Art by: Riccardo Federici, Mike Perkins, Stefano Raffaele
Colors by: Brad Anderson, Mike Spicer, Lee Loughridge
Letters by: Steve Wands
Cover art by: Riccardo Federici
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: August 22, 2023
Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #2 concludes Gordon's journey to stop the Good People of Gotham from the destruction their new powers, granted by the Pentapriests of the Fifth Dimension, cause.
Is It Good?
There are aspects I very much like about Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #2, and there are other aspects where Dan Watters gets a little too high concept for his own good. The net result is a mostly positive but mixed bag.
When last we left Gordon and Sorrow, the trio of cultists that form the Good People of Gotham summoned the Pentapriests to grant one wish to each member. Power, wealth, and knowledge are all they need to set Gotham right, but of course, no good wish comes without a malicious twist. Wealth dies from vomiting up diamonds, and Power merges with Gordon's Bat-Bunny-Suit into a techno-organic fusion of Batman and the Guyver - a destruction-happy entity who kills Sorrow. Gordon is likewise given a gift for interrupting the ritual - he's become brittle as glass.
Now, Gordon puts his detecting skills to use to find out the identity of Power and Knowledge, putting Power down for good. But when Gordon tracks down Knowledge's identity and location, he learns Fate is the cruelest trickster of all.
Before diving into the story aspects, the art in this issue is simply stunning. Give a round of applause and two thumbs up for a comic that looks like a graphic novel of the highest quality. Whether you like the script or not, you could spend hours looking at the art.
What's great about this story? Watters paints a thought-provoking, metaphorical tale about Gordon's current lot in life, where he's been, where he's going, his insecurities, worries, and fear. More than any other tie-in I've read in the Knight Terrors event, Watters goes the deepest into symbolizing what a man like Gordon would truly fear that doesn't resort to monster-under-the-bed gimmickry. Truly, this is a mature piece of fiction.
What's not so great about this story? The ending's a little iffy. Watters ties the pursuit of knowledge with the frailty of mortality and the natural decay that comes with aging. The deep symbolism that works so well for the majority of this two-parter gets jumbled and confused in the last moments because Watters tries to combine too many ideas at once, losing clarity for the effort. I can see what Watters was going for, but he didn't stick the landing.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Bits and Pieces:
There are aspects I very much like about Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #2, and there are other aspects where Dan Watters gets a little too high concept for his own good. The net result is a mostly positive but mixed bag.
When last we left Gordon and Sorrow, the trio of cultists that form the Good People of Gotham summoned the Pentapriests to grant one wish to each member. Power, wealth, and knowledge are all they need to set Gotham right, but of course, no good wish comes without a malicious twist. Wealth dies from vomiting up diamonds, and Power merges with Gordon's Bat-Bunny-Suit into a techno-organic fusion of Batman and the Guyver - a destruction-happy entity who kills Sorrow. Gordon is likewise given a gift for interrupting the ritual - he's become brittle as glass.
Now, Gordon puts his detecting skills to use to find out the identity of Power and Knowledge, putting Power down for good. But when Gordon tracks down Knowledge's identity and location, he learns Fate is the cruelest trickster of all.
Before diving into the story aspects, the art in this issue is simply stunning. Give a round of applause and two thumbs up for a comic that looks like a graphic novel of the highest quality. Whether you like the script or not, you could spend hours looking at the art.
What's great about this story? Watters paints a thought-provoking, metaphorical tale about Gordon's current lot in life, where he's been, where he's going, his insecurities, worries, and fear. More than any other tie-in I've read in the Knight Terrors event, Watters goes the deepest into symbolizing what a man like Gordon would truly fear that doesn't resort to monster-under-the-bed gimmickry. Truly, this is a mature piece of fiction.
What's not so great about this story? The ending's a little iffy. Watters ties the pursuit of knowledge with the frailty of mortality and the natural decay that comes with aging. The deep symbolism that works so well for the majority of this two-parter gets jumbled and confused in the last moments because Watters tries to combine too many ideas at once, losing clarity for the effort. I can see what Watters was going for, but he didn't stick the landing.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Bits and Pieces:
Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #2 concludes the two-parter tie-in with a mature, metaphorical, thought-provoking story about Jim Gordon's real insecurities and fears that fit within his age and place in life. The art is stunning enough to stand on its own, and Watters mostly gives you more than your money's worth, but the high concept, multi-idea ending trips over itself for a fumbled ending.
8/10
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