Scott Snyder to Introduce Female Nightwing in Batman #28

Art by Dustin Nguyen

Today on Twitter, Batman writer Scott Snyder told his followers that Batman #28 would not continue the "Zero Year" story. Instead, it would give the reads a glimpse of Batman's future.

 "Then I started thinking about all the crazy plans we have in BATMAN, and in BATMAN ETERNAL (the weekly), for Gotham of 2014, and I figured: what if, as a thank you to you guys for all the support, we took a month off from ZY right at the halfway point, and instead did a special issue that showed you what's coming up in the world of Batman AFTER ZY? Not an issue that cuts to the present, but one that actually shows you a glimpse of the FUTURE of Batman - Gotham circa summer 2014?

So I got to talking with the other Gotham writers, and we agreed that with all the crazy stuff that's going to happen in 2014 - and my goal above all in 2014 is to keep things daring and fun - it'd be a thrill to do a total spoiler issue. A stand-alone issue that takes place in the near future and reveals all sorts of massive surprises coming to Gotham in the spring of summer of 2014. 

Afterwords, Snyder tweeted the above piece of art from comic artist Dustin Nguyen of what appears to be a female Nightwing. DC has been teasing about the last of Nightwing for awhile. Could this be why?

Last month, Snyder tweeted a Thanksgiving portrait of the Batfamily that seemed to lack a certain Boy Wonder and had Snyder's character Harper Row sitting with beside Stephanie Brown, Red Robin, and Batman.

While this is purely speculation, I have a feeling Harper Row will take on the role of Nightwing. The character depicted in the Nightwing design does look like her and the costume fits her style. Also, it would make since for a character that Snyder created to take on the role and become a full -fledged member of the Batfamily.

Personally, I'm fine with this. I like the character of Harper Row and I had a feeling Snyder would do something like this eventually. I thought he would make her Robin after the situation with Damion Wayne, but I can't be right about everything. However, this does leave me with a question: How does Dick Grayson fit into all of this?

Is something going to happen to him? Will he be retiring from the superhero game or will DC kill him like they've done so many other characters in the New 52? Will we have two Nightwings, one red and one blue? Who knows.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Trailer: Initial Thoughts

Sony Pictures released the trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 today. As the number at the end of the title implies, its the sequel to 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man, a reboot of the franchise directed by Marc Webb and starring Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker. 

While I had some problems with the first movie, like how they handled the Uncle Ben plot elements and the costume design, I really enjoyed the film and thought Garfield embodied the character of Peter Parker a lot better than Toby Maguire. So, its safe to say that I have high hopes for this sequel and have been waiting to see the trailer. 

However, while this trailer looks nice, I find myself somewhat nervous after watching it. Apparently, there will be three villains in the film: Electro, Green Goblin, and Rhino. The last time they tried to shove three of Spidey's villains into a film, it didn't turn out so well (*cough*Spider-Man 3*cough*). While the film could prove me wrong, knowing they are going to be juggling three villains makes me a little apprehensive. 

Also, while the trailer does look good and has me intrigued with the mystery behind Peter's father and his relationship to Oscorp, the CG seems a little off to me. I've never been a big fan of CG, having always preferred practical effects. However, I accept that sometimes you have to use CG due to budgetary reasons or that it might not be possible to create the effect practically. With something like Spider-Man, I know most of the effects will be CG. However, the CG in the trailer seems too "clean" for my tastes and looks really fake and weird at times. 

However, this is just a trailer and my first opinions based on said trailer. The final project's special effects might be a lot better and Webb and the script might prove my suspicions about the three villains wrong. So, with my opinions out there, I'd like to hear yours as well. After seeing the trailer, are you excited for this film, or apprehensive? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.