For a series titled “Knightfight,” the third issue of this event spin-off is more concerned with talking than throwing punches, and it’s all the better for it. In Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora’s DC K.O.: Knightfight #3, the pair crafts a touching story that does justice to the Robins while depicting Bruce’s love and admiration for the people they’ve become.
Batman vs. The Heart of Apokolips: A Father’s Journey
Not missing a beat from the prior issue, issue three, Bruce finds himself in a fight against Jason Todd, who remains the sole protector of a decrepit and abandoned Gotham. Though Bruce plays into what the universe that The Heart of Apokolips set out for him by becoming Clayface, he does everything he can to avoid a fight with Jason. Not just that, but Bruce refuses to let this Jason wallow in his solitude, offering to find a way out of this artificial reality together. Yet this only angers the Heart, who throws Bruce into another reality where Tim is living his Agatha Christie dream as the world’s greatest detective.
When Bruce materializes as an AI, the two don’t fight; rather, Bruce offers Tim a way to heal from the trauma of losing his Batman by solving the case as a duo. Yet again in avoiding the fight, Bruce further frustrates the Heart of Apokolips, who makes one last attempt at torturing Bruce: a reality where Damian has healed Gotham to the point of no longer needing a Batman. A world where Bruce is a grandfather.
Joshua Williamson Redefines the Bat-Family Dynamic
When writing a story about the Robins taking over the Batman mantle, there is no shortage of ways to go wrong. It’s incredibly easy to put each Robin in their neat little box — reducing them to their most basic traits while showing that no one but Bruce could ever be Batman. Thankfully, this series avoids that conflict almost entirely. Bruce remarks on how each of his children succeeds in ways he doesn’t, even if things aren’t always perfect. Jason is not an angry, savage killer forever bitter at Bruce; he’s a solitary warden condemning himself to a life of isolation to prevent others from suffering.
Tim isn’t just “the smart one,” he’s the truest partner in crime for Batman to the point where he can’t accept when his partner is lost. Damian isn’t just a bratty assassin turned reluctant hero; he’s a living embodiment of Bruce’s belief in healing and second chances. Joshua Williamson wears his history of writing Batman and Robin on his sleeve, depicting Bruce as a loving and thoughtful father who, even when he knows these worlds are artificial creations of the heart, can’t help but be there for his kids.
The Pacing Problem: Are Four Issues Enough?
Yet it’s through this examination that the biggest problem with DC K.O.: Knightfight becomes all too apparent: the pacing. With these complex and interesting takes on the main Robins, it’s clear how little a four-issue miniseries can actually cover. In this issue alone, we see three out of the four Robins’ universes. While all of the content in each of them is well-written and presents interesting angles, we rarely get to see much of the surrounding world. We get glimpses, like in Tim’s phone call with Steph, but even that is fleeting. It has to be fleeting because there is simply too much to get to in too little time. Williamson does the best he can with the restrictive page limit, but it’s hard not to feel like we’re just looking at the brochure for these worlds rather than getting a full tour.
The Visual Brilliance of Dan Mora and Tríona Farrell
Talking about Dan Mora’s art at this point feels like little more than a formality. If Dan Mora is on a book, then you know you are getting one of the best artists working in superhero comics, and DC K.O.: Knightfight is no different. Action sequences are dynamic without losing any sense of clarity; faces are full of expression and emotion; and, in particular, the way Mora distinguishes between the universes really helps smooth over how little time we actually spend in each world. In addition, Mora’s splash page depicting Batman-ified versions of the rest of his family is a fun nod to the vast array of possible successors to the mantle.
The only real sour point in the issue’s art is Tim’s Batman design, which feels notably less exciting than his brothers, keeping to a fairly classic style that doesn’t really show what makes Tim’s Batman stand out. Ultimately, though, it’s a small gripe compared to the jaw-dropping work Mora continues to put out on a regular basis.
The colors from Tríona Farrell deserve equal praise, especially in the case of making each Gotham feel unique, the almost monochrome red-heavy Gotham of Jason’s universe being a particular highlight. The lettering by Tom Napolitano is also well worth a shout-out, particularly in the early clayface-heavy pages.
Final Verdict: A Masterclass in Character Study
DC K.O.: Knightfight #3 is a masterclass in clickbait. A series that promises an all-out brawl between father and sons turns into a tasteful character study of what makes each Robin unique and how Bruce views each one. For as thoughtful as it is, though, it also leaves a lasting hunger for more of each of these universes. It’s a series that would benefit greatly from the Batman: Dark Patterns format of a twelve-issue maxi series that spends multiple issues in each world. Yet, even with only four issues, DC K.O.: Knightfight continues to impress.
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‘DC K.O.: Knightfight’ #3 Review: A Touching Tribute to the Robins
DC K.O.: Knightfight #3 is a masterclass in clickbait. A series that promises an all-out brawl between father and sons turns into a tasteful character study of what makes each Robin unique and how Bruce views each one.
