Writer: Ed Brisson
Artist: Dexter Soy
Colors: Veronica Candini
Letters: Troy Peteri
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 1st, 2023
Ravager’s torturous journey through the Nightmare Realm continues in Knight Terrors: Ravager #2, as the Nightmare Realm version of Rose Wilson (as well as her army of grotesque monsters) chase her, trying to paralyze her and turn her into an vessel for the Murder Man (AKA the Nightmare Realm’s version of Deathstroke) to come to travel to Earth-Prime. But Ravager’s not only going to fight to save herself, she’s fighting to save the Nightmare Rose Wilson also.
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the Knight Terrors: Ravager #2 Review.
The Story
Knight Terrors: Ravager #2 wraps up Ravager’s section of the Insomnia storyline, and it’s heavy on action. We get some pretty disgusting monsters, including a couple of people who fuse together to form a giant spider so horrifying looking it would make Shelob from “The Lord of the Rings” screech and skitter off a cliff in terror. The Nightmare Realm’s Rose Wilson is the most malevolent creature though, not necessarily because of her looks, but because her sole reason for existence is to drive a knife into Ravager’s spine, paralyzing her so that her father can use Ravager’s body as a portal to Earth-Prime.
We don’t get any new insights into Ravager here, it’s pure action from beginning to end, with a couple of transitions to Earth-Prime, where members of Stormwatch try to wake her up and pull her out of the Nightmare Realm. The only interesting part of the issue is when Ravager confronts Rose Wilson and tries to convince her her father is just using her and to abandon her plans. It’s kind of a touching scene, the Earth-Prime Rose Wilson talking to her younger self, who’s still young enough to be something different (if you can even be something different in the Nightmare Realm).
As with many of these Knight Terrors tie-ins, there doesn’t seem to be much of significance happening. Sure, we get some good fight scenes and a few chills from the beasts that Ravager encounters, but overall it feels like there’s no impact to her character from beginning to end. It reads like an old EC Comics horror story with a superhero tossed in, though many of those old EC Comics stories were far more chilling and exciting than this book. Ravager deserves a mini-series or series that’s not part of a massive 126 issue crossover. I want to see her character have a life, a supporting cast, and grow (and fight of course) over numerous issues. This Knight Terrors tie-in just felt like eating a stale Hors D’oeuvres. It give you a small taste of something that you’re hungry for, but the taste isn’t too good.
The Art
Dexter Soy’s art on Knight Terrors: Ravager #2 elevates the issue a bit, with punchy visuals that make many of the creatures of the Nightmare Realm truly terrifying and lots of blood and gore to make the book even more visceral. The design of the Murder Man is especially disturbing, a being composed of fluid blood whose body shifts around like a big container of liquid, rendering him immune to physical attacks. It makes Ravager’s battle with him more exciting than it should have been.
Final Thoughts
Knight Terrors: Ravager #2 ends with a cliffhanger that leads into the Brave and the Bold book? Why? If you’re a huge fan of Ravager or this Knight Terrors storyline, pick the book up, but anyone else should pass on this.