Review: Dark Knights Of Steel #8

Dark Knights of Steel #8 came out this week and was another interesting chapter in this mini-series. I have enjoyed this book for its exploration of the DC heroes in a medieval setting with all the trappings that comes with. It was a time when combat settled a lot of disputes. So seeing some of our heroes seem eager to raise their sword hand seems right.

The House of El, The House of Lightning, and the Amazons are about to engage in battle, a war of the three major kingdoms on this world. I have suspected for some time that the real villains of this world have yet to be revealed. Some shape-shifters are out there ratcheting up the tension and lashing out in the guise of our heroes. 

The problem is that this also means that the 'real' heroes are bound to return the violence. This issue ends with a brutal death. But I don't think there are any shapeshifters here. I think who ever is pulling the strings has succeeded in making these different factions kill themselves off. 

Tom Taylor does a good job here with characterization as usual. I love the Harley here. I like Diana and Zala- trying to calm things. And I like the budding romance between Ollie and Dinah. 

Another big win is the art. Yasmine Putri is back on the book and her stuff is just gorgeous. Her panel construction and page layouts really help push the story.  Her battle sequences are fantastic. And she seems to have a good handle on the fashion and mores of the time. Just wonderful.

On to the book!

It has been a while since the last issue. Clark is captured on Themyscira.

The Amazon army has teamed up with the House of Lightning and are marching to the House of El. The war is about to begin. 

And yet, not everyone is on board with this. 

I like Lois here. Ever the investigative journalist. She can feel that something is wrong. The violence has erupted too quickly. Zala is empathetic and loving, not a killer. Maybe it isn't all what it seems.

But Constantine doesn't want to hear it. He saw his king killed. 

You see how whoever is doing this has done it well. John can't take that step back to see the big picture. He is too enraged.

Inside the House of El dungeon, Green Arrow and Black Canary get to know each other. 

Putri draws a magnificent Canary. I would love to see her on a book starring Dinah.

I do wonder how these two will be involved in the finale.

And then came my favorite scene in the book. 

Amanda Waller and Harley Quinn stand in the path of the Amazon and Lightning armies. 

Harley rightly says that every war ends with a small group of people hashing out problems but after a bunch of innocents have died. Why not skip that death part and head right to the ending. Even if these armies outnumber the Els, the Els are flying invulnerable gods. It isn't going to end well. Pretty crazy when Harley, here truly a fool, is the voice of reason! I love that!

Princess Anissa ignores it. She wants to avenge her father and brother.

The construction of that first panel is brilliant. Harley might think she is a big deal, might think she is being logical, but she is basically insignificant to Anissa, barely a tiny head in the borders. I love when art and words come together to complement so well.

And it is more interesting when Constantine again is shown to be the hothead. 

As Waller and Harley came in peace, Hippolyta is willing to leave them alive. But John won't hear it. Before he can cast a fireball spell of some sort, the woods come alive around the armies. Poison Ivy is there to protect her love.

Again, Putri art is just lush and the pages of the forest tearing into the armies are just beautiful. 

The wild card in all this is the Joker/Lex/Green Lantern 'Green Man' who seems to be working for whoever is trying to get this war started. He takes out Ivy allowing the armies to march again.

Could the bad guys be the Guardians? 

I still say it is has to be White Martians.

When the armies roll up to the gates of Castle El, Diana and Zala try again to stop the war from happening. 

This could work. They are the princesses of the opposite sides and in love. Perhaps they can calm things.

I also like how Zala insists that there be no killing. That is a far cry from the 'Zala' we saw kill indiscriminately early in this series. Whoever that was, it couldn't have been the real Zala.

Again, it is Constantine who stops any chance of peace.

Hiding in a nearby wagon, he convinces the resurrected Prince Jacob to use his powers to flood Zala's lungs with water, in essence trying to drown her.

With Jor-El dead and Clark imprisoned, Lara isn't going to just sit there and watch.

Great top panel of the Queen entering the fray. 

And then this ending. Lara bisects Hippolyta with heat vision. Brilliant art by Putri.

This is exactly what the hidden enemy wanted. I am sure this is the real Lara killing the real Hippolyta. But the events that led to this war were manufactured by the hidden enemy. The anger and calls for vengeance that forced Constantine to violence, that caused Lara to murder, were done from the shadows.

No doubt this will put some strain on the Diana/Zala relationship. 

This was definitely a good issue for the series, pushing the plot forward and quickly. There is no more talk about 'will there be a war'. It's happening. But I do hope that the 'who is behind it all' is answered before issue #12.

I have enjoyed this book more than I thought. Really love Harley in this.

Overall grade: B+