DC K.O. is Making a Big Mistake if My Worst Fear is Correct

Look, I am absolutely loving DC Comics current event, but I think it’s making a big mistake based on the way things are going right now. DC K.O. is pitting the greatest heroes and villains in a tournament where the winner has a chance to become King Omega, a powerful celestial being that can bend and shape the universe around them. Everyone wants a shot at this power to save the universe and stop Darkseid from destroying the past, present, and future. And so far, it’s been a pretty great competition.

Now, I know some people are feeling a bit miffed after the second issue of DC K.O.. While some fans believed that we were getting multiple one-on-one fights, the event comic’s second issue was actually a scavenger hunt where the participants searched for the most powerful weapons in the DC Universe. It was a good issue, but there are some who feel a bit misled about what DC K.O. actually is. I, on the other hand, am starting to develop a different fear now that we’re a few weeks into DC’s hyped-up “All Fight Month”.

DC K.O.’s Fighters Aren’t Using Their Recently Acquired Weapons, But Why?

DC K.O. #2 by Scott Snyder and Javi Fernandez was a great nail-biter as heroes and villains searched for upgrades like Thor’s hammer or a Black Lantern Power Ring. And as disappointed as some fans may have been by this issue, DC Comics ensured that we’d see the second round of the tournament in its entirety with “All Fight Month”, a special initiative composed of several one-shots and tie-in issues detailing the 8 battles in round two. And after seeing the weapons gathered by the fighters, I was ready for some amazing bouts.

Read Next

DC K.O.: Superman vs Captain Atom #1 Uses a Fight as Character Study (Review)

As of this writing, we’ve seen three of the second round’s match-ups. Superman vs. Captain Atom, Aquaman vs. Hawkman, and Wonder Woman vs. Lobo. All good and interesting battles, especially considering the power-ups these heroes had picked up in the previous round. But one thing that’s become obvious from these issues is that none of the fighters is in possession of the item they found in DC K.O. #2. Wonder Woman didn’t have Thor’s hammer, Lobo wasn’t juicing with Bane’s Venom, and Superman didn’t keep Darkseid’s Omega Sanction. And once I realized that, I was kind of bummed.

Now, to be fair, there wasn’t anything in the second issue that said they would be keeping their found item for the next round. So what got me so bent out of shape? Mostly the cover for The Flash #28, which shows off Jay Garrick using the God Killer sword he picked up in DC K.O. #2 to fight Green Lantern Guy Gardner. In my mind, that led me to believe that the heroes and villains would be able to use their items in subsequent rounds, and frankly, it’s a bit disappointing that’s not the case.

DC K.O. is Missing Out on a Fun Storytelling Opportunity

Now I’ve read enough comics in my life to know that comic covers, for lack of a better word, lie to the readers. Covers are meant to entice and get readers to want to buy them, and that’s been the case for longer than I’ve even been alive. And obviously, it worked; seeing Jay wield a glowing sword against Guy got me invested. But after witnessing three rounds where no one’s used the object they found, all I can think is how much more interesting these fights would be with them.

Don’t get me wrong, I can see why pitting these heroes and villains against one another and having them win on their own merits is more narratively satisfying than winning because they have the better MacGuffin. But come on, Superman got Darkseid’s ultimate power last issue of DC K.O. and barely got to use it! There were so many interesting ways these fights could have utilized things like the Blue Beetle Scarab or the Medusa Mask. But instead, we’re just left to wonder what could have been.

DC K.O. has been a fun event so far, and I trust the creators involved to bring it home. But at the same time, I really feel like there was something to the idea of arming these already powerful heroes with even more powerful upgrades and seeing what happens when they collide. Granted, I don’t know everything the future holds, so the event could still surprise me. I just hope DC K.O. is able to wrap up its final few rounds in a way that feels just satisfying.

How are you feeling about DC K.O.? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!