DC Teases A New Hero As Strong As Darkseid, And It’s Not Superman

DC’s Absolute universe may be at the peak of its popularity right now, with an animated Absolute Batman TV show adaptation in the works, for instance, but 2026 is a splendid heyday for DC Elseworlds wholesale, too: Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham finally ended its four-issue series on a surprisingly heartwarming note last month, while Dark Knights of Steel is finally back after a considerable spell.

Announced formally in April, we only recently received the first preview pages for the high-fantasy epic Dark Knights of Steel II, which, like the first maxiseries, will run for 12 issues. It’s unknown if this sequel series’ release will also span nearly two years, but what we do know is that it’s exploring a lot more of Earth 118’s rich medieval lore and resolving the narrative cliffhangers that Dark Knights of Steel and Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter left readers dangling on for the last couple of years.

An Ancient War Is Brewing In Dark Knights Of Steel II

Dark Knights of Steel’s League is now fashioned from the most powerful allegiances. If it wasn’t for General Amanda Waller and her betrayal—including the murder of Alfred/J’onn J’onzz—still eluding everyone, they’d likely be an overwhelming force too great for anyone who might challenge them.

Dark Knights of Steel II’s scarce marketing thus far has desperately attempted to conceal how big a role he’ll have in this sequel series, but the cover for issue #1 taught us, months in advance, that Aquaman would be featured as a prominent character.

THE FAN-FAVORITE ELSEWORLDS EPIC CONTINUES! An entire medieval world was forever changed when a spaceship crashlanded from a doomed planet. Monarchs died, kingdoms rose, long-buried treachery came to light... and a League was born. Now an ancient, violent war brews beneath the waves, one that promises untold destruction should it break the surface. If the League hopes to weather it and protect the lands of its realms and beyond, it must first root out the treasonous agents hiding in plain sight amidst its own ranks! Worldwide bestselling writer Tom Taylor (Detective Comics, Nightwing) and acclaimed artist Otto Schmidt (DC vs. Vampires, Green Arrow) welcome you back to the epic high-fantasy world of Dark Knights of Steel, where the darkest days yet still lie ahead!

Not only was there a civil war that broke out due to Arthur’s half-human, half-Lemurian existence, but there was also apparently a war depicted as “when the divinity of the sea battled the Darkseid for the power to control all tides.”

The Aquaman Cometh In Dark Knights Of Steel’s Sequel Series

But all this is as it was foretold. Releasing a week after Dark Knights of Steel #1, Dark Knights of Steel II Special: Heir to the Sea #1 is a standalone reprint of Aquaman’s origin story in Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter’s titular backup story, which is obviously paramount to the lore and narrative of Dark Knights of Steel II. The official DC website describes this upcoming limited series sequel as such:

“This July, the world of Dark Knights of Steel enters a new era as an ancient war stirs beneath the waves. And when the conflict threatens to rise from the deep, it carries with it a force capable of shattering the peace the League fought so hard to build. But the greatest danger may not come from the ocean at all—a traitor moves among them, hidden in plain sight, and their first strike will test the League’s unity like never before. The result is a 12-issue saga of war, magic, and destiny that pushes this universe into its most perilous age yet.”

Of course, Dark Knights of Steel #12 revealed this “traitor” to be the duplicitous and scheming General Amanda Waller, who murdered Alfred/J’onn J’onzz. Waller will surely be a villainous character who sows anarchy from behind a veil in Dark Knights of Steel II, even if she isn’t the sequel series’ main antagonist, though perhaps Aquaman will eventually join the League once Waller’s treachery is exposed (she probably has something to do with Darkseid’s war bubbling to the surface now, anyway).

Dark Knights of Steel II #1 is scheduled to be released on July 15, 2026.