Knight Terrors: Action Comics #1 Review

   

Written by: Leah Williams, Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Art by: Vasco Georgiev, Mico Suayan, Fico Ossio
Colors by: Alex Guimarães, Romulo Fajardo, Jr.
Letters by: Becca Carey, Dave Sharpe
Cover art by: Rafa Sandoval, Matt Herms
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: July 25, 2023

Knight Terrors: Action Comics #1 delivers two nightmarish tales for the price of one. Power Girl finds herself running through one surreal scene after another, and the Super Family's youngest members are afraid Cyborg Superman has returned.
Is It Good?

If you're keeping score, file this one under "optional" on the Knight Terrors leader board. Still, you get two stories for the price of one with mixed results.

She's Got No Strings

Powergirlencounters one distorted scene after another where the people she loves and trusts turn on her to betray, harm, or embarrass her.

Yeah, that's it. There's no clear beginning, middle, or end. There isn't a single dream that amplifies Powergirl's deepest fear or weakness. This half of the comic is simply a twisted succession of memories that don't go anywhere and mean nothing except in the most superficial sense. That said, Vasco Georgiev's art is outstanding.


Cyborg Superman Rises

The Super Family, sans Clark and Lois, stay up late watching a scary movie that might be too much for the twins, Osul and Otho. When a scary night reveals Osul's lingering fears that Cyborg Superman might escape the Phantom Zone, a simple nightmare turns into everyone's worst reality.

As much as the twins are surrounded by the most powerful beings on Earth, it helps to be reminded that they are still just children, and Phillip Kennedy Johnson leans hard on the standard-yet-effective trope of a kid's nightmare coming to life. Johnson's setup and cliffhanger are effective, and Suayan and Ossio's cyber-body-horror art is super creepy.

In all, the Powergirl story is a miss, the Cyborg Superman story is a hit, and the distinctly different art styles are strong in both.


About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces:

Knight Terrors: Action Comics #1 is a mixed tie-in for the Knight Terrors event, having almost nothing to do with Knight Terrors. The Powergirl story by Leah Williams is a miss, the Cyborg Superman story by Phillip Kennedy Johnson is a hit, and both have strong art.

6.5/10