Nightwing/Huntress

Nightwing (1996) (Original Trades) #2.5

by Devin Grayson (Writer), Greg Land (Illustrator), Bill Sienkiewicz (Illustrator)

After her mob-boss father was murdered, Helena Bertinelli grew up to become the crossbow-wielding vigilante known as the Huntress. Using both deadly and drastic measures that Batman does not approve of, the former mafia princess tries to patrol the streets of Gotham City without crossing paths with the Darknight Detective. But after an undercover cop is allegedly murdered by the head of the Gotham mob, the Huntress finds herself reluctantly working with Batman's protege and former Robin, Nightwing. Now as the two disparate heroes attempt to unravel the puzzling conspiracy of the policeman's murder, Nightwing and the Huntress fall into a romantic relationship that could cost them their lives.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Batman, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Devin Grayson is an avid gamer, former acting student, and enthusiastic reader fortunate enough to have turned a lifelong obsession with fictional characters into a dynamic writing career. She has a B.A. from Bard College, where she studied creative writing with novelist Mona Simpson. Best known for her work on the Batman titles for DC Comics, Devin has been a regular writer on Catwoman, Nightwing, and The Titans, and contributed to the award-winning No Man’s Land story arc. With the publication of Batman: Gotham Knights in March of 2000, she became the first (and, sadly, only as of 2020) female to create, launch and write an ongoing Batman title.

Additional career highlights include the launch of the critically acclaimed series Omni for Humanoids, Doctor Strange: The Fate of Dreams, an original novel featuring Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme, and USER—a highly personal three-part, creator-owned miniseries about gender identity and online role-playing, originally published by Vertigo and newly available as a collected edition hardcover through Image. Devin is also the creator of Yelena Belova, a Marvel character staring in the upcoming MCU Black Widow movie (played by Florence Pugh), Damien Darhk, a DC character now appearing regularly in CW’s Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow (played by Neal McDonough), and Catalina Flores, a DC character recently featured as the super-villain Tarantula in The Lego Batman Movie.

Frequently cited for compelling character development and nuanced exploration of complex themes, Devin’s work has been showcased in mainstream media such as USA Today and Working Woman as well as in alternative press such as The Village Voice, The Advocate, and Curve magazine. Over the years, she has written in several different media and genres, from comic books and novels to video game scripts and short essays. She is currently working on an original graphic novel for Berger Books.

Devin lives in Northern California with her husband, step-son, devoted Early Alert Canines Diabetic Alert Dog, and somewhat less devoted cat. Openly bisexual, she is a passionate advocate for the GLBTQ community, as well as being a committed environmentalist, and a public speaker for T1 Diabetes awareness and Diabetic Alert Dogs. She is always happy to take on a new challenge, especially if it involves making some new fictional friends.

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 3 out of 5]

(B) 75% | More than Satisfactory
Notes: Its romance gimmick makes for fun dialogue, but the story’s murder mystery is about as riveting as elevator Muzak.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

"No! The Bat! Why Gotham? Why'd we have to try to organize crime in Gotham?" -- Benny the mobster, upon noticing the 'Bat signal' spotlight over his head

"The good news is: I'm not Batman. The bad news is: I pretty much share his opinion on gunrunning in Gotham." -- Dick Grayson, a.k.a. Nightwing, before administering a thrashing

I close out calendar year 2022 with the nearly twenty year-old Nightwing/Huntress graphic novel, a spry four-chapter crime-drama narrative featuring an early team-up of the former Robin and the soon-to-be charter member of the Birds of Prey. The two vigilantes (covering the perilous Gotham beat for a conspicuously absent Batman) collaborate on an organized crime-related investigation involving a smuggled shipment of firearms and the brutal murder of an undercover police officer. Of course, these two seemingly unrelated plot threads are quickly found to be intertwined, and the titular de facto dynamic duo have to race against time before more blue blood is shed. The storyline was not the most interesting (and I have to jokily wonder if scribe Devin Grayson simply got the job because she shares a surname with one of the starring characters), but I love the signature late 90's / early 00's illustration style that was then-prevelant in the Batman and/or Birds of Prey titles.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nightwing and the Huntress team up to help a mafioso who has been framed for killing a prostitute. The story is pretty ho hum. The fun in this book is the interaction between Nightwing and Huntress. Being the floozy Dick Grayson has always been, he of course, hooks up with the Huntress. This is some of Greg Land's first art. Bill Sienkiewicz inks the book so it's got a squigglier look to it than you typically see from Land.

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A neat little story that pairs up two of the more unlikely members of the Batfamily. It's actually scary how well the pair bounce off each other, finding a nice line between witty banter and genuine conversation. There's still a rocky unease about them, but it feels rewarding to see the growth of their relationship by the end. A 3.5 rounded down just because the story isn't quite gripping enough, it's a pleasant surprise with good characterisations and dynamics.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea of Nightwing and Huntress is appealing if only for the sort of "forbidden love" thing they have going on, knowing how Batman is so against Huntress' methods, and Oracle's supposed antagonism/nonchalance towards said relationship. There is certainly some sexual tension happening, but in spite of this there is the lack of trust that hovers over them both.

The Noir-esque whodunnit story, isn't just a throwaway plot device to throw two very pretty and very headstrong characters together in passionate union. (Poor Huntress gets implicated in mob killings far too frequently for comfort.) The ending has enough mystery to make us wonder "what if".

Land and Sienkiewicz's pencilling is slick and dare I say it, very aesthetically pleasing (particularly a certain crossbow slinging woman and ex-boy wonder) while Giddings' colouring exudes a Noir-esque influence which serves the story very nicely indeed.

[Véronique · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story: 2/5 stars
Huntress' level of badass: 1/5 stars

I wasn't very absorbed in the whole Frankie Black mob mystery. A cop dressed as a sex worker gets murdered in Frankie's apartment while he is away with his secret girlfriend. Nightwing and Huntress team up to try and figure out what happened.

I started reading this comic for the love story between the two vigilantes, but was left pretty unsatisfied. I've been use to the Huntress working independently so it's strange to see her take orders from Nightwing. She does disobey and talk back at him at times (she criticizes his relationship with Batman), but overall I found her more submissive than usual (like all female characters in this story unfortunately). Not very badass.

[William O’Pomegranate · Rating 1 out of 5]

A prostitute gets murdered in a gangster's hotel room but the gangster was across town when it happened. Who killed her and why? Batman is out of town but Nightwing and Huntress form an uneasy alliance to solve the case.

The mystery is pretty boring. I solved the case in under 10 pages. The Nightwing and Huntress relationship is rushed, but what does this comic in is the comical soap opera ending that throws reason and logic out the window.

[Kier Scrivener · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a comic is only as good as it's writer


Well my first Huntress was the first 5 star and this is the first one. I love comics but characters can be really brutalized by bad writing, and not art, because the art is still aesthetic and all that. But the out of characterness, clique and bad writing and just bad plot. Like it could have been a good plot if it had of been written well, but this includes a shot where someone confesses to the murder in the interrogation room with with two detectives and then LEAVES. And we have the one shot of Gordon, as the cops say "I guess he just walked out and we didn't notice" . . . . do I need to say more?

[Viola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huntress and Nightwing make a good team. Solid miniseries with great art.
I liked the charaterization of both, and loved Helena calling out Dick for judging her because Batman does. He proves it's not quite the case and he's treats her as a person not a nuisance to be lectured.

I'm not sure how I feel about Barbara's appearance though. It's understandable that she feels jealous when learning Dick is with someone else but I don't like women being pitted against each other over a man. It doesn't happen here as the two don't talk or meet, and there aren't catty remarks. I did like how Helena acts like an adult about the whole thing, it was a one night stand, no big deal. She sees Dick cares very much for Barbara and doesn't feel the same way about her and accepts it. Without being antagonistic towards Barbara. This is great, but I think she downplays her hopes about a relationship with Dick to protect herself, knowing it won't happen. This story definitely suggets that Dick and Babs are destined for each other and I don't want Helena to be used as a plot device to prop up their relationship.

[Thomas Woodruff · Rating 4 out of 5]

really awesome and creative whodunit that explores Huntress's origins more deeply. the nightwing/huntress dynamic worked really well i thought.

[JD Comics · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devin Grayson writes his namesake well. This is my first time to read a Nightwing book and, I must say, I can see why a lot of people love Nightwing. This is a great gritty mafia story (something that I really enjoy). It is also a good way to get a grasp of who Huntress is if you're not familiar with the character. Land and Sienkiewicz's art is awesome. I know Land is a controversial artist because of the tracing controversy but his early art is phenomenal.

[Zachary King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun mystery and excellent chemistry between the two leads. Huntress is sort of Nightwing’s Catwoman in this!

[Seth Abernethy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mediocre deviation from what is ordinarily great storytelling involving one or both of these characters. Nightwing/Huntress felt like a misstep, taking these two and treating them like toy dolls in your playhouse, smashing them together to pretend they're kissing. The dialogue was less than adequate, and much of the main characters lines felt out of place. The background characters' dialogue was banal and uninspired, which halted the progress of the story and made reading it akin to driving the Rubicon Trail in a Volkswagen Beetle. The murder mystery the plot centers around left something to be desired and felt regrettably forced, wrapping it up in mafia cliches "because Huntress and the mafia". The twist was hinted at far too early, and not at all subtly, and gave it away so quick that when it finally is revealed, the reader has figured it out 45 pages prior. It is fortunate that this was limited to 4 issues, and wasn't dragged out, however its short length also contributes to the rushed feeling the reader detects throughout the story. The "romance" between Huntress and Nightwing felt wildly unnecessary, even though it is glaringly obvious this was the main reason for the story's creation. The two of them have no chemistry at all, and only one thing in common. They move from arguing to kissing in such an inorganic and transitionless way it begs the question "does the writer understand how reluctant romance actually works, or is she just forcing her two favorites together?" A small saving grace was Greg Land's artwork throughout the issues. His illustrations showcase a more than superficial understanding of the characters and makes the more rough sections of the story all the more palatable. To close, this book is far from worthless, especially for Huntress AND Nightwing lovers, but it is disappointingly vapid. If you have an hour or less to kill and nothing else in your "to read" pile, go ahead and give it a shot.

[Ben Truong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nightwing/Huntress is a limited series published by DC Comics that features Dick Grayson as Nightwing and Helena Bertinelli as Huntress teams up to go against the mob. Nightwing/Huntress collects all four issues of the 1998 limited series.

"Cosa Nostra" is a four-issue storyline (Nightwing/Huntress 1–4) that has Dick Grayson as Nightwing teaming up with Helena Bertinelli as Huntress against the mob – in particular Serge Malfatti with the help of the Gotham City Police Department – in particular Harvey Bullock.

Devin Grayson penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it is written moderately well, it has Nightwing, Batman’s right-hand man and Huntress who gets the job done – even if it goes against Batman's rules with things heating up between them in and out of the streets.

Greg Land penciled the entire trade paperback. Since he was the main penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. For the most part, I enjoyed his penciling style, slightly dated, but wonderful nevertheless.

All in all, Nightwing/Huntress is a rather good series of having Nightwing and Huntress protecting Gotham City when Batman is away.

[Enrique del Castillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The overall plot is rather uninteresting; the main draw of this book is Huntress and Nightwing's relationship and the way they state very clearly their roles in the extended Bat-Family and their outlook of the world. It can be rather good at times, and at times it is not subtle, but it works. Makes me wish that DC had done more with the couple.

Also, it is very surprising to see Greg Land's work be good; no tracing and no weird faces, just classic superheroic art. It makes me sad to see how bad his work has become.

[Rylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nightwing and Huntress are two of my favorite characters and it was nice to see them team up. I liked the interactions between the two of them, it does a good job at showing how different Dick is from Bruce just with how he treats Helena. The story was solid, it was nice seeing everything fall into place. The artist is Greg Land and this is some of is early stuff before he started tracing p0rn which is probably why it didn’t give me that unsettling feeling that his art usually does. However Bill Sienkiewicz inks did not go good with the art, it made everything look kinda messy at times.

[Gabriel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was going about my day and all of a sudden I remembered this and how ass this was. I'm not even gonna go in much detail, but reading Dixon's series (PEAK btw) and all of a sudden have this thrown in in the trades completely ruined the flow for me. Legit made me stop reading the Dixon series for a while because it took actual strength for me to finish each issue. I hate this with a passion and the only reason I'd read the Devin Grayson Nightwing run is for the sake of saying I've read all Nightwing runs. No fucking chemistry, Huntress is annoying, bad dialogue throughout...Gawd damn bro!

[Amna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The murder mystery was kind of meh, but the Nightwing/Huntress team up was interesting. The chemistry's there, and they both have some good character moments. I already liked Helena Bertinelli's Huntress thanks to Birds of Prey, but my read through of 90s Batman/Batfam has made me an even bigger fan.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The dynamic and the interplay between the characters was fun and well-done. But I wasn’t as much of a fan of some of the other writing and dialogue. And that Greg Land art? Oof. Knocked it down at least a star.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as: Nightwing Volume 3: False Starts.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this series! It was an interesting look at the dynamics of the Batfamily, and Devin Grayson's small-scale character interactions are pretty great. The story wasn't as crisply plotted as it could have been, but I did like the slow way that the crime unfolded.

[Malena · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75/5

[nat ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

read this for helena bertinelli and helena bertinelli only

[Lilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

CEO's of Situationships.

[Lexxi Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this more for the Huntress angle than the Nightwing one. This is my third graphic novel with Huntress listed in the title credits, and my eighth with Huntress as a lead character (the other four being Worlds' Finest volumes 1-5). Then there are two additional graphic novels wherein Huntress cameos. Nightwing, on the other hand, has only been in four prior graphic novels I've read as a lead character (plus two more wherein he cameoed).

Nightwing, though, has always been Dick Grayson in these graphic novels I've read. Huntress has been "played" by two different people. The five volumes of Worlds Finest, plus Huntress: Crossbow at the Crossroads, have involved Helena Wayne, daughter of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. This graphic novel here, and Huntress: Year One involved Helena Bertinelli, daughter of a mafia crime family. The two women kind of look like each other, both have, at times, been Huntress, and both have a criminal connection (Helena Wayne's being the daughter of Catwoman, if using Selina Kyle's name didn't tip you, whoever "you" might be, off). Otherwise, they're backstories are not the same. Helena Wayne is from Earth Two, while Helena Bertinelli is from whichever mainstream DC Universe earth might be (Earth 1?).

This four issue story involves a woman found dead in a mafia member's hotel room. A hotel room that was supposed to be used as an alibi. Frankie Black, that mafia member, was attempting to break free from the mafia so he needed an alibi in place so he could sell some guns (there's some mixed up way this would get him out, but meh). He wants out because he fell in love with a woman outside the mafia families.

Meanwhile, Nightwing has been shadowing Frankie Black. So he knows Black didn't do the crime. Separately, Huntress was . . . well, something. She was at the hotel when she learned the woman was killed and that the police believe that Frankie Black did it.

Nightwing, with a certain amount of reluctance, teams up with Huntress in more ways than one. Way one: they investigate together. Way two: they fuck (what, they didn't sleep together, no sleeping was involved).

Just to toss in: Batman's away "for the week", and Oracle keeps popping up to scream at Nightwing about how insane Huntress is or something like that.

Interesting enough story. I've never been that interested in Nightwing, and I wasn't that interested in seeing him "hook up" with Huntress. But the story was good enough to pass the time.

I've mentioned Helena Wayne before, so I suppose I should mention that (1) she's using the Huntress name in the current DC Universe (well, she was in New 52, New 52 is over now so . . . ); (2) she also used Helena Bertinelli's name as an alias. Meanwhile, the original Helena Bertinelli is supposedly (1) assumed dead; (2) turned up in another Dick Grayson series that came out recently, this time called "Grayson". Haven't read it so it's just "supposedly" at the moment.

ETA: Oh. I just realized I've actually read Devin Grayson before. She wrote a series called "User" back around 2001 that I read. And hated. I'm glad I didn't remember that before reading this graphic novel here, heh.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review can also be found on my blog.

I’ve been on a Huntress kick lately. And even more lately, on a Nightwing kick. I then found this comic and thought, “Well, what could be better???” XD

A prostitute is found dead in a hotel room in mobster Frankie Black’s name, and Huntress is on the case. Problem is, Nightwing was at the warehouse Black was at at the time of the murder – watching him run a gun deal. Someone’s framed him, and the heroes need to figure out how to work together to figure out who. Nightwing is wary of Huntress and her ruthless methods, and Huntress is quickly frustrated by Nightwing’s straight-laced, methodical thinking. However, they find themselves attracted to one another. Under all that, can they work together? And who in the world has good reason to frame a mobster for murder?

I absolutely loved this one. It was interesting to see Huntress and Nightwing interact, since they’re so different. A recurring theme in the comic was loneliness and trying to find your place in a family, in a new relationship, a new place. The mystery keeps you guessing up until the very end. Be prepared for a plot twist! The color palette was subdued, very cool in tones of blue and purple. I loved the designs of their costumes; Huntress isn’t sexualized like a lot of other female superheroes are. However, I am a fan of the finger stripes on Nightwing’s costume – make of that what you will ;D

I definitely need to make a point of reading more of these two! I love Batman but haven’t read a lot of the stand-alone family books – save for Batgirl, of course =P

[Kati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art by Bill Sienkiewicz & Greg Land: Simply beautiful. Really top notch stuff. That's what a comic book should look like. I was smitten.

Story by Devin Grayson: The parts about the bad guys didn't interest me all that much, but the rest made up for it. I loved the banter between Nightwing and Huntress and then later on between Nightwing and Oracle. The part with Dick in Helena's apartment was hilarious. And the one dream scene with Batman made me laugh out loud. I loved the balance between the plot and the personal stuff, it made the story richer.

All in all, I liked it a lot. Especially the art made the comic book for me!

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick fun read. I liked it for two reasons, mostly. Okay, maybe three. One: it reminded me how much I love Dick. Here, he's a lot less, um, not-Dick than in current batcanon, he's fun and adorable and cute and great at impressions.
Two: Huntress is pretty cool here, and overall I like her interaction with Dick.
Three: My favourite part though was the fact that both Huntress and Oracle were like, "Yes, Huntress reminds you of Batman. She is just like him. And THAT'S why you want to sleep with her!" This being comics, I am of course not making this up.

[Seth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun story. A nice fast paced murder mystery set-up detective story involving Nightwing and The Huntress in a team-up capacity. The first two chapters became kind of annoying because of the way Devin Greyson portrayed The Huntress as a cold and jealous amateur who is more interested in taking potshots at Nightwing and Batman's working relationship than being the confident no nonsense badass that we all know she is. Eventually she stops acting like a child and starts kicking ass. But either way, his portrayal of the Huntress lost Grayson that coveted 5th star.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Devin Grayson pens a tale about family and loneliness that is set in Gotham revolving around Nightwing, Huntress, the GCPD, and the mafia. While many of the elements were basic and she doesn't let the mystery develop its still a good old school Gotham story. The dialogue was heavy handed at times and I thought Dick was well, a dick at times but I enjoyed the team-up. Greg Land's early work is good but the inks were too heavy at times. Overall a decent book from an interesting time in Gotham.