“Spyral,” Part 01
Writer: Tim Seeley
Artist: Javier Fernandez
Major spoilers ahead!
Following the shocking ending of the “Blockbuster” arc which resulted in the death of Giz, “Spyral” kicks off in this issue picking up almost immediately where we left off. We see Dick alone in his apartment contemplating how he can track down The Second Hand, when suddenly he hears an intruder who turns out to be Huntress. She offers to help Dick track down a man named Gianni Dracul (for her own selfish reasons) who he believes is responsible for Giz’s murder. They eventually track him down to find him dead, but after finding a flash drive they discover that he was actually a double agent who was working for Spyral. So there comes the twist ending I genuinely didn’t see coming: The Second Hand is Spyral.
We also have a sub-plot running through this issue featuring the Pigeon and Shawn, which ultimately ends in the pair teaming up again. All round, this was an issue packed with content, but it still didn’t feel overwhelming. As someone who has been reading Seeley’s work with Dick since his run on Grayson, it was awesome to see Spyral is making a comeback – albeit as villains this time. It was nice to read this issue and remember everything that’s happened between Grayson #1 and now, but this also seems to be a great jumping on point for new readers – even those who didn’t read the “Blockbuster” arc that just wrapped up. There is never a moment of “what is going on now?” – Seeley has crafted the dialogue perfectly to remind the reader of everything that’s happened, but it never drags the story down or feels overly expository.
After a brief absence, we see series regular artist Javier Fernandez make a stunning comeback in this issue, joined yet again by the ever wonderful Christ Sotomayor on colors and the ever-excellent Carlos M. Mangual on letters – the original dream team is back! Truly I believe this has to be one of the best art teams in comics today, and paired with Seeley’s pitch perfect writing of Dick – I can never give this book anything less than absolute praise. This issue feels like the ideal Nightwing book to me; I feel like Seeley has been really hitting his stride lately.
Conclusion
Despite all of the references to previous arcs and series, this issue could serve as a great jumping on point for new readers. Seeley and his team have set up a solid first issue for their new arc “Spyral” – and this is looking like one you won’t want to miss!
Images courtesy of DC Entertainment
