DC K.O. #5 Review

 

Writers: Scott Snyder & Joshua Williamson

Artists: Javi Fernández, Xermánico & Wes Craig

Colorist: Alejandro Sánchez

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Editors: Marquis Draper & Paul Kaminski

Cover Artists: Javi Fernández & Alejandro Sánchez; Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer; Jerome Opeña; Ian Bertram; Mike Del Mundo; Ben Oliver; Dan Mora; Steve Skroce & Dave Stewart; Mahmud Asrar & Alejandro Sánchez

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: March 4, 2026

 

Like everyone else, the Heart of Apokolips knows Darkseid controls the future. It believes that Darkseid is its master. Yet when Booster Gold stopped and resuscitated it with Omega energy, the Heart saw an opportunity for a different life. It invited each of the heroes to reshape the world with it. As the Heart has guided the combatants through each round, it modeled the contests after the only master it knows.

 

Then, the Heart of Apokolips transported the final four combatants to an Earth where Darkseid’s dominion is beyond question. Superman, Lex Luthor, Joker, and Wonder Woman battled the Absolute versions of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Yet, as he did to the Quantum Quorum on the Justice League Watchtower, Darkseid attacked them through Booster Gold. Now, only one combatant remains. How will he fare against Darkseid? And how does the Heart of Apokolips feel about Lex Luthor being the King Omega? Let’s leap into DC K.O. #5 and see!

 

Story

After spending much of his life as a destroyer, Time Trapper helped the Justice League preserve the universe. He sought to protect them by traveling to the future to confront Darkseid. When that failed, Time Trapper offered to preserve the heroes in a time bubble. But the Justice League refused to abandon their universe to Darkseid. So, Time Trapper helped them orchestrate the tournament for the Heart of Apokolips.

 

It may be in Time Trapper’s nature to be suspicious. But when Lois Lane brings him the information hidden within the Kryptonian archives, it flips Time Trapper’s perspective yet again. In DC K.O. #5, Time Trapper reveals that he has defied a longtime foe's wishes. And like Superboy-Prime and Robo-Superman, Time Trapper shows that it's never too late to realize your promise.

 

As the Heart of Apokolips narrates this cosmic battle, it reveals its feelings about the combatants for the crown. Once again, the story addresses different views on winning and losing. It recognizes that our views on perfection will vary. As Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson’s story reshapes the DC Universe, it ponders how we should respond to the inner voice that guides our lives. Yet an earlier conversation about what might constitute an ideal non-superhero life lingers as DC K.O. #5 reaches its conclusion.

 

Art

An exultant Lex Luthor defies panel borders as he stands before the Heart of Apokolips. While Darkseid congratulates Lex, the camera focuses on the players relegated to the sidelines. A double-page spread recreates the opening scene from this series, as diagonal panels of the game night participants frame Darkseid’s invasion of space and time. Darkseid and Lex's battlesuits seem to shrink their heads by enhancing their trapezius muscles. Then, one of the giant chess pieces taken off the board awakens and joins Time Trapper on a cosmic journey in DC K.O. #5.

 

While Alejandro Sánchez lavishes vivid colors on Javi Fernández, Xermánico, and Wes Craig’s art, Time Trapper ferries a companion amid the sea of eternal darkness. But space is rarely dark, as his companion glows with white and yellow energy while a blue orb hovers above one hand. Around them, the Heavens burst with rays of light encompassing a spectrum of colors. While Darkseid’s realm echoes his gray and red suit, his challenger shines amid gems glittering in a mother-of-pearl void.

 

As Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou places black dialogue in white balloons, the Heart of Apokolips's narration and dialogue appear as tall white letters in black fields. The letters grow bold for intonation and swell for raised voices. One character’s white off-camera dialogue appears in colored narrative boxes. Sound effects herald Time Trapper accepting his destiny, Omega Energy bursting from the Heart of Apokolips, and the heir to the crown battling a god who will never be satisfied with less than everything. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

When the victor claims the crown, the Heart of Apokolips transforms the universe. But even then, the victor must defeat Darkseid. While addressing how we grow and change through life, DC K.O. #5 reminds us that how we respond to fear and crisis shapes our future and the world around us.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my preview of DC K.O. #5. 

DC K.O. #5 Preview

 

After their battles at the Earth's core, the last round occurred on the surface. But it wasn't our champions' Earth. Instead, the final four combatants visited Darkseid's Absolute Universe and realized what living under his dominance would be like. 

While the return of a lost hero brightened the heroes lives, only one combatant survived the battle. Is he destined to wear the crown? And after Batman's battle with the Heart of Apokolips, will another hero make a surprising return to the tournament?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

DC K.O. #5 Preview

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Javi Fernández

Cover Artists: Javi Fernández, Daniel Warren Johnson, Mike Del Mundo, Jerome Opeña, Ian Bertram & Guillem March

Darkseid Variant Cover Artist: Steve Skroce

Bracket Variant Cover Artist: Dan Mora

Foil Variant Cover Artist: Javi Fernández

Face-off Variant Cover Artist: Ben Oliver

AEW Cameo Variant Cover Artist: Dan Mora

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 40 Pages

Price: $5.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: March 4, 2026

 

The final battle for the Heart of Apokolips!

 

In the melee that started with dozens of heroes and villains vying for their chance to win the ultimate power in the universe, now only one remains! But to truly be crowned the King Omega, you must battle more than the obstacles in your path…you must battle yourself. It’s the finale to end all finales as the one true champion is crowned, the fate of all that lives hangs in the balance, and a shocking decision will bring the DC Universe to the next level. We would type more, but honestly, anything else is a spoiler—so suit up, get ready, and leap into the final round!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

DC K.O. #4 Review

 

Writers: Scott Snyder & Joshua Williamson

Artists: Javi Fernández & Xermánico

Colorist: Alejandro Sánchez

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Editors: Marquis Draper & Paul Kaminski

Cover Artists: Javi Fernández & Alejandro Sánchez; Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer; Rafael Albuquerque & Marcelo Maiolo; Mike Del Mundo; Jeff Spokes; Ben Oliver; Dan Mora; Aaron Bartling

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: February 11, 2026

 

Wonder Woman won through Round Three by increasing her knowledge of Apokolips. Lex Luthor triumphed by manipulating others. The Joker channeled the power of creativity and imagination to get one step closer to turning reality into a black, laughing void. And despite Batman's insistence that Clark crush his opponents, Superman won Round Three by sharing with others. How will the final four fare in Round Four? And after the events in DC K.O. Knightfight #4, will someone else be joining them? Let’s leap into DC K.O. #4 and see!

 

Story

Heroes seek to protect others, while villains strive to exploit them. In this contest about who will become the best dominator, Round Three winnowed the heroes from six to two, while both villains made the cut. So, when the Heart of Apokolips transports them to the world Darkseid created, it seems ironic that Superman, Wonder Woman, Joker, and Lex Luthor confront four heroes. But as Wonder Woman tells Superman, what the Heart touches, it corrupts.

 

In DC K.O. #4, the champions fight Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Booster Gold. While Booster Gold hails from their world, the other three call the Absolute Universe home. But when Superman studies them, all he senses is Darkseid. Like when Darkseid burst into their world and interrupted their game night, Darkseid inhabits all four at the cellular level.

 

Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson fill their story with plenty of twists and turns. Amid the battle, the membership changes on both sides. The story looks back to the past, as memories of their game together enlighten the present. Yet the situation everyone faces is that the allure of power is all-consuming. Superman discovered this when the Heart showed him the world he could create, and the Green Lanterns attacked him. In DC K.O. #4, the people who hunger most for completeness emerge as the victors.

 

Art

Superman wears an uneasy smile while the Joker delights in confronting their opponents. The Batman of Darkseid’s realm showcases his venom spikes. His new ally, Wonder Woman, utilizes her magic arm. Absolute Superman's hands and forearms glow. As they channel Omega energy, the features of Darkseid’s heroes contort with rage, evoking Chancellor Palpatine when his use of the Dark Side drained him of youth and vitality.

 

While Alejandro Sánchez lavishes vivid colors on Javi Fernández and Xermánico’s action-packed art, green links the Joker and Lex Luthor with Kryptonite. But red dominates, coloring characters' skin and clothes, and filling their eyes as they attack their opponents. Red infuses the air of Darkseid’s industrial realm, while explosions rock combatants and incinerate champions. Crimson droplets splash across the pages of DC K.O. #4, whether inhabiting the present or portraying events in another time. It merges with yellow and orange to create a cosmic, otherworldly feel in this pink and purple realm.

 

The Heart of Apokolips welcomes readers with tall white letters in black fields. As Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou places black dialogue in white balloons, the letters grow bold for intonation and swell for raised voices. Booster Gold speaks white letters into black distorted shapes that evoke Darkseid’s polluted realm, while dialogue and balloons change color as the intensity of the battle increases. Sound effects heighten the deadly battles, as one character expresses his will with red letters in white clouds with red borders. Thanks to DC Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

When the four champions travel to Darkseid’s domain, they battle heroes shaped by a harsh world that forces heroes to fight harder to survive. As they fight for the right to battle the Heart of Apokolips, DC K.O. #4 provides crucial backstory to help readers understand how evil took over the universe.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my preview of DC K.O. #4. 

DC K.O. #4 Preview

 

 

Wonder Woman won through Round Three by increasing her knowledge of Apokolips. Lex Luthor got a travel pass by manipulating others. The Joker drew on the power of creativity and imagination to get one step closer to turning reality into a black, laughing void. And despite Batman's insistence that Clark crush his opponents, Superman won Round Three by sharing with others. How will the final four fare in Round Four? And after the events in DC K.O. Knightfight #4, will someone else be joining them?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

DC K.O. #4 Preview

Writers: Scott Snyder & Joshua Williamson

Artist: Javi Fernández & Xermanico

Cover Artists: Javi Fernández, Daniel Warren Johnson, Mike Del Mundo, Rafael Albuquerque & Jeff Spokes

1:25 Variant Cover Artist: Guillem March

Darkseid Variant Cover Artist: Aaron Bartling

Bracket Variant Cover Artist: Dan Mora

AEW Variant Cover Artist: Dan Mora

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Issue Length: 40 Pages

Release Date: February 11, 2026

 

The Final Four are put to the Absolute Test!

 

Three mysterious new Omega-charged fighters have entered the tournament…and this trinity of the Absolute will change the face of the DCU forever! It’s all down to how far the final four are willing to go to win in the penultimate chapter of DC K.O.! Plus: Booster’s true allegiance revealed, Darkseid’s return foretold, and a bonkers last page that will bring the battle to the next level!

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

DC K.O. #3 Review

 

Writers: Scott Snyder & Joshua Williamson

Artists: Javi Fernández & Xermánico

Colorist: Alejandro Sánchez

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Editors: Marquis Draper & Paul Kaminski

Cover Artists: Javi Fernández & Alejandro Sánchez; Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer; Mike Del Mundo; Carla Cohen; Lucio Parrillo; Cully Hamner; Sanford Greene; Dan Mora; Ben Oliver

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: January 14, 2026

 

Superman has been here before: forced to fight to impress others. But the stakes were never so big. As he battled in a graveyard of the elder gods to reshape reality in his image, Clark Kent's objective was to ensure that Lex Luthor lost. Instead, Lex Luthor survived, while Clark's friends and fellow heroes died.

 

Before all this began, Bruce Wayne encouraged Clark to think outside the box. But Batman has fallen while Superman fights on. After two championship rounds and individual battles to trim the field, eight combatants remain. As he prepares for the third round, what kind of King Omega will Clark fight to become? The President, who oversees a mighty nation? Or the fireman who rescues imperiled individuals from agony and death? Let’s leap into DC K.O. #3 and see!

 

Story

The Heart of Apokolips wants the contestants to fight for the world they want. So, it gives them a vision of the utopia they could craft if they win. Before Clark and the others can glimpse the cracks that threaten any civilization, the Heart snatches the dream away, leaving only hunger in its place.

 

Superman may belong to the Justice League Unlimited. But this story began with a conversation with Bruce and Diana. When they learned that Darkseid had conquered reality and conceived this contest to stop him, Batman and Wonder Woman convinced Superman to embrace the plan. Now, allies and enemies surround Clark. But the person he initially looks to for support and camaraderie is Diana.

 

Scott Snyder divides the narrative between the eight combatants as they battle in four rings. As each entrant chooses a partner to fight alongside, the reasons behind their decisions vary. Most partners are grateful to have a second chance to prove themselves. But the Heart of Apokolips rewards those who channel Omega energy by dominating others. While the Joker delights in chaos, Lex Luthor knows the power of the Kryptonian menace. But as the focus keeps returning to Clark, others share Luthor’s belief in DC K.O. #3.

 

Amid the battles, some partnerships work better than others. As in life, a forward-thinking person can awaken something unexpected in their partner. And as Joshua Williamson points out, everyone has a different definition of victory. But in this battle like no other, the combatants who can harness their partner’s wisdom, strengths, and abilities most effectively survive.

 

Art

When Clark Kent dreams, he does so in circles. Straight lines don't mar Superman’s utopia in DC K.O. #3. People walk along circular platforms, connected to round towers by gently arcing pillars. Like the freedom in which the citizens thrive, cities float among the clouds, tracing gleaming diagrams across the world as they meet each new day. But at the Earth’s core, Superman awakens in darkness. A ghostly glow surrounds him and the other competitors. Statues of fallen champions surround them. The giant likenesses evoke mummies, preserved to commemorate their battles.

 

Scenes stretch across pages as Javi Fernández follows each battle. The combatants fight in rings atop stone pillars surrounded by boiling lava. As on Mustafar, the primary colors are yellow, orange, and a hint of red. And in a remembrance of Clark’s game night with Bruce and Diana, Alejandro Sánchez paints the same fiery colors over the kitchen range in Xermánico’s art. Instead of tracing designs of liberty across a globe, white signals magical attacks. Close-ups of the teammates appear in pink bandage-like panels. Green represents dire threats, while gold celebrates perfection.

 

The Heart of Apokolips narrates DC K.O. #3, etching tall white letters into black fields. When they awaken, the combatants also speak white uppercase letters into the darkness. As Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou places black dialogue in white balloons, the letters grow bold for intonation and swell for raised voices. The letters shrink with lowered voices and turn lowercase with distance. Colorful sound effects accompany this quartet of battles, while enlarged purple laughter resounds in this realm of Omega energy. Thanks to DC Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Everyone has dreams they'd like to realize. As heroes and villains fight for the power to pursue those goals without restraint, DC K.O. #3 asks if perfection is worth striving for, or something you should avoid at all costs.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my preview of DC K.O. #3. 

DC K.O. #3 Preview

 

 

Superman has been here before: forced to fight to impress others. But the stakes were never so big. As he battled in a graveyard of the elder gods to reshape reality in his image, Clark Kent's objective was to ensure that Lex Luthor lost. Instead, Lex Luthor survived, while Clark's friends and fellow heroes died.

Before all this began, Bruce Wayne encouraged him to think outside the box. But now Batman is dead, and Superman lives to fight on. After two championship rounds, and individual battles to trim the field, eight combatants remain. As he prepares for the third round, what kind of King Omega will Clark fight to become? The President who oversees a nation, like Batman believes Clark can become? Or the fireman who rescues imperiled individuals from agony and death?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

DC K.O. #3 Preview

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Javi Fernández

Cover Artists: Javi Fernández, Daniel Warren Johnson, Mike Del Mundo, Carla Cohen & Lucio Parrillo

1:25 Variant Cover Artist: Cully Hamner

Darkseid Variant Cover Artist: Sanford Greene

Bracket Special Effect Variant Cover Artist: Dan Mora

Foil Variant Cover Artist: Javi Fernández

FACE-OFF Variant Cover Artist: Ben Oliver

Aew Cameo Variant Cover Artist: Dan Mora

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Issue Length: 40 Pages

Release Date: January 14, 2026

 

The Elite Eight remain—and all Hell is going to break loose!

 

It’s Tag-Team time!

 

As the Omega Tournament reaches its endgame, the final eight combatants are put to the ultimate test—confronted with a decades-long stay in their own personal hell! Emotions run high as heroes falter, villains revel, and the Heart of Apokolips eyes its new King Omega. In the end, only the final four will remain…

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

DC K.O. #2 Preview

 

 

 

God created the world in six days. Then on the seventh day, He rested. But after Darkseid placed a Heart of Apokolips at Earth's core, he has become Earth's sole god. And unlike the Judeo-Christian God, Darkseid wants to control everything. Everyone. His thoughts become your thoughts. His desires are your desires. 

The Quantum Quorum have rewound time seven days to give the Justice League Unlimited time to organize a mass exodus, and help the combatants prepare for the tournament. Then, the heroes descend into the Earth's core to battle each other. Who will crush all the other competitors and reform the Earth around their ideals? And is the tournament rigged against Earth's heroes?

One thing's for sure. This Seventh Day won't be a day of rest.

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

DC K.O. #2

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Javi Fernández

Cover Artists: Javi Fernández, Daniel Warren Johnson, Mike Del Mundo, Tyler Kirham, Simone Bianchi, Ariel Colon, Vasco Georgiev, Dan Mora & Ben Oliver

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 40 Pages

Price: $5.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: November 26, 2025

 

Let the games begin!

 

The tournament is in full swing. Heroes have fallen. Darkseid is near.

 

The 32 champions have been chosen, and now they must compete to earn the Heart of Apokolips. The first challenge? Battling across a deadly arena to acquire new weapons of war. The greatest powers of the DC Universe are up for grabs, and whoever holds them will advance to the next level. Superman has his doubts that the Justice League is doing the right thing, but there are others who have no problem killing to get what they want…

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

DC K.O. #1 Preview

 

Writer Scott Snyder was there at the beginning, when Darkseid went from Is to Was. Now, Darkseid and Snyder return to deliver a pulse pounding epic for the ages! 

Incidentally, this is one of two issues DC Comics is releasing this week that begins with the heroes playing a DC heroes board game. Each game looks fun to play, and both stories give way to battles. But in DC K.O. #1, the stakes are far bigger!

Here's all the info from DC Connect: 

DC K.O. #1

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Javi Fernández

Cover Artists: Javi Fernández, Jim Lee, Daniel Warren Johnson, Frank Cho, Scott Koblish, Jae Lee, Mike Del Mundo, Ben Oliver, Noobovich, Dan Mora & Mark Spears

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Issue Length: 48 Pages

Release Date: October 8, 2025

 

DC’s major 2025 event is here! Scott Snyder and Javi Fernández welcome you to the slugfest of the century!

 

The Heart of Apokolips has transformed Earth into a hellscape in preparation for the return of Darkseid! The end of the DC Universe is here!

 

The Justice League’s only chance to defeat Darkseid is to enter a deadly tournament, an epic and over-the-top battle royale that will surprise you! The World’s Greatest Heroes fight to become the champion to enter the ring against Darkseid, but there’s a catch…the closer you get to the Heart of Apokolips, the more it corrupts you, changes you into something dangerous.

 

Which DC character has what it takes to make it to the end? Who is willing to do what it takes to win it all, even if it means taking down their friends and family!

 

You want to get nuts? Let’s get nuts!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.