Comic Reviews: April 2026

Comics read this month:

• DC K.O. Knightfight #1 - 4
• Batman: Gotham Knights - Gilded City #1 - 6
• New History of The Dc Universe: The Dakota Incident (2026-) #1

Spoilers for those issues ahead!

DC K.O. Knightfight #1 - 4

I finally finished Knight Fight. Now that I've finished, I have a better understanding of the themes, so I'll be revisiting the first two issues a bit with a new lens. It was great seeing Bruce confronted with four of his Robins, and his reflection on how the journey each one has taken and the confrontations of how they’ve surpassed him in many ways. He’s forced to see alternate realities where he as Batman is either gone or retired, how Gotham has moved on without him and how his kids have taken up the mantle. Each reality has a fatal flaw, where each of our Robin’s good and bad sides were amplified and distorted. Some have Gotham well managed like Dick’s and Tim’s worlds, yet there is a depression to those characters. Even Jason’s world, as cruel as it is, is controlled, but is the most painful one for our former Robins. Yet the last one, which seems like a utopia, was the hardest test for Bruce. The punishment for Batman technically cheating.

 

It was sad seeing the first three realties where Bruce was an adversary to his kids. How heartbroken they were to face him again. Tim was in stark contrast to Dick, where Dick’s future held connection, Tim was in self-made isolation. As was Jason’s. Tim at least still had friends and family reaching out to offer him company, but Jason’s fate was to self-destruct alone. Tim’s desperation to solve Bruce’s murder was heartbreaking, his fate to be the best detective who solved every crime in Gotham yet the most important goes unsolved.

 

It was great though to see Damian’s reality where all his friends and family were happy, healthy, and connected. It was cute seeing Jason have a family of his own with Rose. And of course, the main grandkid, Damian’s son, stole Bruce’s heart. I’m surprised we didn’t also see Dick with a kid in any of the realities.

 

The ending having Batman admit defeat as the solution to the Hearts test was surprising. Ending the series with a grand display of comfort and love from his family was such a love letter to the characters and the fans who cherish these characters so much.

 

Artist Dan Mora and colorist Triona Farrell do a phenomenal job with these issues. I cannot sing their praises enough! The details on each page and how distinct these characters look in each reality is amazing. Absolutely wonderful character design for each new outfit and interpretation of the sons. I frequently looked over many panels again and again to take in all the details. I loved seeing the interpretation of each Gotham.

 

Batman: Gotham Knights - Gilded City #1 - 6

I’m on my 2nd playthrough of Gotham Knights and only just now learned of the comics that are associated with it! This game is one of my favorites of all time, so I was super excited to read the miniseries. This is the first video game tie-in comic that I've read. It was interesting to have fully played the game first to  see how this prelude leaves breadcrumbs for the plot of the game. Spoilers ahead for the video game! The interactions with Harley give a lot more context to her plot line in the game. Though she doesn't seem as villainous in the comics as she appears in the game as one of the side antagonists. 

 

Speaking of antagonists, it was surprising that Vandal Savage was such a big part of the plot of the comics. I can't remember a single instance where he was brought up in the game at all. It would have made much more sense to have Ra's al Ghul as the mastermind behind the golden iris issue both past and present if they really wanted to set him up for the game. 

 

I'll have to keep my eyes open for clues about Runaway in the game. That I had completely missed the first playthrough. Though the first time I didn't do a lot of side quests so if that was hidden in there then that may be why. This time around I'm trying to max out all the achievements so I may pick up more hints. Runaway was an unexpected character to meet in the comics, but I loved her plot line a lot. I hope we see her again in more comics. The story line from the past was more interesting to me than what was going on in the present. I liked how we jumped back and forth between the two timelines while seeing how they weaved into one another. I loved the queer representation, especially in a historical context which can be so overlooked in history discussions. The video game gives some good nods too to the queer community though it's not so outright as it is in these comics which is a little disappointing. The way the series handles discussions of slavery and race is well done, especially geared toward a broad audience that might skew younger. It shows the cruelty of that time in history without using harsh language or slurs. And while our black characters face many challenges, Portia and Vivian's story is one of hope, resistance, and resilience which is a great homage to our real world history and the long fought battle for civil rights.

 

The theme of family was strong in Batman's interactions with his sidekicks. He took a lot of opportunities to express his fondness for the younger heroes. While they seemed surprised most of the time at these comments, it does a good job at setting up for the relationships we'll explore in the game, both between them and Batman and the younger vigilantes with each other. This I think is the main point of the series as it relates to the game, helping the readers go into the game with the bat family dynamics established and encouraging a strong tug on our heart strings as the game's plot unfolds.

 

The art in this comic was absolutely beautiful. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of Abel's work. The use of color and the pencils were just exquisite.

 

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I would highly recommend it for fans of the game and the bat family in general. It is even a great standalone series to enjoy if you decide to skip the game entirely.

 

New History of The Dc Universe: The Dakota Incident (2026-) #1

Outside of watching the animated series Young Justice last year and Static Shock way back when I was a kid, this is my first introduction to many of these characters in comic form. It’s great to see some characters that are rarely featured in many of the main comic series that have come out over the years. Rocket, Icon, Static, and many more prominent black characters are so often underutilized in many series. Yet the success of this issue proves that fans want to see more of them.

 

It was a great choice to see the events unfold from the perspective of Beacon, Amistad Ervin. We got to ride along with him through the time stream and see the events of Dakota retold. This issue had great social commentary on many issues that society has dealt with both in the past and present. While our characters do struggle under their circumstances the issue leaves us with a message of hope that change could be possible when Beacon convinces Static to keep trying to make a difference and persevere. A classic and yet much needed message that the superhero genre is built upon.

 

This special issue had a massive creative team, and it pays off big time with stunning visuals and a beautiful storyline. Writers Joseph P. Illidge, Nikolas Draper-Ivey, Stephanie Williams, and Morgan Hampton weaved the vast history of these characters into a compelling read. While artists Edwin Galmon, Carlo Pagulayan, Valentine De Landro, Fico Ossio, and Diego Olortegui gave us truly impressive art cover to cover. 

I got inspired to draw my own version of Static this month as a part of my fan art series!

That's the recap for now! Stay tuned to see what I read next!

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