Dark Knights of Steel #3 – Tom Taylor, Writer; Yasmine Putri, Artist; Arif Prianto, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Tom Taylor seems to get a lot of flack based on things people assume about his work, rather than things that actually happen in it. Case in point, people losing their minds last issue over the reveal that Wonder Woman was in a relationship with “Supergirl.” But this isn’t Supergirl—it’s Zala Jor-El, a new character. She’s older than Kara, she’s the younger full sibling of Kal-El—and more importantly, all indications are that she’s actually the villain of Dark Knights of Steel. As soon as she found out her father had been murdered, she left the refuge of Themyscira and struck back at the Kingdom of Storms—murdering King Jefferson’s youngest son in a display of sadism and a declaration of war. This issue makes clear this wasn’t just a one-off revenge strike, as she has no problem murdering a group of neutral warriors, the Metal Men from the Magus Lands. Right now, she reminds me of Azula more than anything.
But her actions are the focus of the issue—especially on Themyscira, where King Jefferson and Constantine have come to parlay with Queen Hippolyta, his longtime ally. While Diana insists that Zala couldn’t have committed these crimes, Hippolyta pledges her loyalty to the Kingdom of Storms—and Diana carves out her own path. And that’s where this issue takes an unexpected turn, with a dramatic action segment and yet another shocking death that throws the entire concept of the series for a loop. This reminds me a lot of Game of Thrones in its ruthless, anyone-can-die style and whip-fast pacing, but with Taylor’s usual care for characters and plotting. The ending promises to shift the focus back to the half-Kryptonian Bruce Wayne, who might be the most heroic character in the series so far—that we know of. Because so far, this series has surprised with just how far these characters will go to defend what’s theirs.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
