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DC K.O. #2 drops us right back into the madness as the 32 chosen champions fight to earn the Heart of Apokolips. The stakes are incredibly high, the rules are pure chaos, and Scott Snyder and Javier Fernández are taking some serious creative risks here. If the first challenge is any indication, we are in for a wild ride.

The issue kicks off with a prologue similar to the first issue, showing the Trinity and Lois Lane playing a “What If?” scenario game. Batman muses that Superman would make a great President, which is a fascinating concept to ponder: what would the DC Universe look like if they leaned into a storyline like that? While the cold open itself felt a little lame compared to the high-octane energy of the rest of the book, points go to Snyder for raising that philosophical question.

Once we flash forward to the tournament, things get trippy in the best way possible. The setting is a graveyard of gods (literally, the bones of deities killed by Darkseid), littered with some of the most powerful items in the universe. We’re talking the Blue Beetle Scarab, the God Killer Sword, Green Lantern rings, the Genie Pen, and even Thor’s hammer?! Watching the characters scramble for these upgrades is awesome and brings a fun, chaotic energy to the event.

The weapon pairings are where this issue really shines. Seeing Flash (Garrett) wield the God Killer Sword is terrifying; a speedster with a blade that changes shape and kills gods is basically the ultimate threat. Then you have Harley Quinn snagging a Speed Force ring, which is a story that practically writes itself. We also get wild mashups like Red Hood as a Blue Beetle, Lobo on Bane’s Venom, and Wonder Woman wielding Thor’s hammer. It’s a total “loot drop” scenario, and it works perfectly.

The emotional core of the issue, however, is the showdown between Superman and Lex Luthor. Superman isn’t playing around, but neither is Lex. The fight reveals a fascinating layer to their rivalry: Lex believes Superman doesn’t do enough. There is a solid argument that Superman restrains himself to avoid looking like an alien dictator, but Lex inadvertently challenges the idea that absolute power corrupts absolutely. It raises the question of what “absolute good”  would look like. The story doesn’t have to be that power corrupts; it can be power reveals. The fight ends with a massive shocker when Lex uses a Phantom Zone blade to slice off Superman’s hand. It’s a brutal moment that proves no one is safe.

Despite the heavy themes, Snyder manages to keep the tone lively. There is a moment when Starro takes over everyone and calls Zatanna “Abraca-dumbass” that had me in stitches. I didn’t know Snyder had that kind of humor in him, but it landed perfectly amidst the carnage.

On the visual side, Javier Fernández delivers some solid work. He relies heavily on double-splash pages and angular shapes. While I would have loved to see a bit more creativity in the panel layouts for such a massive event, his action sequences are stellar. You can easily follow the movement, and his facial expressions are top-tier, specifically Etrigan getting kicked in the throat and Joker’s reaction to some backstabbing.

Alejandro Sánchez provides the colors, bathing the issue in a purple sheen. It’s everywhere (in backgrounds, characters, and the atmosphere), giving the whole book a distinct, otherworldly vibe. While other colors do pop when necessary, that purple haze seems to be a deliberate design choice. Finally, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou’s lettering drives the impact home. The narrator’s black-and-white bubbles look cool, but the sound design on the SLASH when Superman loses his hand was visceral; you could practically feel the pain.

Overall, DC K.O. #2 keeps the momentum going strong. It’s a “doozy” of an issue with high stakes, shocking injuries, and a central theme about Superman being proactive that feels fresh. It’s great to see the creative team taking the shackles off these characters to see what they can really do.

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DC K.O. #2 drops us right back into the madness as the 32 chosen champions fight to earn the Heart of Apokolips. The stakes are incredibly high, the rules are pure chaos, and Scott Snyder and Javier Fernández are taking some serious creative risks here. If the first challenge is any indication, we are in for a wild ride.

The issue kicks off with a prologue similar to the first issue, showing the Trinity and Lois Lane playing a “What If?” scenario game. Batman muses that Superman would make a great President, which is a fascinating concept to ponder: what would the DC Universe look like if they leaned into a storyline like that? While the cold open itself felt a little lame compared to the high-octane energy of the rest of the book, points go to Snyder for raising that philosophical question.

Once we flash forward to the tournament, things get trippy in the best way possible. The setting is a graveyard of gods (literally, the bones of deities killed by Darkseid), littered with some of the most powerful items in the universe. We’re talking the Blue Beetle Scarab, the God Killer Sword, Green Lantern rings, the Genie Pen, and even Thor’s hammer?! Watching the characters scramble for these upgrades is awesome and brings a fun, chaotic energy to the event.

The weapon pairings are where this issue really shines. Seeing Flash (Garrett) wield the God Killer Sword is terrifying; a speedster with a blade that changes shape and kills gods is basically the ultimate threat. Then you have Harley Quinn snagging a Speed Force ring, which is a story that practically writes itself. We also get wild mashups like Red Hood as a Blue Beetle, Lobo on Bane’s Venom, and Wonder Woman wielding Thor’s hammer. It’s a total “loot drop” scenario, and it works perfectly.

The emotional core of the issue, however, is the showdown between Superman and Lex Luthor. Superman isn’t playing around, but neither is Lex. The fight reveals a fascinating layer to their rivalry: Lex believes Superman doesn’t do enough. There is a solid argument that Superman restrains himself to avoid looking like an alien dictator, but Lex inadvertently challenges the idea that absolute power corrupts absolutely. It raises the question of what “absolute good”  would look like. The story doesn’t have to be that power corrupts; it can be power reveals. The fight ends with a massive shocker when Lex uses a Phantom Zone blade to slice off Superman’s hand. It’s a brutal moment that proves no one is safe.

Despite the heavy themes, Snyder manages to keep the tone lively. There is a moment when Starro takes over everyone and calls Zatanna “Abraca-dumbass” that had me in stitches. I didn’t know Snyder had that kind of humor in him, but it landed perfectly amidst the carnage.

On the visual side, Javier Fernández delivers some solid work. He relies heavily on double-splash pages and angular shapes. While I would have loved to see a bit more creativity in the panel layouts for such a massive event, his action sequences are stellar. You can easily follow the movement, and his facial expressions are top-tier, specifically Etrigan getting kicked in the throat and Joker’s reaction to some backstabbing.

Alejandro Sánchez provides the colors, bathing the issue in a purple sheen. It’s everywhere (in backgrounds, characters, and the atmosphere), giving the whole book a distinct, otherworldly vibe. While other colors do pop when necessary, that purple haze seems to be a deliberate design choice. Finally, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou’s lettering drives the impact home. The narrator’s black-and-white bubbles look cool, but the sound design on the SLASH when Superman loses his hand was visceral; you could practically feel the pain.

Overall, DC K.O. #2 keeps the momentum going strong. It’s a “doozy” of an issue with high stakes, shocking injuries, and a central theme about Superman being proactive that feels fresh. It’s great to see the creative team taking the shackles off these characters to see what they can really do.