Knight Terrors #2 variant cover, via DC Comics.
Knight Terrors #2 — Joshua Williamson, Writer; Guiseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Nesi, Caspar Wijngaard, Artists; Frank Martin, Colorist
Ray — 9/10
Ray: We’re into the thick of this event now, with Boston Brand alone against a world where almost all the heroes are fast asleep and locked within their own nightmares. He’s possessing the body of Batman, who is involved in his own battle, and has very few choices for allies — basically just robotic heroes and a few who have used magic to avoid the plague. However, he’s now picked another one — but he’s not alive and hasn’t been for a very long time. The return of Wesley Dodds, the Golden Age Sandman, was a huge surprise at the end of last issue but the character’s horror roots make him a perfect choice for this story. At first, Deadman just wants to resurrect him briefly to get his information on the Nightmare Stone, but after a flashback shines light on the origin of this cursed artifact and Sandman’s battle against a cult obsessed with it, the old pulp hero decides he’d rather stick around and see this crisis through.
Dead man talking. Via DC Comics.
This event has a slightly unusual format — a main story of six issues, as well as around 25 independent two-part miniseries taking each hero into their own nightmares. But it’s working so far, mostly because the main story is so damn strong. One of the biggest assets it has is Williamson — the man has been doing so well for so long with standard superhero comics that it’s hard to remember his roots are in horror and have been for a very long time. He’s indulging those instincts here, and he has some great art partners. This issue has three artists, but they don’t distract from the cohesive feel of the issue and the subtle art shifts actually nicely accentuate the shift between scenes, dreams, and reality. Overall, Deadman is making a very compelling lead character here, the visuals of the villains are intensely creepy, and the creative team is doing a great job of building tension from issue to issue.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
