Knight Terrors thrusts heroes and villains into the nightmare realm, and part of the fun in each tie-in is seeing what kind of thing truly scares them. It’s fascinating when it comes to villains since their fears aren’t quite as easy to track. Enter Punchline, who gets her tie-in from creators Danny Lore and Lucas Meyer.
The first thing you’ll notice with Knight Terrors: Punchline #1 is how sharp and detailed the art is throughout the book. It’s hyper-detailed with a good layout design to keep the action moving. The story opens with a heist, but things are going way too easily for Punchline. Enter Batgirl, who aims to ruin Punchline’s night.
This leads to a rather abrupt conclusion to their battle, which I won’t spoil here, but it’s interesting to see where Lore takes the story from there. You’ll find yourself trying to work out how the events of the issue are a nightmare for Punchline, who mostly appears comfortable and at ease. That said, it’s all too easy, eventually leading to a new conflict to combat. You might surmise Punchline likes a challenge thanks to her hyperintelligence and great planning, so it’s interesting to unpack the events and how they reflect who she is.
Batgirl is looking a bit scary.
Credit: DC Comics
The horror element of this issue takes hold in the last few pages with a monster that attacks Punchline. This monster gets an upgrade, a neat combination that suits the character. That reveal enhances the finish and increases your interest in the next chapter.
With great art and interesting character work to uncover, the book is super appealing from page to page, although the pace could use some work. Ultimately not a lot happens in the issue, with many pages taking their time to get to the hook. That includes seven pages from Punchline thinking she won to realizing she’s in far more trouble than she thought. It makes me wonder if the contents of the second issue could have been combined into this one instead of the decompression in the story progression.
Knight Terrors: Punchline #1 is a sharply drawn issue with an interesting angle on what a villain’s nightmare might be. The story suffers a bit, though, as the pace is quite slow, and not a lot happens in the middle portion of the comic.
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