Nightwing #27 and #28 were two of the most interesting comics I've read in quite some time. Why? Both of these comics provided a healthy balance of Richard Grayson's personal life and his nightlife as crimefighting alter ego Nightwing. That's something that's been pretty lacking in DC Comics ever since the invention of the "New 52." It seems like they're trying to be grittier and more (dare I say it?) Marvelesque, focusing on battle scenes rather than the personal interaction between characters.
I miss the insights into the lives of superheroes' "secret identities." For me, that was always the heart of comic books and the reason why I kept reading them from month to month. They were their own type of soap opera. Battling villains was just something they did on the side.
Remember when Dick Grayson left his Robin costume behind and said hello to Nightwing in New Teen Titans back in the 80s? When Wonder Woman had to deal with a teenager's suicide? When the Invisible Woman suffered a miscarriage? That was great storytelling! It made the characters feel real, making them more believably human.
Comics from DC and Marvel no longer seem to be content-driven. They're more focused on battle after battle and producing six-issue stories that feel overly drawn out just so they can collect them and re-sell them in the graphic novel format. They've lost focus (and probably readers) because of it. In fact, I've dropped a lot of comics of late because they've become so...boring. Sometimes I can't even tell any of the characters or series apart anymore. That's how bland and formulaic they've become.
I appreciate that Kyle Higgins, the writer on the current (but soon to be cancelled) Nightwing series, provided some great storytelling, weaving Dick's roommate problems with his challenges with new villainess, the Marionette.
