KNIGHT TERRORS #2 is out which means we’re finally back to the main event story two weeks after KNIGHT TERRORS #1 came out. I’ve been looking forward to getting back to this story as plot details have been few and far between in the tie-ins that have been released in-between these two issues. They’ve all left me anxious for a better understanding what’s happening to cause all these heroes to fall asleep. We’re now officially halfway through the event and I can’t say that I’m any closer to feeling like I have a clue. But I’m trying not to let my frustrations with the larger event cloud my judgment of this issue, so let’s dive in!

I’m really enjoying Williamson’s work with Deadman. He’s given the character a quirky narration style that mixes moments of humor with someone who can snap into being a capable problem-solver. We also get some fun exchanges between Deadman (who is still possessing Batman’s body) and Sandman, and then Deadman (who is still possessing Batman’s body) and Red Tornado, that Williamson writes perfectly. He also introduces a few new elements to the story via flashbacks and dreams, including background on the Nightmare Stone, how Insomnia came to be interested in it, and why Insomnia has a vendetta against the Justice League. We also get an update on what’s happening to all the heroes outside the nightmares we’ve been seeing them in (hint: it’s not good news) and are introduced to a new threat — Insomnia’s Sleepless Knights.

Keeping a reader grounded as they go through multiples scenes/timelines within the same issue can be hard, but the creative team did a wonderful job creating distinct visuals for each scene. It helps that KNIGHT TERRORS #2 had the creative trio of Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Nesi, and Caspar Wijngaard on hand to craft these unique approaches. While I continue to love Wijngaard’s Deadman designs and would read an entire Deadman series with this style, the cartoonish medieval design during the flashback of Sandman’s previous case was particularly effective in capturing the nature of the story it was telling.

While I enjoyed most of Williamson’s writing and the art was top-notch, the issue is severely held back by the weight of all the plot devices it uses to share new information. While each individual story was interesting, the issue could never settle on a steady pace because we were jumping around so much. I feel bad criticizing the construction of this issue, but I wish Williamson would have spent more time on the real world. He’s been asked to do a lot to keep this event together and it’s disheartening to realize the backstories in this issue are more interesting than the main event story DC is trying to tell. The publisher deserves blame for poor construction and execution of the event so far. The sum of the event’s parts haven’t provided a cohesive through-line to get invested in and it’s getting late.

Rating: 6.5/10