Summary
WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for NIGHTWING #120!Nightwinghas officially traded in his domino mask for a full-face mask in a stunning variant cover that celebrates Mexican and Latinx culture. While this mask may not make it into the narrative, the variant cover itself deserves appreciation. This unique addition to the Nightwing costume unintentionally proposes the idea of a variant cover series that DC could implement next November.
Gone is Dick’s traditional domino mask, replaced by a traditional painted wooden skull known as a calaca.
Dan Watters and Dexter Soy’sNightwing#120 is set to release on August 06, 2025, and promises to bring Dick back to the street-level hero that fans love. The synopsis teases that Nightwing will face off against Blüdhaven’s corrupt police force, who have deadly experimental weapons, while also trying to prevent bloody gang wars and avoid being targeted by a mysterious foe.
NIGHTWING #120 (2024)
Variant Covers:
Dan Panosian, Francesco Francavilla, and Gleb Melnikov
With deadly experimental weapons in the hands of the city’s oh-so-corrupt police force, Nightwing must prevent a bloody war breaking out with the gangs of Blüdhaven — which would be easier if someone didn’t keep trying to blow him up!
This issue is already set to be exceptionally exciting, and the addition of its variant covers only enhances its appeal, especiallyFrancesco Francavilla’s art, which features Nightwing wearing a Día de los Muertos mask.
Cover C Francesco Francavilla Card Stock Variant forNightwing#120
Gone is Dick’s traditional domino mask, replaced by a full-face mask in Francavilla’s variant cover—one ofNightwing’s most unique and stunning looksto date. Dick’s new mask is a direct tribute to Día de los Muertos, a traditional celebration that honors the dead and is observed in Mexico, parts of Latin America, and New Mexico.The mask he dons appears to be a traditional painted wooden skull, known as a calaca.These wooden skulls are often placed on altars and dedicated to the deceased as part of the festivities. Thus, Francavilla’s art is a beautiful and unique celebration of Día de los Muertos.
Dick’s calaca is particularly stunning because it not only mirrors the traditional masks and decorations of Día de los Muertos but alsopays tribute to his Nightwing persona by featuring a color palette that highlights his signature blue and black.The release of this variant cover in November is no coincidence, as Día de los Muertos takes place on November 1 and 2. Francavilla clearly put a lot of thought into this cover, aligning its release with the actual celebrations of the Day of the Dead.
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DC Needs To Do a ‘Dia De Los Muertos’ Variant Cover Series Next November
Cover B Dan Panosian Card Stock Variant forNightwing#120
Francavilla’s variant cover is a wonderful display of artistic talent and culture merging with DC. By matching the mask to Nightwing’s color scheme, he may have unintentionally proposed a fun idea for DC to explore next November: a Día de los Muertos variant cover series. This series could feature various DC characters receiving Day of the Dead redesigns, complete with calacas, across DC’s top titles. It would be exceptionally cool to see other fan-favorite characters receive the same reimagining thatNightwingdid this year.
Nightwing #120will be released from DC Comics on August 19, 2025!
Nightwing
Nightwing is the superhero moniker taken up by Dick Grayson, upon his aging out of the Robin role and becoming a superhero of his own. Inspired by the original Kryptonian hero of the same name, Grayson has risen to comic book immortality with the identity, earning respect as one of the greatest leaders in the DC Universe.
