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

Knight Terrors: Robin #1 is published by DC Comics, written by Kenny Porter, art by Miguel Mendonça, colors by Adriano Lucas, and letters by Tom Napolitano. This is part of the Knight Terrors event. Tim Drake and Jason Todd get dragged into the Dreamworld at the same time, having to face their own worst nightmares whilst connected to each other. 

This tie-in has an interesting facet to it. Opening in the real world, Both Tim and Jason are on missions before getting hit by Insomnia’s power. And their nightmares are individual, focusing on the worst moments of their lives. But at the same time, they are connected through earpieces and actually begin in the dream together. This gives the comic a different vibe to it than the others, as there is a backup for each Robin. But they are not in control of this world. The scenarios are very different for each of them, with a different structure. One is an endless time loop, and the other is a fight against an enemy that just won’t die. The difference helps keep the issue intriguing whilst making the situations unique to the individual Robin. The last part of the issue is an escalation on either side, but not necessarily surprising.

These are two characters that don’t like each other, and the dialogue in Knight Terrors: Robin #1 makes that clear from the start. Their first meeting after their own adventure is full of contempt and violence. Perhaps the biggest polar opposites in regards to personality, the reluctance to work together always falls to the wayside when they need to save lives, even if it is their own. I would say that Tim’s avenue he has to go down is more horrifying, but it is perhaps more predictable for a nightmarish storyline. Porter does introduce elements that alter the expected path, however. There is a near-constant degradation of the Robins, which they join in on themselves.

The art is brilliant, quickly stepping into a creepy style. Both Robin and Red Hood get a couple of pages of their normal activities, displaying their different lifestyles. Tim leaps into action in an elaborate action set-piece, whilst Jason is lurking in the shadows. Then the swirling mass of Insomnia’s influence overwhelms them. Tim’s dream is claustrophobic and intentionally repetitive. The space is familiar, yet haunting against a remodeling of a villain that has turned terrifying. As for Todd, the enemy he faces has been warped and twisted as well and will do so even further as we get deeper into the issue. What is impressive is the way that both heroes have their eyes covered by their domino masks. Red Hood has even more on his face, yet, their emotional spiral is palpable. The issue gets more unstable and the imagery gets increasingly disturbing and haunting as it devolves, which Mendonça handles perfectly.

There is a great separation between the parallel stories created by the colors. For Robin, the room is almost overwhelmingly green, making the scenes sickly and uncomfortable. But in contrast, the red that fills Red Hood’s pages is gruesome and intense. The lettering has some interesting features and custom colors for the word balloons. The fading of words to indicate the heroes losing contact with each other is slick and effective.

Knight Terrors: Robin #1 features two insidious nightmares. It has two characters that only bond over a title they have both used, sending them on separate paths within the same space. And whilst they start together, it really is individual stories and trials the men have to face. It shows that even if the characters think someone has their backs, they have to face their worst nightmares alone.

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