Dark Knights of Steel #7 – Tom Taylor, Writer; Nathan Gooden, Artist; Arif Prianto, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: While we have another guest artist in Nathan Gooden this issue, the series doesn’t lose momentum at all. It was shocking enough when Zara Jor-El, the younger child of the Els, turned out to be a homicidal maniac. Now we know that Kal-El himself may be the main villain of the series, an entitled and ruthless prince who will do anything to uphold his father’s empire—even kill his half-brother Bruce. But while Bruce was left for dead, he survived—and now he’s found himself on the Kent farm, tended to by a pair of kindly retired warriors turned farmers and their eccentric group of adopted kids—including a witch, an orange-skinned alien, a green shapeshifter, and a rudimentary cyborg. There’s just one problem with this refuge—these strange and extraordinary kids are the same metas and magicians who Bruce and his Robins were hunting for years, and the kids are not going to be quick to forgive.
In many ways, Bruce’s storyarc here reflects that of one of the greatest antiheroes of all time—the banished Prince Zuko, who spent his life trying to serve one empire only to have it reject him and the people he was hunting offer him salvation. While Bruce may not be as far gone, the war he’s facing may be even bigger and further-reaching. This issue alone, major players like Ra’s Al Ghul and Etrigan make appearances, while an unexpected character returns from beyond and makes a fateful decision. It seems like resurrection is not only possible but commonplace in this book, which makes me wonder who else might be making a reappearance down the line. While Bruce’s journey takes an unexpected turn this issue, the drumbeats of war are beating more loudly with every issue. It’s also great to see another comic where the Kents take an active and heroic role outside of simply being good parents.
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