REVIEW: Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #2

Ivy (and Jessica from HR) continue their tortured trek through the nightmare dreamhouse in Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #2. Can this impromptu dynamic duo both get out of Ivy’s nightmare?

At the end of issue #1, Ivy wasn’t fighting against her nightmare but trying to assimilate herself into it. Harley was happy and she figured that’s all she needed to be happy herself. In the entire Knight Terrors series, she’s one of the very few not fighting back. That was left to Janet from HR who also finds herself in Ivy’s twisted version of suburbia. Finally, in this issue, Ivy snaps out of it She joins up with Janet from HR (who is surprisingly awesome) and fights back. This is one of the more intense issues in the entire saga as the two heroines have to contend with twisted versions of Harley, Batman, Catwoman, Nightwing, Batgirl, and Penguin. Writer, G. Willow Wilson keeps the petal to the metal from start to finish.

Similarly, to the first issue, the art is a showstopper. Initially, the art had a slow arc to it. But the character designs that slowly morphed from normal characters to exaggerated nightmares start and stay terrifying in this one. It’s relentless. The wide-eyed, saliva-dripping grins, and exaggerated proportions define creepy. Ivy’s nightmare of what lies just beneath suburban life is excellently captured by artists Atagun Ilhan and Mark Morales and colorist Arif Prianto. Think rock group Soundgarden’s iconic music video for “Black Hole Sun” and you’re on the right track. And Batman in khaki shorts, high socks, AND sandals? Perhaps the most terrifying sight of all.

Unlike most tales, duality is a thread that flows throughout this particular series. There are two characters stuck inside one nightmare and the dream of Ivy’s partner, Harley, is her own personal worst fear. Now landing this kind of plane can be quite tricky in comics. Complex stories like this fail to nail their endings all the time (including other entrants in the Knight Terrors series). But both storylines merge and are concluded in a satisfactory way here. Ivy has to take a long hard look at herself and then decide her path forward. In conclusion, Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #2 combines complex and thrilling storytelling with innovative and creepy art to create one of the best off-shoots in the series.

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

Overall – 4.5 Stars

Written by; G. Willow Wilson
Art by; Atagun Ilhan and Mark Morales
Colors by; Arif Prianto
Letters by; Hassan Otsmane-El Hadu
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.