DC K.O. #1
Scheduled to arrive in stores: October 8, 2025
Cover date: December 2025
“Chapter One: Into the Ring”
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Javi Fernandez and Xermanico
Cover: Javi Fernandez and Alejandro Sanchez
Variant Covers: Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer; Frank Cho and Sabine Rich; Jae Lee and June Chung; Mike Del Mundo; Jim Lee and Alex Sinclair; Ben Oliver; Dan Mora; Mark Spears; Scott Koblish and Hi-Fi; Noobovich
Reviewed by: Tony Parker
DARKSEID IS… Coming.
In a week, one already travelled back from by the Quantum Forum (Time Trapper Doomsday, The World Forager, Booster Gold and Gorilla Grodd), DARKSEID, now the King Omega, his most powerful version yet, will attack any and ALL timelines, terraforming them into him. Soon, ALL will be DARKSEID.
The Justice League Unlimited argue that there must be a way, a way beyond the one the Forum suggest (a timeline reboot, a la The New 52). Soon, a plan is formed, dangerous and unlikely, a gambit like no other: to beat the King Omega, one of them will become a King Omega too.
This requires a sacrifice like no other: a hero will have to step into a ring outside of time and space, fight their fellow friends with NO MERCY, and thus, obtain enough Omega Energy to battle DARKSEID to the death. Then, that hero will use their godly powers to reverse things… Hopefully.
Superman, the Man of Steel, hesitates. This is not the way. There must be something better. Batman, the Dark Knight, and Wonder Woman, the Spirit of Truth, encourage him, saying that as long as the winner does what’s right, it’s more a game than anything. No one will truly be hurt.
If only that were true.
Once battle lines are drawn and preparations are made (with all the villains above level 6 of danger incarcerated and the citizens of the world evacuated by the Titans and Mr. Terrific), a multitude of heroes enter the heart of Apokolips growing inside the earth to begin the tournament.
Alas, all is not as it seems. A preliminary round eliminates many (Shazam, Blue Beetle, Ambush Bug, Green Arrow), chief among them, Batman, who had tried to make Superman understand that he could not hold back, hard as it was for the Man of Tomorrow to not help his friends in any way he could.
Batman’s death? Brought upon by the Clown Prince of Crime, The Joker, alongside villains such as Lex Luthor, Giganta, Starro the Conqueror and Cheetah. Lex sneers at Superman, implying that he is just not made for this… And the Last Son of Krypton snaps. He will win this game and save his universe… Even if he must tear himself apart to do so.
Entering at the last minute, Superman joins a roster of 32 of the bravest and boldest, of the vilest and cruelest of the DC universe: Himself, Giganta, Captain Atom, Power Girl, Guy Gardner, Firestorm, Jay Garrick, Cheetah, Aquaman, King Shark, Connor Hawke, Hawkman, Lex Luthor, Black Lightning, Etrigan the Demon, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Starro, Lobo, Plastic Man, Swamp Thing, Vixen, Cyborg, Batwoman, The Joker, Star Sapphire, Red Hood, Damian Wayne, Zatanna, Barda, Harley Quinn and Metamorpho.
But one more twist remains… DARKSEID IS hiding among them…
DARKSEID IS inside Booster Gold…
TO BE CONTINUED…
Story – 5: Normally, my friends, I do not find company wide events truly exciting. You’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. They rarely have stakes, at least, not ones you’ve seen before, and they’re almost always the same story, where everyone teams up against a massive threat. This is especially true in DC, where every crisis usually boils down to DARKSEID or some kind of monitor ruining things for everyone.
But this one already feels different. Normally I don’t feel the need to catch up on 100’s of issues in the past year for an event. Here, I do. This feels huge, huger than anything we’ve had since “Final Crisis”. Finally, a story that feels like it has a different kind of way to do this crossover stuff. A story where our heroes have to deconstruct themselves to reconstruct the world. A story where Batman loses before the first whistle. A story where twists and turns actually occur. A story that feels like it involves every corner of the universe.
Best of all, a story that feels like Superman is actually the central figure of its universe. His moral code, his hesitations, his purity, it reigns in this story as it should.
I barely have words. The villains arrival; the Quantum Forum; the end of the days; there aren’t many stories that make you feel like an excited 10 year old waiting for part 2.
This one does. Read it. Read all of it. Read the lead in. ALL IN might actually be the one, guys.Art – 5: I don’t know why, but one sequence that really stuck with me was Terrific and the T balls awash in red. This story’s art feels both so simple and complex. Faces are wonderfully basic, while the world around them is rough and misshapen. The roster splash page has one of the best Superman faces I’ve ever seen, straight out of the Golden Age.Cover Art – 5: I missed creative covers. Says so much with so little.
Variant Cover Art – 4: We have a lot, so buckle up. This is a nice wrestling esque cover, very rough and wrinkled.
Variant Cover Art – 1: Insanely generic poses, for what could have made a cool cover.Variant Cover Art – 4: Heh, cute.Variant Cover Art – 4: Sick cover, love the holding up the earth pose.Variant Cover Art – 5: It’s beautiful… Hang it on my wall.Variant Cover Art – 1: Eh, not a fan. Too dark for my tastes, even with this event.Variant Cover Art – 4: Always liked images like this, so yeah.Variant Cover Art – 1: EI don’t like AEW.Variant Cover Art – 4: Fun action figure cover.Variant Cover Art – 5: Love busy covers like this.Variant Cover Art – 4: Nice.
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