*This article contains spoilers for Knight Terrors: Green Lantern #1 (2023)*
Knight Terrors have gripped the dreams of nearly every hero in the DC Universe! Hal Jordan is no exception, and while most people fell asleep in the comfort of their homes, Hal was piloting a plane high in the sky with Carol Ferris aboard when the knightmares took hold!
Knight Terrors (2023) is the latest event in DC Comics’ Dawn of DC initiative. However, this event has felt absolutely unoriginal. While it has a different concept from the stories of the last 5 years of DC event history, there are stories with identical core themes throughout DC’s vast library. Blackest Night (2009) was another story where the dead rose and heroes had to deal with their pasts. The difference with Knight Terrors? It’s happening while everyone is asleep. The dead are brought to life in knightmare forms, but it is the same thing. Even though there is no army of black lanterns, this is practically the blackest night.
The truth is, this larger story has been done better before. Yet, there are some good tie-ins, such as Knight Terrors: Shazam #1 (2023) and Knight Terrors: Green Lantern #1 (2023).
For Hal, it starts at his father’s funeral…
He is a child standing beside his mother, who is telling him they need to say goodbye. As Hal slowly approaches the casket, the lid starts to lift and Hal’s father’s corpse begins to rise!
This horrific and perverse memory turned knightmare offers us a glimpse into the unfinished business Hal has with his father’s death. See, these nightmares are from the heroes minds—they are extensions of the subconscious. Did Hal ever say goodbye? Did he see his fathers corpse?
This also explains the next knightmare sequence where Hal is fighting with Carol—though to be fair, this could be any other issue of Green Lantern.
The next insight we get into Hal’s mind is his unfinished business with his predecessor, Abin Sur. Or rather what he feels that encounter did to him. By accepting the ring of Abin Sur and placing it on his finger, the most important thing was being stolen from him. His life. Though Hal loves space and fighting as a Lantern, what has it really taken from him? Carol Ferris? His job? His sanity? What has Hal lost because of the life he chose? As Abin Sur uses the ring to literally steal the life from Hal, Hal quickly cuts off his finger—permanently severing his connection to the corp. But has it already taken everything from him?
Finally, Hal’s greatest fear arises as he looks face to face with the Guardians of the Universe. As they belittle him for cutting ties with the Corp (though this time because of the United Planets), Hal realizes he must once again fight his biggest plot device: Parallax. Because apparently all his other confrontations with Parallax have done nothing to bring him closure.
To me Parallax is overdone. We’re saturated in, “but remember what Hal did in the 90s?!” And it is getting so old. Few writers have resurrected what we would rather see: more Green Lantern/Green Arrow stories! Give us that instead! We want that! Give us literally anything else!
Overall, I liked this issue far more than I liked the title series Knight Terrors (2023). Knight Terrors feels like Blackest Night in too many ways. For younger readers, they might enjoy the series, but I am far from in love or even in like with it. It feels forced, has little substance, and little movement. But Knight Terrors: Green Lantern #1 (2023) was an exception. It had substance and story. I recommend it—even if you are not reading Knight Terrors!
Rating: 3/5 Stars. Knight Terrors in general is not a strong story since there is little plot at the moment. It’s just a glimpse into things that haunt heroes. While that sounds great in theory, the execution is lacking, but Knight Terrors: Green Lantern had enough plot related things to make it interesting. It had some movement and felt like Green Lantern.
Suggested reading:
Blackest Night (2009) is a far better version of Knight Terrors. It has more substance and really plays with lantern lore. Definitely read it if you like Knight Terrors (2023)!
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