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tmwebb3's review
3.0
Guess I should have read Forever Evil first, since the last Batman story made little sense. Otherwise great, both in art and story. Loved the story with young Dick. Didn't like Mad Hatter and other Batman villans coming to Chicago, but I guess it was to show that Dick's past is following him.
kevinowenkelly's review
3.0
Some good stories (the annual in particular makes for a good Dick/Babs conceit), and the series wraps up on a really great note.
But then there's the 'actual' last issue, which has problems. If you can't read the Forever Evil event you'll have no context for the sudden narrative jump. Though the way-too-exposition-heavy writing will catch you up, it doesn't make things any smoother. But having to contort itself around bigger DC event arcs has been the largest problem with this run on the whole, so maybe this is a fitting end.
This and the previous volume are definitely the best of the series though and worth a read.
But then there's the 'actual' last issue, which has problems. If you can't read the Forever Evil event you'll have no context for the sudden narrative jump. Though the way-too-exposition-heavy writing will catch you up, it doesn't make things any smoother. But having to contort itself around bigger DC event arcs has been the largest problem with this run on the whole, so maybe this is a fitting end.
This and the previous volume are definitely the best of the series though and worth a read.
neon_capricorn's review
3.0
This volume felt a bit scattered overall. It does end with a setup to the Grayson: Agent of Spyral series.
scottpm's review
3.0
Not as strong as other volumes in this series. I was hoping for a little more insight into the Forever Evil story but it wasnt there. Some of the stories just didnt seem to flow either.
allylujah's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75
zfrey117's review against another edition
3.0
6/10
The Good
The relationships Dick builds throughout his series have always been the anchor point of the series. Whether its Barbara, Sonia, his new roommates, the bat family, its always been rewarding to read through. The send off for Dick to move to Chicago with one last mission to take down firefly with Barbara was a good storyline. Struggling with the lifestyle of having two roomates and a girlfriend whos dad killed your parents were interesting to see. The last issue, meant to be a lead up to the new series Grayson was pretty good as well. A final fight with batman to prove he is as strong as he needs to be for what is to come.
The Bad
Over all the book seems sort of hobbled together. We have a Zero Year story, a gotham/firefly story, a mad hatter story, the shapeshifter, a zasz story, and then a bruce wayne fight to end it all off, it makes a through-line in the book a little hard to flesh out. We needed more time with any one of these characters to really build out a compelling antagonist. Additionally, there are a few too many coincidences in the small time frame. Mad hatter and Zasz (two gotham villains) just happen to be in Chicago in the same week that Dick relocates his nightwing operation? His roommate just happens to be a victim to Mad hatter and his other roommates babysat kid's parents also happen to be killed by Zasz. The coincidences that happen to people close to dick make the "its a small world" vibe a little unbearable. Dont be afraid to create new characters or new antagonists. Different hero, different city, stop relying so much on Batman's rogues gallery
The Good
The relationships Dick builds throughout his series have always been the anchor point of the series. Whether its Barbara, Sonia, his new roommates, the bat family, its always been rewarding to read through. The send off for Dick to move to Chicago with one last mission to take down firefly with Barbara was a good storyline. Struggling with the lifestyle of having two roomates and a girlfriend whos dad killed your parents were interesting to see. The last issue, meant to be a lead up to the new series Grayson was pretty good as well. A final fight with batman to prove he is as strong as he needs to be for what is to come.
The Bad
Over all the book seems sort of hobbled together. We have a Zero Year story, a gotham/firefly story, a mad hatter story, the shapeshifter, a zasz story, and then a bruce wayne fight to end it all off, it makes a through-line in the book a little hard to flesh out. We needed more time with any one of these characters to really build out a compelling antagonist. Additionally, there are a few too many coincidences in the small time frame. Mad hatter and Zasz (two gotham villains) just happen to be in Chicago in the same week that Dick relocates his nightwing operation? His roommate just happens to be a victim to Mad hatter and his other roommates babysat kid's parents also happen to be killed by Zasz. The coincidences that happen to people close to dick make the "its a small world" vibe a little unbearable. Dont be afraid to create new characters or new antagonists. Different hero, different city, stop relying so much on Batman's rogues gallery
kmfeeney's review
3.0
This really exemplified exactly what I hate about superhero comics. Somewhere between the second to last and last issue in this volume AN ENTIRE EVENT HAPPENED. There is no clue to its existence until you are reading and the event is referenced. In fact, it has no meaning without knowledge of this event. I had to read the same stupid Death of the Family comic twice in two different series but the story of NIghtwing's identity being revealed is told through exposition sometime after it happened. OH AND HE'S DEAD but not really? Okay. That knowledge would have made more SENSE BEFORE I FRAKKING READ THIS. The rest of this volume was fine but that really tainted the entire series for me. I'm so mad.
matt4hire's review
3.0
...ouch. That wasn't the best ending, was it? I still enjoy Higgins's take on Dick as a character. But there are huge problems.
1. So all the stuff about the old heroes of Chicago got ignored for...schmaltz. And a lot of it. Ick.
2. Rush isn't Rush anymore, hasn't been for some years. Also, it's in Skokie, there are no skyscrapers in Skokie. Also also, there's no way to swing all the way from Skokie down to Wicker Park in anything resembling a reasonable time. Also also also, Rush doesn't have a psychiatric unit, just like most of the Chicago hospitals. I don't know why they didn't pick Northwestern, it would've fit the bill for what Higgins was going for just fine. Or even UIC.
1. So all the stuff about the old heroes of Chicago got ignored for...schmaltz. And a lot of it. Ick.
2. Rush isn't Rush anymore, hasn't been for some years. Also, it's in Skokie, there are no skyscrapers in Skokie. Also also, there's no way to swing all the way from Skokie down to Wicker Park in anything resembling a reasonable time. Also also also, Rush doesn't have a psychiatric unit, just like most of the Chicago hospitals. I don't know why they didn't pick Northwestern, it would've fit the bill for what Higgins was going for just fine. Or even UIC.
groblinthegoblin624's review against another edition
3.75
I enjoyed this volume more than I did the last time I read it, when I was 15 and sick