Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: Comics, dc comics, entertainment, Grayson #8, Ted Seeley, Tom King

Grayson #8 Is 'The One Where Everything Happens'

By Shawn Perry

'Sup Bleeders,

Grayson #8 by Tom King and Tim Seeley and is an pretty big chapter in the new life of the acrobat formerly known as Nightwing and once again this duo proves they know how to tell great stories about a superhero sans the secret identity that are just as compelling as any of the ones with him in an black, red or blue costume on… if not moreso because without the mask to drive focus away the book spends all its time revealing the true hero which is all any fan could ask of a book starring DC's most-relatable son, Dick Grayson.

This is a big one and I have mixed feelings about it. I was so blown away by this issue the first time I read it I had put it away and read it again today with an open mind. At first glance I thought it was another example of an amazing comic book storyline being rushed to climaxes too soon. Don't worry, the saga of Dick Grayson as an agent of Spyral is by no means over, rather, its the status quo of Dick as Agent 37 working alongside Helena Bertinelli under the direction of the mysterious Mr. Minos comes to an end seemingly out of nowhere. Or is it? I don't know.

[*Spoilers ahead!]

At the outset of the series Grayson has been a story about the artist formerly known as Nightwing using his public death as an veil to manipulate Spyral into believing he would commit himself to working for them. He did this because Bruce told him to do it, which should come as a surprise to no one least of all an organization filled with spies, so right from the start it was a safe bet to assume that Spyral knew about Dick's alterior motives and throughout the series we have received hints that this was the case from the mysterious Mr. Minos. He has been like the Charlie to Dick's double-agent angel and that all comes to an end when he reveals himself and goes on a killing spree on the Spyral Campus with an monster named Paragon who has all the powers of the Justice League.

After disposing of Helena with her own weapon Minos goes after Agent 1 with the beast and is just about to kill him when Dick goes old school and proves his mastery over the entire Justice League and takes out the monster almost single-handedly with a nice assist from some of his students who spend most of their time contemplating his assets.

At the end of the issue we are promised a new partner for Dick's next adventure and I would say Agent 1 is a good guess although there is no doubt his students would love to work under him as well. Having him work with a new partner will most likely just make Helena's place as more than his partner clear if I were to read the coverage. Speaking of reading the coverage, Mr. Minos is a mastermind who spends the whole issue revealing how he has been at the center of a massive conspiracy that he has been working on for years only to have his masterstroke foiled by Dick and a few mischievous girls from his gym class in just a few pages.

Helena returns once he is caught to put an arrow in him and that's it…oh but wait not really because he had just sent a life-model decoy as he explains in the final scene to someone 'he thinks' is an journalist that will help him share Spyral's secrets with the world but actually ends up shooting him after revealing that she is Spyral's Agent Zero. Now this begs the question is he really dead or was he using another decoy to get more information?

Time will tell but one way or another the status quo of this series just got turned on its head and the entrance of Agent Zero – who is almost certainly Kathy Kane last seen killing Talia Al Ghul in Grant Morrison's fantastic Batman Incorporated #12 – is sure to stir things up once this book returns after its two-month Convergence break.

The best thing I can say about this book is that I have got no idea where it is going and nothing would surprise me. In short, this is the Dick Grayson book I have been waiting my whole life to read and if you are a fan of the character that is not reading then you are missing out on something special.

Word to you Bleeders.

Shawn Perry is a comic book and film enthusiast striving to be here now.  He currently resides in East Hartford, Connecticut. Tweet him @thesperry and email him at Shawn.Perry88@gmail.com.

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