What would happen if Batman and Superman faced off in a tournament of champions? The answer to that question may be answered in an upcoming DC event series. DC has been riding a high of success on the backs of DC All In, a publishing initiative featuring new titles like Justice League Unlimited, as well as new creative teams on some of your favorite comics. There’s also the Absolute Universe, which is on the eve of its first anniversary. DC schedules different company-wide events throughout the year, and 2026 will open with a winner-takes-all event for the ages.
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The Hollywood Reporter announced DC K.O., a five-issue event series by writers Scott Snyder (Absolute Batman) and Joshua Williamson (Superman), with art by Javi Fernández (Batman & Robin, King Spawn). DC K.O. debuts in early 2026 and features 36 fighters who are recruited for a tournament of champions as Earth is transformed into a massive five-level fighting arena. As heroes win, they move up in the brackets, and each descending stage tests the heroes in brutal and symbolic ways. The goal is to generate enough Omega Energy to rival Darkseid and crown a new King Omega, a celestial being toward whom the universe bends.
“DC K.O. is a knock-down, drag-out fight between all your favorite DC super heroes in a cosmic tournament to save the universe from Darkseid,” Snyder said in a statement.
Since this is the Summer of Superman, and James Gunn’s Superman film is now in theaters, it’s only right that the Man of Steel is the main protagonist of DC K.O. Snyder spoke about what made Superman the right hero to focus the event’s story on.
“I wanted to tell a story about Superman looking into his own heart of darkness,” he said. “It’s a very personal story wrapped in nine layers of candy exploding in your face.”
“Each level is a new challenge,” stated Williamson. “And the tournament will reveal unexpected heroes—some you won’t believe will go really far in the fights.”
The main story will be told in the DC K.O. limited series, debuting October 8th, with the story spilling out into various one-shots and ongoing series. Some of those include the prologue, Justice League: The Omega Act #1 by writer Joshua Williamson and artist Yasmine Putri, on sale October 1st; Titans #28 by writer John Layman and artist Pete Woods; Superman #31 by writer Joshua Williamson and artist Dan Mora; Justice League Unlimited #12 by writer Mark Waid and artist Dan Mora; and The Flash #26 by writers Mark Waid and Christopher Cantwell and artist Vasco Georgiev.
More information on DC K.O. will be unveiled at the DC All In: What’s Next panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, July 25th from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in room 6DE. What do you think about seeing hero vs. hero in DC K.O.? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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Image courtesy of HBO
