Knight Terrors: First Blood #1
Recap
When Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman find the body of one of their earliest enemies inside the Hall of Justice, their investigation takes them past the land of the living, beyond the land of the dead, and directly to a new villain called Insomnia…who uses his powers to engulf every single hero and villain in their own dark and twisted nightmares.
The only way to save the world is to call for the help of an unlikely hero—Deadman!
Review
It’s summer and time for the first line-wide crossover event of the Dawn of DC era as Joshua Williamson continues to helm the direction of the DCU in Knight Terrors: First Blood.
From page one, Williamson clarifies that the Knight Terrors event will be told by Deadman, aka Boston Brand, and not Superman, Wonder Woman, or Batman, who are merely in the story to set the stage for the upcoming event. Williamson does a great job of explaining Deadman’s origin and why he would be concerned with the events that unfold as the story begins. Williamson also depthly acknowledges that the Trinity has handed over thier leadership roles since disbanding the Justice League, handing the reigns over to the Titans in the post-Dark Crisis DCU.
The issue also does an excellent job of reminding readers who Doctor Destiny is and why, as one of the League’s earliest foes, has always been a formable adversary and a force to be taken seriously. As expected, the issue is mostly set up as the story kicks off next week in the first of the four-issue main story limited series. There are also some great character moments written in this issue, such the Trinity catching up with what has been happening in their solo titles and Deadman playing the comic relief to the always over-serious Batman, especially when Deadman takes over Batman’s body without permission and Bruce trying to fight the intrusion.
Along with the introduction of the Nightmare Stone and inclusion of references to Doctor Destiny’s Dreamstone, Williamson also sneaks in a few more Sandman/The Dreaming references along the way which could foreshadow the introduction of more concepts and characters of The Endless.
Howard Porter knocks the art duties out of the park with panels that add another layer of horror and mystery to the story being told. The use of page splashes to help reduce the amount of exposition in telling Deadman’s origin and flashbacks about Doctor Destiny, the Leagues first battle with Starro, and even a creepy rendition of Porter’s cover to the Grant Morrison JLA series all work to the issues advantage.
Final Thoughts
At first glance, the Knight Terrors event seems like a run-of-the-mill summer event, but Knight Terrors: First Blood sets the stage for a company-wide story arc that might be a sleeper hit that helps solidify the post-Dark Crisis DCU.
The threads started in this oneshot that will play out in the main four-issue limited series and various tir-in is packed with mystery and intrigue peppered with nostalgic call backs and easter eggs for both longtime readers and plenty of background for new DCU fans.
The DCU Is Plunged Into A Nightmare World in Knight Terrors: First Blood #1
- Writing - 10/1010/10
- Storyline - 9/109/10
- Art - 10/1010/10
- Color - 10/1010/10
- Cover Art - 10/1010/10