REVIEW: Knight Terrors #1

Deadman returns to center stage as the main storyline continues in DC’s nightmare fueled mega crossover event. In Knight Terrors #1, Deadman has possessed Batman’s body (while Bruce’s mind is in dreamland), and is confronting the big bad of the story, Insomnia. Things are strange and are only gonna get weirder from here.

The issue kicks off with Deadman recalling the night his stage name became his permanent state of being. It’s sad but he adds a bit of showmanship to it making him a worthy protagonist to follow in the crazy story about to unfold. Deadman/Batman has to figure out where the Nightmare Stone is before Insomnia and it will not be easy. And throughout said crazy story, Deadman’s quips, smarts, and his bravery endear him even more. Deadman is pretty cool. A statement rarely uttered outside of the most hardcore of DC comic book fans. A testament to Joshua Williamson writing for sure. Deadman gets to not only take Batman’s body for a spin, he also gets to drive the Batmobile! Both of which he is rightfully excited about.

Getting a chance to play around with dreams (nightmares in particular) is probably a fun excursion for most artists. The art team here certainly looks like they enjoyed themselves. Bold and colorful (in a dark way) art covers every panel of this issue. Deadman looks ghostly, yet friendly (insert your own Casper joke here) and Insomnia looks expectantly crazy and scary. The backgrounds and set pieces are amazing as well ranging from the grounded to the surreal. This is just one good looking comic thanks to Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Nesi, Caspar Wijngaard, and Frank Martin.

Boston Brand seems an unlikely lead but he’s the perfect (dead)man for the job. He isn’t alive and can’t sleep, so while the bigger heroes of the world are under a forced slumber, he’s free to do his thing and try to save the world. And in this issue alone, he pulls off a couple of impressive feats to get his mission started. He can’t do this alone however, and at the end of the issue he digs up (literally) someone who can help him solve this mystery. No spoilers but it’s a fan favorite of the hardcore and sets the stage for a buddy action romp you didn’t know you wanted. Knight Terrors #1 is a worthy read and a fun start to a potentially epic comic event.

Writing – 4.5 Stars
Art – 4.5 Stars
Coloring – 4.5 Stars

Overall – 4.5 Stars

Written by; Joshua Williamson
Art by; Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Nesi, and Caspar Wijngaard
Colors by; Frank Martin and Caspar Wijngaard
Letters by; Troy Peteri
Published by; DC Comics

Author Profile

Christopher R. Ford

Writer, author, and blogger. Published author of three children's books and also writes for the boy Creators For The Culture. Part-time sneaker head, full time nerd.