DC K.O. #3: Who’s Laughing Now?

The tournament resumes! The Heart has decided that the remaining players get to bring back one contestant each to battle with them in a tag team match of all-out war to determine the final four left standing as the end draws near.

This comic is reviewed by both Megan from the Vigilante Vibes Podcast and Matt from the Hops “Geek” News podcast!

Creative Team: Scott Snyder (WRITER), Joshua Williamson (INTERLUDE WRITER), Javi Fernandez (ARTIST and COVER), Xermanico (INTERLUDE ARTIST), Alejandro Sanchez (COLORS and COVER), and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (LETTERS).

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

The Writing and Story:

Megan: DC K.O. #3 is the perfect example of how to keep the energy as high as possible throughout comic issues. We’re at the third round of the tournament with a much smaller group of competitors. In this round, the competitors may pick a partner to fight alongside from the group of fallen champions. The team ups are interesting to say the least, like Superman and Shazam or Lex Luthor and Supergirl. The contestants have to work together to take on the other supercharged pairs. Of course, given who some of the contestants are, working together seems impossible, but the others play off each other beautifully.

The writers are giving everything they got to the story, just as the contestants are, and it’s paying off wonderfully. There’s so many dynamics to check out between the pairs of contestants and in the interlude, and the writers are able to shine a light on every one of them. With it being DC K.O., you can bet that there are some pretty incredible fights, a lot of action, and some really great surprise factors that keep you on the edge of your seat.

Matt: This issue is going to get people extremely hyped, and I can see it ruffling some feathers with the outcome and the final four left standing here. The team-ups are intriguing as Lex chooses Kara and even catches some flak for it. The fact that he hates Superman so much and yet wants to almost be him is finally called out, and I would love to see that explored a lot more. Scott allows the Joker to pull his antics, and I was surprised when we saw Batman: The Man Who Laughs! It goes to show that Scott and Joshua are not pulling any punches and are going all out.

Speaking of Williamson, his interlude sheds more light on the relationship between Bruce and Clark as well as the pressures Clark feels daily. Bruce pushes out of love, and it can sometimes cause stress on Clark as those buttons are pushed. I love that dynamic, and again, it is diving deeper into the minds of these two heroes.

The Art and Letters:

Megan: Somehow, the artwork is even more explosive than the story, and that’s saying something. Getting a look at all the different combinations of teams, you see so many different powersets on display. Each one is filled with brilliant details along with gorgeous arrays of colors that make them pop off the page. One fight to watch for is the Joker’s, as this one perfectly showcases the artists’ talents.

Matt: Javi and Alejandro are crushing it on this issue! The Batman Who Laughs is brutally terrifying when introduced, and the background coloring aids in adding this fiery reveal. I love the details in the fighting as it swiftly moves panel to panel, and the clashing of powers jolting across. There is one panel to me that stands out, which is when Superman takes on the power of Shazam, leaving him standing tall and glorious as the suits are combined, as well as power. Xermanico adds a touch of flair and calmness to the art with our interlude flashback sequence before all hell breaks loose once again. Is that the Absolute universe at the end as well?!

Final Thoughts:

Megan: 10/10. This comic was explosive in all ways, keeping the hype as high as it can go. Also, the last page we’re left on? I cannot describe how excited I am for the next issue.

Matt: 10/10 DC K.O. is going to blow minds as we cut the field down to the final four standing. It seems something bigger is lying just ahead, and with what is teased at the end of this issue, is any indication, I’m not sure we are ready.