Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Dan Mora
Colorist: Tríona Farrell with Alfred Wayne
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Cover Artists: Dan Mora; Christ Burnham & David Baron; Yasmine Putri; Dustin Nguyen
Editors: James Reid & Rob Levin
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99/$4.99 Card Stock
Release Date: February 4, 2025
Bruce tried to fight his way into the championship at the Earth’s core. But the Joker brought a gun that pierced Batman’s impressive armor. Bruce thought he had a way to cheat death and return to the surface to help with the evacuation of Earth. Instead, the Heart of Apokolips transported him to different versions of Gotham ruled by his former sidekicks.
After Bruce battled Dick Grayson, he transformed into Clayface to tackle Jason Todd. Then, the Heart reduced Bruce to a ghost in the machine, forcing him to communicate with Tim Drake through the Batcave computers and upload his consciousness into a robot. How will the Heart of Apokolips transform Bruce Wayne next? And will the Heart force him to battle his son, Damian? Let’s grab our batarangs, leap into DC K.O. Knightfight #4, and see!
Story
After Darkseid conquered reality, the Quantum Quorum rewound time. They sought to preserve the Justice League in an alternate reality. But that would be a reprieve and wouldn’t help the people of Earth as Darkseid reshaped reality. So, Batman offered everyone a different option. He argued that they should enter a tournament and kill their friends and allies, so the victor could become King Omega and return the world to the way it was. Yet when the Heart of Apokolips gives Batman a second chance to prove himself by killing the people he loves, Batman refuses to play by the rules he embraced and urged others to accept.
Technically, Batman never entered the contest he proposed. The Heart of Apokolips is under no obligation to test Batman. But it wants to see Bruce Wayne fight. So, the Heart gives Bruce a dream come true in DC K.O. Knightfight #4. Damian has reshaped Gotham into its ideal version. He enjoys a peaceful life as a doctor and raises a son named after Bruce's beloved friend Alfred. Unlike Dick, Jason, and Tim, Damian realizes that his world is a fantasy. As the greatest detective of his world, Damian has deduced that he is a fictional character in a cosmic contest. Like Isaac with his father Abraham, Damian realizes that Bruce must kill him to secure a world in which they can all live.
In Joshua Williamson’s story, Batman hasn’t committed to the contest he helped arrange. While many in Gotham fear him as a terror of the night, Batman is primarily a thinker. As the world’s greatest detective, Batman strategizes and prepares for every eventuality. But that's not the type of battle the Heart wants. In DC K.O. Knightfight #4, the Heart of Apokolips wants Batman to set his tremendous intellect aside and show how hard he’s willing to fight for the world he wants. It wants Batman to stop thinking and attack the son he loves so fiercely with all the passion, anger, and strength he can unleash.
Art
As they traverse a bright, well-kept city, Bruce clutches Alfred’s hand, while Damian waves to someone riding a kick scooter. Bruce watches anime with his grandson. They play with toys in the house and catch in the park. Bruce reads to his grandson before tucking him in at night. Licensed toys and stuffed animals herald Batman as a pop culture hero, not a figure who frightens children.
After six-year-old Alfred Wayne illustrates his father’s life as Batman, Tríona Farrell lavishes a loaded palette of bright and cheery colors on DC K.O. Knightfight #4. Pinks accentuate highlights, while the glowing colors invite comparisons to animated TV shows. Yellow adorns toys, a different emblem on Bruce’s cap, and his grandson’s favorite comic. Along with a caricature of Bruce and Alfred, Dan Mora's character designs for Damian and Alfred give the comic Manga appeal.
While Batman’s thoughts appear as uppercase white letters in black boxes with yellow outlines, the Heart of Apokolips speaks in larger uppercase letters against black backgrounds. Tom Napolitano fills dialogue balloons and boxes with uppercase letters that grow bold for intonation and swell for volume. As the TV generates sounds from a beloved TV series, sound effects enhance a brutal fight for the future. Yet a recurring object reminds Bruce that, like playwright Richard Collier, he must eventually return to his present. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.
Final Thoughts
Bruce Wayne watched someone murder his parents. He sees villains kill people and even wipe out civilizations. Yet regardless of who he fights, Batman holds back. He hits hard but pulls his punches. The Heart of Apokolips doesn’t want that. It wants to see Batman fully committed to a fight, one hundred percent unleashed. In DC K.O. Knightfight #4, the Heart of Apokolips demands that Batman break his code and embrace the monster by killing others for the greater good.
Rating 9.8/10
To look inside see my preview for DC K.O. Knightfight #4.
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