Ray: This middle-ages set DC AU kicked off with a bang, ending with two massive twists. First King Jor-El was assassinated by a magic arrow, and then the grief over his secret father’s death caused Bruce’s powers to manifest for the first time. So that’s a huge secret hanging over the series—one that doesn’t blow up this issue, as there is more than enough to cover. This issue features a whole host of new players, including General Amanda Waller as she counsels the surviving El clan towards war. Meanwhile, King Jefferson Pierce, the chief suspect in the assassination, is busy with his own affairs. Not only does he have three superpowered children—including a son, never seen before in any version of the character—but he has a die-hard collection of loyalists who believe that for the world to thrive, the Els must die. And by targeting the king, they may have unleashed something much worse.
Taylor is obviously known for his dark AUs, including Injustice and DCeased. This one doesn’t seem to have anything as bleak right out of the gate—but that might be deceptive. It’s clear that both clans consider nothing off limits as they plan their next strike, and the addition of another El child complicates that further. This new character, apparently the Supergirl of this world, seems to be an original as well as the first LGBT Supergirl (her partner’s identity will be a surprise to a lot of people, and good on DC for allowing this). But as the issue comes to an end, the story takes a shockingly dark turn that escalates the war in a way I would never expect. Taylor builds the suspense excellently throughout as what started as a family drama becomes a conflict that threatens to engulf the whole world. We’re only two issues in, and it’s hard to guess just how bad things can get—for the characters. For us, we’re in for a great ride.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
This post was last modified on December 6, 2021 2:34 pm
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