REVIEW: ‘Knight Terrors: Black Adam,’ Issue #2

Knight Terrors: Black Adam #2 is published by DC Comics, written and illustrated by Jeremy Haun, colored by Nick Filardi and Rex Lokus, and letters by Troy Peteri. This is part of the Knight Terrors event. Those outside the Dreamscape try to reach Black Adam as he witnesses more horrors of Kahndaq.

This issue is set apart from other tie-ins due to how it opens. It completely lays out the exposition of Black Adam within the opening page, detailing what is happening to him. This does not have a complete consequence on the rest of the issue, as Black Adam cannot breach the surface of his nightmare. He gets dragged through more horrendous sights before things start to change. Adam starts taking control and attempting to break free of the world being constructed around him. The pace of the comic is superb. Between the confrontations, it is quick but then can feel desperately slow when Adam is being tormented. It leads to a great final fight that is like a release of tension and anger, demonstrating the relentless nature of both characters, resulting in a last page that is entirely unexpected and could lead to putting the waking world in danger too.

The synergy between the Knight Terrors books lets this book down slightly, not through a fault of its own. The timing between the issues seems off, with events happening at the start of this issue that hasn’t had a lead-in from elsewhere yet.

The exploration of the title character in Knight Terrors: Black Adam #2 is fantastic. As mentioned in the previous issue, Black Adam’s weakness is being taunted for lack of strength or weakness. But it isn’t just for his benefit. It’s not being able to protect those around him. When he witnesses horrific deaths inflicted on his family, he is forced to watch without help. As the issue progresses, even when he can utilize his power, that doesn’t stop Insomnia’s forces from taunting him. One of the last conversations highlights the general weight that bears down on Adam from so many different sources. I was not expecting Adam to be so important to the Knight Terrors event. Still, through his ego and determination, the evil forces appear to want that to be powered up. The dialogue from the villain toys with Adam, who routinely buckles under the pressure and leaps into the traps that Insomnia has set.

The art is magnificent again. A repeated motif of the comic is an extreme close-up of Black Adam’s face. And each time, the detail and specificity of the emotion are captured perfectly. There is a cameo from a character that we have seen in this issue, technically two, and it is interesting to see Haun’s representation of them. Kahndaq itself is jaw-dropping. Massive buildings are lined with intricate details all along the walls and architecture. Even though it is set in a dream, the setting still looks real. It’s a small part of the issue, but there is possibly the best comic book illustration of a cat I have ever seen, with immaculate details. There is a reveal at the tail end of the comic that is amazing and daunting, pitting Adam up against a truly imposing foe, and that isn’t even mentioning what succeeds that reveal.

The colors are brilliant. Still locked within a world where purple covers almost everything, it is up to Black Adam to be the figure that stands out within it. That is through the sleek black of his costume and the intensity of the lighting that he emits. The lettering is exceptional, reaching a surprising zenith in the last part of the book, representing scale and power with giant text.

Knight Terrors: Black Adam #2 completely encapsulates the worst nightmare of its character. Black Adam is rarely deconstructed in such detail, but Haun does an excellent job of hammering home his insecurities. You call him weak, and a failure and hurt those he cares about, and the real Black Adam starts to make his presence known. It will be fascinating to see if Black Adam has as much of an impact in other books as the plot of this issue suggest he does. While the timing of other comics is off, this issue and creative time do not deserve to be punished for that.

Knight Terrors: Black Adam #2 is available now wherever comics are sold.