Dark Knights of Steel Vol 1

A friend of mine lent me Dark Knights of Steel, Volume 1 awhile ago, and I finally sat down to read it today. Dark Knights of Steel sets Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman in a medieval fantasy setting with an alternate history for Kal-El. In this setting, Kal-El's parents escaped the dying planet Krypton when his mother was pregnant; Kal-El is born on Earth. Batman's parents were the rulers of one of the three kingdoms, but after they were killed by the Green Man (Lex Luthor who found the Green Lantern ring and became the Joker), Kal-El's parents took over. Bruce was the bastard son of the Waynes (Thomas isn't his dad here) and so would never have been accepted as the ruler. 

While the Els rule fairly peacefully, magic is banned from their kingdom. Batman is tasked with rounding all of the magic users up and imprisoning them. Due to this, and a prophecy from John Constantine, the neighbouring Kingdom of Storms wants the Els dead. With the help of the Green Man, Green Arrow launches an arrow and kills Jor-El, starting the three kingdoms' descent towards war.

What's really fun is that Dark Knights of Steel takes you in some really unexpected directions. There were a few moments that I did not see coming because the story plays with what you know of the characters: for example, Dark Knights of Steel's Kal-El is not the same (Superman) Kal-El who we're used to. But you don't realize it until the story unfolds.

I thought this was a fantastic reimagining of the three superheroes, and I can't wait for Volume 2!!!!

Library Book: Superman Brainiac

I don't normally read Superman books (with a couple of exceptions like the Superman Batman series) but I saw Superman Brainiac while at work last night.  I was intrigued by the premise so I took it out.

Brainiac is an alien who is collecting knowledge.  He shows up to a planet with sentient life, steals a city then destroys the planet.  He did this to Krypton and when one of his probes encounters Superman, he's on his way to Earth to do the same.

But Superman knows he's coming, and rather than wait Superman decides to take the fight to Brainiac.

There isn't a whole lot else going on in this story (well, there's some stuff with Supergirl facing her fears and believing in herself, and some character building stuff that probably goes with the larger overarching story) but it was a really good read.  The art was excellent as well.  So if you're looking for a quick read, particularly something that you can read without knowing a whole lot about Superman, this is definitely for you!

Library Book: Superman: Emperor Joker

Normally I prefer Batman stories, but while I was at work this last Saturday, Superman: Emperor Joker caught my eye. It looked fun, and it screamed a Batman/Superman crossover, so I decided to give it a shot. And I wasn't disappointed.

Superman: Emperor Joker opens in a strange alternate reality. Superman is a criminal, accused of murdering Lex Luthor. Villians like Bizaarro are considered the heroes. And for some reason, it keeps raining pies . . .

Yes, the Joker has managed to get God-like powers. He has remade the world into his dream, whatever that dream happens to be at the moment. Everything is opposite, and only the Man of Steel seems to realize that everything is wrong. And every night there is the unearthly scream . . .

Yes, Superman: Emperor Joker was a great story. It was a bit of a crossover, but I enjoyed every minute of reading it. From Bizarro's opposite talk to the Joker's cruel insanity, this was a good story for everyone who likes the DC Universe.