REVIEW: ‘Knight Terrors: Detective Comics,’ Issue #2

Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #2 is published by DC Comics, written by Dan Watters, art by Riccardo Federici, Mike Perkins, and Stefano Raffaele, colors by Brad Anderson, Mike Spicer, Lee Loughridge and letters by Steve Wands. This is part of the Knight Terrors event. Jim Gordon continues to try and face the ultra-powerful beings that are in league with Insomnia, as well as those that summoned them in the first place.

Although they have been shown already, the sheer magnitude and insidious nature of the beings that Gordon has come across still beggars belief. The whole issue is haunting and solemn. Watters toys with this further than I initially believed, using the darkness to lure us into a false sense of security. Everything seems to be building to a confrontation with the false Batman, a hideous, brutal being contorted by the would-be gods. And the showdown is epic and clever. But that is merely the midpoint of the issue, hiding the devastation of what is to come. Even though it is a dream, the ending is tragic and a real gut punch because there are ties to reality. The figures from another dimension are not presented this way elsewhere, leading to questions about what they have in store for the rest of the event. 

The dialogue from every character is stunning. There is a poetic pessimism throughout the issue. It feels like the end of days. It suits the themes of running out of time and age. The opening narration is a confession letter, collecting a lot of exposition and revealing the reasoning and the circumstances of how the creatures were summoned into this plane of existence. It’s a terrifying monologue that matches the tone of journals that could be found in the Arkham Asylum game or the comic. Then Gordon takes over. That fake Batman is monstrous and destructive. It talks with a delusion, utterly insane. Then as Gordon enters the final act, the spectating gods enter the picture. Named Pentapriests, they seem to delight in trickery and misery. However, there are signs of discontent at being used by Insomnia, perhaps sowing seeds of rebellion among these ultra-powerful beings. And again, the reality of their existence outside the dream is a curious mystery.

The art is still mindblowing as the artists seem to revel in creating beautifully disturbing imagery. The cracks in Gordon’s skin are nasty and grotesque, but the damage he suffers only gets worse. It becomes a demonstration of perseverance through untold agony. The fake Batman is constantly changing, evolving into something even more horrifying than before. The hundreds of teeth and countless eyes set into writhing flesh are petrifying. But that is nothing compared to the Pentapriests. It is their soulless eyes, the huge, gaping mouths, and the emotionless stares that emanate from them. They transcend anything else that is present around Knight Terrors.

The colors have this permanent gloom, making the issue deathly quiet at points. Even the purple that comes with the Pentapriests just lingers in the haze instead of lifting it. The lettering for the narration can be difficult to read, as both replicate a handwritten style.

Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #2 has been a harrowing experience well worth it. It elevated the horror of the event, taking the concept of nightmares and intensifying it. It’s a journey of degradation in search of hope that never truly comes. The storytelling is magnificent, the art is biblical, and that fight in the middle offers some welcome release, little victories in a scenario that seems unconquerable.

Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #2 is available now wherever comics are sold.