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It's hard being a kid. Sure, kids today don't have to worry about going outside and immediately getting attacked by a sabretooth tiger, but every generation has its challenges. For Gen Z and Gen Alpha, they're up against tyrants. 

And this is precisely why DC's new all-ages and creator-owned series, C.O.R.T.: Children of the Round Table, is so refreshing to me. Written by Tom Taylor and drawn by Daniele DiNicuolo, with colors by Rain Beredo, and letters by Wes Abbott, C.O.R.T. centers on a group of kids who get their own magical weapons one day after discovering a mysterious sword stuck in a boulder in Los Angeles. While it's certainly cool that our heroes stumbled upon a world of magic and myth, their discovery isn't without consequences. An evil being in the form of Mordred is gathering in strength, and the only thing standing between Mordred's planet-wide conquest is the Children of the Round Table. 

When I interviewed Tom Taylor about C.O.R.T., we spoke about his long-running interest in reinventing classic stories for a new generation of comic book readers. Taylor, a longtime lover of fantasy stories, had this to say: "I’m not sure what started [C.O.R.T.], like I’m not sure if it was my desire to tell more stories of kids taking on tyrants in an era when it feels like the next generation has a lot of tyrants to take on, or I don't know whether the horse came first or the car in this instance or the magical sword but it was just one of those things." 

If you've been reading Taylor's work these past few years, you might recognize his propensity for telling stories where young people must defeat tyrants. This was the basis for Taylor and John Timm's series, Superman: Son of Kal-El, which centered on Clark Kent's son, Jon, stepping into his own as a superhero and fighting against Henry Bendix. And it's a story that is salient for today, because * gestures at everything around me *. So while it's always cool to see a group of kiddos find something fantastical in their backyards, it's even better to see them use that discovery as a way to better the world around them. And for the story to help kids today process the very confusing historical moment they're stuck living through.  

Like Superman: Son of Kal-El, C.O.R.T. doesn't talk down to its audience. It's an approach that reflects not only how kids are way smarter than most foolish adults ever give them credit for, but also how today's youngins have access to information about the world on an unprecedented level because of the internet. The heroes of C.O.R.T. have smartphones of their own and a sense of street smarts, and will likely feel relatable to kids today and the parents raising them. 

Part of what's tough about being a kid is that you feel like you're at the mercy of whoever's in charge. Whether that's the President of the United States or even your classroom's teacher, it can be immensely frustrating when you feel like your concerns about your future aren't being taken into account by the powers that be. Back in my day, that was Columbine, then the invasion of Iraq, then Hurricane Katrina, then Virginia Tech, then Sandy Hook, then the murders of Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, and Michael Brown. In the wake of those events, I just felt like screaming. I can't imagine what it's like being a kid today, but they have my support (even if they're into stuff that I don't quite understand, like Skibidi Toilet).

I know that if I had had C.O.R.T. back when I was a kid, the story would have provided a conduit for me to direct all of my feelings into. I would have felt seen in my everyday experiences, purely based on the threats that the kids in the book are up against. And while I was able to get through my childhood thanks to Green Day's American Idiot, The White Stripes, and Sinéad O'Connor, one of the things I want for kids today is for them to have accessible media that they can feel placated by without having our historical moment sanitized. I want kids to not feel powerless from everything going on in the world today. And I think that the Children of the Round Table, with their medieval Power Rangers-esque vibes, are the perfect heroes for this young generation. 

C.O.R.T.: Children of the Round Table #1 from DC Comics will be released in comic shops on September 10. 

Get ready for what's next with our guide to upcoming comics, how to buy comics at a comic shop, and our guide to Free Comic Book Day 2025.