Jesse Delperdang
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Romances:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: The Web (22 pages)
(continued from Nightwing #76, continued in Nightwing #78)
Writer(s): Devin Grayson
Pencils: Patrick Zircher
Inks: Jesse Delperdang
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Romances:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: Untouchable (22 pages)
(continued in Nightwing #77)
Writer(s): Devin Grayson
Pencils: Mike Lilly
Inks: Andy Owens
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Romances:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: Judgement Day (30 pages)
Writer(s): Devin Grayson
Pencils: Rick Leonardi
Inks: Jesse Delperdang
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Romances:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: London Calling (22 pages)
(continued from Nightwing #73)
Writer(s): Devin Grayson
Pencils: Rick Leonardi
Inks: Jesse Delperdang
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Romances:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: Cherchez la Femme (22 pages)
(continued from Nightwing #72, continued in Nightwing #74)
Writer(s): Devin Grayson
Pencils: Rick Leonardi
Inks: Jesse Delperdang
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Romances:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: Roman Holiday (22 pages)
(continued from Nightwing #71, continued in Nightwing #73)
Writer(s): Devin Grayson
Pencils: Rick Leonardi
Inks: Jesse Delperdang
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Romances:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: Something About Mary (22 pages)
(continued in Nightwing #72)
Writer(s): Devin Grayson
Pencils: Rick Leonardi
Inks: Jesse Delperdang
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Romances:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: Officer Down, Part Five: Inculpatory (22 pages)
(previous part in Catwoman #90, next part in Detective Comics #754)
Writer(s): Devin Grayson
Pencils: Rick Burchett
Inks: Rodney Ramos
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing, Barbara Gordon / Oracle, Bruce Wayne / Batman, Alfred Pennyworth,
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
James Gordon, Lt. Harvey Bullock, Officer Rich (really Jordan Reynolds, in flashback), Officer Lowell (Rich's partner, in flashback), Lucky Hand Triad (in flashback)
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
- Alfred Pennyworth leaves Batman / Bruce Wayne's employ. [p. 17]
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Bruce Wayne Character Details:
Barbara Gordon Character Details:
Alfred Pennyworth Character Details:
Romances:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: Warriors Two (22 pages)
(continued from Nightwing #14)
Writer(s): Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Scott McDaniel
Inks: Karl Story
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing (as Robin in flashback), Bruce Wayne / Batman
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Harvey Dent / Two-Face (in flashback), Bridget Clancy, Timothy "Lunchmeat" Deever, Frankie Deever, Roland Desmond / Blockbuster II, Mrs. Desmond, Lady Elaine Marsh-Morton / Lady Vic, Stallion
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Bruce Wayne Character Details:
Blüdhaven Details:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is based on the TPB edition of the issue.]
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: Dead Meat (22 pages)
(continued from Nightwing #13, continued in Nightwing #15)
Writer(s): Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Scott McDaniel
Inks: Karl Story
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing, Bruce Wayne / Batman (appears also as his alter ego Matches Malone)
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Alfred Pennyworth, Barbara Gordon / Oracle, Tim Drake / Robin III, Timothy "Lunchmeat" Deever, Frankie Deever, Tank, Bubba (Deever's henchmen), Dr. Elizabeth Pavaar (first name not given yet), John Law, Bridget Clancy, Tad Ryerstad (last name not given yet), Roland Desmond / Blockbuster II, Mrs. Desmond, Lady Elaine Marsh-Morton / Lady Vic, Stallion, Samuel (one of Blockbuster's henchmen), Hank Hogan
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Bruce Wayne Character Details:
Blüdhaven Details:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is based on the TPB edition of the issue.]
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: Shadows Over Blüdhaven (22 pages)
(continued from Nightwing #12, continued in Nightwing #14)
Writer(s): Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Scott McDaniel
Inks: Karl Story
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing, Bruce Wayne / Batman
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Timothy "Lunchmeat" Deever, Frankie Deever (Lunchmeat's son), Dudley Soames, Dr. Stroud, Dr. Elizabeth Pavaar (first name not given yet), Tony Royce, Ms. Royce (Frankie Deever's fiancee), Roland Desmond / Blockbuster II, Mrs. Desmond, Bridget Clancy, Lucius Fox, Farley Banks (last name is given in Nightwing #14), Jo (Farley's niece), Tad Ryerstad (last name not given yet)
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Bruce Wayne Character Details:
Blüdhaven Details:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is based on the TPB edition of the issue.]
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: Mutt (22 pages)
(continued in Nightwing #13)
Writer(s): Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Scott McDaniel
Inks: Karl Story
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing (as Robin in flashback)
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Bruce Wayne / Batman, Alfred Pennyworth (in flashback), Dudley Soames, Dr. Stroud, Dr. Elizabeth Pavaar (first name not given yet), Bridget Clancy, Tad Ryerstad (last name not given yet), Mutt, Hank Hogan
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Romances:
Blüdhaven Details:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is based on the TPB edition of the issue.]
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: Fear Takes Flight (22 pages)
(continued from Nightwing #10)
Writer(s): Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Scott McDaniel
Inks: Karl Story
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing, Dudley Soames
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow, Roland Desmond / Blockbuster II, Bridget Clancy, Chief Redhorn, Harvey Dent / Two-Face (in flashback), Mrs. Desmond (Blockbuster's mother), Tico, Buzz, Tomas, Nathaniel (Blockbuster's henchmen)
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
- Blockbuster twists Soames' neck, but Soames survives (this will eventually lead to Soames' "Torque" identity.) [p. 21]
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is based on the TPB edition of the issue.]
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: The Neighborhood (22 pages)
(continued from Nightwing #9, continued in Nightwing #11)
Writer(s): Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Scott McDaniel
Inks: Karl Story
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Bruce Wayne / Batman, Donna Troy, Jason Todd, Selina Kyle, Skip, Mr. Kerr (i.e. Joker), Jean Paul Valley, Tim Drake, Pamela Isley / Poison Ivy, Oswald Cobblepot / Penguin, Roy Harper, Alfred Pennyworth, Harvey Dent / Two-Face (all in the nightmare induced by Scarecrow), Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Romances:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is based on the TPB edition of the issue.]
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: Die Trying (22 pages)
(continued in Nightwing #10)
Writer(s): Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Scott McDaniel
Inks: Karl Story
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Bruce Wayne / Batman, Barbara Gordon / Batgirl, Tim Drake / Robin III, Harvey Dent / Two-Face, (all four in a nightmare induced by Scarecrow), Dudley Soames, Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow
Synopsis:
Important Continuity Events:
Continuity References:
Dick Grayson Character Details:
Trivia:
[Note: This entry is based on the TPB edition of the issue.]
[Note: This entry is still incomplete, more information will be added eventually.]
Story: Forever Hold Your Peace
Writer(s): Devin Grayson
Pencils: Greg Land
Inks: Bob McLeod
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing, Emily Claire Washburn
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Bruce Wayne / Batman, Tim Drake / Robin III, Alfred Pennyworth, Barbara Gordon / Oracle, Wally West / Flash III, Linda Park, Donna Troy, Roy Harper, Lian Harper, Dennis (Emily's son from her first marriage), Annelise Schubert (childhood friend of Annelise), David Schubert (Annelise's father), James Stridham (Emily's deceased ex-husband three; son of a WayneCorp executive), Douglas (owner of Douglas Auto Salvage), Mr. Fulson (off-screen, business man who wants to dump chemical waste illegally), Harry (one of Fulson's two thugs )
Synopsis:
Dick marries Emily Washburn to find out whether she killed her prematurely deceased previous husbands. It turns out her childhood friend Annelise is framing Emily to avenge her father David Schubert, who is in Blackgate, because he took the fall for Emily's first husband in a counterfeiting operation and Emily's husband got away with the money.
Dick Grayson Character Details:
- Dick enjoys spending time with Emily's kid Dennis, they go to the zoo, the circus [p. 12, 31]
- when Dennis wants to play Superman and Batman ("Look! Look! I'm Superman! You be Batman, okay?") Dick declines ("Uh, no, thanks. But how about I help you fly?") [p. 12]
- Dick's mother was a dental assistant from the East Coast before she fell in love with Dick's father and married into the circus life. [p. 13]
- Dick's father was Romany. [p. 13]
- Dick is horsing around with Tim on a rooftop when Batman and Robin visit, acting a lot like a big brother [p. 41]
Bruce Wayne Character Details:
- Bruce says he wants Dick to inherit WayneCorp some day. [p. 11]
- Bruce uses Alfred's concern as an excuse to look after Dick ("Alfred asked me to see if--"), but Dick sees through that ("You can tell Alfred that I'm a big boy [...] ...and it's nice to see you too.") [p. 40]
Romances:
- although a minister marries Dick and Emily, Dick asks Donna to destroy marriage certificate, thus the marriage never became legal [p. 16]
- Dick actually sleeps on the couch during the "marriage" and skillfully arranges separate rooms for their honeymoon (with the help of "Oracle Travel"), so it's implied that he never actually sleeps with Emily. She proposes marriage counselling.
- Dick cares about Emily and offers to "start over" after he had cleared her name, but he's not in love with her, and Emily doesn't want to continue a relationship. [p. 53]
- There is some romantic tension between Dick and Barbara [p. 14ff]
Trivia:
- Dennis watches Superman cartoons on tv.
Story: The Bigger They Are (22 pages)
(continued from Nightwing #7)
Writer(s): Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Scott McDaniel
Inks: Karl Story
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing, Roland Desmond / Blockbuster II
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Dudley Soames, The Loners (biker gang), Tad Ryerstad (name not known yet)
Synopsis:
Nightwing fights Blockbuster, who is slow, but really strong. Nightwing evades Blockbuster's punches, who demolishes the whole building. Soames just watches. Blockbuster is especially enraged because he thinks Batman sent Nightwing to claim Blüdhaven for him, like a "prince regent assigned to rule an outlaw province." Nightwing taunts Blockbuster, says that Blüdhaven is only a second-rate town. Nightwing uses a 30 kV tazer on Blockbuster, expecting that to take him out, but it doesn't work. Blockbuster manages to get his hand on Nightwing's neck, but doesn't snap it instantly, but rather squeezes it. Nightwing passes out, and right before loosing consciousness he hears Batman's voice sending him to Blüdhaven. Just as Blockbuster gets ready to snap Nightwing's neck, Soames steps in, pointing a gun at Blockbuster. Soames points out that killing Nightwing by twisting his neck will draw Batman's attention to Blüdhaven, and they are not ready for that kind of heat. To lead Batman away from his operation, Blockbuster decides that Nightwing has to die in an inconspicuous way. So he hires the biker gang "The Loners" to do it. Nightwing wakes up surrounded by the gang on their bikes, but he manages to fight them all and win. As Dick walks home, hurting all over, he meets a homeless man, who asks Dick for some money. He gives him fifty bucks, and says if he shows up in the morning, cleaned up and sober, he'll see about really helping him. The man promises to show up, however he runs into a wannabee vigilante (later known to be Tad Ryerstad), who beats him up severely, and says that he never wants to see him again on "his" block again. Meanwhile the biker gang comes back to Blockbuster to tell him that "it didn't work out." Blockbuster rips out the support beams in the building where they meet (some sort of warehouse), and lets the whole structure collapse on them. Blockbuster himself walks away from the ruins, to Soames, who's waiting outside with the car. Blockbuster tells Soames to take care of Nightwing, and to get someone more talented this time.
Important Continuity Events:
- Tad Ryerstad's first appearance as a wannabee vigilante. [p. 18]
Continuity References:
- Blockbuster had his intelligence increased in ?? [p. 5]
- What Nightwing hears Batman say in his head before he passes out, i.e.the twenty-one dead mobmen and that Batman sends Nightwing to Blüdhaven, refers to the events in Nightwing #1.
Dick Grayson Character Details:
- The fear of failing or disappointing Batman is still foremost on Dick's mind. [p. 8]
Blockbuster Character Details:
- He calls Batman "The Bat" like the street criminals in Gotham do. [p. 4]
- He amped his I.Q. to supergenius. [p. 5]
- Blüdhaven is only the infancy of his ambitions. [p. 6] He wants Gotham, Star City, Metropolis and New York City too. [p. 7]
- A 30 kV tazer doesn't affect him much. [p. 7]
Trivia:
- Blockbuster has a custom made car that is larger in the rear passenger section. [p. 22]
[Note: This entry is based on the TPB edition of the issue.]
Story: Rough Justice (22 Pages)
(continued in Nightwing #8)
Writer(s): Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Scott McDaniel
Inks: Karl Story
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Barbara Gordon / Oracle, Wally West / Flash III, John Grayson (Dick's father, in a flashback), Mary Grayson (Dick's mother, in a flashback), Ricky Noone, Sulieman Thomas Ali, Timothy "Lunchmeat" Deever, Turk Fremunda, Dudley Soames, Roland Desmond / Blockbuster II, Chief Redhorn, Antonio "Angel" Marin (or his body anyway), Bridget Clancy, Hank Hogan (first name not known yet)
Synopsis:
Nightwing is fed up with being one step behind the criminals and mobs, playing catch-up. He recalls a lesson his father taught him about the importance of strategy, so now he systematically captures all the mob criminals he knows of. He starts with Ricky Noone and his enforcers, who work for Marin's loansharks, then Sulieman Thomas Ali, who runs the meth and crack labs and street trade, then Timmy "Lunchmeat" Deever and his "removal" experts, and finally Turk Fremunda and the unions. Nightwing brings them all to a refrigerated warehouse, and hangs them onto meat hooks. He starts to interrogate them, starting with Turk Fremunda. But Fremunda refuses to tell Nightwing both where Marin is as well as who's running Blüdhaven. Fremunda says nobody cares who the capo is, as long as everything runs smoothly. When Nightwing gets ready to leave (or at least pretends to do so), threatening to leave them to die of hypothermia, Fremunda tells Nightwing that the new boss has positioned guards at St. Antony's nursing home. Nightwing checks out the nursing home, and it turns out the lead is solid. He's now back to detective work again. Meanwhile the BPD bomb squad checks out a barrel that was addressed to Chief Redhorn. The barrel isn't a bomb, but contains Angel Marin's body, preserved in formaldehyde to obscure the true time of death. Marin's head is twisted backwards. Chief Redhorn is getting angrier with Soames, both because of the mob war and because of Nightwing. He wants the status quo back. Soames says he's working on it, but of course he's in truth working for Blockbuster. During Dick's shift at Hogan's Alley some cops talk about Marin's body. With Oracle's help he finds out that Blockbuster's mother, Joyce Elizabeth Desmond, is a resident of St. Anthony's. Dick recognizes the name and calls Wally, i.e. The Flash, for an update on Desmond. Wally hasn't run into him, but Impulse has, and he's more dangerous than he was before. Blockbuster and Soames look out over Blüdhaven from Blockbuster's villa. Soames thinks it wasn't a good idea to dump Marin's body, that now there'll be more heat from Chief Redhorn, because the deaths can't be explained anymore as Marin cleaning up his own organization. Blockbuster says that it is Soames job to keep police interests distracted. Soames might have higher ambitions, he refers to Blüdhaven as "ours" when talking to Blockbuster, and Blockbuster isn't happy about that "greed." Soames explains it as a slip of the tongue. Soames also worries about Nightwing, but Blockbuster thinks Nightwing is a mere shadow of his mentor Batman, a charlatan who can be occupied with lowlifes and streethoods. Nightwing takes that as his cue to make his presence known, and confronts Roland Desmond, aka Blockbuster. Nightwing says he almost decided Soames was Blüdhaven's new crimelord, had it not been for Desmond's mother and the gunmen assigned to guard her.
Important Continuity Events:
- Blockbuster is seen openly as the hidden power in Blüdhaven for the first time. [p. 22]
Continuity References:
- Nightwing thinks that he almost got Robin killed, that refers to events in Nightwing #6. [p. 2]
- Sulieman Thomas Ali was last seen in Nightwing #3, he was also mentioned by Marin in Nightwing #5. [p. 3]
- Turk Fremunda was mentioned by Marin in Nightwing #5, but he's seen here for the first time. [p. 5]
- The anxiety dream is the same as in Nightwing #4. [p. 14]
- Dick recognizes Desmond's name, their last encounter was in ??. [p. 16]
- Wally mentions that Impulse encountered Blockbuster, that was in ??. [p. 18]
- The "now" and "before" when Wally talks about Blockbuster might refer to the events (which were ??) that increased his intelligence in ??. [p. 18]
- Blockbuster met Batman before in ?? [p. 19]
Dick Grayson Character Details:
- Dick's father told him about the importance of strategy when he taught him to be a trapeze artist. [p. 2]
- Dick's mom called him "little Robin" [p. 6]
- Dick wonders if he might be responsible for Angel Marin getting killed, because he shakes things up in Blüdhaven. It might have happened anyway, but Dick thinks that kind of justification is a slippery slope. [p. 12, 13]
- Dick is still plagued by the recurring anxiety dream about the falling boy he can't reach, who's shouting something he can't hear. [p. 14]
- According to Oracle Dick snores, she says she can hear it through their computer connection. [p.14]
- Oracle calls Dick "Bucko" [p. 14]
- Dick sleeps in his boxers. [p. 14]
- Dick is reluctant to ask Batman for help, even for research and information gathering help. He's more comfortable asking Oracle, though the task wouldn't necessarily require her level of expertise. [p. 15]
- Dick recognizes Desmond's name. [p. 16]
- Dick hasn't met Impulse, he doesn't know his name. [p. 18]
- Dick agrees that he's no Batman, but he tells Blockbuster and Soames that he's close enough to shut them down. [p. 21]
Barbara Gordon Character Details:
- Oracle can hear sounds, like snoring, in Dick's bedroom. [p. 14]
- Oracle has access to Medicare, Medicaid, social security and private insurance files. [p. 16]
Bridget Clancy Character Details:
- Clancy was born in Hong Kong, but was adopted by an Irish family and left Hong Kong as a baby. She came to America to go to college and never went back. [p. 13]
Blockbuster Character Details:
- His mother's name is Joyce Elizabeth Desmond. She's in the St. Anthony's nursing home, guarded my three mob gunmen. [p. 16]
- He had a run in with Impulse. [p. 18]
- There are no mirrors in his house, he also keeps it dark. [p. 20]
- He once was a petty felon. [p. 21]
- Compared to Nightwing he's really huge. [p. 22]
Romances:
- Dick and Clancy are flirting. [p. 13]
Blüdhaven Details:
- The St. Anthony's nursing home is in the Caernarvon section. It's know as St. Ant's to the locals. [p. 8]
- Blüdhaven is an Archdiocese. [p. 15]
Trivia:
- There's a DC Logo on one of the letters in Dick's mail. [p. 13]
- According to Oracle Batman got half a dozen Crays in his basement. [p. 15]
- St. Anthony's records are still on paper. [p. 15]
- Dick has a coffee mug with the Bat-Logo. [p. 18]
[Note: This entry is based on the TPB edition of the issue.]
Story: The Visitor (22 pages)
Writer(s): Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Scott McDaniel
Inks: Karl Story
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing, Tim Drake / Robin III
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Hank Hogan (first name not known yet), Bridget Clancy, Maxwell Reed, Dudley Soames, Roland Desmond / Blockbuster II (his identity isn't revealed yet, we just see his back-lit silhouette), Angel Marin, Montello (BPD cop), Flaherty (BPD cop), Marsha Gurwitz (friend of Clancy), Sonny Brewer
Synopsis:
Dick is late for his job at Hogan's Alley again, in the bar a couple of drunk cops brag that they would arrest any masked vigilantes they meet on their beat, drinking even before their shifts. As Dick walks home from Hogan's he meets Clancy and her friend Marsha. So far he hasn't managed to see Clancy's face, so he mistakes Marsha for Clancy, because Marsha is a redhead, and Clancy has an Irish accent, though she's Asian. Dick is quite embarrassed, but Clancy and Marsha are very amused, so Dick cheers up a bit too. He comes into his apartment, and immediately knows he's not alone. He pounces the visitor, and it turns out to be Robin. Robin accompanies Nightwing to visit Maxwell Reed, who's back in his house now that Lady Vic isn't after Marin anymore. Though Nightwing thinks Reed owes him a favor, because he saved his daughter, Reed doesn't think so. Only when Nightwing pretends to be sanctioned by Soames, Reed is willing to give Nightwing information. Reed tells him about Sonny Brewer. Brewer is responsible for laying off bets for Angel Marin's bookmakers, i.e. he places bets on the favorites with other bookies to offset potential losses. Nightwing and Robin stake out the location, a dry cleaner that serves as front for the money drops. They talk about their different approaches as Robin, and take turn watching. Meanwhile Soames confronts Reed, and then kills him for telling Nightwing about Sonny Brewer. On the rooftop Nightwing has dosed off and has one of his recurring anxiety dreams about a falling boy whom he can't catch. Robin wakes him as Sonny goes into the dry cleaner. When Sonny doesn't come out after twenty minutes, they know something has gone wrong. Nightwing wants to go down to check, but Robin jumps down first to put a transmitter on Sonny's car. Nightwing tries to warn Robin, that Robin isn't getting it, that they already know Nightwing and Robin are there, that it's a trap. The car explodes as Robin tries to attach the transmitter, and Nightwing barely manages to tackle Robin to get him out of harm's way. Then several thugs come out of the dry cleaner shooting at them. Nightwing fights them and in the end he throws their cash into the flames. Nightwing worries that Robin will tell Batman that he's "not cutting it" in Blüdhaven, but Robin thinks he must make a difference if they go to all this trouble to kill Nightwing. Nightwing replies that Robin will know he got really close if he's found floating in the harbor with a twisted neck. Angel Marin can't think of more information to give his captor, so Blockbuster (only his silhouette is seen) snaps Marin's neck.
Important Continuity Events:
- Blockbuster finally kills Angel Marin. [p. 22]
Continuity References:
- When Tim talks to Dick he says "I told you I'd be stopping by after our thing with the Titans." He probably means events in Teen Titans Vol. 2 #4 and Teen Titans Vol. 2 #5, from January and February 1997. [p. 6]
- Dick mentions the twenty-one dead gang members found in Gotham's harbor, that brought him to Blüdhaven in Nightwing #1. [p. 7]
- Nightwing mentions that he saved Reed's daughter, he also notes that Reed isn't on the run anymore, and back in his house. That refers to the Lady Vic storyline in Nightwing #4 and Nightwing #5. [p. 8]
- Nightwing tells Robin that Soames brought him to a landfill to kill him, that happened in Nightwing #2. [p. 11]
- Tim says he invited himself as Robin, that refers to the A Lonely Place Of Dying storyline in Batman #440-442 and The New Titans #60-61. [p. 12]
- The anxiety dream is the same as in Nightwing #4. [p. 16]
Dick Grayson Character Details:
- Dick suspects that Batman sent Robin to check on him. He feels he hasn't made a lot of progress since he came to Blüdhaven. [p. 7]
- Dick enjoys working with Tim. [p. 7ff]
- Dick still has the anxiety dream about the falling boy he can't reach, who's shouting something to him. [p. 16]
- Dick feels responsible for how bad their night turned out. He sees it as the latest in a list of foul-ups since he came to Blüdhaven, only worse because he endangered Tim's life too. [p. 19]
- Dick feels that Tim is family, the closest thing to a brother he'll ever have. [p. 19]
Tim Drake Character Details:
- Tim is surprised how bad the situation in Blüdhaven is. [p. 7]
- Tim thinks he couldn't handle being on his own like Dick is in Blüdhaven, that he's a different Robin than Dick. [p. 11]
- Tim isn't a natural athlete like Dick, he has to work harder for that, he also envies Dick for his streetsmarts. [p. 12]
- Tim doesn't plan to be out on the rooftops ten years from now, or to take over from Batman, he intends to do his "shift" as Robin and then go back to a "normal" life. [p. 13]
-Though Dick says he was more impulsive as Robin than Tim, Tim jumps down to put a transmitter on Sonny's car without listening to Nightwing's warning. [p. 18]
Bridget Clancy Character Details:
- Clancy eats ice-cream even though it's snowing. [p. 3]
- Clancy's first name is Bridget. [p. 4]
- Clancy has an Irish accent. [p. 4]
Trivia:
- Blüdhaven bus service is lacking. [p. 1]
- While in Gotham corruption starts at the bottom in Blüdhaven it starts at the top, and trickles down from city hall and the justice center. [p. 2]
- Tim and Dick bring soup and sandwiches to their stake-out. [p. 11, 13]
- The dry cleaner at Halyard square that serves as front for Sonny Brewer's transactions is called "Snappy Dry Cleaners". [p. 10]
[Note: This entry is based on the TPB edition of the issue.]
Story: Lady's Night (22 pages)
(continued from Nightwing #4)
Writer(s): Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Scott McDaniel
Inks: Karl Story
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing, Lady Elaine Marsh-Morton / Lady Vic
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Bruce Wayne / Batman, Angel Marin, Maxwell Reed, Maxine Reed, Bevins, Hank Hogan (first name not known yet), Mitch (Blüdhaven cop), Chief Redhorn, Dudley Soames, J. Devlin (Bruce's neighbor)
Synopsis:
Angel Marin is still being interrogated through a loudspeaker in a cell. The interrogator is the one who killed the Marin gang members, but claims he left the productive ones in place. Marin continues to give information on his organization, he tells that Sulieman Thomas Ali handles the Zee Moores, that Turk Fremunda has the unions, and that Ricky Noone has collections. When he's asked about Maxwell Reed, Marin says that he's "just another lawyer." On Reed's yacht the confrontation between Nightwing, Lady Vic, and Reed continues. For Lady Vic, a contract killer, Marin's disappearance doesn't matter, she still wants to collect her debt, a million dollar. Nightwing fights Lady Vic to save Reed's daughter, Maxine, Reed's henchmen shoot at both. Nightwing brings Maxine on deck, out of immediate danger. Reed ordered the yacht to pick up speed earlier, but the captain is wounded in the fight by Lady Vic, and now the yacht heads towards a closed drawbridge that is too low. Lady Vic wants Reed as bait to draw out Marin, and drags him to the life boat. According to Lady Vic Reed isn't Marin's consigliore after all, Reed only knows the consigliore. As Nightwing faces her again, she cuts loose the life boat with Reed but stays to fight Nightwing for the challenge he presents. For Nightwing though, Maxine is the priority, not bringing in Lady Vic, so he kicks Lady Vic off the yacht, grabs Maxine and jumps into the water just as the yacht is about to ram the bridge. The yacht explodes. Nightwing swims to the lifeboat, and Maxine is reunited with her father. Though Reed is grateful for that he won't give Nightwing the name of Marin's real consigliore either. Lady Vic looses her daggers during the fight and subsequent yacht explosion, and vows revenge for that, because the daggers were a family heirloom. Nightwing hurries to his other job at the Hogan's Alley bar. There Dick can see the sad state of the Blüdhaven PD: BPD cops are drinking before their shift not just afterwards. Hogan took early retirement from the BPD because of that. Chief Redhorn is disappointed with Soames, because Soames still hasn't killed Nightwing. Redhorn threatens Soames, who assures him that he will kill Nightwing. Soames is still playing Redhorn though, he thinks he's a "pompous windbag." Soames meets Lady Vic and gives her 1.5 million dollar, to pay Marin's debt, and as a retainer for future services. Soames tells her that Marin's replacement looks forward to needing her services in the near future. In Gotham Bruce attends a party at the Davenport estate. His neighbor, J. Devlin, introduces him to Lady Elaine Marsh-Morton, Lady Vic's alter ego.
Continuity References:
- Marin mentions Sulieman Thomas Ali, who "handles" the Zee Moores. Both Ali and the Zee Moores were introduced in Nightwing #3 [p. 1]
- Chief Redhorn ordered Soames to kill Nightwing in Nightwing #1 [p. 19]
Dick Grayson Character Details:
- Dick is still surprised by the lows of the BPD, for example when he learns that the cops drink before their shifts, not just afterwards. [p. 19]
- Dick thinks Blüdhaven deserves a better PD, that it needs a guardian. That's why he stays. [p. 19, 20]
- Dick is beat after he finishes his bar shift on top of his work as Nightwing. [p. 20]
- Dick wonders whether the bar job was a dumb idea, but he's determined to build his own information network, because following Soames' leads is even dumber. [p. 21]
- Dick is starting to miss Gotham. [p. 21]
Bruce Wayne Character Details:
- Bruce's neighbor J. Devlin claims that Bruce "makes Al Gore look like a party animal." And Bruce answers "crowds make me nervous" [p. 22] however this contradicts the usual, established image of Bruce Wayne as playboy.
- Bruce knows his neighbor J. Devlin well enough to call him "Dev" [p. 22]
Lady Vic Character Details:
- Lady Vic is a contract killer. [p. 4]
- she doesn't care whom she kills, not even if it's children. [p. 4]
- she "talks like Jane Seymour, fights like Bruce Lee" at least according to Nightwing. [p. 5]
- Lady Vic is not short for Victoria, but for "Lady Victims" [p. 12]
- Lady Vic's Bundhi daggers have been in her family for generations. The third Earl took them from a Thuggee chieftain at the time of the great Sepoy Rebellion. She was very attached to them. [p. 16]
- Her servant Bevins stays in the area when she goes about her job. [p. 16]
- Lady Vic's real name is Lady Elaine Marsh-Morton. She's English aristocracy. [p. 22]
Trivia:
- There's a drawbridge in Blüdhaven, called Littleneck Narrows Bridge. [p. 8]
- Hogan's Alley is a ten block walk from Dick's apartment. [p. 20]
- Al Gore is known, though no references are made to the past or present offices he might have in this continuity. [p. 22]
[Note: This entry is based on the TPB edition of the issue.]
Story: Lady Be Deadly (22 pages)
(continued in Nightwing #5)
Writer(s): Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Scott McDaniel
Inks: Karl Story
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing, Dudley Soames
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Biff Tooly (one of Angel Marin's gang), Lady Elaine Marsh-Morton / Lady Vic (real name not revealed yet), Maxwell Reed (Marin's consigliore), Bivens (Lady Vic's servant), Bridget Clancy (her first name isn't known yet), Hank Hogan (owner of Hogan's Alley; first name not known yet), Roland Desmond / Blockbuster II (his identity isn't revealed yet, we just see his shadow), Phillip (one of the cops working for Soames), Marcus (one of Reed's bodyguards), Sandy (one of Reed's bodyguards), Maxine Reed (Reed's daughter), Angel Marin
Synopsis:
Lady Vic has beaten up at least seven men to get to question Tooly, one of Angel Marin's gang. She asks him where she might find Angel Marin. Marin owes her a "considerable sum of money" and she now wants to collect. Tooly say nobody has seen Marin in weeks, but finally he tells Lady Vic that Marin's consigliore, Maxwell Reed, might be able to tell her where he is. Meanwhile Soames gives out Maxwell Reed's name to Nightwing, in answer to the same question. Nightwing doesn't think Black Mask is the source for the shifting power balance between Blüdhaven's gangs. Nightwing thinks it's homegrown. Soames gives the appearance of not caring one way or the other, as long as the gangs just kill each other. Dick gets a day job as a bartender at the cop bar Hogan's Alley, trying to find his own information sources in order not to rely on Soames so much. Reynard and his men corner Soames, because each time they ran into Nightwing, they were working based on tips from Soames. Soames has been giving information to both Black Mask and Nightwing, playing them against each other because he works for Blüdhaven's true power, and Reynard and his men are going to return to Gotham as a message to Black Mask. A huge shadow falls over them, and they end up dead in the alley with twisted necks. Oracle gives Nightwing a list of Marin's known associates from the FBI's database, all but Tooly and Reed are dead. Nightwing finds a terrified Tooly, who still hasn't recovered from Lady Vic's attack last night. Tooly tells Nightwing that Reed has a yacht. Tooly is under surveillance of the Blüdhaven PD, who listen in on that conversation and alert Soames, who keeps that tape. On Reed's yacht Nightwing evades Reed's bodyguards and slips into Reed's bedroom unnoticed, but Reed bites the hand Nightwing put over his mouth, and alerts the guards. As Nightwing fights with Reed's guards, Lady Vic appears, holding Reed's daughter hostage. She kills two of Reed's guards. Nightwing thinks that maybe Angel Marin is cleaning out his own mob, laughing at them. Elsewhere Angel Marin is sitting in a cell, he is interrogated through an intercom, most likely by the new mob boss, the "true power" in Blüdhaven, but the interrogator remains hidden. Marin is asked for the details of his organization, and reveals payoffs, kickbacks, suppliers, accounts, legit and not-so-legit receipts. Marin writes everything down, and is taped at the same time. The interrogator says that he needs to know more, that Marin will only live as long as he is of use.
Important Continuity Events:
- Dick gets a day job at the cop bar Hogan's Alley as a bartender. [p. 11]
- It's revealed that Soames works for the true power in Blüdhaven (i. e. Blockbuster, but his name is not given yet). [p. 12]
Continuity References:
- Dick mentions the twenty-one dead Angel Marin gang members found in Gotham's harbor, that brought him to Blüdhaven in Nightwing #1. [p. 4]
Dick Grayson Character Details:
- Though Dick suspects that Soames knows far more than he's telling, he can't touch him -- according to the "rulebook" -- because Soames is still a legitimate lawman. [p. 6]
- Dick has a recurring nightmare, an anxiety dream: He's Robin again, a small boy is falling down and shouts something to Dick that Dick can't understand because of the rush of the air, and though he gets closer to the boy, he can't reach him in time. [p. 8] Dick thinks the reason this dream is reappearing now is because he relies on Soames too much, that he has to make it on his own instead. [p. 9]
- There is something disgusting, probably moldy (?) in Dick's fridge. [p. 9]
- Dick has never tended bar before. [p. 10]
- Asked whether he drinks, Dick says "never." [p. 11]
- The reason Dick gives for wanting to work in a cop bar is that he's an "aspiring writer" who wants to listen to good stories, but it's not clear whether that is only a cover story. [p. 11] His main objective is to get more information about Blüdhaven, independently from Soames. [p. 12]
- Dicks first thought after getting his day job is that he can't wait to see Bruce's face when he hears of this. [p. 11]
- Nightwing takes Tooly's guns with him (probably to destroy them and not to "turn them in for a new pair of sneakers" like he says to Tooly, though). [p. 14]
Barbara Gordon Character Details:
- Oracle has access to the FBI's database. [p. 13]
Trivia:
- Dick notes that Gotham is different from Blüdhaven, that while in Gotham new ganglords like to announce their presence, they like their secrets in Blüdhaven. [p. 6]
- The shampoo brand Clancy's using is called "Perky Plus." [p. 10]
- The sign of the "Hogan's Alley" bar shows a shot-through, human target practice silhouette. [p. 10]
- Maxwell Reed's yacht is called "Quid Pro Quo." [p. 14]
- Angel Marin went to the St. Anscom's school for boys. [p. 22]
[Note: This entry is based on the TPB edition of the issue.]
Story: The Freebooters (22 pages)
Writer(s): Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Scott McDaniel
Inks: Karl Story
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Bruce Wayne / Batman, Tim Drake / Robin III, Bridget Clancy (we learn her last name, the first name is not given yet), Reynard, Sgt. A. Capone (a police officer), Sulieman Thomas Ali, Pescado (one of Reynard's men), Doc (one of Reynard's men), Mitch (Reynard's helicopter pilot)
Synopsis:
Nightwing moves into his new apartment, dealing for the first time with mundane concerns, like utility bills, on his own. He's cleaning his apartment and musing about his life, when he has to prevent a mugging right under his window. He realizes that Blüdhaven needs a protector. He e-mails Soames and they meet again. Nightwing suspects that Soames is playing both sides, and not sharing everything he knows. Nightwing knows that somebody is running Blüdhaven in the vacuum left by the Angel Marin gang, but it's not Black Mask (though he also wants to take over Blüdhaven's mobs) and it's not Freddy Minh, but Nightwing doesn't know who it is. He thinks Soames knows, though. But Soames only tells him that Blüdhaven's underworld is going through a sea change and that Black Mask and his gang from Gotham aren't helping matters. Soames gives Nightwing the tip to check out "Ali's Bank in the Zee Moores" because Black Mask has a new score planned there. Nightwing figures out that this refers to one of the places which cash checks in the "Zee Moores," a Blüdhaven slum. Nightwing watches the container and concludes that the place has to be crooked, because he doesn't see a single elderly person or "welfare mom" all day but only young guys who come in with paper bags and leave without them. Nightwing is interrogating the owner, Sulieman Thomas Ali, when a helicopter flies over them, lowers a magnet onto the container, and lifts the whole thing off ground. Nightwing throws Ali out of the container shortly after it has been lifted and then stays to fight Reynard and his men, who rappeled themselves down into the container. The helicopter has problems holding the container because of the weight and the windshear, and is forced to drop it. It collides with the edge of one of the highrise buildings. Reynard and his men manage to jump onto the roof top in time, but Nightwing has to jump off the container as it already tumbles down. When the container crashes, the crack money, that was stored in the container, rains down on the poor neighborhood. Nightwing gets back on the rooftop in time to catch Reynard and his men, and gives Reynard a message for Black Mask, that Black Mask should stay out of Blüdhaven. Later Nightwing checks in with Batman and Robin, reporting slow progress on the twenty-one dead, that the real power in Blüdhaven is well concealed, and that the police is corrupt. Batman offers to be there in a half hour, but Nightwing says he can handle Blüdhaven.
Important Continuity Events:
Nightwing moves into his new apartment in Blüdhaven. [p. 4]
Continuity References:
- Dick mentions that Batman sent him to Blüdhaven to find out who killed twenty-one of Angel Marin's gang, that happened in Nightwing #1. [p. 1]
- He mentions his former girlfriend Koriand'r (Kory), they were together from ?? to ?? [p. 5]
Dick Grayson Character Details:
- Dick feels he's letting down both Batman and the twenty-one dead Angel Marin gang members, because so far he hasn't solved the crime [p. 1]; he thinks that this ties him still to Gotham and to Bruce, though he was looking to get a new start. [p. 2]
- Dick encounters problems with the utilities companies because he has no credit history and needs to pay cash advances. [p. 4]
- It is like Dick Grayson doesn't really exist, Dick feels he hardly knows him. [p. 5]
- For years Alfred or Kory have handled the mundane details (like utility and phone bills) for him, and he had to rely on a line of credit paid for by Bruce. [p. 5]
- Dick thinks Gotham will always be Batman's town, never his own turf, and this new start on his own in Blüdhaven might be what he needs [p. 5]; and Blüdhaven deserves -- or at least needs -- a protector. [p. 6]
- Nightwing has the sudden vanishing when he meets with police officers down pat, just like Batman. [p. 8]
- Nightwing takes his victories where he finds them, even if they're just temporary. [p. 20]
- It's important to him to handle Blüdhaven on his own, and he likes the challenge of a town hopelessly lost to corruption, injustice and violence. [p. 22]
Bruce Wayne Character Details:
- Batman calls Nightwing "Dick", even even though Nightwing is in costume and their conversation centers on superhero things. [p. 22]
Romances:
- Dick is still interested in the superintendent of his building, but so far hasn't even managed to get a look at her face despite his curiosity. [p. 3]
Blüdhaven Details:
- The Zee Mores are hundreds of acres of highrise slums built in the name of the philanthropist Zeephram Moore who oversaw their construction as a "haven for the city's poor." Now they are "fortresses for the vicelords." [p. 9]
Trivia:
- The superintendent's last name is Clancy, and she prefers to be called just "Clancy" not "Ms. Clancy". [p. 3]
- There's a "Sgt. A. Capone" in the Blüdhaven PD. [p. 6]
- Soames calls Nightwing "lad". [p. 7]
- There are no banks in the Zee Moores only containers cashing checks for a percentage. [p. 9]
- Surprisingly there are what looks like rooftop gargoyles on (at least one of) the utilitarian highrise buildings in the Zee Moores. [p. 20]
[Note: This entry is based on the TPB edition of the issue.]
Story: Gangland Express (22 pages)
Writer(s): Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Scott McDaniel
Inks: Karl Story
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Dudley Soames, Bridget Clancy (the super; her name doesn't appear yet), Reynard, Mrs. Minh (Freddy Minh's wife), Chief Redhorn
Synopsis:
Soames has brought Nightwing to a garbage dump, but he reveals that he has his own agenda and disagrees with Chief Redhorn on the necessity for killing Nightwing. Soames says Chief Redhorn will believe him if he tells him Nightwing escaped. As Soames wants to remove Nightwing's cuffs, Nightwing has already opened them. To Nightwing's surprised "You're not bent?" Soames replies that he believes in "a more ordered community than they have now" and says there's a lot that Nightwing needs to know. The most urgent though were a smuggled shipment. Dick gets an apartment in one of the worst parts of Blüdhaven. At night Black Mask's False Facers unload cars from a ship to a hijacked train, but the cars are a few years old. Some of the False Facers discover Nightwing and shoot at him, but Nightwing evades the bullets through acrobatic maneuvers, gets behind the thugs and disables them, but still doesn't know what's exactly is happening, and suspects Soames hasn't told him everything. Meanwhile Soames brings back the container with the eggs to the Minhs. Nightwing searches the cars to find what's being smuggled, but it turns out the used cars themselves are the contraband. Nightwing successfully fights Reynard and the other goons, totaling many of the cars in the process. For this second failure Black Mask sends a killer (in a clown mask) to Reynard, but Reynard manages to shoot the clown and says Nightwing is next on the list. Meanwhile Chief Redhorn also wants Nightwing dead and is furious at Soames' failure.
Continuity References:
- Dick's "He [Batman] didn't call me when he needed me most." refers to events in the Knightfall storyline (in several Batman titles starting in May 1993), specifically that Batman asked Azrael to stand in for him in Detective Comics #665 (?). [p. 5]
- Dick says his last relationship ended with a funeral. That refers to ?? [p. 7]
Dick Grayson Character Details:
- Dick feels insecure about his ability to handle the situation, but at the same time he doesn't want to call Batman for help. He still feels hurt because Batman chose Azrael to stand in for him. [p. 5]
- Dick's new apartment is in the Melville section of Blüdhaven. [p. 6]
- Dick likes Irish accents. [p. 7]
- Dick thinks his romances always end ugly. [p. 7]
- Dick says he doesn't expect to be in Blüdhaven a long time. [p. 7]
- Dick always thought the Wayne estate was too far from the action, and had arguments with Bruce about this, though looking at the dilapidated apartment he acknowledges the Batcave's good points. [p. 7]
Romances:
- Dick finds Clancy, the super, attractive (though he hasn't seen her face yet), but thinks right now is not the right time for a girlfriend. [p. 7]
Trivia:
- The sign on Clancy's door says "Forget the dog! Beware of the super." [p. 8]
- The docks the shipment arrives are called "Waterloo Docks" [p. 9]
- The smuggler ship is flying the "Rheelasian" flag. [p. 9]
- The writing on the cooler for the eggs say "L'il Igloo". [p. 14]
[Note: This entry is based on the TPB edition of the issue.]
Story: Child of Justice (22 pages)
Writer(s): Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Scott McDaniel
Inks: Karl Story
Characters:
Dick Grayson / Nightwing
Minor Characters / Guest Appearances:
Bruce Wayne / Batman, Mortimer Gunt (works at the Gotham morgue; only mentioned), Tandy, Freddy Minh ('alleged' vice lord of the Asian mobs; off-screen), Mrs. Minh (Freddy Minh's wife), Black Mask and his "False Facers" gang, Reynard (member of Black Mask's gang), Chief Redhorn (the Blüdhaven Police Chief), Inspector Dudley Soames
Synopsis:
Due to a summer drought the estuary backs up and twenty-one dead members of the Angel Marin gang float upstream from Blüdhaven to Gotham. Their necks were broken. Batman sends Nightwing to Blüdhaven to investigate their deaths. Nightwing looks at possible suspects who would profit from taking out the Angel Marin gang and starts with Freddy Minh. As he arrives at Minh's house, Freddy Minh is attacked by Black Mask's gang, who move a fridge while Minh's wife wails "My babies!" Nightwing pursues Black Mask's men, thinking there are kids locked up in the fridge. It turns out the "kids" are frozen, fertilized eggs, and in the moment Nightwing digests his surprise one of the thugs, Reynard, knocks him unconscious, and chains him to the fridge. Black Mask's men are after the eggs to gain leverage over Minh, so that Minh would let their gang have a piece of the heroin trade in Blüdhaven. Nightwing manages to kick the transport case with the eggs out of Reynard's hand and grabs it, but is thrown into the bay, still chained to the fridge, in danger of suffocation. He barely manages to burn through the fridge handle with a magnesium flare in time, but the masked gang members are gone. Black Mask is not happy with Reynard's work, he wants Blüdhaven. Chief Redhorn wants Dudley Soames to get rid of Nightwing, so that there won't be a costumed vigilante interfering with his corrupt PD. As Nightwing shows up to give the Minh eggs to Redhorn, he is cuffed but not for arrest and held at gunpoint by Soames.
Important Continuity Events:
- Batman sends Nightwing to Blüdhaven to investigate the death of twenty-one members of the Angel Marin gang, whose bodies have been floated into Gotham with broken necks. [p. 3]
- Nightwing decides to stay in Blüdhaven. [p. 20]
- The corruption in the Blüdhaven PD from its top officials downward is established. [p. 21]
Dick Grayson Character Details:
- Dick's initial motivation to go to Blüdhaven is to prevent the new new gang that's taking out the Angel Marin gang, to Gotham, because Batman is busy, and Tim not yet fit to handle a town like Blüdhaven on his own. [p. 5, 7]
Blüdhaven Details:
- Blüdhaven is only a short ride South down the coast from Gotham, both cities lie on the same stream. [p. 4, 5]
- Blüdhaven started as a whaling town, then became "Asbestos Town, USA", but now it declined and is worse than Gotham. [p. 4, 7]
- Freddy Minh lives on Avalon Hill in Blüdhaven. [p. 8]
Gotham City Details:
- Gotham has an annual summer drought. [p. 5]
Trivia:
- Nightwing's braid is cut-off. [p. 14]
- Nightwing has magnesium flares stashed in his costume's gauntlet. [p. 19]
- The thug in Black Mask's gang wearing a Fox mask is called "Reynard" (for the name of the fox in French fables) [p. 20]. Nightwing dubs him "Foxy". [p. 17]
[Note: This entry is based on the TPB edition of the issue.]