The Dark Knights of Steel – A DC Sword and Sorcery Elseworld

Last week, I opened up DC Universe Infinite to see what new comics were around to read. One cover caught my eye:

I opened up the book and was greeted with some fantastic artwork.

For fans of the DC Universe, that is indeed the legendary assassin Deathstroke in a medieval-fantasy setting.

In 2021, DC launched a limited series called The Dark Knights of Steel. It ran for twelve issues and told a high-fantasy reimagining of the DC Universe. Some names and identities are the same (some are not), and it tells the story of three kingdoms on edge. One is ruled by the Els, both of Kal-El/Supermans parents (Jor-El and Lara) did manage to escape Kryton’s destruction. Another kingdom is ruled by King Jefferson Pierce (Black Lightning), while the final kingdom is ruled by the Amazonians.

The plot that runs through the original series is best experienced with no knowledge going in. At least, that’s how I approached it, but if you need a bit more convincing, Constantine is an advisor to King Jefferson Pierce, and he has a prophecy that the Els will use their alien superpowers to take over the world. This puts everyone on edge, and once an assassination occurs, war comes to the kingdoms as some of our favorite characters are forced to choose sides or try and stop it.

What makes it so interesting is the unique takes on the characters. This isn’t a story where Superman flies in and fixes things. Bruce Wayne is still damaged, although in a very different way. The characters exist in more gray areas than their black and white counterparts, which lines up with a lot of sword and sorcery stories, albeit with a bit more redemption.

So, after I devoured the limited series in two evenings, I decided to read the latest stories set in The Dark Knights of Steel universe which is titled All-Winter and stars Deathstroke (from the photos above). In this story, Deathstroke is a hired gun, who is driven only by his passion for coin and his regrets. He is given the task of killing a young child, but once he finds the target things get complicated. This six issue series is smaller in scope than The Dark Knights of Steel (2021) but still manages to tell a wonderful story that reminded me at times of Kratos from God of War.

Both series exceeded my expectations. They told coherent stories with characters that were familiar, yet very different. I really enjoyed the unique setting, and I thought the author did a great job at telling both a good superhero and a sword and sorcery story. It also helps that the artwork was very good and in the original series, several of the covers were drawn by my favorite artist, Dan Mora.

Overall, I would say The Dark Knights of Steel series have been a wonder addition to the DC Universe. I hope we get more stories told in this fantasy universe.