Quick Hits: Nightwing #83 And Wonder Woman #778

While I cover the Super-titles here on the site regularly, occasionally something super-centric will happen in another book that warrants a quick look here.

In the last couple of weeks, we have seen a Superman sighting in Nightwing #83 and a Phantom Zone trip in Wonder Woman #778. I collect both books monthly so I didn't need to seek them out. They fell into my laps. And both scenes are worthy of at least quick coverage here.

I started buying Nightwing when writer Tom Taylor started his current run with artist Bruno Redondo. It is an interesting read given Taylor is also writing Superman, Son of Kal-El. Here Nightwing has inherited over a billion dollars from Alfred and plans to use that money to help solve social wrongs. This is sort of a more stable way than Jon's approach. Add to that a nice side plot of Dick suddenly having a half-sister with the last name Zucco and this has been a good read.

I have been collecting the Wonder Woman title for a long time but was interested to see what writers Michael Conrad and Becky Cloonan would bring to the table. With artist Travis Moore, they have been crafting a great tale of Diana recovering from post-Metal amnesia. We have seen her travel from Asgard to Earth to Olympus all in pursuit of the god/dess Janus who split themselves in two.

I'd definitely recommend both books. Let's see what I stumbled across.

In Nightwing, Dick has decided to create the Pennyworth Foundation, where he will use his money to lift up the marginalized and underserved in in Bludhaven (and around the world as he can).

Before the big announcement, he decides to run his plan by Superman. Make sure it gets that Clark seal of approval.

It is a nice way to show the position that Superman has on this world. And the joke about Batman avoiding awkward conversations is great. I love seeing Superman laugh.

He knows that Dick is a solid citizen and that this is the right decision. I like that too.

Then Superman asks Dick to look after Jon should the Man of Steel have to leave the world.

Nice body language in that last panel showing how much this is weighing on Clark. 

Since Taylor is writing both books, it makes sense to cover that here. 

I do wonder if we will see Superman on some tour telling other heroes to help Jon. I hope ... really hope ... that Kara is one of them.

Meanwhile, over in Wonder Woman, one of the dimensions she follows Janus through is the Phantom Zone. There she encounters the Phantom King Xa-Du. Xa-Du has been guaranteed freedom by Janus should he kill Diana.

But before that throw down can happen, who shows up but Aethyr, the overmind whose body IS the Zone. Now those who know me will know that I love the concept of Aethyr, first introduced in the bizarre Phantom Zone mini-series by Steve Gerber and Gene Colan.

And you may also recall it was just brought back in Action Comics Annual 2021.

Curious about all the Aethyr love, I went to Twitter and asked to writers of the comics if they had discussed the resurrection of Aethyr while the books were being written. Turns out it was a lucky accident! Both on their own separately included it.

It reminds me that I owe this site reviews of that original mini-series. I'll get on it. 

In the meantime, here is me and blog mate Mart Gray talking about it:

http://fireandwaterpodcast.com/podcast/fw-presents-showcase-gene-colan-phantom-zone/

Anyways, great moments in these books.