Nightwing #83

History

Writer Tom Taylor and artist Bruno Redondo launched their Nightwing run with issue #78, and #83 represents the conclusion of that opening six-issue arc. The creative team had already demonstrated remarkable traction with readers: their debut issue reached a third printing, while issues #79 and #81 each earned second printings — an unusual achievement for a DC solo title outside of an event context. The issue was edited by Jessica Chen under group editor Ben Abernathy, with colors by Adriano Lucas and letters by Wes Abbott, and was published on August 17, 2021, with a cover date of October 2021. It was subsequently collected in the hardcover and trade paperback editions of Nightwing Vol. 1: Leaping into the Light, and later in the Nightwing by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo Omnibus Vol. 1, which collects issues #78–96 alongside related tie-ins.

Trivia · 8 facts

• First (cameo, unnamed) appearance of Gerald Chamberlain, the architect of Heartless's origin, who groomed the young Shelton Lyle and engineered his transformation into the cyborg villain.
• Concludes the 'Leaping into the Light' arc (Nightwing #78–83), the first storyline of the Tom Taylor/Bruno Redondo run under DC's Infinite Frontier publishing initiative.
• Written by Tom Taylor, with art by Bruno Redondo and Cian Tormey, colors by Adriano Lucas, and letters by Wes Abbott; cover A by Bruno Redondo, cover B (card stock variant) by Max Dunbar.
• Published August 17, 2021; cover-dated October 2021.
• The issue depicts Dick Grayson publicly announcing his plan to use Alfred Pennyworth's inheritance to benefit Blüdhaven, a defining character moment for the Taylor run's 'Nightwing as civic hero' thesis.
• Features a broad ensemble roster including Superman (Clark Kent), Oracle (Barbara Gordon), Batman (Bruce Wayne), Robin (Tim Drake), Blockbuster (Roland Desmond), Heartless (Shelton Lyle), Melinda Zucco, Leslie Thompkins, Lucius Fox, and Titans members Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, Donna Troy, and Beast Boy (in cameo); Alfred Pennyworth appears in photograph only.
• The Taylor/Redondo run — of which this issue is part — won the Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series in 2023; Redondo was also nominated for Best Penciller/Inker and won Best Cover Artist that same year.
• Collected in Nightwing Vol. 1: Leaping into the Light (hardcover December 2021; trade paperback edition also published) and in the Nightwing by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo Omnibus Vol. 1, which collects Nightwing #78–96, Nightwing Annual 2021 #1, Batman: Urban Legends #10, and Superman: Son of Kal-El #9.

Cast · 22 characters

Full credits

Key issues in Nightwing

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#10 1st appearance — Defacer

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#119 1st appearance — Olivia Pearce

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#50 1st appearance — Bea Bennett

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#51 1st appearance — Alphonse Sapienza

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#52 1st appearance — Zak Edwards

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#78 1st appearance — Melinda Zucco

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#97 1st appearance — Nite-Mite

Variants (1)