DC K.O.: BOSS BATTLE #1 (DC Comics)
DC K.O. has thrown together some dream match-ups in the quest to become Absolute Champion.
The event has taken on a life of its own. At New York Comic Con 2025, a featured image was leaked, teasing more combatants were involved. This time, they would be from OUTSIDE the DCU. With the tourney down to its’ final four, many had wonder how this would all play out.
The wait is finally over.
DC K.O.: BOSS BATTLE #1 by Jeremy Adams, Ronan Cliquet, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Kieran McKeown, Pablo M. Collar, Hi-Fi and Tom Napolitano (DC COMICS) presents a one of a kind tie-in to DC K.O.!
Let’s get ringside for what’s unfolding now.
DC K.O.: BOSS BATTLE #1 by Jeremy Adams, Ronan Cliquet, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Kieran McKeown, Pablo M. Collar, Hi-Fi and Tom Napolitano (DC COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Adams puts together a fun but jumbled story together bridging a gap to the main event. Having World Forger and Grodd try amplifying the final combatants powers turns into a star studded cameo fest. It follows the same premise as the actual tourney itself. One round to face the new competitors. Winner take all. Some fallen combatants are back to help with this quest. There are a bunch of new unique characters that fit the billing. Some make perfect sense. Others prove to be an entertaining addition to the overall scheme of power in the DCU.
Once the action gets started, it s a straight forward brawl for all. One matchup that stands out is Wonder Woman vs. Red Sonja. Knowing how skilled these warriors are, there’s no let down to the billing of their fight. The same is said for Superman vs. Homelander (from “The Boys”). In the limited moments they have, Adams maximizes the time. Readers will be surprised how well Lex Luthor’s fight hits. With an opponent like Samantha Strong from “Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees”, it could miss mark. Their bout might be the standout of this chapter. The ending is a very fast finish which helps to get the story to the true championship round. There’s much for fans to enjoy here.
The art teams add their own style to these bouts. Di Giandomenico begins with a huge panel teasing the fight fans have been waiting on. It slows down enough to stage the new bouts with much fanfare. Having Sub-Zero and Scorpion (Mortal Kombat) in their glory sets the pace for what’s coming next. Red Sonja crashes the party with a near half panel. Joker’s opponent gets a full page introduction. The moment is capped off with a grin waiting to smile. Due to the amount of characters, a few fights get a short lived page to enter the game.
For anyone not familiar with Samantha Strong, a half page image makes it very clear what she’s about. Luthor’s reactions are priceless as her attack begins. It leans into the wild backdrop of the overall match-ups. Superman and Homelander get dueling full page images to establish the gravity of their bout. From here, every team is bringing the pain with the action running crazy everywhere. The only slow moment is Joker and his opponent. A two page splash welcomes readers into the final stages. The teams tie up the fights to hand off closing duties to Di Giandomenico. A full page image sends everyone to the next chapter with more motivation fueling them. Can’t ask for much more at this stage.
FINAL GRADE: 8
Never say a dream fight can’t happen in comics. “Boss Battle” is a video game rock’em sock’em brought to life. Adams pens an exciting trip into the fun side of the tourney. Each art team puts their spin on the crazy match-ups on display. It’s a great compliment to what’s happening overall while leaving fans wanting more.
Let me know your thoughts on DC K.O.: THE KIDS ARE ALL FIGHT SPECIAL #1 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
