“Death Of A Dream”
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artists: Guillem March & Trevor Hairsine
Color Artists: Tomeu Morey & Antonio Fabela
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Review by Max
Knight Terrors: Batman #2 is a striking issue that continues the Dark Knight’s journey through the hellish dreamscape established in the previous issue.
Joshua Williamson’s ghoulish setting is the perfect environment for Batman, as this darkest of characters seamlessly fits into the trappings of a grim place such as this. Our hero and a macabre motif are natural bedfellows, making this title one of the best for sliding into the Knight Terrors event series.
Ever the man with the plan, the foreshadowing at the start of issue #1 comes to fruition here, with Batman’s characteristic preparation bearing fruit in a major way. I guess the ability to become the stuff of nightmares helps in a pinch, especially when needed to turn the tables on the devilish Insomnia. It can be a well-worn cliche that Batman always finds the right path, the path to victory, but on these pages, it feels very organic and justified. It’s a testament to Williamson’s writing that it doesn’t feel forced.
Amongst all the horror, this issue contains a surprising and extremely touching section within the nightmare world, where our hero comes cowl to face with the childhood era Bruce Wayne glimpsed in the last issue, only this is a Bruce that has just. moments ago, watched his parents being slain.
No spoilers here, but the panels depicting an adult Batman consoling the young Bruce with tales of the future are almost cinematic in their emotional eloquence. When reading it, I imagined a swelling score emanating from the background as Batman’s soliloquy is delivered. It’s stirring stuff indeed!
The artwork from Guillem March goes beautifully with the dialogue in this section. We get s full splash page of Batman and Bruce in a heartfelt embrace that’s simply beautiful and pulls at the heartstrings. It’s expertly framed and is a piece of art that deserves to become an iconic part of the Batman canon.
March’s versatility is showcased throughout, as the aforementioned images are juxtaposed with depictions of devilish creatures and twisted, demonic visages. It’s a feast for the eyes throughout and serves the story perfectly. In fact, if the dialogue were taken away, the imagery would still tell the story perfectly.
The ending to the issue’s highly intriguing too, as any sense of accomplishment could easily be undermined by an ambiguous ending. Is the nightmare over, at least for now? Has it all been for naught? Time will most certainly tell.
We also get an excellent little bonus story here too from Williamson, depicting Roy Harper’s own nightmarish struggle. Although short in length, it packs in a lot of content and certainly ends with an intriguing predicament for Speedy.
Conclusion
Knight Terrors: Batman #2 gives readers an enthralling continuation of the Knight Terrors saga and sets up a real sense of heightened stakes for the near future. The pieces are moving around the board with pace with a tangible feeling of impending doom in the ether.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
