A Trusted Trope, With Finesse And Storytelling Added — Reviewing ‘DC K.O.’ #1

Let’s be honest, but a comic book series built around the hokey premise of a knock-out contest of… erm, champions? Well, it wasn’t the most original of ideas. But then, it was always going to be about the storytelling for me. The telling of the tale, the set-up before the knockdowns. And this set-up in DC K.O. #1 is a wonderfully epic and grandiose affair, building on what writer Scott Snyder has been building in the Absolute Universe and in particular Darkseid. A menace who returns once more to the DCU as Lord Omega, a being powered by Omega Energy, the literal energy of conquest. 

With his time writing the Justice League and his various big event gigs such as Metal and Metal 2, Snyder honed his skills as a writer of ensemble casts, and that comes to the fore in this first issue. Focusing in on the DC Trinity of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman enjoying some rare downtime, it’s not long before they are called to arms, along with Earth’s other superheroes, to battle Darkseid. And lose. Well, they did. But then the Quantum Quorum have turned back time to delay their fates, and so giving Snyder the best chance of slipping in the whole superhero versus superhero angle into the plot. And by that point, you’re all in. Forget about the logic behind why a four-dimensional heart of darkness would manifest as a tournament with the winner becoming a god. This is a classic comic book event crossover plot brought up to date by Snyder and artists Javi Fernández and Xermanico. Both artist really shines in his handling of such a mammoth cast and epic scale story and backdrops. And their styles are similar enough that you really don’t notice that much when there is a switch-up.

Fernández’s style of artwork lets you know that this is a big deal. You can always tell the strength of a comic book event by the calibre of creators. And in Snyder, Fernández, and Xermanico we are spoilt. And while there are so many amazing moments in this comic book, one such moment really stood out to me as a perfect example of writer and artist working so effectively. How do you depict an omnipresent being? Well, if you’re Snyder and Fernández, you utilise a series of vertical panels, each one depicting a different location in the DCU, and have Darkseid loom large, spread out across the whole page length. Stunning and standout stuff.

Then, juxtapose this epic-scale scene with a more gentle moment in the park, the dappled light beautifully captured by colourist Alejandro Sánchez. This two-page scene alone shows how important a great colourist is in capturing the mood and helping enhance the storytelling. And how the spectacular can make space for the quieter, contemplative moments. Spectacular work from both artist and writer who balance such scenes in combination with everything else in this gripping comic. 

With this being an oversized issue, there’s so much more to write about. But that would be spoiling it for you. It’s enough to know that this four-issue event will have consequences that will ripple through DC Comics for some time to come. By the end of the first issue, we have our 32 contenders. Now… onto the tournament! 

DC K.O. #1 is out now from DC Comics