Warning! This post contains spoilers for Nightwing #118I was nearly about to flip tables halfway through the final issue of Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s Nightwing. generally, Nightwing #118 Is a wonderful conclusion to the run with Taylor and Redondo in 2021 Nightwing #78. However, there was one moment where I nearly started to riot, fearing that Tom Taylor had become as heartless as DC’s Heartless himself.
in Nightwing #118 By Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo, Dick Grayson returns to his hometown of Bludhaven, after overcoming his fear of heights that he recently received from the villain Heartless. At the time, Heartless was posing as Grayson to discredit everything Nightwing had done to improve his city and help her people. However, this final confrontation also involves Dick Grayson’s precious pit bull Haley, the three-legged dog Dick saved at the beginning of the run. horrible, Bitwing saves Dick Grayson by taking a bullet that was meant for him (also known as The Moment I Almost Lost It):
Take a bullet in the side of Heartless’ butler that was meant for Dick, Bitewing’s loyalty is no doubt equally matched. However, the idea of ​​Nightwing losing his precious companion is unthinkably tragic and cruel, even for fiction. After all, this is the dog that was literally named by DC fans through an online voting system when she first debuted in Taylor and Redondo’s Nightwing Run.
Haley aka Bitewing is one of DC’s best super pets ever
An expensive creation by Taylor and Redondo
After rescuing her as a puppy from some teenagers who were abusing her, Dick Grayson took Haley aka Bitewing home to live with him as his own.. Since then, Haley has primarily cared for both Nightwing and Barbara Gordon’s Batgirl, becoming adorably loyal and all kinds of cute. While the name Bitewing makes perfect sense, the name Haley is arguably even better, being named after Haly’s Circus where Dick grew up with his parents.
Bitewing has also become a true super pet in its own right. Thanks to the efforts of the fifth-dimensional imp and Nightwing super-fan known as Nite-Mite, Haley temporarily received her own suit and even the ability to speak, helping Nightwing to save Olivia Desmond from some demons. To that end, one would be hard-pressed to find a better dog than Hayley. With that in mind, Bitewing’s sacrifice in this final issue is something she would undoubtedly do for Dick. However, it doesn’t make it any less tragic if that was how her story ends… which thankfully it doesn’t.
Thankfully, Haley lives to be the best Bitwing she can be
(I can rest easy)
Thankfully, Taylor and Redondo’s beautiful final page Nightwing Run sees Haley alive and well, having recovered from her wounds and happily sitting next to Dick and Barbara. As such, it means I can rest easy knowing that such a precious DC super pet can live on. More importantly, it also means that Tom Taylor is easy to rest and don’t have to worry about what would have been a very strong-worded letter written by yours truly. Taylor would never be that cruel (despite being teased otherwise) and Nightwing #118 It remains a truly epic conclusion to his and Redondo’s award-winning run.
Nightwing #118 is now on sale from DC Comics.