Nightwing's Newest Enemy is the Perfect Replacement for Stephen King's Pennywise

Nightwing's new nemesis is finally revealing exactly what they are capable of, and they might just be the scariest clown in the history of the DC Universe.

After months of fighting back against the forces of Spheric Solutions and the Cirque du Sin from the shadows, Nightwing #132 (by Dan Watters, Dexter Soy, Veronica Gandini, and Wes Abbott) finally gives the titular hero the chance to stare down his latest nemesis face-to-face. Shockingly, it isn't Olivia Pearce who Nightwing should be worried about, but rather the dreadful clown known as Zanni. He has been puppeteering her corpse around Bludhaven, and his powers go further than anything Dick Grayson could ever even begin to comprehend.

Nightwing #132

• Written by DAN WATTERS
• Art by DEXTER SOY
• Colors by VERONICA GANDINI
• Letters by WES ABBOTT
• Main cover art by DEXTER SOY
• Variant covers by DUSTIN NGUYEN; PAOLO PANTALENA; and ELIZABETH TORQUE & SABINE RICH

The Zanni's first appearance came in the form of an unnamed cameo in the pages of Nightwing #119 (by Dan Watters and Dexter Soy) back in 2024. A black-and-white enigma with a form based on the likenesses of classic French clowns, the Zanni has served as the largely unseen head of the Cirque du Sin and, by extension, Spheric Solutions as well. To make matters worse, Zanni has his own mysterious and deep-seated connection to Dick Grayson's past, one that stretches all the way back to his time as Robin.

Alongside Zanni's debut in Nightwing #119 came that of Olivia Pearce, who was obviously a threat from the start, though she certainly didn't seem like an undead horror at the time. Instead, Olivia Pearce played herself up as the ambitious, tech-savvy CEO of Spheric Solutions, which had come to Bludhaven looking for a new corporate home and, more importantly, the chance to test their automated, weaponized drones on the various gangs who were making moves across the city in the wake of Heartless' downfall.

Rather than offering any real help, however, Spheric Solutions was only ever interested in ramping up tensions within Bludhaven and ensuring Nightwing's untimely demise. Not only did Spheric Solutions do everything possible to draw out Nightwing alongside the young gang members he was trying to help, but they also forced him to play along with their ruse as Olivia worked to disrupt every aspect of the hero's life that she possibly could. Now, the Cirque du Sin has pushed Nightwing to the point that he has once again put his reputation and legacy on the line without ever realizing what he was really up against.

Nightwing #132 is on sale now from DC Comics.