Written by: Jeremy Adams
Art by: Roman Cliquet, Carmine Di Giadomenico, Kieran McKeown, Pablo M Collar
Colors by: HI-FI
Letters by: Tom Napolitano
Cover art by: Jamal Campbell
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: February 4, 2026
First Impressions
My gut reaction was that this issue is loud, busy, and fun in short bursts, but it treats story like a side dish instead of the main course. The big fights and surprise cameos hit like trailer moments, quick and flashy, yet they lack emotional weight and follow through. I walked away mildly amused and a little annoyed, like I just watched a pricey commercial for a better comic that does not exist yet.
Recap
Darkseid is on the verge of winning everything, and the universe is almost done. In a last-ditch move, the strongest heroes and villains across the multiverse entered a brutal tournament to gather enough Omega Energy to stop him. Now a new Trinity shaped by Darkseid’s influence is standing in the way, and only four champions are left to fight them, Superman, Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor, and the Joker. The problem is that these four are not strong enough to beat their dark mirror versions, so World Forger starts searching for extra champions from beyond their universe.
Plot Analysis (SPOILERS)
The issue opens on a ruined Earth twisted by Apokolips, where World Forger and Gorilla Grodd watch Darkseid’s twisted “heroes” about to crush Superman, Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor, and the Joker. World Forger freezes time for a moment and explains that these dark Trinity soldiers are forged from Omega energy, and the current champions cannot beat them as they are. He senses fallen combatants from earlier rounds, Black Lightning, Plastic Man, Batwoman, and Star Sapphire, and then rips open “reality fissures” to pull in new fighters from other worlds to generate more Omega Energy. Grodd warns that holding the rifts open will cost World Forger dearly, but World Forger insists he has no choice.
One rift dumps Sub-Zero into a Mortal Kombat arena where he is forced into a fight by Raiden-like hosts until Black Lightning crashes in, and they clash in a flurry of ice and electricity. Another rift opens in a coliseum where Wonder Woman is matched against Red Sonja, with an announcer hyping them up as the most dangerous women on the planet as the two battle blade to blade. A different fissure drops Batwoman into a gothic setting where she squares off against Vampirella, all while the Joker ends up in a creepy house sharing tea with Annabelle, which quickly turns into violence. Star Sapphire gets pulled into a bright suburb where she meets Sabrina the Teenage Witch and soon has to deal with a chaotic magic storm.
Lex Luthor’s fissure leads him into the woods, where he meets Samantha Strong, a girl who can transform into a towering bear-like monster that attacks him. Luthor survives by adapting on the fly, and each of these crossover fights is framed as a way to generate more Omega Energy for World Forger’s hammer. Back in the city, Superman engages in a high speed midair clash with a twisted Superman analogue, then collides with Homelander, who swaggers in as a smug, violent parallel to a “hero.” The battle between Superman and Homelander escalates with heat vision, brutal punches, and shockwaves tearing through the area.
As the fights go on, the Joker and Annabelle’s tea party turns bloody when the doll attacks, and Joker gleefully dives into the chaos as more energy spills out. Star Sapphire and Sabrina get dragged through a magical storm that pulls Batwoman and others along, causing a crash that drops them into the main arena where everyone starts piling into one massive melee. At the climax, World Forger strains to hold the fissures open and then channels the collected Omega Energy into his hammer, unleashing a blast that hits the heroes and villains. The energy surge powers up Superman, Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor, and Joker, setting the stage for the final showdown with Darkseid’s Trinity, and the issue ends by teasing that the battle between the final four and the “Absolute Heroes” will continue in DC K.O. #4.
Writing: (Pacing, Dialogue, Structure)
The script leans hard into the tournament gimmick, yet it treats every crossover fight as a quick sketch instead of a full scene. The pacing jumps from fissure to fissure so fast that most encounters feel like cutscenes stitched together by World Forger’s narration. Dialogue is serviceable and clear, but it rarely digs into character beyond surface-level quips, like Joker cackling at frozen enemies or Homelander posturing. Structurally, the issue knows what it wants to do, gather Omega Energy through fights, but it reads more like a highlight reel than a story with build, payoff, and consequence.
Art
The art team delivers clean, high-energy visuals, and the action is easy to follow even when the page is crowded. Big moments like Superman smashing Homelander into the ground or Wonder Woman clashing with Red Sonja have strong composition that guides your eye through each impact. The colors lean bright and saturated, which helps separate each crossover setting, from the fiery coliseum to the cold blue Mortal Kombat arena. The mood, though, stays in the same loud “event” register, so there is little tonal contrast between horror scenes like Annabelle and big superhero brawls.
Character Development
Character work here is almost entirely functional, not emotional. World Forger has the clearest motive, he is desperate to save the universe and is willing to burn himself out holding the fissures open, but even that plays out more as exposition than inner conflict. Everyone else is defined by brand recognition and combat style, Superman as the earnest bruiser, Joker as the cackling wild card, Homelander as the smug bully, without any real change or growth. If you are looking for relatable stakes or evolving arcs, this issue gives you trading card personalities instead.
Originality & Concept Execution
On paper, “DC heroes and villains in a multiverse tournament pulling in icons like Sub-Zero, Red Sonja, Sabrina, Annabelle, Vampirella, Homelander, and more to stop Darkseid” is a strong hook. The comic definitely delivers on the “who will fight who” question, and it showcases the mashup angle in a way that is easy to parse. Where it stumbles is in turning that premise into a satisfying story instead of a catalog of licensed matchups. The high concept feels fresh, but the execution is thin, so the idea does more work than the actual script.
Positives
The strongest value here is visual and conceptual, you get a full buffet of crossover battles that most companies would never sign off on in a regular monthly book. The art sells the hits clearly, and the layouts keep each fight readable even when the cast list explodes. If you are a fan of any of these guest characters, seeing them share panels with DC mainstays is a novelty that actually makes it into the story instead of staying as a variant cover gimmick. For readers who just want kinetic action and a wild “what if” arena concept, this issue delivers that with confidence.
Negatives
The downside is that almost everything beyond the spectacle is undercooked, which drags down the writing, character development, and even the sense of stakes. Scenes end just as they get interesting, so none of the matchups land as more than quick “cool, they met” moments with no lasting weight. The script tells you Darkseid’s victory is a near certainty and that this is the last gambit, yet the story rarely slows down long enough for that dread to register. If you care about payoff, emotional beats, or a strong narrative spine, this comic gives you the sizzle without much steak.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
The Scorecard
Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): [2/4]Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): [3/4]
Value (Originality & Entertainment): [1/2]
Final Verdict
If your comic budget is tight and you need story first, DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1 is an easy skim and skip. If you are the kind of reader who buys on art and wild crossovers alone, this can justify a spot as a flashy one-time read, not a must-own. It feels like the kind of book you read once, talk about the crazy matchups with a friend, and then file away rather than revisit. In short, it is a fun curiosity, not an essential purchase.
6/10
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