DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1: The Gang Is All Here

DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1 turns the current DCU event into a true multiversal event without straying from the main event and getting lost in the weeds.

Adams sets up the premise within the first few panels of the issue: World Forgerer and Grodd, having been defeated by Booster-Darkseid, arriving at the final page of DC: KO #3, as the final four contestants: Superman, Wonder Woman, Luthor, and The Joker confront the Absolute versions of The Trinity. In this frozen moment of time, which is exposition heavy, World Forerger explains that the four do not possess enough Omega Energy to successfully defeat their opponents. Forerger does have a plan to use his remaining energy to create fissures in reality and have them fight champions of other universes to collect said energy. To help them, he also calls in some help from the fallen contestants Plastic Man, Black Lightning, Star Sapphire and Batwoman…and the the fun begins.

Black Lightning and Plastic Man find themselves in the Mortal Kombat world facing Sub-Zero and Scorpion, Wonder Woman finds herself in an arena with Red Sonja, Joker encounters Annabelle the Terrifying Doll (Ghostly Graphics) from the chilling graphic novel based on the real-life legend of the haunted Raggedly Anne doll, Star Sapphire meets Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Batwoman ends up at Vampirella’s castle, Lex Luthor comes face to face with Samantha Strong from Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees, and Superman faces his evil Doppelganger Homelander from The Boys.

Of these different encounters Plastic Man / Black Lightning vs the Mortal Kombat fighters gets the most page time, while the Batwoman, Lex, and Star Sapphire get the least development. The Homelander / Superman  and Wonder Woman/ Red Sonja were the most anticipated and for the most part live up to the hype that will leave readers wanting more.

The artist do a good job of portraying the characters from the other universes and are treated respectfully that the various companies would expect from DC Comics using their properties in this way.