REVIEW: ‘Knight Terrors,’ Issue #3

Knight Terrors #3 is published by DC Comics, written by Joshua Williamson, art by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Nesi, and Casper Wijngaard, colors by Frank Martin and Wijngaard, and letters by Troy Peteri. This is the main book of the Knight Terrors event. Deadman and Sandman are hunted by the forces of Insomnia but are rescued by an unlikely figure that could finally help lead them to the Nightmare Stone.

One of the best parts about the plot of Knight Terrors is that nothing is really missed or happening off-screen. It’s been one long story that is uninterrupted. It opens with the fight from the previous issue, with Sandmand and Deadman surrounded by the insidious creatures Insomnia has at his disposal. But then, a new character is thrown into the mix, changing the series immensely. Adding someone else provides the book with more energy and new complications, also granting the duo a chance to escape.

Knight Terrors #3 beautifully balances the past and the present, using flashbacks to encourage exposition. The one we get this time is a grizzly and brutal depiction of one of Insomna’s memories. But that is purely there to aid the investigation into where the Nightmare Stone is. And finally, after so many tie-ins and nightmares, the true location is revealed. It’s somewhere entirely separate, leading to a serene scene. The book does have a large swathe that feels slow and clunky, suffering from a lack of momentum. To counteract this, the last part of the issue then switches between a fight and finding the Stone. But things are never quite as easy as that. 

For a main book of an event, the cast has been relatively small within Knight Terrors. At its heart is Deadman, using the body of Batman to interact with others. What I like about him is how Williamson frames him as someone with a huge amount of respect for other heroes. He raved about the Trinity when he met them at the beginning of the event, and he does something similar when a new member joins the ragtag group. The latest addition and Deadman have a really nicely written moment. As for Insomnia, he is relatively quiet in this book. What you see from him is in the flashback, which adds a really creepy element to his backstory. It makes sense why Batman plays such a big part in this flagship book, as Insomnia suddenly seems like an Arkham inmate.

The art is terrific. The use of Batman has another benefit: you can have him in the pages to entice readers, whilst it isn’t actually him in control. In many panels, Batman’s eyes are hidden, keeping up the notion that it isn’t really him at the wheel. The character brought into the event within Knight Terrors #3 matches well with the host Deadman uses.

Sandman is one of the all-time great character designs, and the details under that mask, glimpsed only briefly, only raise horrifying possibilities. The creatures they fight are entirely unique from one another, hideous and revolting creatures that seem impossible to harm. And stitched within the current plot is a memory, etched out of a separate art style from what most of the rest of the book is made of. It suddenly becomes a freaky, violent scene that injections some adrenaline into a comic that can need it at points.

The colors are crucial to the storytelling. Incredibly vibrant in the main story, the last part of the comic enters a realm that alters the costumes of the characters. Whilst there is some difference in the line art, it is the colors that are the most drastic. There are so many realms that lead to different color palettes, all of them striking to look at. In the flashback, they look like pastels on sketch art, purposefully unpolished. The lettering features many custom word balloons but is easy to read throughout.

Knight Terrors #3 ventures into the endgame. What has been hunted for over the whole event is finally becoming attainable, opening the door to more danger and uncertainty. Only the fact that the Nightmare Stone is in this book makes it feel like the flagship for the event due to the small cast. With so many asleep, the world can feel empty now. But it’s also mixing cult favourite characters with household names to tell a story that leans on horror and fear rather than action. The tie-ins might be ending, but Knight Terrors isn’t over yet.

Knight Terrors #3 is available where comics are sold.