DC’s Dark Knights of Steel by Tom Taylor and Yasmine Putri is is a genre-bending adventure with an unpredictable look at familiar characters.
The epic fantasy take on the DC Universe continues in Dark Knights of Steel #5 from writer Tom Taylor and artist Yasmine Putri. The creative team is rounded out with colors by Arif Prianto and letters by Wes Abbott. The series mashes DC’s familiar characters with high fantasy for a superhero-meets-Lord of the Rings fairytale. Dark Knights of Steel harkens back to DC’s long history of the Elseworlds series, a line of comics that allows creators to explore familiar subjects free of established continuity. Like the best of those stories, Dark Knights gives a new perspective on established characters and challenges readers’ expectations. In Dark Knights of Steel, elevated by the luscious art from Yasmine Putri, Taylor lets his imagination run free in a story that uses its fantastical backdrop to ask questions of power and justice that are sadly timeless. This latest issue raises the tension and proves Taylor’s talents for compelling character drama.
The first four issues of Dark Knights of Steel have introduced this world’s kingdoms and the tense balance of power that has maintained peace. Jor-El and Lara, Superman’s parents, have been beloved rulers to their kingdom but many fear their vast powers and believe they are the fulfillment of a prophecy of doom. After Jor-El is assassinated and Zala Jor-El, this world’s version of Supergirl, was witnessed murdering a prince, the kingdoms begin prepping for war. Diana, princess of Amazonia and Zala’s romantic partner, races to the Kingdom of El to investigate and broker peace. Meanwhile, Batman is reeling from the recent revelations of his heritage. When he finally admits the truth to Kal-El, the issue ends with a shocking turn that leaves everything readers have witnessed in question.
The Dark Knights of Steel version of Bruce Wayne has been particularly compelling as he develops from a brooding and angry boy ashamed of his parentage into a more rounded and heroic character. Bruce has made it his mission to capture anyone and anything magical in nature regardless of criminality. It stems from the tragedy that defines Batman in any world, the murder of his parents. As Bruce begins to discover his own powers as the son of Jor-El, he is forced to question what has been the point of his life’s mission.
These questions of justice and heritage are amplified by the violence perpetrated by Zala, who, after Jor-El’s murder, has apparently gone on a bloody rampage. Do these actions prove that the other kingdoms are right to fear the power of the House of El? When Diana seeks out answers, she has only the words of her lover to assure her that things are not as they seem. Despite the familiar characters and the archetypes readers associate with them, the tension that has been built makes the future of this particular DC Universe feel uncertain. It is nice to believe, even in these tense moments, that justice will thrive and power could be used for the betterment of society, but Dark Knights of Steel #5 makes that uncertain. The dramatic tension at the heart of the story feels particularly ominous in today’s political climate.
The art team of Yasmine Putri and Arif Prianto has built a fantastical kingdom that feels lived in and full of history. Putri’s approach to characters puts their emotions at the center. The love between Diana and Zala feels authentic even with their limited time on the page together. Diana’s heartache that she could doubt Zala for even a moment is palpable. Similarly, the issue’s climactic moment between Bruce and Kal-El is shocking in part because Kal-El has been illustrated with such kind features. Prianto’s soft colors are lush and moody. The idyllic greens and soft blues that start the issue gradually shift to harsher oranges and reds until the issue’s closing image of the setting sun, hinting at a darker chapter to come.
Dark Knights of Steel has proven itself a welcome escape from the ongoing superhero crossovers by offering something fresh. Like the Elseworlds stories that came before it, this genre-bending adventure is an unpredictable look at characters readers think they know. With this issue’s betrayals and drama, Taylor amps up the stakes, drawing readers into a mystery that could go anywhere.
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