“Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn” – Chapter Two and “Presque Vu”, Part Two
Artists: Hayden Sherman, PJ Holden
Color Artists: Triona Farrell, Lee Loughridge
Letterers: Steve Wands, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Review by Kendra Smart
Readers, be ready for Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #2! With each step this arc takes, we get closer to the final face-off with Insomnia and his team. I know I’ve loved seeing what parts everyone has had to play in this saga, and Harley’s no exception.
Are You Ready To Get Started?
Releasing five covers this month, readers are again poised with the task of selecting the one which calls to them the most. Each is exquisitely crafted and lovingly offered up. Jenny Frison gives us a queen of hearts Harley to die for, Tula Lotay has created a Harley worth voting for, and Sweeney Boo’s 1:50 variant cover gives us nightmarish whimsy with a pony to boot!
Derrick Chew’s 1:25 cover shows us a vampirish death sentinel version of Harley who’s as sexy as she is deadly, but for me it’s Hayden Sherman’s mask that takes the cake. The cover features Harley Quinn tearing off her own face to expose the digital world. It reminded me of shows like ReBoot or Digimon, even Tron came to mind. It is a brilliant main cover.
Back To Life, Back To Reality
The issue opens with Harley still reeling from her fears. Even with the cheat book she’s terrified by the Harley Quinn on Earth Zero’s origin, the version of herself that’s a hero, with all the responsibility that comes with the job. Begrudgingly, she goes into that world through the book.
She’s welcomed into the Golden Age with a shiny origin story, complete with despair. A brain surgeon by profession, equipped with years of training as an Olympic gymnast. A javelin accident caused the loss of her parents and now she focuses on her research, the kind that later allows her to unlock 100% of her brain.
The War On Thought Bubbles
Having a mind like that leads Harley into a battle against Brainiac, but Earth Zero has more to show her, more of it leading her down a path that shows her greatest fear and how deeply the claws have sunken into her psyche. Harley has a big role to play, she just has to find her way.
Tini Howard, Hayden Sherman, Triona Farrell, and Steve Wands transport us back to the Golden Age of comics with their talent. From the colors, panels, the style is impeccable from beginning. The synopsis of Earth Zero proves this and that is genuinely the first page! The level of attention to detail for the costume of Harley says everything you need to know at first glance.
A Room With A Skewed View
A bonus in getting “Presque Vu” part 2. We come upon the two Harleys as they explore the ship and talk of destiny and fate, of collective knowledge and the unending cycle that must not be broken. Leah William, PJ Holden, Lee Loughridge, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou have delivered a story that science fiction lovers will surely enjoy.
Conclusion
Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #2 is a tour de force. Complete with the shockingly dark homage to Alex Dewitt, Kyle Rayner’s girlfriend (written in Green Lantern #54). I couldn’t write this review without that mention, and that’s just one reference that fans can find among these lore laced pages.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment