Dick Grayson finds himself in another bind in NIGHTWING #39. This issue from writer Sam Humphries and artists Matt Santorelli, Phil Jimenez, and Jamal Campbell will tell a crucial moment from Nightwing’s past. Check out these opening pages in this NIGHTWING #39 Exclusive Preview.

Throughout Sam Humphries’ debut arc as writer on NIGHTWING, Dick Grayson has found himself outmaneuvered by the criminal known as the Judge. The Judge has a special sight which allows himself to see people’s deepest desires. He then offers to give these people their deepest desire if they do something for him in return. The Judge seems able to compel others to do his bidding through his own brand of brainwashing lottery chips.

Over only a couple of days, the Judge has plunged Blüdhaven into chaos. He has managed to make the mayor commit suicide, to have the casinos, the city’s main source of revenue, shut down, to take over a powerful gang, and to make Nightwing’s one ally in Blüdhaven, Detective Svaboda, shoot the former Boy Wonder. Moreover, the Judge has left a trail of bodies in his wake.

Dick blames himself for all these deaths since he had not one but two chances in his past to stop the Judge. First Dick nearly stopped the Judge as Robin. Instead he let his childish arrogance get in the way. Now in NIGHTWING #39 we learn how Dick could have stopped the Judge later on. At this point Dick was attending Hudson University in Blüdhaven. Then a student was compelled to murder a group of her fellow classmates. It was at this point that Dick realized that the Judge had returned to Blüdhaven.

Now a captured Dick must relive his past failures as the Judge reminds the vigilante of his past. Dick must regain the strength to fight back, escape, and defeat the Judge once and for all. Nightwing made a promise that he would never give up. Now is the perfect time for him to prove that the scales of justice may turn slowly, but they eventually catch up. And now justice is coming for the Judge.

NIGHTWING #39 is Available in Comic Stores on February 21st!