Nightwing: The Target (Comics) | Review

Corrupt cops beat you unconscious, frame you for murder and suddenly your superhero identity becomes a liability. That's the scenario Dick Grayson is facing and Batman won't let him use his usual methods to fight back. So, he creates an entirely new persona overnight that exists for one single mission: to clear his name.

Published in July 2001 as a prestige format one-shot, this reunites the creative team that defined Nightwing through the late 90s. Chuck Dixon (Batgirl: Year One, Nightwing: Year One) delivers gritty crime noir in a cape, lean and mean across 48 pages without wasting a panel.

The breakneck pacing makes this an adrenaline rush but it also becomes the story's biggest weakness in execution. Everything moves so fast that you'll finish wondering why The Target never got a proper follow-up or sequel. Still, for fans of Dixon's Blüdhaven era, this hits differently than your standard superhero fare.

Dick Grayson isn't just Nightwing. He's also a beat cop in Blüdhaven, one of the few honest officers in a department drowning in corruption. When he witnesses four dirty cops brutally beating suspects, he intervenes as a fellow officer trying to stop the violence.

Big mistake. They knock him out cold and frame him for a murder he didn't commit. Inspector Mac Arnot, the department's fixer, offers Grayson a deal: take the fall, do the time and get rewarded later with a clean slate and career advancement once the heat dies down.

Dick refuses the corrupt bargain outright. But there's a major problem waiting for him. Batman shows up at his apartment and delivers some harsh truth: Nightwing can't investigate this case. If anyone connects Dick Grayson the accused cop to Nightwing the vigilante, the entire double identity collapses permanently and irreversibly.

Batman essentially benches him from operating as Nightwing. So Dick does what any former Robin would do when told he can't be himself. He creates a new identity called The Target, complete with a tactical costume that screams function over flash and intimidation.

With help from his partner Amy Rohrbach, one of the few clean cops left in Blüdhaven's rotting department, he hunts down witnesses and exposes the corrupt officers behind the frame job. The investigation moves fast, tracking down an Afghanistanian drug dealer named Binh Dan who holds crucial information about the case.

Dick protects two key witnesses who can clear his name while dodging both corrupt cops and street-level criminals. What this really means is Dixon crafted a story about identity and limitations. Dick can't be Nightwing here because the risk is catastrophically high.

The Target gives him freedom to operate differently, more aggressively, without the baggage of his Nightwing identity weighing him down. There's something truly liberating about watching Dick work outside both personas, using methods Nightwing might avoid because of connections to Batman's strict moral code and reputation.

The resolution comes quickly, maybe too quickly for a story with this much potential. Dick clears his name, the corrupt cops get exposed and justice wins in the end. But even after being declared innocent, he's still marked as a target by the broken system he tried to serve.

The title isn't just about his new costume. It's about what happens when you fight corruption from the inside and become marked by the institution you swore to protect. This one-shot connects to Dixon's larger Blüdhaven saga, exploring systemic rot within the police department.

The Target persona never appears again after this issue, which feels like a missed opportunity given how well the concept works here. Dick Grayson essentially invented a throwaway identity that could have sustained an entire arc about operating beyond Batman's shadow and the established methods and reputation of Nightwing.

Dixon leaves breadcrumbs throughout suggesting deeper systemic issues in Blüdhaven's power structure. The corrupt cops aren't isolated bad actors but symptoms of institutional rot. This works as both a standalone thriller and commentary on fixing broken systems from within.

Artwork by Scott McDaniel (Batman: False Faces, Batman: Impostors) divides readers. His style is highly kinetic, all exaggerated angles and unconventional perspectives. Bodies twist in ways that defy anatomy, panels flow with chaotic energy and Nightwing moves across pages like he's always mid-flip performing impossible acrobatics.

McDaniel captures Dick's acrobatic nature better than most artists. Every movement has momentum. When The Target crashes through windows or scales buildings, you feel it. The action flows naturally, with minimal dialogue letting the choreography speak for itself.

The Target costume is utilitarian, almost militaristic, stripping away Nightwing's flair for pure practicality. Dixon's writing is tight. He establishes the stakes immediately: corrupt cops, a frame job and Dick's dual life hanging by a thread. The dialogue feels natural, avoiding over-explanation while keeping the pace relentless.

The pacing becomes both a strength and a flaw. Dixon moves through the investigation so quickly that secondary characters barely register. Everything serves the story, nothing lingers. But inventing The Target to bypass limitations defines Dick better than any action scene.

Nightwing: The Target delivers exactly what it promises: a fast, grounded crime thriller that pushes Dick Grayson into unfamiliar territory. The 48-page format forces Dixon to trim everything to essentials, resulting in a story that never drags but never quite breathes. It's a thrill ride while it lasts, leaving you wanting more.

The biggest frustration? This concept deserved more room. Dick operating outside both identities, navigating Blüdhaven's corruption without Batman's rules, could have sustained a full arc. Instead, we get one story that resolves too neatly, The Target never returning.

Still, this is essential reading for Nightwing fans, especially those interested in the Blüdhaven era. It's a snapshot of Dixon and McDaniel at their peak, delivering street-level superhero storytelling that prioritizes character over spectacle. The art won't work for everyone but if you vibe with McDaniel's kinetic style, this hits hard.

Worth grabbing if you find it. Not life-changing but far more interesting than most one-shots from that era. Dick Grayson fans will appreciate seeing him forced to reinvent himself under pressure. Just expect to finish it quickly and immediately want a sequel that never came.

Nightwing: The Target first appeared as a prestige-format one-shot in 2002. In print, it's available as a back-issue through local comic-book shops and online sellers, while the digital edition is on DC Universe Infinite and major storefronts. A book-format release also landed in 2002, matching the original prestige publication.