DC has released details on Dark Knights of Steel II, a sequel to Tom Taylor and Otto Schmidt’s high-fantasy reimagining of the DC Universe. The 12-issue series will kick off on July 15.
The series features colors by Arif Prianto and letters by Wes Abbott, with a main cover by Yasmine Putri. The first issue will be followed on July 22 by Dark Knights of Steel II Special: Heir to the Sea #1, a 48-page one-shot collecting the Aquaman origin story first serialized in Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter.
“I was raised on comic books and fantasy novels,” Taylor said. “From as early as I can remember, my mind has been filled with universes of great heroes standing against corrupting evil and injustice. From the Discworld to the DCU, I have been thrilled by the epics and heroism of J.R.R. Tolkien and Mark Waid, by the humor and heart of Gail Simone, Joe Kelly and Terry Pratchett, by the jaw-dropping character arcs of Garth Ennis and Robin Hobb.”
The world of Dark Knights of Steel is organized around four great powers: the House of El, led by Queen Lara and her children Prince Kal-El and Princess Zala; the House of Wayne, with Bruce Wayne serving as sworn protector to the Els; the Kingdom of Storms, ruled by Queen Anissa with counsel from John Constantine; and the warriors of Amazonia, led by Queen Hippolyta and Princess Diana.
The first Dark Knights of Steel ended with the Els, the Amazons and the Kingdom of Storms forming a hard-won alliance after discovering that shape-shifting invaders had engineered the conflict between them from the shadows. The sequel picks up with that peace already under threat: an ancient war stirs beneath the waves, carrying a force capable of shattering everything the League built, while a traitor hidden in plain sight prepares to strike from within.
Here’s an interior preview:
Variant covers for the first issue are by Travis Moore and Tamra Bonvillain, Davide Paratore and Joshua Middleton, plus a foil variant by Middleton.
And here’s the cover to Dark Knights of Steel II Special: Heir to the Sea #1 by Reiko Murakami:
