Dark Knights of Steel #5 – Tom Taylor, Writer; Yasmine Putri, Artist; Arif Prianto, Colorist
<h3Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: One of the best things about alternate universes is that anything can happen. No one is safe, and characters can be anything the writer wants them to be. In lesser hands, this can feel like someone is telling an original story with familiar faces. Here, in Tom Taylor’s high-intensity fantasy adventure, it feels like a brilliant cautionary tale about how one twist of fate can create a monster. Over the last few issues, we’ve see Zala Jor-El weave a trail of carnage across the world as she seeks justice for the murder of her father. Now, we see her return home—and put on a very different face, as a grieving younger sister who denies any role in the violence she’s caused. Her relationship with Diana caused some controversy when it was first announced, but it’s a fascinating subplot—a hero deeply in love with a secret villain—and Taylor deserves kudos for giving us the first openly queer Wonder Woman in a main DC book.
And this issue is pretty great for representation in general, with a completely unique take on Harley and Ivy. We’ve already met Harley as the offbeat jester who is a lot smarter than she lets on, but this version of Ivy as an aloof forest guardian feels both like a fantasy remix and really—pretty much what she always is. They’re allowed to be a lot more passionate and open with their love than they usually are, and I see these two winning over a lot of fans. The issue almost feels laid-back, like a breather after the violence and reveals. And then we get to the last few pages, where Kal and Bruce finally get to talk—and then Taylor takes our breath away with a stunning final few pages that completely change what we think this comic is about. Taylor rips the breath out of our chest with a shocker, then allows us to exhale on the last few pages as he delivers a massive twist to the DCU mythos that completely upends this world. Almost halfway in, this has the potential to be one of the best Elseworlds of all time.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
