First off, why does the core story of this DC summer event play out in so many differently titled books? We’ve had Knight Terrors: First Blood, four issues of plain ol’ Knight Terrors, and now this. It should have been simply six issues called Knight Terrors.
Anyway, Insomnia, who sent pretty much the whole world to sleep, has lost his grip on the heroes of the Justice League. So they’re ready to take him on… except the majority of ‘em spend most of this 40pp story fighting back monstrous nightmares made real.
Ordinary people are back in the waking world too, and they’re a tad traumatised.
The real struggle is between Insomnia and two heroes who weren’t sent to sleep – Deadman, because he’s a ghost, and Wesley Dodds, the Golden Age Sandman, back from the dead as a zombie hero because of his connection to the Nightmare Stone Insomnia sought.
Well, Insomnia has it now and can do pretty much anything he wants. Such as come up with a distraction for Deadman, who’s been proving a real thorn in his side.
With Boston Brand out of the way, insomnia is free to take on the Justice League and Doom Patrol guest Robotman.
Happily Batman, who has spent days being possessed by Deadman, has an idea.
Things don’t go as hoped against Insomnia, but Deadman – he broke free of the ghoulish pyjama party and fooled Insomnia into thinking him dead… deader? – has a more effective solution. Take control of the Nightmare Stone, something which demands a sacrifice.
With the Nightmare Stone now his, Deadman places Insomnia into a dreamworld, reuniting him with the family he lost during a recent apocalyptic Justice League crossover.
And the next page is worth the price of admission of this book. It’s chillingly effective.
The final pages of the comic are all about setting up future events.
So that’s this book’s writer, Josh Williamson’s, Superman series plugged, along with Tom King’s dreadful-sounding Wonder Woman relaunch. As for Batman…
He’s knackered by the exertions Deadman put him through, along with recent events in his own magazine, and will be asleep long enough for Catwoman to set up the events of the Gotham War storyline which started this week.
What massive storyline will star Red Tornado reborn, I don’t know, but take my money DC!
I quite enjoy this kind of thing, it reminds me of the days when Dan Didio was at DC and we’d be steered in various directions as one event ended.
I’m really not keen, mind, on the idea that there’ll be lingering resentment towards the Justice League – after a few days, as the dreams fade, people should remember that heroes are benevolent, it’s the bad guys who create the situations in which innocents are lost. A lot more people would die without superheroes.
I do like – nay, love – Deadfamily’s leisure wear. DC should licence artist Howard Porter’s cosy design immediately. I like the art throughout, actually – it’s mainly Porter giving us nightmarishly gnarly figures in scary landscapes, with forward movement courtesy of Porter’s patented storytelling sense. There’s a hugely effective credits spread, made more so by the evocative colours of Rain Beredo. And the splash showing Deadman and Sandman at the mercy of Insomnia is a great blend of DC Universe and Vertigo style.
Beredo also helps the transition between Porter and the three other artists contributing – Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Nesi and Trevor Hairsine. I could take a guess at who’s doing what but none of their styles are as obvious as Porter’s, so I won’t risk annoying anyone by getting things wrong. I will say that everyone does a great job – my favourite non-Porter page is the one, above, of Deadman going to the light.
And this is probably a little weird, but have you ever seen a roof in comics with a more convincing sense of depth that the one with sleeping Bruce? I just keep looking at that honeycombed beauty.
The ever excellent Troy Peteri provides the ooky and spooky lettering, while the intense cover illo is drawn by Porter and coloured by Romulo Fajardo Jr.
All in all, this is a pretty decent conclusion to a series that’s been more enjoyable than expected, and I’ve enjoyed a few of the tie-in micro-series, though I still resent this event pushing the regular DCU books off the schedule for a couple of months.
Deadman and Sandman were welcome presences, and it was great to see a spotlight for Robotman. It’s a shame Zatanna’s role wasn’t thought through properly, she really is the queen of undefined magic in this crossover, able to do as much or as little as plot mechanics demand.
The story made a mockery of the current DCU claim that there is no Justice League right now, because – TA-DA! – here they are. Characters even refer to the League, and they’re hanging out in the Hall of Justice. The sooner Williamson, whose idea this seems to be, grants us a new official League, the better. Insomnia has proven a more interesting adversary than expected, thanks to a tragic backstory and a striking look, so I’m fine with his showing up again sometime.
I’ve enjoyed seeing Wesley Dodds in the 21st century, prior to an upcoming mini-series set during his glory days. His feeling connected to Dr Destiny’s Materioptikon is presumably due to his link to the Dream Sandman – Morpheus had a rather legendary run-in with John Dee.
Deadman is on good form here, and while his sacrifice doesn’t make a lick of sense – moving on into the afterlife has never been an option for him – at least Batman quickly acknowledges he’ll be back because, well, he’s Deadman.
The legacy of this story, presumably short term, is that regular folk are now fraidy cats when it comes to superheroes, though an epilogue with the tiresome anti-hero turned madwoman Amanda Waller implies it’s just the (Not the) Justice League. She has a whole new evil plan to take down the Titans, and that’s coming in the winter event, Beast World.
So how was it for you? Dream, nightmare or summer event apnoea?
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 