Giz and Mouse

I really liked Giz and Mouse in Hunt For Oracle, and now I've just read Nightwing #55, the scene where Blockbuster lets the contract killers and other villains fight against Shrike, to see who's the "fittest" to get Nightwing. Giz and Mouse are on the sidelines as Shrike beats Stallion to pulp, and I just love the third panel on page six: Mouse looks away, Giz covers his eyes with his hand and also turns his head, his distressed squirrel covering his head trying to hide, and Mouse says "Giz..." then Giz "I know Mouse, this is not our scene." the squirrel "chee!" And later they (predictably) pass fighting Shrike. Somehow Giz and Mouse are just, uh, "cute" in a way. Likable, and not totally messed up. I have to find out in what other comics and series Giz and Mouse have appeared so far and track down copies of those issues...

Uh, just sharing my delighted "squee" moment, I guess.

( ETA: I scanned the panel I described. You can see it behind the cut-tag )

the squee continues...

No real coherent comments on Nightwing #57 and Nightwing #58 either -- just:
Everybody who likes Dick Grayson and likes h/c with an emphasis on the hurt part (though comfort's there too), will enjoy these issues. I mean, what's not to like?

Nightwing chained, and hanging bare-chested, headfirst from the ceiling, hurting really beautifully, being mocked and taunted by the villains for a love letter Barbara slipped him into his glove. Or Barbara / Oracle all protective and worried, then kicking villain ass and rescuing him (well of course Nightwing also fights to escape, getting hurt some more in the process, and Dinah plays a part too). A favorite scene of mine is when the minion ninja-wannabees insult Oracle "So you're the one who wrote the letter." "What's he want with a cripple?" "Maybe we'll find out, huh?" and she takes them all out with taser lines integrated in her wheel chair, and then says "'Cripple' my butt." Heh.

And there are several other great scenes too. In Nightwing #56 we got the build-up showing Dick and Barbara as a happy couple, lighthearted (and a scene of Dick Barbara's shower...), while Shrike is hunting Nightwing, making the impact of the next two issues much harder, bringing home how fragile happiness can be. There's some slow development in the Torque-arc too, but that's all more like setting the scene for the next thing.