Was DC K.O. a Bait and Switch? Because Fans Aren’t Happy

There’s a sizable contingent of fans who feel a bit misled over the way DC Comics‘ current event has shaken out. For the past few months, fans have been incredibly hyped up over DC K.O., a mega-event centered around a tournament where heroes and villains fight one another for the right to claim godlike power. And the hype only grew when DC Comics revealed the 32 fighters that would be featured in the event, more so when DC Comics released an official bracket, revealing the first round’s 16 match-ups.

That first round was featured in last month’s DC K.O. #2. But instead of fights between Superman and Giganta or Wonder Woman and Starro, the first round was actually a free-for-all scavenger hunt where the competitors searched for some of the most powerful items in the DC Universe. While the issue itself was incredibly good, many fans expressed disappointment, even anger, on various social media platforms due to the fact that this wasn’t filled with the fights they’d hoped for. So the question has to be asked: Was DC K.O. a bait and switch?

Scott Snyder Warned Us, But the Bracket Caused a Lot of Confusion

As someone who follows updates in the comic world, especially anything DC Comics related, I wasn’t blindsided by the second issue. I’ve known for weeks now that the scavenger hunt would be a part of DC K.O.. How? Well, the writer of the event told us! In early September, the bracket for DC K.O. was leaked online, revealing the first round ‘match-ups’ and not too long after, DC K.O. writer Scott Snyder revealed on social media that not all of the rounds are one-on-one, going so far as to spoil the scavenger hunt aspect of issue #2.

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But I recognize that not everyone follows the day-to-day of the comic book world. Plus, the bracket that got posted everywhere was a lot easier to share, with everyone excitedly posting who they think would win in these hypothetical matchups. I’ll admit, I even spent a few days making TikToks discussing each one-on-one fight. But despite the fun of it all, we can’t say Snyder didn’t give us fair warning and that we should temper our expectations for the second issue. Honestly, squeezing 16 fights into one comic was always kind of a pipe dream.

That being said, I do empathise with people who were confused and feel like they were misled. With DC K.O. marketed as a tournament, the bracket really did make it seem like we’d be getting more one-on-one battles. And it really doesn’t help that the DC K.O. bracket challenge DC Comics has on its website asks fans to make picks specifically based on who they believe would win each match-up “from the first round all the way to the final champion”. Again, I don’t know how many people saw this, but it definitely adds to the confusion of issue #2.

DC K.O. is Still Delivering What it Promised

Now, I’ll admit comic books do have a history of when it comes to the ol’ bait and switch. Take a look at any wild cover from the Silver Age that showed Superman acting like a complete lunatic, only for the comic itself to be a dream or hallucination. Heck, it was only a few years ago that DC Comics hyped up a wedding between Batman and Catwoman that never materialised (something that provoked anger from comic readers and retailers alike).

But this is not a bait and switch. The second issue still has the fighters competing against one another, just not in the way many thought they would. The bracket and some of DC’s marketing didn’t help expectations, but the comic itself delivered what it promised: heroes and villains beating the snot out of each other for a chance to win. And let’s be real, an all-out battle is the only way some of these characters were going to survive to the next round (especially Harley Quinn, who’d initially been placed against Metamorpho).

Would I have liked to see a longer tournament arc where we actually saw the first round’s match-ups? Sure. But that would have taken a long time to get through, more than DC can give this event. Heck, even DC K.O.’s second round is being told across various one-shots and tie-ins and not the main book, just so DC can cover all eight battles. But at the end of the day, we’re getting a brutal competition, and while I can completely understand the ire of fans, I can’t say DC Comics bait and switched us.

Did you think DC K.O. #2 was a bait and switch? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!