“The Viking Deathstroke”: The Most Brutal Warrior Ever Hired by DC’s Medieval Elseworld
Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter, a six-issue series that depicts Deathstroke remade as a viking warrior, is the return of DC Comics’ Elseworlds line.
The Elseworlds line of DC Comics is returning with a brand-new miniseries titled Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter, which reimagines Deathstroke as a vengeful Viking warrior.
Dark Knights of Steel provides the ideal backdrop for Deathstroke’s violent tendencies because it’s a cruel and cunning world where revered heroes are slaughtered or injured.
Fans get an opportunity to examine Slade Wilson’s inner self without the burdens of his prime universe counterpart in this out-of-continuity novella, which illuminates the glimmer of heroism within him.
Fan-favorite villain Deathstroke gets a bold makeover that reinvents the character as a bloodthirsty viking. New York Comic Con is in full swing and DC Comics is giving fans a peek at the amazing stories they have coming down the pipeline. As DC’s Elseworlds line makes its comeback, a new miniseries takes fans back to the world of Dark Knights of Steel with its bold reinvention of Slade Wilson.
DC Comics’ Elseworlds line showcased universes that heavily departed from the canon of DC’s prime universe. While the Elseworlds brand was retired, DC Comics continued to put out new worlds that were radically different from the standard DC Universe, such as DC vs. Vampires or DCeased.
The twelve-issue maxiseries Dark Knights of Steel, a sword and sorcery take on the DCU, explored one such reality. More hostile and warlike versions of DC’s heroes were forced to unite in this world after an assassination in the El Kingdom set off a conflict between several worlds, preventing their home from being destroyed.
Deathstroke in Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter Turns Into a Viking
During New York Comic Con, DC Comics revealed that its Elseworlds line was returning, and one of the first titles would be a follow-up to Dark Knights of Steel. Writer Jay Kristoff and artist Tirso Cons are coming together to create Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter. The new six-issue miniseries follows the legendary assassin Deathstroke fighting in a bitter, frozen wasteland, killing anyone he can for money. But the hired killer is thrust into the role of a guardian and forced to make a choice of either saving the realm from an icy curse or falling to the sins of his past.
The world of Dark Knights of Steel is far more brutal than the standard DC Universe. Beloved heroes are maimed or even killed in its harsh, cutthroat land. It’s actually quite perfect for someone like Deathstroke, and reimagining him as a viking berserker is an inspired decision. Not only does it bring an unexplored character type to the fantasy world Dark Knights of Steel set up, but it also fits Slade’s hyper-violent nature. Deathstroke can be a difficult character to work with in DC canon given his atrocious acts in the past. But this new miniseries could serve as an excellent character study for who Deathstroke really is.
Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter Explores Deathstroke’s True Nature
While Elseworlds tales often change characters’ backgrounds or origins, they usually keep the core of the character consistent. By the sound of things, Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter keeps Deathstroke’s savageness and proclivity for violence, but also sheds a light on the faint spark of heroism within him. This out-of-continuity story has a chance to explore the inner nature of Slade Wilson without the baggage that comes with his prime universe counterpart.By turning him into a viking warrior, fans will be able to see who Deathstroke really is at the core of his being.
Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter is set for release in 2024 from DC Comics.
