4/5
Dick Grayson (aka Nightwing/the first Robin) is trying to get back in the swing of things when Haley's Circus, the circus where his parents had died years ago, comes to Gotham. After paying his old friends a visit, the dying owner of the circus gives Dick ownership of the circus, hinting at a mysterious past in Dick's ancestry. As if Dick wasn't already confused, a highly-trained assassin is trying to punish him for crimes he didn't commit.
A solid story with great writing, Kyle Higgins really brings this character to life. Right away from the first issue I knew this was a character I wanted to get behind. Nightwing is a bit like a Peter Parker character, making quips as he fights his foes, but he's also different enough to be his own character (one factor being that Dick is empathetic whereas Peter is sympathetic). The story had twists and turns and was well-paced.
Eddy Barrows does the art for this volume and even though all the action sequences were a joy to see, some of the slower parts looked a bit ugly (most notably the faces). This isn't a big issue, though, because I've definitely seen worse art in a professional comic (see Tana Ford's art for Silk from Marvel). Barrows's art is serviceable and great in some places, but nothing outstanding here.
But even with mediocre art, the smooth writing makes up for the difference to create a great and fun read. It's not exactly a great book for newcomers in comics (I recommend reading Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls first since this story ties into it), it's definitely one of the better starts to DC's New 52 line-up.
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