DC K.O. #3 Kicks Event into High Gear with All-Out Brawl (Review)

The DC Comics event that has everyone talking is back with a new chapter, giving fans the intense slugfest that they’ve been waiting to see. The main DC K.O. miniseries took a month off in December, replaced by a swath of specials and tie-in issues for DC’s special All Fight Month, so that the Sweet Sixteen’s battles could be properly seen. But now the fighters have been winnowed down to the Elite Eight, leaving just enough room for four head-to-head battles to be showcased in an issue that delivers all the brutal fights fans have been clamoring for.

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DC K.O. is all about the heroes of the world fighting in a tournament to gain enough cosmic power to stop Darkseid from conquering the DC Universe. It hasn’t been easy, especially when villains crashed the tournament, making the stakes of the competition even higher. Everyone’s fighting for something in DC K.O., and the closer we get to the end, the harder people are willing to fight to make it to the end. And nothing shows that off better than DC K.O. #3, a pulse-pounding issue filled with major twists and turns and one hell of an ending.

Rating: 4 out of 5

PROS	CONS
Delivers all the fights we were promised	Tag-team aspect might not please everyone
Incredibly creative outcomes in battles	Narration can be a bit much at points

DC K.O. #3 is the Comic We’ve Been Waiting to See

Ever since it was announced, everyone has been waiting to see an issue that was filled with all the fights promised last July. Thankfully, that’s exactly what we got with DC K.O. #3 by Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson, Javi Fernandez, Xermanico, Alejandro Sanchez, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. With eight fighters remaining after the second round, the remaining heroes and villains head into the third round. This time, it’s a tag-team affair, and everyone is allowed to face their opponent with a partner from any time or place. Everyone makes their selection, and the third round begins.

The partnerships range from the expected, like Guy Gardner and Hal Jordan, to the unexpected, like Lex Luthor and Supergirl. But Joker goes for a truly out-of-left-field choice when he’s allowed to pick an extra-dimensional partner and opts for Mr. Mxyzptlk (who briefly disguises himself as the Batman Who Laughs). From start to finish, this issue is exactly what fans had been hoping to see: two-on-twofights with heroes and villains clashing in the most brutal and creative ways. I have to hand it to the creative team; they get pretty innovative with the ways these fighters clash here.

From Lex dosing Supergirl with a ‘designer kryptonite’ that blends several variants to weaponize her to Superman borrowing Shazam’s power to take out two Green Lanterns at once, there are a lot of cool moments here. It moves along at a brisk pace, and before you know it, the Elite Eight become the Final Four with Joker, Lex, Wonder Woman, and Superman making it into the fourth round. But the next round looks to be the most challenging yet as the remaining fighters are set to face off with a Darkseid-possessed Booster Gold and Absolute Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

DC K.O. #3 isn’t a Perfect Chapter, but It’s One of the Strongest Yet

I’ve been largely enjoying DC K.O., and I thought this was a pretty damn exciting chapter. The tag-team part was a neat way of mixing things up and making these fights a little more interesting. That being said, I feel a bit let down by some of the choices. I mean, Joker goes all out with his choice of Mr. Mxyzptlk, but for everyone else, I would have preferred to see some more outside-the-box choices. Though I will admit, Lex picking Supergirl was a great in-character choice, and I have to give him credit for thinking several steps ahead.

But that minor nitpick aside, this is a really strong chapter. It shines best when it focuses on the inner journey of Superman, whose choice of partner in Shazam wasn’t done out of kindness, but in practicality. Snyder promised us a Superman story with DC K.O., and the more we actually get to see Clark and what this competition is doing to him, the more of an impact it really has. And of course, major respect to both the artists and colorists here, who give the battles the appropriate depth they need.

It really is hard to believe DC K.O. is now over halfway done. But this issue did exactly what it needed to. It kept interest up with all the brutal and creative fights while advancing the narrative and raising the stakes for the next issue. I don’t know if it’s enough to get people back onboard if they’ve dipped out on DC K.O., but it certainly should keep people who are still invested hooked. I don’t know what’s coming next, but this issue makes me think that the creative team has even more outrageous surprises saved for the final issues.

What did you think of DC K.O. #3? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!