Noteworthy Issues: Dark Knights Of Steel #1 (November, 2021)

Tom Taylor’s DC work includes recasting the familiar characters of the DC Universe in the world of the Injustice fighting game and in a world beset with a zombie plague.  I have read Taylor’s contribution to Injustice and quite frankly, DCeased does look tempting.

What about a medieval setting?

Issue:  Dark Knights of Steel #1, November 2021

Writer:  Tom Taylor

Artist:  Yasmine Putri

The Plot:  A rocket from Krypton lands on Earth, but it looks like Europe’s Middle Ages are still in full swing.

Commentary:  I vaguely remember reading the first part of a two part Elseworlds series which was basically a Medieval fantasy setting Justice League.  Note I didn’t read the second.  That first issue did not do much for me.  Fortunately, this series got off to a much better start.  Like any good Superman story set in a different world, this one starts with the end of the planet Krypton before a final rocket takes off and goes to Earth.  As expected, it lands in Medieval times.  That’s all promised by the cover.

What isn’t promised is that the ship doesn’t contain Kal-El of the planet Krypton.  No, it contains Jor-El and a very pregnant Lara as she is giving birth to Kal-El.  Oh, and Jor-El uses his head vision and invulnerability to flash fry some knights who decided to try and kill the couple.  Is it an accident?  Maybe.  It doesn’t much matter,  The story then flashes forward about twenty years to show Kal is now more or less an aduilt, Jor and Lara are ruling a kingdom, Bruce Wayne is the (literal) bastard Bat-Prince who, with Alfred and his team of Robins, go around rounding up anyone with “magic” (AKA superpowers) that might be able to take out the king and queen, and in a brief appearance, Harley Quinn is the court jester.  Bruce’s parents were the king and queen prior to Jor and Lara assuming power, but they were murdered and since Bruce was a bastard, he couldn’t inherit.

Meanwhile, in another kingdom, Black Lightning is a king getting prophecies from John Constantine that promise the end is coming.

Oh, there are still some good twists just in this first issue, but I’d rather not talk about them.  Just having Superman’s parents come to Earth by itself is a good twist, but there are others out there, ones that I think I would be spoiling for anyone reading this, so do yourself a favor:  track down this comic and give it a read.  You probably won’t be disappointed.

Grade:  A