REVIEW: ‘Knight Terrors: Wonder Woman’ Issue #2

Knight Terrors: Wonder Woman #2 is published by DC Comics, written by Josie Campbell, art and colors by Juan Ferreyra and letters by Pat Brosseau. There is a backup story titled “Nubia and the Well of Horrors Part 2”, written by Stephanie Williams, art by Meghan Hetrick, colors by Marissa Louise and letters by Becca Carey. This is part of the Knight Terrors event. Wonder Woman is brought into the recesses of her own mind and tormented.

This issue is vastly different to the previous chapter, taking a sedimentary approach. All of the heroes are trapped or restricted, beaten by the monsters in their nightmares. Wonder Woman was confused by a giant serpent in the first half of the tie-in, and that leads to a period of brutal self-reflection. The pace slows down, hoping to submerge Diana within her own guilt by gradually overpowering her. But with each attempt comes a violent punch in the face, and resilience against dark, dramatic, and psychological torture. The issue is purposely disorienting at times, showing Diana struggle to resist slipping further into the depths of despair. In a way, it is similar to how the first issue unfolded, with illusions and trickery, but without the movement. The comic builds with a novel approach to fighting your fears and tries to end with swagger, although its conclusion doesn’t necessarily match up to where the characters were before. The ending goes on for slightly too long, stretching out the adventure unnecessarily. 

Knight Terrors: Wonder Woman #2 carves away the larger cast of the previous chapter for much of the comic. Constantine and Detective Chimp are unseen for the majority of the book, as Diana is separated and scrutinised by Insomnia’s power. There’s a lot of dialogue but it’s exceptional, demonstrative of how Insomnia aims to degrade and dominate Wonder Woman. It toys with the balance between the superhero’s quest for peace and her proficiency in battle, relying on who her Olympian siblings are. Classic mythology is brought up as well as some of Wonder Woman’s own history. How Wonder Woman responds feels natural and fitting for the character. By the end of the comic, the other members of the Justice League Dark return, but aren’t as involved as they were before, which is disappointing considering how Constantine was utilised in the opening issue. 

What has never faltered is the utterly sensational art. The first issue had magical spells to create, whereas here the action is much more physical. From Wonder Woman falling into a seemingly endless abyss to landing a right hook, it is clear from the start how good Ferreryra is at action and drama. Then come the illusions. The imagery of the being that torments Wonder Woman again leans on Greek mythology whilst adapting it into a horrific and creepy visage. Initially, it lacks a face, which is replaced with a detailed helmet design. The being can shift to reveal horrifying, demented faces all of varying degrees of terror. That realism that Ferreyra enters with can be relinquished when needed to deform and twist proportions, leading to some deeply disturbing moments. The locations may have been more extensive in issue #1, but the illusions and storytelling is even better here.

The colors are also stunning. The purple that has accompanied Insomnia’s power looks more intense when painted on, as it lingers on skin and reflects off of metal. The level of detail and transformations in the shades is jaw-dropping as the colors are always changing. It is when the comic moves to the fortress that has been created within the Dreamscape that the colors are ludicrously perfect. The fact that there are individual rays of light within a landscape with ridiculous detail to textures and tones on every surface is mind-blowing to see. The lettering is big, dynamic and extremely easy to read.

Knight Terrors: Wonder Woman #2 is gorgeous and reflective. It hones in on the title character to give the book an emotional depth that it had been lacking previously. The comic was explorative and adventurous, merging the physical nature of Diana with the magic of Constantine, and experimenting with bizarre creatures. Centering on Wonder Woman makes the character development better, but the book sacrifices some of the individualism that helped it stand out among the tie-ins. That said, the art itself is impossible to criticise, stunning and sinister at the same time.

Knight Terrors: Wonder Woman #2 is available where comics are sold.