Nightwing #152 spoilers

[Murrocko]

Anyone read the issue yet?

[Red Lotus]

After the 5 page preview. Nightwing is in the Batcave when he is attacked by a group of assassins who he easily beats. He then use one of the defeated assassins micro cams to confront Ra's who claims to only want to invite Richard to have a face to face meeting. After Nightwing gives Ra's his word that he wont call any of his friends to try to take Ra's in, Ra's gives Nightwing the coordinates where they can meet and have a brief truce.

Once there Ra's ask Nightwing if the Detective is dead. He then tells Nightwing he brought him there for conformation on Bruce death and that he can tell by looking in his eyes that his grief is palpable. Ra's then throws a sword at Nightwing telling him its time for him to exorcise his anguish.

As the two fight Ra's talks about how he should have been the man to kill the Bat and that he would have did it in the bright light of day for the world to see. Ra's goes on to say that he will now never be remember as the man who killed Batman and that he was cheated by his death as much as Nightwing was.

Nightwing is able to beat Ra's and tells him that Ra's is mad because he knows Bruce would have always beating him. As Nightwing walks away Ra's tells him that the Apple doesn't fall far from the tree. In which Nightwing tells Ra's that he isn’t Bruce and that Bruce is gone and Ra’s missed his chance and Ra's has to live with it. Ra's tells Nightwing that the swords they use today were once use by him and the Detective and he then offers Nightwing the sword that Nightwing use in their battle as a reminder that their paths would cross again. Nightwing tells Ra's to keep it as a reminder that Nightwing will always be there to face down evil.

When Dick returns to the batcave he finds the sword there waiting for him. With the commentary by Ra's saying Welcome to the black hole Detective.

This may have been Tomasi best issue yet. He was able to show what great respect Ra's had for Bruce at the same time setting up Nightwing to continue the battle with Ra's. The commentary by Ra's at the start of the issue calling the cowl and Bruce mission a black hole that pulling at Nightwing harder and harder is pretty fitting and sets up Ra's ending commentary perfectly.

[James Conniff]

Originally Posted by Red Lotus

After the 5 page preview. Nightwing is in the Batcave when he is attacked by a group of assassins who he easily beats. He then use one of the defeated assassins micro cams to confront Ra's who claims to only want to invite Richard to have a face to face meeting. After Nightwing gives Ra's his word that he wont call any of his friends to try to take Ra's in, Ra's gives Nightwing the coordinates where they can meet and have a brief truce.

Once there Ra's ask Nightwing if the Detective is dead. He then tells Nightwing he brought him there for conformation on Bruce death and that he can tell by looking in his eyes that his grief is palpable. Ra's then throws a sword at Nightwing telling him its time for him to exorcise his anguish.

As the two fight Ra's talks about how he should have been the man to kill the Bat and that he would have did it in the bright light of day for the world to see. Ra's goes on to say that he will now never be remember as the man who killed Batman and that he was cheated by his death as much as Nightwing was.

Nightwing is able to beat Ra's and tells him that Ra's is mad because he knows Bruce would have always beating him. As Nightwing walks away Ra's tells him that the Apple doesn't fall far from the tree. In which Nightwing tells Ra's that he isn’t Bruce and that Bruce is gone and Ra’s missed his chance and Ra's has to live with it. Ra's tells Nightwing that the swords they use today were once use by him and the Detective and he then offers Nightwing the sword that Nightwing use in their battle as a reminder that their paths would cross again. Nightwing tells Ra's to keep it as a reminder that Nightwing will always be there to face down evil.

When Dick returns to the batcave he finds the sword there waiting for him. With the commentary by Ra's saying Welcome to the black hole Detective.

This may have been Tomasi best issue yet. He was able to show what great respect Ra's had for Bruce at the same time setting up Nightwing to continue the battle with Ra's. The commentary by Ra's at the start of the issue calling the cowl and Bruce mission a black hole that pulling at Nightwing harder and harder is pretty fitting and sets up Ra's ending commentary perfectly.

I thought it was a great issue. A great tribute to the relationship between Bruce and Ra's...and the further development between Ra's and Dick. I can't wait untill we see Dick in the Bat suit fighting against Ra's for the first time.

[BigTopTony]

Originally Posted by Murrocko

Anyone read the issue yet?

I did and I enjoyed it. Not earth shattering or a must read but it was a fine one issue story centering around Dick and Ra's. Basically Dick encountering Ra's in the desert proving himself equal to Batman with the old sword fight. I'd grade it out at a B-.

[Retro315]

Not bad, not bad.

I was skeptical of Nightwing outright beating Ra's in a sword fight, then I remembered that Ra's has his new White Ghost body, which is very likely weaker than his original body.

As for how Ra's got out of Arkham ... I figured ... during the Crisis!

[Red Lotus]

Originally Posted by Retro315

Not bad, not bad.

I was skeptical of Nightwing outright beating Ra's in a sword fight, then I remembered that Ra's has his new White Ghost body, which is very likely weaker than his original body.

As for how Ra's got out of Arkham ... I figured ... during the Crisis!

In Nightwing 145 they showed Ra's getting out of Arkham.

[Alexx1]

I thought it was Tomasi's best issue. Unfortunately, I thought it was Don Kramer's weakest. It just looked very rushed. Not like previous issues. I'm sure Nightwing is weary and tired with the stuff going on with Batman, but Nightwing came across as very unattractive and old looking. Kramer can do much better.

[frostedone]

I thought Ra's would show more remorse than that. He seemed to much like he was upset that HE didn't kill Batman, and that was his job alone. Sure Ra's was upset that Batman died, but it seemed more selfish on his part.

I would have thought that he would be genuinely upset that Batman died, regardless of who killed him. He seemed like a father figure to him, despite their differences.

[WorstThingUS]

I think the fact it's been a day since this came out and no one has posted shows how even we die hard fans are bored with this book. This issue is a perfect reason why. Simply put, Dick faces off with Ra's Al Ghul and kicks his ass. Well, not a total beat down, but they do the "swords in the desert" that everyone keeps recreating since O'Neil & Adams first did it almost 40 years ago and Nightwing wins and walks away. And this is after he beats up a thousand ninjas in the batcave. Oh, and there's acres of talking as all this goes on.

Don't get me wrong. After a lifetime of facing off with criminals, Dick should be this good. I for one tired of his "damsel in distress" role whenever Batman would face off with Ra's, but can we see a little effort to it? Much like his defeat of Two Face, it just feels too easy. Ra's should be surprised that Dick isn't the same man he ambushed in a dorm room all those years ago and the key to Dick's victory should be Ra's assumption that he'd be an easy mark with the promise that he'd know better next time. It's just another issue where Tomasi gets it both very right and very wrong at the same time.

But I did like that the resolution of this was that Ra's acknowledges Dick as heir to the throne. That's one of those "getting it right" aspects.

[Red_Knight]

They do another the sword fight in the desert? Seriously? Wow... This is becoming more of a Ra's clichée than bridges are for stories involving the Green Goblin over in ASM. Not good.

Is Ra's still in his new (i.e., his oldest son's) body, or has that been dropped already? The cover certainly makes it look like it.

[Christopher Cross Is God]

Originally Posted by WorstThingUS

It's just another issue where Tomasi gets it both very right and very wrong at the same time.

Ah, so it's a typical Tomasi issue. I might still skim through the issue if I have time, but I'll most likely take your word for it and not even bother.

[Vic Vega]

What pray tell did Tomsi get wrong?

No snark just wondering what you guys didn't like. At this stage of his career 'Wing should certainly be able to pwn Ras.

What I like is that Dick's victory is kinda muted in that he's becoming even more like Batman than ever(not a good thing).

"Welcome to the hole, Dectective" is both praise and insult in the same breath. Dick has now inherited 2 of Bats nutjobs Two-Face and 'Ras now both consider 'Wing thier arch-enemy.

Joker should be interesting if he crosses Dick's path. 'Wing's got every reason in the world to off Joker on sight.

[WorstThingUS]

Originally Posted by Vic Vega

What pray tell did Tomsi get wrong?

But I did explain what.

Originally Posted by Vic Vega

No snark just wondering what you guys didn't like. At this stage of his career 'Wing should certainly be able to pwn Ras.

No snark. Yes, he should have been able to beat him, it just simply shouldn't have been that easy and Ra's shouldn't have respected someone he once used as bait and would have an Ubu knock down when needed. And the whole ninja thing was just dull because it's so easy for him for him to take out so many. It would have been better to be just an Ubu and a few ninja.

Originally Posted by Vic Vega

What I like is that Dick's victory is kinda muted in that he's becoming even more like Batman than ever(not a good thing).

"Welcome to the hole, Dectective" is both praise and insult in the same breath. Dick has now inherited 2 of Bats nutjobs Two-Face and 'Ras now both consider 'Wing thier arch-enemy.

That he did get right and I said as much.

Originally Posted by Vic Vega

Joker should be interesting if he crosses Dick's path. 'Wing's got every reason in the world to off Joker on sight.

Technically he has killed The Joker once already.

[zomg]

This is the first time Dick managed to beat an A-list villain within one issue.

[Red Lotus]

Originally Posted by WorstThingUS

I think the fact it's been a day since this came out and no one has posted shows how even we die hard fans are bored with this book. This issue is a perfect reason why. Simply put, Dick faces off with Ra's Al Ghul and kicks his ass. Well, not a total beat down, but they do the "swords in the desert" that everyone keeps recreating since O'Neil & Adams first did it almost 40 years ago and Nightwing wins and walks away. And this is after he beats up a thousand ninjas in the batcave. Oh, and there's acres of talking as all this goes on.
Don't get me wrong. After a lifetime of facing off with criminals, Dick should be this good. I for one tired of his "damsel in distress" role whenever Batman would face off with Ra's, but can we see a little effort to it? Much like his defeat of Two Face, it just feels too easy. Ra's should be surprised that Dick isn't the same man he ambushed in a dorm room all those years ago and the key to Dick's victory should be Ra's assumption that he'd be an easy mark with the promise that he'd know better next time. It's just another issue where Tomasi gets it both very right and very wrong at the same time.

But I did like that the resolution of this was that Ra's acknowledges Dick as heir to the throne. That's one of those "getting it right" aspects.

In a way i feel this issue was more about Ra's need to have the Batman in his life in some way and him trying to force Nightwing into taking over that role and at the same time trying to see if Nightwing was worthy of being in that role.