REVIEW: Knight Terrors: The Joker #1 (of 2)

The Knight Terrors saga is all about DC Comics taking a peek into the nightmares of its most famous heroes and infamous villains. Pretty dark stuff. So what happens when you mix nightmares and the Clown Prince of Crime? Hilarity ensues of course.

Knight Terrors: The Joker #1 starts out with The Joker kind of, maybe killing Batman? No spoilers on the specifics but the incident is completely random and pretty humorous. But the real nightmare is what happens next. Without his eternal foil, the Joker loses his purpose in life, eventually giving up his life of crime to…get a 9-5 and begin climbing the corporate latter? Truly horrific.

The fun thing about the Joker is that you can have a lot of fun with the Joker. In many ways he’s a character with a perpetual blank slate. He can have any past, he can be anyone, and he can say or do anything. Writer Matthew Rosenberg plays exactly to those aspects of character. The Joker’s attempts to continue being a criminal and his subsequent self-loathing without Batman giving him a reason to continue on is done with comedic flair but also an undertone of sadness. And once he does actually start his job, at Wayne Enterprises of all places, there are points where the reader can kinda feel bad for the guy. But then again, he’s also constantly considering murdering random coworkers It’s dark but also has multiple laugh-out-loud moments.

The art is a balance between light and comedic and dark and violent. Batman’s “death” is visually brutal while the Joker’s first day at the job is bright. There are some “Office Space” and “1984” vibes thrown in for good measure at Wayne Enterprises as well. Corporate Joker is more muted and conveys more subtle emotions even when not speaking. You can see the job wearing him down physically and emotionally as time passes. A great artistic touch.

This is a long-lasting nightmare, something different from the first two dreamers in the Knight Terrors event (Batman and Ravager). And so much happens. There’s piracy and even a brief “Weekend at Bernie’s” inspired scene. But most importantly over the weeks and weeks of this dream, the Joker actually climbs the corporate latter, being promoted multiple times despite his lack of knowledge about his work and the whole impulse to kill everyone thing. This issue is just as much a lowkey satire of corporate America and everyone caught up in the rat race as it is anything else.

And with rumors of the Batman returning towards the end of the issue, and Bruce Wayne himself being alive and well throughout the story, there might be a major mind trip right around the corner. Quite simply, this is one of the most fascinating looks at the Joker that maintains his humor and keeps things light on the melodrama. Fans of the Joker must read Knight Terrors: The Joker #1.

Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Coloring – 4,5 Stars

Overall – 4.5 Stars

Written by; Matthew Rosenberg
Art by; Stefano Raffaele
Colors by; Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letters by; Tom Napolitano
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.