Superman’s Sister Reveals the Hyper-Violent Potential of Kryptonians

Warning: spoilers for Dark Knights of Steel #1 & #2 ahead!

In DC Comics’ new series, Dark Knights of Steel, heroes new and old are being explored in a medieval setting, and one new Kryptonian has turned up the violence to a whole new level. The series introduces Zala Jor-El, the long-lost sister of Superman. A trained warrior and princess in the Amazon Kingdom, Zala promises to bring a unique style of fighting to the Kryptonian skill-set, readers will soon see her use her powers in terrifying new ways.

Dark Knights of Steel from writer Tom Taylor and artist Yasmine Putri has already delivered some classic moments, such as the birth of Kal-El, the Green Arrow losing his arm and Batman witnessing his father’s death. The new environment these heroes have been dropped into, however, creates fertile ground for these characters to be utilized in a wholly unique way. With the El family holding a great deal of power among the major kingdoms in the realm, a world has already been set up for an epic fantasy tale akin to Game of Thrones, but instead featuring the greatest super-powered families in the DC Universe. It’s exciting to see that, while exploring these new character dynamics, they are also exploring how powers, gadgets and abilities will change in this alternate world.

In a preview for Dark Knights of Steel #3 provided to CBR, Putri reveals some art for the upcoming issue featuring Zala on the battlefield. In those black-and-white panels, she counters a swordsman by catching his blade in her hands, then thrusting her arm straight through him like a sword. It’s well-known that Kryptonians have incredible abilities under a yellow son, but the violence doled out by Superman is typically reserved for incapacitating punches. To see such a violent maneuver from a Kryptonian, showing off pure strength and sturdiness, is quite striking, even in black-and-white.

In favor of the medieval style, many heroes have donned big, bulky armor over their modern, form-fitting gear. While it can be a little jarring at first, it immerses the characters in their environment. To see this taken a step further, with a daughter of Krypton leaning into her invulnerability and super-strength, rather than just dressing the part, grounds this high-fantasy comic in an interesting way. Being an Amazon warrior, it’s expected that Zala would be a highly-skilled and efficient fighter. To see her crank up the violence to match her abilities only makes her stand out more among the Amazonian people, and as Wonder Woman’s sparring partner (and love interest), it’s little surprise she would adopt such deadly skills.

With Zala also being a key character in the inter-kingdom drama, as the sister of Superman and lover of the Amazonian Queen Wonder Woman, she is sure to play a pivotal role in this series. With more iconic moments for Zala sure to come in  Dark Knights of Steel, it’s all but guaranteed her arm-blade is only the beginning of her unique fighting style. It remains to be seen to what levels the Kryptonians will take their power in this series, but it seems primed to explore the potential for Kryptonian violence in the medieval age. Fans can see Zala Jor-El cut loose when Dark Knights of Steel #3 releases on January 5, 2022.

Source: CBR

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