REVIEW: ‘Knight Terrors: Night’s End’ Issue #1

Knight Terrors: Night’s End #1 is published by DC Comics, written by Joshua Williamson, art by Howard Porter, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Nesi and Trevor Hairsine, colors by Rain Beredo and letters by Troy Peteri. This is the final part of the Knight Terrors event. Everyone is back in the waking world, but Insomnia has brought the stuff of nightmares out with them.

The previous issue created some of the most slowest moments of the event so far,but this final chapter reignites the action. The fight starts on the first page and continues until the last, filling the comic with intense pressure. The stakes continue to rise as those who have been trapped are released and are able to provide backup to the few heroes who’ve been left to fight on their own. The issue returns to parts of the crossover that may have been forgotten about from the earlier installments, including the very first part. Those recollections are important as they creates a circular narrative for the whole series.

Parts of the finale that had been building across the tie-ins are sacrificed. The figures that emerge from the dreams are largely ineffective and barely seen. This is extremely disappointing, as the assumed final showdown is actually pretty weak. Other aspects introduced in this issue, such as pivotal character moments, don’t carry much weight, with one part in particular feeling wasted. The ending is interesting, fitting within a wider thread that DC seem to be weaving within their events.

Even with the slight expansion, Williamson doesn’t take the spotlight away from those who have been fighting this whole time. Primarily, that is Deadman and Sandman. This has been Deadman’s event, and his arc has been phenomenal. For a man who has literally been floating in limbo for his entire existence in the DC universe, it’s significant for him to have a story that involves him so heavily. Sandman is similar, coming back from the dead for one last mission, but also being associated with dreams. All of the main characters of the event have had a thematic journey. The group of heroes that join the attack against Insomnia are a mixture of individuals who had been wrapped up in their nightmarish tie-ins, but crucially were around the Hall of Justice at the time.

However, the real main character of the whole event is Insomnia. He’s an effective villain, spreading malice over every single title. What’s enjoyable is how we learn that he simply despises superheroes, wanting to punish them due to his family being murdered. His hatred extends beyond being simply evil, his monstrous energy powerful.

The art brings Porter back, ending the event with the same artist who started it. Porter delivers a sense of unease with creepy character designs that magnify their nightmarish attributes. The monsters and freaky figures come out of the dream world and are utterly petrifying. Even the heroes can be warped as they battle a man who is deliberately distorting the public perception of them. The panels are crammed with characters and creatures, and the imagery is profound. Insomnia’s design is incredible and insidious. He’s bedraggled and almost inhuman. Camuncoli and Desi, who have done much of the heavy lifting in the rest of the main story for Knight Terrors, do get to sign off, working on the epilogue of the event. It’s a much calmer art style and allows the story to simmer down as it ends.

The colors are stunning. The tones of the heroes rising up against Insomnia are bright and vibrant, with a vast variety of shades present. The red that Deadmen is covered in has been fighting back against the Insmonia’s purple. And now he has backup. But there are many points in this issue where it is still just those main characters fighting it out. After the insanity fizzles out, the colors revert to the more settled set of shades that the art also reflects. Throughout the madness, the letters largely remain clear and easy to read.

Knight Terrors: Night’s End #1 gives the event the energetic ending it deserves. It’s satisfying to have a linear pathway in a storyline that has largely moved sideways and backwards in order to make sense. The battle is strongly paced and powers the story into a definitive ending. The main stories of the crossover events are given conclusions, including character arcs, but that is at the expense of what was set up for this final showdown. The main trio are the priority, and they’re all given a satisfying sense of peace. The dread that was felt at the end of some of the tie-ins when their nightmares followed them into reality was largely for nothing, as the payoff didn’t match that horror. That said, the final moments are more focused on the wider storyline that DC is cooking. 

Knight Terrors: Night’s End #1 is available where comics are sold.