KNIGHT TERRORS event brings horror to the DC Universe

DC Comics brought a number of announcements to this week’s ComicsPro retailer summit. Among them is an event that was teased, albeit not directly, back in the publisher’s initial Dawn of DC announcement. Knight Terrors is the publisher’s summer event series. It comes from the writer of DC’s last event, Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, Joshua Williamson, and features artwork by Howard Porter, Guillem March, and others. Joined by a line-wide slate of two-issue miniseries in July and August, the event sees the heroes of the DCU faced with their worst fears come to life.

Here’s how DC describes Knight Terrors:

Kicking off this July, Knight Terrors is a miniseries in which Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman find the body of one of their earliest enemies at the Hall of Justice. Their investigation takes them past the land of the living, beyond the land of the dead, into a realm of nightmares. The only way to save the world is to call for the help of an unlikely hero, Deadman.

The horror-focused event will take over the DC publishing line in July and August and will feature multiple two-issue miniseries from superstar creative teams yet to be announced. Each of the miniseries will feature a DC Super Hero or Super-Villain confronting their worst nightmares in a “Nightmare Realm.” The Superheroes better be careful, as whatever happens to them in the Nightmare Realm will also be reflected in the Waking World.

Before the launch of the event in July, Williamson and Porter will team with Chris Bachalo, his first work for DC Comics since 2002, for the Dawn of DC Knight Terrors Free Comic Book Day Special. As DC describes the prelude story, “After a long night of crime-fighting with his father, Batman, Damian Wayne sleeps. But horrors invade his teenage dreams. Damian has seen a lot, but there is something different about this nightmare.”

The new event is right in Williamson’s wheelhouse. The writer has helmed a number of creator-owned horror series, including Nailbiter with Mike Henderson, Dark Ride with Andrei Bressan, and Ghosted with Goran Sudzuka. In a statement accompanying the announcement, Williamson described the genesis of the event:

“I love horror comics, and it’s been a blast bringing the energy to Dawn of DC. Knight Terrors showcases the horror side of our heroes as a brand-new villain confronts them with their worst nightmares,” said Joshua Williamson. “It’s a fun and horrific event that brings together all of the heroes and villains of DC, along with some surprises!”

The two-issue miniseries structure of Knight Terrors is akin to another DC summer event, Convergence. With promised “superstar creative teams” for this summer’s series, though, this new event is shaping up to be anything but the placeholder that Convergence was.

Check out variant covers for Knight Terrors by Francesco Mattina below. Look for the Dawn of DC Knight Terrors Free Comic Book Day Special to arrive in comic shops on Saturday, May 6th, and for the Knight Terrors event series to launch in July.

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