While Batman isn’t fighting in the tournament that is DC K.O., he’s certainly getting put through the wringer in a variety of ways in DC K.O.: Knightfight. The series has pitted Batman against his found family and children, but the challenge is changed completely in the third issue out today.
As the preview shows, DC K.O.: Knightfight opens with Jason Todd fighting Batman in a Clayface form. The way to win, however, isn’t to fight at all. The dark shadow forcing Bruce through these trials is not pleased, and the story shifts, with Bruce taking on a Batman from another universe where Tim has taken over the mantle.
After writer Joshua Williamson catches us up on how the tournament is going by filling Bruce in, this issue takes us into a world where Tim Drake has mastered being Batman. The Elseworlds angle is great, with a new slick blue Batman costume supplied by Dan Mora. We open on a quiet detective moment as Batman reveals a killer crime with all the suspects in a single room. Throwing in some interesting hologram tech, the killer is subdued and the day is saved. It’s a good introduction to a Batman who has mostly kept crime and violence down.
A Clayface Batman would be a neat story.
Credit: DC Comics
The world around Tim is revealed efficiently from here, with Cass involved in her own crime-fighting, but soon things get weird in the Bat Cave. Tech glitches take place, and while Tim is fast enough to thwart the threat, it’s soon revealed that Batman is inside the machines. Props to Mora for making a new Bat Cave come alive, along with a cool hologram effect. This leads to a satisfying resolution to this version of Batman as Williamson leans into Batman as a father figure for Tim.
After an excellently drawn montage of various other Batman, the story shifts to a different challenge for Bruce. The closing three pages set up the next issue, which is a challenge for Batman we haven’t seen yet. While he’s fought Jason and Damian in previous issues, it’s a clever move to have Batman fight something that’s purely good. Leave it to longtime Damian writer Williamson to find a new angle to torture Bruce.
DC K.O.: Knightfight #3 continues to surprise by redefining what it means to “break” Batman, using alternate worlds and emotional truth instead of sheer force. With Dan Mora’s stunning visuals and Williamson’s deep understanding of the Bat-family, the series proves its real strength lies in forcing Bruce to confront the lives his legacy creates, and the ones it might undo.
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