After promising a tournament-style fight-to-the-death in the mainline DC K.O. book, DC has been working diligently to provide epic fights, one-on-one skills challenges, and a chance to stop the Earth from devolving into Darkseid’s toy. Whereas most DC books have played the concept fairly straight, the Batman line usually finds a way to twist these concepts. In DC K.O.: Batman Knightfight #2, Joshua Williamson, Dan Mora, Tríona Farrell, and Tom Napolitano prove that this series is no exception.
Where DC K.O.: Batman Knightfight #1 saw Bruce Wayne facing off against an alternate version of Dick Grayson, issue #2 offers more insight into what this series is really about. Instead of seeing the former Boy Wonder fighting his mentor, Knightfight is more about seeing Batman reviewing his potential successors. If #1 was about Nightwing, the cover alone reveals that #2 is all about the Red Hood himself, Jason Todd.
Most of Jason’s depictions often present him as a well-meaning killer, so traumatized by his past that he turns to the dark underworld to provide true justice. While he has often worked to redeem himself in recent years, DC K.O.: Batman Knightfight #2 depicts him as having taken over entirely for Bruce Wayne. As the sole protector of a warped Gotham, an older Jason stands as a red-helmed Batman.
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The art and the designs are a highlight in DC K.O.: Batman Knightfight. Dan Mora and Tríona Farrell do an excellent job differentiating the worlds that Batman faces between each universal jaunt. Nightwing’s colorful, idealistic, and eccentric world is instantly dropped for a monochrome noir hellscape, only broken by a harsh red. While pain helped to distinguish the universes for Bruce, the colors are far more evocative for readers. It also helps that Bruce’s thoughts are lined with yellow, offering yet another hint that he simply does not belong.
It’s also hard to ignore the costumes. Jason Todd’s new uniform is a perfect blend of his Red Hood costume with Batman’s more recognizable design. Whereas the Nightwing suit was more easily confused with Bruce’s, which is likely due to his more solidified connection to the role, Jason stands out among the crowd.
Without spoiling the final page of the issue, there is also one incredible twist that begs for further exploration. It offers another twist with Batman’s traditional design, and it is so inventive that it’s hard not to love it. This is a deeply psychological and introspective book, but that doesn’t mean that it leaves no room for fun concepts.
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That is not to say that this book is perfect, of course. In a vacuum, it is difficult to truly discuss DC K.O.: Batman Knightfight #2, as the issue is split in clear halves. It wraps up the Nightwing-Batman story, while also introducing a full Red Hood-Batman world. That leaves little room for Jason’s story to build before the fighting starts.
The twist about Jason’s world, which should have been stunning, is painfully abrupt. It is fundamentally underwhelming because the readers are left no opportunity to put the clues together themselves. A slower pace could help there, though it would likely require one more issue in this series to wrap up Nightwing’s story.
Besides, there is some benefit to having Nightwing and Red Hood share an issue in DC K.O.: Batman Knightfight. It offers a chance for the reader to experience Bruce’s jarring jaunts between realities in the same way that he does. There is no time to ponder what happened to the last world, as Batman and the reader alike are forced to face the next existential threat.
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Still, it is disappointing that the resolution to the Nightwing storyline in DC K.O.: Batman Knightfight is easy to overlook. Unfortunately, the narrative immediately jumps to Jason. Bruce is given no time to reflect on having Dick as his successor, and the reader is encouraged to leave that story behind to face Jason’s instead. In a medium that allows a month between issues, leaving space for each Robin to have their own release could help with pacing and allow more time to consider each narrative. This is a non-traditional way to tell a story, which is fun, but it does have drawbacks.
After all, the commentary about Dick’s trusting nature is interesting. The flaws in the Heart’s depiction of him prove that Bruce does truly understand his former sidekick. It would have been better to have a chance to consider that before jumping headfirst into Jason’s warped world.
Like DC K.O.: Batman Knightfight #1, issue #2 cuts to the core of what Batman truly is. It explores the core values of the mantle, not the man, and the numerous partners that have stood alongside him. Knightfight is all about Batman’s relationship with his former Robin’s and the legacy that each might someday carry. It is also a well-drawn, exciting, and cutting book that deserves more attention. Though it has some flaws, anyone who enjoys Batman should pick up this series as soon as possible.
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