Comics Lowdown | All hail the king as ‘King Spawn’ #1 sells nearly 500,000 copies

Spawn continues its big comeback with big numbers. Plus: news on censorship in Texas, Tim Drake’s big revelation, Kim Dwinell, ‘Chickaloonies’ and more.

Todd McFarlane’s Spawn is coming back in a big way this year, as the creator launches a universe of titles built around the character. Spawn’s Universe #1 set a sales record for the 21st Century for Image Comics, and it looks like the first issue of King Spawn has already broken it, with a reported 497,000 pre-orders.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, that puts King Spawn #1 in the same neighborhood as DC’s Action Comics No. 1,000, which has pre-orders of an estimated 504,000 copies, and Detective Comics No. 1,000 with its 574,705 copies. So it’s a respectable neighborhood.

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Taylor + Putri bend the knee for ‘Dark Knights of Steel’

The 12-issue series from DC re-imagines the DC heroes in a medieval setting.

Tom Taylor has spent a lot of time in alternate realities, from DCeased to the Injustice titles to Marvel’s upcoming Dark Ages. Now he and artist Yasmine Putri will draw swords, literally, in Dark Knights of Steel.

The new DC maxi-series arrives in November, introducing a world where a certain spaceship carrying a certain Kryptonian baby landed in a medieval world.

“Combining two of my favorite things, DC superheroes and high fantasy, is my absolute happy place,” Taylor said on Twitter. “I grew up reading Lord of the Rings alongside Superman. Terry Pratchett alongside Garth Ennis. Robin Hobb and Mark Waid. Dragonlance and Justice League…”

The 12-issue title will feature new origins for Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, as well as Black Lightning, Harley Quinn, John Constantine and more.

“This is for the fans of Game of Thrones and Critical Role,” Taylor said. “This is for the kids who took dice to school, who chose their own adventure, and dreamed of flying in a cape. This… is Dark Knights of Steel.”

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