PREVIEW: Dick’s new dog makes herself at home in NIGHTWING #79

Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas, and Wes Abbott‘s run as the new creative team on Nightwing got off to a near-perfect start earlier this month. Now DC Comics has announced that Nightwing #78 will be getting a second printing, and released a preview for Nightwing #79. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, readers will have an opportunity to help name Dick Grayson’s newly-adopted dog.

First, some nice art: the second printing of Nightwing #78 will feature a new cover by Redondo. The second printing will arrive in stores on Tuesday, April 27th.

Now, the dog, aka the spectacular character find of 2021. Dick Grayson’s new doggo is a three-legged girl whom Nightwing rescued a gang of real assholes in Taylor, Redondo, & Co.’s first issue. Between now and next Tuesday, fans with registered DC Universe Infinite accounts can vote on what this doggo’s name will be. The four choices are:

• Haley
• Shadow
• Blue
• Hope

As of this writing over 1,500 votes have been cast. Users can only vote once, so choose (coughHaleycough) wisely.

This new name will of course just be the dog’s civilian name, as Taylor revealed last month, in response to a suggestion we made in previewing Nightwing#78, that he’s been referring to her as Bitewing internally.

Yes. The puppy is currently named Bitewing in my latest #Nightwing script, but she’s going to need an alter ego dog name. More on that to come. https://t.co/S50ARRN1Uq

— Tom Taylor (@TomTaylorMade) February 19, 2021

Nightwing #79 finds Bitewing getting comfortable in Dick Grayson’s apartment, and will explore Dick’s new status in Blüdhaven and what he chooses to do now that he’s inherited the late Alfred Pennyworth’s previously-unrevealed wealth. The issue will also expand on the newly-introduced character of Melinda Zucco, new mayor of Blüdhaven and the daughter of Tony Zucco, the man who murdered Dick Grayson’s parents. The end of the last issue revealed that Zucco has something planned for Dick (not Nightwing) specifically, but what could it be?

Check out the preview pages for Nightwing #79, as well as covers by Redondo and Jamal Campbell, below. The issue arrives in stores on Tuesday, April 20th.