I Reads You Review: GRAYSON #1

GRAYSON #1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

PLOT: Tim Seeley and Tom King
SCRIPT: Tim Seeley
ART: Mikel Janin
COLORS: Jeremy Cox
LETTERS: Carlos M. Mangual
COVER: Andrew Robinson
VARIANT COVERS: Mikel Janin; Jock
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (September 2014)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

Dick Grayson is a DC Comics character best known as the first person to take on the identity of Robin, Batman's kid sidekick.  Robin/Dick Grayson was originally created by Batman's creators, artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and also artist Jerry Robinson.  Robin debuted in Detective Comics #38 (cover date:  April 1940).

Batman's a junior counterpart, Robin, was known as the “Boy Wonder,” during the first three decades of the character's existence.  The team of Batman and Robin is commonly referred to as the “Dynamic Duo” or the “Caped Crusaders.”  Over time, the men who wrote the Batman comic books depicted Dick Grayson as growing up, even graduating from high school and attending college.  Robin would go on to lead a group of teen characters and sidekicks called the Teen Titans.  Eventually, Dick Grayson relinquished the name Robin and became a new superhero, Nightwing (first appearance in Tales of the Teen Titans #43)

As Nightwing, Dick Grayson has been the star of two eponymous comic book series.  The New 52 version of Nightwing was canceled some months ago.  It was recently replaced by a new comic book series, entitled Grayson, that spins out of DC Comics' 2013-14 crossover event series, Forever Evil (which I did not read).

Grayson #1 finds Dick Grayson in a blond wig.  He is now known as “Agent 37,” and he works for an international spy organization known as Spyral.  Grayson has just hitched a ride aboard the Trans-Siberian Railway, where his target for acquisition is Dubov Ninel.  However, Agent 37 isn't the only one out to get Ninel, and even after he obtains him, there is a new player looking to take what Grayson just obtained.  [SPOILER Alert!]  Enter Midnighter.

I read a preview of Grayson #1 in another comic book (can't remember which one), and that preview intrigued me.  I was excited about the series and visited two comic book stores to find a copy of issue #1.  Having read it I can say that I don't think that I would pay to read Grayson again.

It is not that Grayson is bad.  It is entertaining, and I like the art by Mikel Janin with colors by the always good Jeremy Cox.  It's just that besides an appearance by Midnighter (of Stormwatch and The Authority fame), nothing else about this first issue excited me.  It's good; just not special enough for me to set aside the cash to buy it on a regular basis.  I must say that if I am excited by the guest star in a particular future issue, I might buy that issue.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

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