Punchline may not be everyone’s favorite character–she’s new, after all–but dammit, she’s valid and all her own. Writer Danny Lore certainly thinks so, which is especially true when you read Knight Terrors: Punchline #2 as she fights the very internet trolls who condemn her. It’s a meta issue and a real trip worth reading.
Picking up where Knight Terrors: Punchline #1 left off, Punchline has been captured by a cyborg Batgirl and it totally sucks. Punchline was trying to commit a simple robbery with her gang, but when nightmares fell upon everyone, she fell too. She’s not aware it’s a nightmare at the start, but when you live amongst psychos who poison you with gas or do trippy stuff, what’s the difference?
Very early on in this second issue, things get super meta as Punchline literally enters a computer. Captions change to digital fonts, and soon she’s falling across a social media platform of angry haters. The creativity and meta-commentary are super fun, especially if you’re familiar with the toxicity of Twitter. This leads to a punch-em-up with Batgirl that’s highly entertaining. All the while, Lore is keeping your interest with well-written and timed captions.
The art by Lucas Meyer is out of this world good. The visuals are never confusing, which is tough considering Punchline usually falls across 2D landscapes inside a computer. The Batgirl monster chasing Punchline is also well designed, with an enormous hand made of cables and pieces of metal. Colors by Alex Guimaraes are vibrant and make characters pop, especially against gray, white, and black computer backgrounds. A standout page has Punchline and Batgirl crashing out of Twitter, through a black void, and then into YouTube.
How cool is this?
Credit: DC Comics
Outside of the action and cool visuals, Lore seems to be saying Punchline can’t be beaten because she’s confident and has the resolve to keep fighting. She doesn’t come off as much of a villain here, although she does violently attack the Batgirl monster. Since Punchline is such a new character, there’s not much to go on about her struggle and self-doubts, but there’s enough here to gather the point. I’m unsure how to feel about Punchline, which has more to do with how new and untapped she’s been so far. Since this tie-in doesn’t affect the main story much, it is easy to skip, but given the cool visuals and great idea, it stands alone.
Knight Terrors: Punchline #2 is a mind trip through digital realms worth checking out. The visuals are stellar, and there’s great cultural commentary on the toxicity of the internet, while Punchline stands strong against it all.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.