Dark Knights of Steel II: Heir to the Sea #1 Review

 

Dark Knights of Steel II: Heir to the Sea #1 Review

Writer: Tom Taylor

Artist: Riccardo Federici

Colorist: Arif Prianto

Letterer: Wes Abbott

Cover Artist: Reiko Murakami

Editors: Matthew Levine, Andrea Shea & Andrew Marino

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99 US

Release Date: July 22, 2026

 

It was a historic gathering: a celebration of their friendship, symbolizing the union of their three nations. But as the Queens and their contingents gathered, a threat arose from the deep that threatened to ravage the Island Kingdom of Amazonia. Then he appeared. And he would give his all to protect these rulers who sought to live in peace in their lands above the waves.

 

Who is Arthur Curry? And how did he become Aquaman? Let’s grab our tridents, leap into Dark Knights of Steel II: Heir to the Sea #1, and see!

 

Story

Jonathan and Martha fight under General Grant’s command. After yet another bloodbath, the Waynes order the company to the coastal city of Leguin. The port is key to maintaining international trade and defending their realm. Yet the tides of blood and broken bodies washing ashore warn that another war may threaten their country.

 

In Dark Knights of Steel II: Heir to the Sea #1, warfare is the only life Jonathan and Martha have ever known. As warriors, they fight by each other’s side. They excel on the battlefield. Yet they can’t help feeling that each victory leaves their country poorer than before.

 

Tom Taylor’s story focuses on the human costs of war. It also shows how discrimination and intolerance can tear communities apart. But in Dark Knights of Steel II: Heir to the Sea #1, Jonathan and Martha get a chance to start again. Yet it is not the life of honor that their country upholds.

 

Art

Jonathan and Martha fight in plate armor against opponents clad in cloth and leather. Yet their lack of helmets makes them vulnerable. When a foe clubs a fellow knight with the butt of his axe, Jonathan stays the man's hand and bangs his head into the opponent's face. After meeting with General Grant in his tent, Jonathan and Martha sit side by side in the forest. Their linen shirts link them, while Martha's laces echo her braided hair. Amanda Waller smiles when meeting the Cleavers of Rothfus. But when Jonathan frowns, Martha gazes upon her friend with concern.

 

Arif Prianto bestows a lush, painted appearance on Riccardo Federici’s art in Dark Knights of Steel II: Heir to the Sea #1. While surrounded by greenery, soldiers fight and die beneath barren brown tree limbs. The bluish green evening after the battle links the Wayne contingent and the soldiers in the troubled undersea domain. As they look down from the wall surrounding Leguin, clad in gleaming silver, Jonathan and Martha observe a clash between soldiers wearing plate armor, leather, and cloth. The undersea emperor's red eyes and the strands of red kelp adorning his armor precede the spots of red splashing against the combatants' legs. Jim Gordon's red hair counts him among the casualties of war, while red will color a defining incident in Jonathan and Martha's future.

 

Close-set italicized, uppercase black letters fill beige boxes as Jonathan guides readers through his past. Black uppercase letters in white balloons grow bold with inflection and shrink for lowered voices. Raised voices enlarge words on the battlefield and turn balloons into spiky weapons. Despite all the battles and the soldiers who lay down their lives for their kingdoms, Wes Abbott’s infrequent sound effects usually emphasize the violence that doesn’t lead to death. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

First, they were heroes. But when they followed their hearts, Jonathan and Martha became criminals. Yet by following their consciences, the knights found the happiness that had eluded them. And in time, their dedication to their cause helped them become leaders among their people and strengthen their kingdom. Still, Jonathan and Martha’s path to a better future begins with an act of faith and compassion in Dark Knights of Steel II: Heir to the Sea #1.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Dark Knights of Steel II:Heir to the Sea #1.

 

For how the series begins, see my preview of Dark Knights of Steel II #1.  

Dark Knights Of Steel: Heir To The Sea #1 Preview

 

It was a historic gathering. A celebration of their friendship, symbolizing the union of their three nations. But as the Queens and their contingents gathered, a threat arose from the deep that threatened to ravage the Island Kingdom of Amazonia. Then he appeared. And he would give his all to protect these rulers who sought to live in peace in their lands above the waves. 

Who is Arthur Curry? And how did he become Aquaman?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Dark Knights Of Steel: Heir To The Sea #1 Preview

Writer: Tom Taylor

Artist: Riccardo Federici

Cover Artist: Reiko Murakami

Publisher: DC Comics

One-shot Issue Length: 48 Pages

Price: $5.99 US

Release Date: July 22, 2026

 

 

Catch Up on the Secret Origin of Aquaman

in The Dark Knights Of Steel Universe!

 

 

Before the rise of the House of El, two steadfast soldiers within the Wayne army, Jonathan and Martha Kent, make a startling discovery: a child, left among the waves, orphaned by a civil war raging beneath the water’s surface. The Kents hope to hide him from the bitter violence of the world he left behind…but no one runs from their destiny forever.

 

Originally seen in the pages of Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter, witness the origin of a deep-sea king whose journey leads directly into his royal debut in Dark Knights of Steel II #1.

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

For what happened last time, see my preview of Dark Knights of Steel II #1. 

Adventures of Superman: Book of El #1 Preview

 

 

One of the hardest paths we must travel in life is grief. How do you move on from a loved one's death, when all you feel is sorrow, misery, and depression? And what if you didn't have to?

You could feel Phillip Kennedy Johnson's excitement at San Diego Comic-Con as he described his upcoming series about a man who finds a way to revive his family. As a special bonus, Phillip promised that each issue will contain two pages of text from the Book of El. 

 

 

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

 

Adventures of Superman: Book of El #1

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson

Artist: Scott Godlewski

Cover Artists: Scott Godlewski, Dan Mora, Riccardo Federici, Rahzzah, TK & Marguerite Sauvage

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $3.99/$4.99

Length: 32 Pages

Release Date: September 3, 2025

 

Superman returns! Fan-favorite Future State: Superman: House of El creators Phillips Kennedy Johnson and Scott Godlewski reunite for Adventures of Superman: Book of El! As the Super-Family settles into a well-earned time of peace, a powerful ally-turned-enemy invades Earth with an army at his back and a god-aspect of Olgrun, mad god of the First World. When even the Super-Family lacks the power to stop him, Superman is sent against his will to a place even he’s never been…where he’ll find allies he could never have expected. Concluding the events of “Future State” and Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s Action Comics, the next epic adventure begins here!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

Conan The Barbarian #22 Review

 

Writer: Jim Zub

Artist: Fernando Dagnino

Colorist: Diego Rodriguez

Letterer: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Editor: Chris Butera

Cover Artists: Dan Panosian, Riccardo Federici, Enid Balam, Valerio Giangiordano & Jason Shawn Alexander

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: July 9, 2025

 

The Bamula tribe respects Amra's conquests alongside Bêlit. So when Conan meets them, they accept him as their own. Conan agrees to help them defeat their enemies.

 

Kushites captured Livia's caravan. Before they could barter a ransom from the magician-rulers of Kheshatta, Bajujh’s Balakah tribe killed the Kushites. Conan and the Bamula rescued Livia when they attacked the Balakah camp. But when they travel north to return Livia to her people, Conan and the Bamula fall prey to the people of Daynt. Will the grinning townsfolk kill the Bamula and Livia with kindness? Or can Conan help them escape? Let's grab our swords and battle axes, shout “By Crom,” venture into Conan The Barbarian #22, and find out!

 

Story

In Jim Zub’s story, the townspeople threw Conan, the Bamulas, and Livia in a pit with other prisoners. Their warders kept the prisoners drugged. Conan ate and drank as little as possible to avoid his companions' lethargy. When she arrives, the enchantress Athyr-Bast brings the prisoners to Kheshatta. As in John Milius' movie, Conan enters an arena. This time, he faces Krum-Va the Carver.

 

Conan The Barbarian #22 revolves around Conan’s trials as a gladiator and Athyr-Bast’s hunger for prestige among the magicians of Kheshatta. Like Conan’s master in the 1982 movie, Athyr-Bast realizes Conan is her ticket to success. So, she treats him like a star gladiator. But Conan is still a slave. The Cimmerian fears that he will accept this status and live for the acclaim of the populace.

 

Like the Aquilonian village of Hauler's Roam, Daynt sits along the border between two kingdoms. Athyr-Bast may not transform people into a zombie army. But she can perpetuate a great evil while attracting little notice from outsiders. So, nobody in Kheshatta questions how the enchantress acquires Conan, Livia, and the Bamulas in Conan The Barbarian #22.

 

The Stygian king invited Livia to live in a mansion or palace in Kheshatta. Then, the Balakah killed Theteles. Instead of enjoying the prestige that came from being the sister of a powerful sorcerer, Livia is a slave. And owners can use, punish, sell, or kill slaves at their pleasure.

 

Art

Krum-Va evokes the Nephilim, who walked the Earth before a flood wiped away the spawn of angels and Humans. The champion towers over Conan in his full-face helmet, clutching his rake-like swords. Conan glances at his knife like a dispirited Crocodile Dundee. Athyr-Bast dominates a page of fight scenes, while Fernando Dagnino shows a glimpse of Thulsa Doom among his council. Krum-Va tosses Conan with such force that he breaks apart a stone wall. Then he grabs Conan and treats him like a puny Cimmerian.

 

Diego Rodriguez imbues the jeering crowd with green highlights. Like the snake men Solomon Kane battles in Africa, the spectators gaze down at the golden bowl. Conan and Krum-Va's skin tones harmonize with the surrounding beige, tan, and brown as they return to the dust from which they came. But when Conan gains an advantage, Thulsa Doom and Athyr-Bast lean forward in adjacent panels.

 

Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith conjure uppercase lettering into white dialogue balloons and yellow narrative boxes in Conan The Barbarian #22. Words grow bold for intonation, occasionally enlarge, and never shrink as Conan braves the silhouettes and shadows of his new home. Shouts turn red and threaten to burst balloons as the crowd realizes Amra’s sense of worth, and the announcers decide that he matters. Thanks to Titan for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

When the beautiful enchantress of Kheshatta makes Conan her champion, the Cimmerian helps her rise among the social elite. But while the crowd greets him each day with howls of lust and fury, Conan cannot protect his friends in Conan The Barbarian #22.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Conan The Barbarian #22.