REVIEW: ‘Knight Terrors: Ravager,’ Issue #1

Knight Terrors: Ravager #1 is published by DC Comics, written by Ed Brisson, art by Dexter Soy, colors by Veronica Gandini, and letters by Troy Peteri. This is part of the Knight Terrors event. Ravager finds herself trying to save a younger version of herself within a past she doesn’t recognize.

The issue wastes no time before throwing in the frightening parts. It opens with blood and monsters, haunting creatures crafted from people the young girl knows. The first part of the issue is extremely creepy, with the dreamscape making it seem that the little girl is the book’s central figure. She’s being hunted by the monsters in an old house that is perfect for a horror comic. But then enters Ravager herself, having to play the protector. It’s more than just trying to stay away from the monster, although that is riveting. There is a false history, creating a deep mystery that is difficult to understand if it’s true or not. The nightmare restricts powers, so Rose cannot tell what is coming. The issue is beautifully claustrophobic, taking place within a singular location. And just when we believe in understanding the rules of the story, something happens that puts Rose at an even bigger disadvantage.

Knight Terrors: Ravager #1 brilliantly unnerves the title character by trying to relive memories she doesn’t have. Ravager instantly rushes towards saving the day, the instinct of saving a young girl. Everything is foreign to her here, with inaccuracies and complete changes to how she grew up, but with this younger version. It makes every part of the issue unnerving. That is twinned with the incredibly dark monsters she’s up against. Seemingly unkillable and terrifying, they are hunters. 

The art is brilliant at creating the atmosphere for the issue. The characters are almost in shadow; if they aren’t, they are in tight confines that never appear to relent. The location is largely nondescript, not giving much in the way of information about Ravager’s surroundings. This not only pens the innocents in but also restricts a view of any potential way out. Any shots we get are empty woodland or just nothingness. The creatures’ Ravager faces are hulking, black, and close to featureless beings. Their faces are creative and freaky, as monstrous in appearance as it gets. They are perhaps scariest in their introduction, but it isn’t easy to get used to them. Ravager looks amazing, too, with a great sense of speed when she runs and fights.

The colors are fascinating within this cramped dreamscape. It’s incredibly dark and shadowy. At the beginning of the comic, that is different. The blood-red pages, as the first glimpse of what these beats are like, immediately implement the intensity as a brutal slaughter takes place. The lettering is awkward, with a font used for the monsters that can be difficult to read. The words are thick, which squishes them together.

Knight Terrors: Ravager #1 is a claustrophobic boiling pot. Brisson places Rose Wilson in a house with no friends or help, asking her to protect a version of herself within an environment that isn’t real. She is confused by the misremembered past as if that wasn’t difficult enough. It’s impossible to know who to trust or the truth, which keeps you constantly alert while reading the issue. It’s violent and scary, but most of all, it’s a prison cell that seems to be endlessly constricting.

Knight Terrors: Ravager #1 is available where comics are sold.