REVIEW: ‘Knight Terrors: Green Lantern,’ Issue #2

Knight Terrors: Green Lantern #2 is published by DC Comics, written by Jeremy Adams, art by Eduardo Pansica, Jordi Tarragona and Julio Ferreira, colors by Luis Guerrero and letters by Dave Sharpe. There is a second story written by Alex Segura, art by Mario “Fox” Foccillo, colors by Prasad Rao (Pressy) and letters by Sharpe. This is part of the Knight Terrors event. Hal Jordan and Sinestro face off against Insomnia in their own dreams, to varying degrees of success.

One of the few issues of this event to feature two stories, Knight Terrors: Green Lantern #2 allows for a spectrum of reactions to Insomnia’s meddling. Green Lantern’s response is fascinating, as he has been impossible to sway and convince in his nightmares. It changes the face of the whole comic, filling it with confidence and a dominance that hasn’t been seen elsewhere in the other Knight Terror books. It levels the playing field and turns the comic from an attempt at psychological horror to all-out action. Whilst there is scary imagery, it has lost its power and is now merely a face. The pace is rapid, jumping between the scenes at a canter to try and find a setting that would scare Hal and make him back down. As for Sinestro, the attempts to overthrow Insomnia are much less effective. This displays the various ways a similar story can be expressed. Where the first tale is a brawl, the second is much more cerebral. More time is taken in each moment, allowing the manipulation to take hold.

It is fascinating to see the way that Hal and Sinestro work to shake off the illusion, leading to some interesting exchanges of dialogue. Hal is speaking directly to Insomnia, shredding through the alternate forms and maneuvering around any trickery. For him, this is a natural and his forte. He can speak to beings that are larger than life. For Hal, this allows for a great confidence boost for a man that has been struggling to find his power again since the start of his own comic. It is proof of his status in the DC Universe, evidence of his power and instinct.

Sinestro experiences something similar, able to notice that there is a being behind everything that is attacking him. But the dialogue is vastly different. Sinestro lets Insomnia talk, and it’s more eloquent and elaborate because it mirrors how the Yellow Lantern speaks. It is more descriptive in describing the failures of Sinestro, whilst the conversation with Hal is louder and more defensive. It details just what Insomnia truly is, just a person with powers instead of a god.

The art is gorgeous in both parts of Knight Terrors: Green Lantern #2, again displaying the spectrum of what can be found in the Knight Terror stories in one book. The imagery in the showdown with Hal is evocative but not scary. These creatures and resurrected memories are big and fearsome, dwarfing Hal and trying to intimidate him. It is funny to see those attempted monstrosities look afraid of the hero, who is drawn to look more confident than ever. Some of the moves used by the controller of the nightmares are countered with some brilliant and varied constructs. The panel layouts become intensely dramatic as they depict brutal fights by the end of that half of the book.

For Sinestro’s story, the art is creepier. Reality is being distorted, with shapes and people being twisted. At various points of the issue, we see that duplicated image of Sinestro within one form, which is unnerving. That goes up against a creature with a huge mouth, long teeth and a dragon’s neck, truly stuff of nightmares. The level of detail magnifies that menace. The way that Foccillo can show flesh rippling and melting is skin-crawling. The angular style fits Sinestro, with his pointed ears and fierce eyes.

The colors are stunning in both, leaning on the respective Lantern colors for each protagonist. The green is expressive and prevalent, giving Hal the protection he needs to stay safe and take control of his own nightmare. The lighting changes as the comic progresses. By the end, the light of Hal’s ring is having to fight an oppressive, enveloping darkness. Sinestro’s yellow is also vibrant, but it is more the pink of his flesh that is used on both him and Insomnia’s entity. The lettering is extremely easy to read, and especially dynamic in Hal’s part of the comic.

Knight Terrors: Green Lantern #2 is an invigorating tie-in. For so long in this event, we have seen the greatest characters on the DC roster be beaten down and slowly depleted of their energy and sanity. But here, Hal is strong and resilient from the beginning. It makes for an interesting alternative to how comics, and stories in general are told. He never really seems in danger, always in control of the situation. It’s a great release of tension and pressure. Sinestro’s nightmare is more true to form and features some exquisitely disturbing and detailed art. They might exist in an issue together, but the tales couldn’t be more different, creating a satisfying experience.

Knight Terrors: Green Lantern #2 is available where comics are sold.