It was no secret that DC K.O. was going to be far bigger than a mere miniseries. From a one-shot featuring The Boys‘ Homelander and Mortal Kombat‘s Sub-Zero, to the typical event comic trope of spreading into other titles, this is a fight that was going to involve the whole DC Universe. Now, DC has taken it one step further with DC K.O.: Superman vs. Captain Atom #1, which launches “All Fight Month”.
That’s right, for the entire month of December, fans will bear witness to the final 16 competitors in the King Omega tournament slugging it out until DC K.O. #3 reveals who the final eight contestants will be. First up is Superman vs. Captain Atom, and the Man of Steel is none too happy that the nuclear-powered hero literally sucker punched Supergirl out of the competition. Atom, on the other hand, is willing to do whatever it takes to win…even if he has to go through Superman to do it.
I have to give props to Joshua Williamson for following what looks like the DC K.O. tradition of zigging where readers might expect him to zag. It would be more than easy to pit Superman against Lex Luthor, once again reigniting their rivalry, or give him a disadvantage by putting him against Zatanna or Etrigan the Demon. In selecting Captain Atom as the Man of Steel’s opponent, Williamson hones in on just how different these two really are. From the start of the tournament, Superman’s been reluctant to embrace the darker side of his nature. Captain Atom, on the other hand, is a soldier and therefore brings a soldier’s mindset to his fights, resulting in immense destruction.
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That destruction comes courtesy of Sean Izaakse, who’s worked with Williamson on the main Superman title and Green Arrow. Like Captain Atom, Izaakse doesn’t hold back when it comes to the fight scenes. A nuclear-fueled punch from Captain Atom sends Superman smashing through a building, causing a ripple effect across the glass in one panel…then shattering it in the next, and sending him flying through three more buildings. If that wasn’t impressive enough, another page features Superman stopping a punch cold and then slamming Atom into the ground with a singular punch, creating a massive impact.
It’s here that the concept of each “round” kicks in: each fighter will have a chance to knock out his opponents, with the best two out of three moving to the next round. To shake things up, each round allows a fighter to choose their own “form”, meaning that Superman and Captain Atom shift into different forms from various points in time. This allows Williamson and Izaakse to touch up on other eras of DC history, including some deep, deep cuts that’ll have longtime comic fans reeling.
DC K.O.: Superman vs. Captain Atom #1 definitely lives up to its title, as the Man of Steel and the nuclear-powered hero engage in a battle that sets the stage for “All Fight Month.” Rest assured, dear readers, the other matchups look and sound like they could potentially meet or exceed this one.
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