Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #5 – Jay Kristoff, Tom Taylor, Writers; Tirso, Riccardo Federici, Artists; Arif Prianto, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: As we reach the penultimate issue of this dark, cold saga, we’re introduced to one of the most key figures in Slade’s life – Wintergreen, his loyal aide de camp and the closest thing he has to a true friend. But Slade the warlord hasn’t seen him in many years – until William rolls up in a massive steampunk suit of armor and takes him deep underground into an iron fortress that’s being used to dig under the kingdom of ice. It’s a very impressive visual, with the entire thing being rendered in eerie tones of black and white. But as much plot as there is to explore here, it’s not long before the conversation turns the past these two share – and the many, many unresolved wounds since their last meeting.
Wintergreen is a fun character, because he’s the only character who could say these things to Slade without getting gutted, and he wastes no time dismantling all the lies Slade has built up around himself. We also, through the few full-color segments in this issue, discover the tragic truth behind how the Endless Winter began and the role they played in it. That leads Slade to make one last shot at reconciling with Rose and uniting their forces to make their move – something that will play out in the full-sized final issue of this story next month. This creative team has done a great job of expanding the world of Dark Knights of Steel while staying true to the world that Taylor and his collaborators built.
The backup wraps up this month, with Taylor and Federici finishing up the origin story of Arthur Curry, as Jonathan and Martha Kent battle to survive against the onslaught of Manta’s farm and to teach their adopted son about his roots without letting him become a warrior before it’s his time. Even though the circumstances are very different this time, we can easily recognize the same spirit that let the Kents raise a Superman in another reality.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
