We’ve reached the midway point on Tom Taylor and Yasmin Putri’s Dark Knights of Steel this week and it comes after a dramatic ending in issue #5. War is brewing in this alternate dimension where most of the DC Comics characters you love are remixed into a medieval setting. Superman’s father has been murdered, Batman holds a secret and is on the run, and war is brewing.
After the incredible action, character reveals, and plot twists of the last few issues, this issue ends up feeling more like table setting. Dark Knights of Steel #6 takes a slower pace as it checks in on key figures like John Constantine and introduces new characters to the narrative that are familiar. New information is relayed about key figures, but ultimately this issue lacks a big reveal or surprise.
Tim Drake ends up being a major element of the issue as he opens the book checking in on Constantine. He’s one of Batman’s squires and is found out in an enemy kingdom. His role is as a messenger, and while he escapes, he also helps relay that Zala did some horrible things that she’s unaware of. Some of the drama of this scene is lost given we pretty much know who is pulling strings, but alas it’s a surprise to the characters.
Good retort, Tim.
Credit: DC Comics
Superman has stayed relatively quiet in the narrative, but Putri gets to go ham with the character in the last quarter of the book. This issue does well to show he’s not a villain, but just working through some complicated emotions. He could literally kill everyone if he wanted to but instead holds back as he faces the Amazons. There’s a crowd fight scene that looks great and it is easy to track the action.
Longtime DC Comics fans will likely be giddy for an interesting duo introduced in the issue. Not only do they have ties to Batman, but Constantine as well. It’s a neat way to bring in a little magic while also playing with expectations as the reader can’t fully know if this character is evil like he is in the main continuity or a new flavor of the character.
That’s where this series shines: by having familiar characters pop up and play against their archetypes while exuding their personalities in this unfamiliar landscape. You see it with Harley Quinn, for instance, who is a bit of a goof but also follows orders. She’s not quite herself, but still, you can hear her voice.
Dark Knights of Steel #6 is good, but slower-paced installment that’s more about setting things up. It’s a bit of a surprise that this issue lacks huge twists and turns since every issue before it harbored some huge revelation. Still, it’s an entertaining ride that mixes things up in a way that’s hard to resist.
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