Knight Terrors: First Blood #1 // Review
John is sleeping. He needs to wake up. He’s had dreams of a dark world with colorful characters in colorful costumes. So it makes sense that he would feel more than a little strange to find himself in an idyllic, brightly-lit world...very much in love and very much at peace. It’s not destined to last. John’s wife begins to disintegrate. His kids do as well. Things are falling apart in Knight Terrors: First Blood #1. Writer Joshua Williamson opens up a big cross-title DC Universe crossover with an introduction to a whole new villain. Artist Howard Porter delivers a dark DC to the page with the aid of some beautiful work by colorist Brad Anderson.
The John in question is John Dee--Dr. Destiny. When he has his head cleared enough to start walking around, he finds himself in a strange and darkened space that had once been the Justice League’s Hall of Justice. There’s something a bit odd about it, though. John casually walks by Starro, who appears to be cuddling with a few of the Justice League. Something is weird. Meanwhile, on the other side of the dream, the Justice League finds the bodies of one of their oldest enemies and begins an investigation that will lead them to a whole new monster.
Nightmare visions of a DC Universe on the other side of nowhere have been popping in and around the pages of comics for decades. In the opening issue of the new crossover, Williamson does little to offer anything new in this respect. However, it's not like it isn't fun. Above all else, this is an encounter with a new villain who has powers that are very familiar. And that ends up being a great deal of enjoyment as well. Particularly since there hasn't been a new adventure featuring the Justice League in quite some time. The opening chapter for the crossover has some potential.
The heavy sketches of Porter’s work are well-suited to a nightmare realm for heroes and villains alike. Everything seems so brutally textured and dark. It all seems to be decaying even when it's not. There are no clean lines or surfaces. Everything seems to be crumbling into dust the moment every page is turned. The darkness comes in the form of very heavy inking and a very shadowy color palette that is brought to the page by Brad Anderson. The premise itself might not be terribly original, but thanks to the art team, there is quite a bit of appeal in the opening of this summer’s big crossover.
Nightmares of characters have been done quite a lot before, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be made interesting again. With any luck, the writers involved with the crossover might turn the idea in fun new directions. Full issues exploring nightmares for all DC heroes and villains sounds like a lot of fun. However, it's been done quite a lot before, and it's going to be difficult finding new life in the premise.
