REVIEW: ‘Knight Terrors: Shazam,’ Issue #2

Knight Terrors: Shazam #2 is published by DC Comics, written by Mark Waid, pencils by Roger Cruz, inks by Wellington Diaz, colors by Arif Prianto, and letters by Tory Peteri. This is part of the Knight Terrors event. Mary Marvel has just seen her entire family vaporised by an evil version of Billy. So now there is nothing left for her to do but fight back. 

This issue takes an entirely different voice to the previous one, shedding much of the primal horror and replacing it with action. That is actually explained away in the comic itself, showing that it is an intentional decision by Waid. The pace escalates massively, having to accomplish a lot and wrap up the plot. Marvel goes from her own world into the minds of her siblings and her parents as well, rescuing them from their individual nightmares. It creates a set of differing situations and a mission for her to complete, all whilst being hunted by a loud, terrifying being that has taken the form of her brother.

There’s a great shifting of power from the soul-crushing first issue, but that does not last long. That frantic fear returns with Insomnia, threatening to quash any hope building throughout the issue. Even the ending is a gut punch as the heart sinks when the final reveal happens.

The writing of the dialogue and the captions is fantastic. In the first issue, there was a lot of fear and uncertainty. But in Knight Terrors: Shazam #2, everything has been uplifted for much of the book. Mary has more confidence and determination as soon as she figures out that she is in a dream and has the power to repel the man that just tortured her physically and mentally. What I love about the narration is the intellect and humanity mixing.

She has the brains to figure out solutions and analyze the nightmares of each of her siblings, but the vocabulary is that of someone younger. The childish dialogue that can happen works well with the horror aspects of the comic, reminding us of the youth of the characters as they are put through hell. Their nightmares are much more natural for a child to experience than other heroes and villains seen in other tie-ins. The way Mary dotes on her family is heartwarming, having to be their protector whilst Billy is unaccounted for, as well as someone using the image of Billy to enact such horrifying harm. She is their true protector, doing it time and time again in this issue and not stopping until every single one of them is safe.

The art is very interesting and able to invoke fun and fear. Cruz and Diaz create an angular style, which makes things look oppressive and terrifying when needed. Monsters have much rougher and less symmetrical facial features than humans do. The style softens on heroes, as the rest of the family is brought into the comic in more active roles than they were in the first half of the tie-in. The face of evil Billy is practically inhuman at points, truly unsettling when you see it.

Each dream has an entirely unique look to it, with individual locations and sets of monsters attacking the members of the Marvels. It’s a great depiction of vivid childhood imaginations. The action is superb as well. The speed at which Ms. Marvel moves is demonstrated terrifically by Cruz and Diaz, and the conflict between her and Billy is intense. There is a recognition that The Captain is bigger, and thus, other means of winning the fight are thought up.

The colors are awesome and do a lot to quell the magnitude of the horror felt in the last issue. With the other kids getting involved in the book and transforming into their costumes, the vibrancy and variety of their costumes are brought into the mix. But it is the addition of the black from Billy that offsets that positivity and puts much of the scariness back into the comic. Each setting comes with a different shade to the sky, making them all look like individual worlds. This is brought to a head in what might be the defining double pages spread of the issue, as multiple locations are shown at the same time. The lettering is easy to read whilst being dynamic at the same time.

Knight Terrors: Shazam #2 uses family to dispel the horror. It’s a bit of a shock considering how the previous chapter was one of the more dramatic and scary first issues of the whole event. And whilst that has dissipated in virtually all of the second halves, this issue still possesses some horror but turns it into something else. Hopping between the nightmares of the whole family has given this book a different framework and a more adventurous idea. It’s fun and exciting, using light to push back against the darkness. The fear of the first issue came from Mary losing her family repeatedly. So it makes sense that the opposite should occur when that isn’t happening. And that final moment is more than creepy enough to make up for what the rest of the issue lacks.

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