“Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #4”
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 #4 continues the high fantasy reimagining of the DC Universe. Characters and places we know have been remixed in not one but two ways! The story has continued to diverge from what we’ve come to expect from the “present day”. Namely Aquaman raised by the Kents and a Kryptonian Batman, but the rest of the characters around them feel all so familiar, that we can take these new perspectives and love them greatly!
The Deathstroke: Chapter Four
The gritty look at a Norse Myth quest in the DC universe continues. Our heroes are tested constantly under the wintry conditions of this cursed land, and Deathstroke is doing his best impression of the now familiar trope of the grizzled veteran escorting a magical child to safety.
The imagination of Kristoff to reframe one of my favorite antagonists in such a unique way to truly get them as the root of this region’s deep cold was masterful. It’s all reinforced by the consistently strong artwork to make the entire region all the more bleak.
Heir to the Sea: Chapter Four
It’s quite odd to see King Shark, and Grundy in the Deathstroke story, speaking so eloquently. That’s the way of things in the fantasy genre.
I’m almost saddened by these heir chapters. The political drama of what is happening under the sea and what it means for this new take on the Kent parents could lead the story in a multitude of exciting new ways.
Each of these chapters is just a delight to behold. The rushing blues makes Atlantis look so inviting and majestic despite most of the shots featuring Black Manta looking at his most sinister. The use of earthy colors and intense hatching makes most of the shots above ground look like a painting, or another medium altogether.
This could be a delight for us readers that they should not rush.
Conclusion
Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #4 dazzles and gives us so much to think about over and over again. The stories could go in a number of directions and with the creative freedom of no canon to follow, they can do truly anything with these characters. That’s a level of creative freedom that encourages writers and artists to do anything and gives us readers a great deal of joy to experience with them!
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
