Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #2 – Dan Watters, Writer; Riccardo Federici, Mike Perkins, Stefano Raffaele, Artists; Brad Anderson, Mike Spicer, Lee Loughridge, Colorists
Ray – 9/10
Ray: The creepiest and most ambiguous of all the Knight Terrors minis, Dan Watters used the bones of the event to weave a fascinating story of Jim Gordon literally falling apart in a cursed Gotham. Some ancient deities from the fifth dimension—essentially the same creatures as Mxyzptlk, but working as genies—were summoned by a trio of individuals from Gotham, seeking gifts. The first wished for wealth and found herself vomiting up diamonds until she died, while the second sought power and was transformed into a horrific monster Batman stalking Gotham. But who was the third—and why did this result in Jim Gordon slowly turning to glass and flaking away with every injury? It’s a great visual twist, and all the dark supernatural flair is secondary to a compelling noir story that has Jim on a mission of vengeance after his young friend Sorrow was seemingly killed in the first issue.
The showdown with a monstrous Batman is the most dramatic part of the issue, but it’s not its emotional heart. That comes down to the identity of the third person who makes the wish—and while it’s a stark twist, it’s also the only one that really makes sense for an emotional payoff. The final scene between the two characters is harrowing, although I think this issue obviously would have been a bit stronger if it didn’t have three different artists splitting art duties. That inevitably pulls focus just a bit from some amazing scenes. However, as the issue fades out, it gives us a few more looks into where it fits into continuity—and into Ram V’s Detective Comics run. Most of these minis have a simple role—to get characters to the end of Knight Terrors. However, this issue seems to be potentially setting up a much bigger threat that will play out in the coming years. Watters delivered a great, creepy issue with some truly memorable scenes.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
