Trent Breward has done it again. This time hes reviewed DCs new Grayson series première issue. Enough exposition, enjoy: * Grayson #1 Tim Seeley Mikel Janin Review by Trent Breward Grayson, Dick Grayson: Acrobat, side-kick, hero, Batman, hero again, dead guy and now super spy. In the seventy four years that Richard Grayson has existed hes gone through a lot of changes as he has grown and evolved with the comic world around him. Life hasnt been fun for him since the New 52 reboot, but this new series looks to reinvent the character one more time. Taking after the James Bonds and Sterling Archers of the world, Richard Grayson has joined up with the shady international spy agency Spyral, which featured heavily in the Grant Morrison Batman Inc. run, and is looking to do what he does alongside the newly redesigned Helena Bertinelli. The opening issue in the new series gives the reader little time to settle in, throwing you into the action at once, as a blonde wig wearing Grayson uses his childhood skills to land on a moving train as he goes after his target. For those who havent followed the events which lead to his new work occupation, this book does no favours. There is no real explanation behind the events found in Forever Evil and Nightwing #30. Its not essential in order to enjoy the book, but the questions of why will be answered, and presumably as the series continues there will be additional callbacks to contend with as well. Its understandable, Seeley only has a certain amount of pages to work with and throwing too much introduction into something that has already been covered would be a bit of a waste, but it is safe to say not everyone who picks up this will be well versed in why hes no longer Nightwing. The story itself is fairly stock standard affair as far as spy stories go. Like Bond, there are some interesting gadgets presented within the world that will no doubt play crucial roles down the track. Grayson himself doesnt veer too far from the pop culture perception of the secret agent, and honestly it suits him. Hes a little flirtatious, haphazardly dropping one liners and conveniently spilling drinks when required. Fans of Grayson will be glad to know that hes still very much himself, and the lighter tone that the book has currently set suits him better than the darker grittiness that hung over the New 52 Nightwing run (and much of the New 52 in general). The colours are simply fantastic. The pink and green background in the cover might seem oddly placed, but it makes perfect sense once you read the story inside, and there is a vibrancy throughout that really helps to highlight the fantastic artwork provided by Mikel Janin, whos work should be capable of selling comics by talent alone. This is the best Grayson has looked since the reboot, both in his movements and his features. There is a lot of action to contend with, and for the most part the body movements are fluid and natural. Graysons movements remind me of how Janin drew fellow acrobat Deadman during his Justice League Dark run, and it translates well to the new story. Like the choice of colour, there are a host of story nods to hardcore fans of the Batman mythos, which stretch from Graysons debut, Morrisons run and the death of Bruces parents. Some are easier to spot than others, but those who know what to look for will have their knowledge rewarded. Like all #1 issues, the issue serves more to set the scene of the story rather than delve too far into it, but this is a strong and exciting debut as Grayson leaves the Nightwing monniker behind and tries his hand at something new. The book has no time to waste on people not up to date on the current happenings of the protagonist, and the story presented within the first issue is far from revolutionary. There is enough intrigue and set up to make for an interesting story though, and more importantly, its fun. A lot of fun. Its action packed and will have you smiling throughout. Fans of the character or of the secret agent genre will find a lot to like about this. Nightwing might be definitively Dick Grayson, but he has always been transcendent of the various masks hes worn. Now he is simply Dick. And sometimes thats just what you need. Read more: alternatedimensions.boards.net/posts/recent#ixzz37WV28Wkk * And we haveem on sale now at AD!!!
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 08:20:50 +0000
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