“Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #5”
Writers: Jay Kristoff, Tom Taylor
Artists: Tirso, Riccardo Federici
Color Artists: Arif Prianto
Letterers: Wes Abbott
Review by Adam Ray
Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #5 brings a dramatic continuation of the two fantastical storylines taking the sagas to new heights. The scope of the high fantasy look of the DC Universe is near limitless, and we can see just how well some of these characters translate over as it carries the scope of excellent storytelling from last issue.
The Deathstroke: Chapter Five
Wreckage brings us a new look on another familiar character, fitting perfectly into this grim dark fantasy setting. The story is emotionally weighty, with a delve into the past of this world and why this kingdom is buried under the snow. The story feels layered and sincere. The world feels lived in and familiar, even though this is the fifth and penultimate time we will ever catch up with things in this setting.
The story continues to do wonders with how colour can tell a story in a comic. The world before the freeze is vibrant with colour. The monochrome of this frozen world is also deeply resonant with how things should be, but I feel a softness to some of the shading, as though things might be abated or made less dire in the story’s future?
Heir to the Sea: Chapter Five
Heir to the sea shows us that call to heroism that unites Aquaman and Superman in very similar ways. It shows that the characters are both set up to be the great protectors in both worlds. The tutelage of the Kent parents make for great heroes in any timeline. They handle the relative time jump with a great deal of natural flow, which makes the set up for the story’s dramatic finish all the more welcome.
I am consistently enchanted by the colouring in the artwork on this story. It always feels so storybook and watercolour, which is exactly how things should be in this genre. Even when the tone and the contents might be a tiny bit more mature than more of those storybooks.
Conclusion
Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #5 brings us the same strong, high fantasy story telling that we know and love from this title. The stories are all poised to have some truly dramatic conclusions that have this reviewer reeling for more
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