DC Review: KNIGHT TERRORS #3
Am I starting to enjoy KNIGHT TERRORS??? I’m not ready to say the entire event has been worthwhile, but Joshua Williamson’s main story is winning me over. The previous issue began to show promise that this core plot had potential and that continued in KNIGHT TERRORS #3 as Williamson reveals where the Nightmare Stone has been hidden and sets the board for the event’s climax.
Deadman continues to shine as the breakout star of the event and much of that is due to Williamson’s use of the character as a wall-breaking narrator and unlikely (an undead) hero while DC’s other superheroes are under Insomnia’s spell. It’s apparent that Williamson is having a ton of fun writing for the character and it’s on full display in the dialogue he writes between Deadman and Damian Wayne. These two characters are forced to work together and we spend time with the two discussing relationships, life, and sacrifices. Williamson crafts a chemistry between the two that doesn’t resemble two best-friends, but a mutually beneficial partnership that includes moments of humor and sincerity.
Williamson also provides some much needed character development for Insomnia, showing his evolution from a recovering mental health patient to the main bad guy of the event through a flashback scene we visit via Deadman’s mental connection that was established earlier in the event. It’s been a slow build up for a villain that has managed to effect the entire world, but I’m not sure it’s completely paid off yet. I’m still not sold on his vendetta against the Justice League.
The artwork in KNIGHT TERRORS #3 comes from the same trio as the previous issue, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Nesi, and Caspar Wijngaard. Wijingaard also provides colors for the issue along with Frank Martin. These four creative talents are putting together some of the best visuals of the year. They continue to provide distinct approaches that allow Williamson to transition between timelines, worlds, and realities without the reader feeling lost. It doesn’t hurt that the visuals from strong to stunning. Scenes featuring Insomnia’s flashback and Deadman and Damian’s trip through the Reality Stream are brilliantly unique takes on horror that fit the script perfectly.
If the previous issues of the main event felt like they were taking an extended amount of time moving the plot forward, Williamson chose overdrive for this issue. Deadman makes a very personal decision that highlights his character’s growth and leads to him and Damian discovering the Nightmare Stone. Though an unexpected cliffhanger leaves readers wondering if characters are actually who they seem? It’s a great setup for the final issue of the main story and the full event’s conclusion in KNIGHT TERRORS: NIGHTS END #1.
Rating: 8/10
