Fans of Black Adam will appreciate this follow up to the first issue. The insight, and satisfying conclusion to this one-shot enhances the first issue and manages to have some character insight while focusing on its role as being a tie in to a major event. Read Full Review

The continues the good work of writers like Priest and Josh Williamson in making Black Adam more of a fleshed-out antihero rather than a one-note villain. Dwayne Johnson would no double be pleased. Read Full Review

Like most tie-ins, Knight Terrors: Black Adam #2 feels a little superfluous at best. It has nothing to do with Christopher Priest's recent work on the character, and it doesn't feel super relevant to the larger Knight Terrorsevent, unless the last page somehow relates to Insomnia's overarching plan. However, usually, these things are simply background noise within the larger narrative. Read Full Review

What works best about Knight Terrors: Black Adam is how it can function as an introspective story regardless of the event. Despite the overall underwhelming appeal of Knight Terrors' current narrative, some of the looser connected stories seem to fare better. When the story guides Adam through a tour of his guilty psyche, it stands beyond whatever treasure hunt the big bad is up to. Unfortunately, there are plenty of issues with the narrative and artwork to call buying this issue into question. Outside of the spooky atmosphere and personal aspect to the story, most of what transpires is too shallow for the overarching or standalone stories. Simply put, it is extremely disposable until proven otherwise. As it nears its conclusion, I hope it can wrap itself up in a way that services either narrative nicely. Read Full Review

Knight Terrors: Black Adam is ultimately a pair of issues reserved only for the most intense Black Adam (or "Knight Terrors") completionists. Read Full Review

Batman shows up in a Knight Terrors tie-in and guess what…much like his own tie-in’s conclusion, KNIGHT TERRORS: BLACK ADAM #2 is a clunky dud as well.

Written and drawn by Jeremy Huan, the issue picks up with Black Adam confronting Batman, who turns out to be just the body of Batman possessed by Deadman. He explains that Black Adam is existing in an “in-between” world and he’s able to bleed through worlds. It’s an interesting concept that is quickly disregarded when Deadman is pulled away and doesn’t get brought up again the entire issue. Unless this gets explained in Knights End (the issue ends by saying it’ll be concluded in the finale), it’s a really puzzling plot device for Huan to introduce at this point in the story.

Huan tries to build complexity and force an historically egotistical Black Adam to confront the visions of his loved ones being tortured but it never really pays off. He ends up being more worried about his inability to control his powers and the need to regain a sense of strength. I never got the sense his struggle was for the purpose of others, even if the dialogue was trying to convince me it was. Emotional vulnerability is hard to express in characters whose entire gimmick is invulnerability and Huan didn’t achieved it here.

I was slightly more impressed with Huan’s artwork, though I wouldn’t go so far to say anything stood out for me. The heavy ink approach leads to some awkward facial expressions, but the depiction of Anubis sacrificing Black Adam’s was disturbingly intriguing.

Troy Peteri has a lot to work with on lettering given the number of characters who receive special text bubbles and the frequency of sound effects used. For me, Peteri’s work is the highlight of the issue though the overabundance of Black Adam shouting “SHAZAM!” so frequently, dilutes the impact of seeing it on the page.

As mentioned above, I’ll be interested to see how/if they try to tie this into the event’s finale. I don’t think this story can be saved or elevated for me, but if they don’t revisit the inclusion of Deadman in this issue it will make this story seem even less necessary.

Rating: 3/10 more