In this review of DC K.O. #3, the third round has the final eight combatants teaming up with someone of their choosing in order to make it to the Final Four. Let’s find out who’s advancing.
DC K.O. #3
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art and Main Cover: JAVIER FERNÁNDEZ
Variant Covers: DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON, MIKE DEL MUNDO, CARLA COHEN, LUCIO PARRILLO, CULLY HAMNER, SANFORD GREENE, DAN MORA, JAVIER FERNÁNDEZ, BEN OLIVER
Page Count: 40 pages
Release Date: 1/14/26
This review contains spoilers
DC K.O. #3 begins as the winners from DC K.O. #2 enter into the third round and are informed that they have to pick a partner. This partner isn’t from the other contestants, though. It can be any other hero or villain from this universe. The Joker, having generated more Omega energy than the others, gets to choose his partner from all realms.
In match one, Guy Gardner picks Hal Jordan to fight Superman, who has picked Shazam. It’s a tough matchup, but Shazam eventually shares his powers with Clark, making him even more powerful than usual. With that extra boost, he’s able to easily take out the Lanterns.
Match two has Aquaman choosing Hawkman, bringing his opponent from the previous round back to help. They take on Lex Luthor, who has selected Supergirl. She’s having none of it, though, and attacks Lex. He planned for that to happen and unleashes a blast of red, silver, and black kryptonite energy against her, causing Supergirl to go into rage mode. She makes quick work of the air and sea heroes.
For match three, Wonder Woman picks Big Barda to help her fight Cyborg and Connor Hawke. Cyborg infuses Connor with nanotech to boost his abilities, while he syncs with Connor’s mind to learn his fighting techniques. They hold their own for a bit, but Diana gets Big Barda to hit her as hard as possible, blocking the strike at the last second with her gauntlets. This creates a massive shockwave which KOs Cyborg and Connor.
The final match of DC K.O. #3 has Zatanna calling on John Constantine to go up against the Joker and his chosen partner – Mxyzptlk. The two jokesters create constructs that give off a visual neurotoxin that results in madness for whoever looks at them. It doesn’t take long for Zatanna and John to be overwhelmed.
As soon as all four matches are decided, the winners are transported to Round 4. Initially, they appear to be sent to Apokolips, but they’re quick to discover that it’s their Earth. The final-page reveal is none other than Booster Gold / Darkseid surrounded by Absolute Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. They will be the opponents for the next round!
Analysis
I liked the matchups that Scott Snyder came up with in DC K.O. #3. Out of all four, I think the Joker and Mxy pairing was the most lopsided, as they were able to take out two strong magic users in short order. I’m not sure anyone expected Zatanna and John to win, but they could have at least put up a little more of a fight. I thought the choice to have Aquaman bring Hawkman back after the last round was fitting, as Arthur had a tough time with having to brutally destroy his friend and ally. There was little doubt that Superman would move on, as everything continues to indicate that he’s going to be fighting Darkseid for the crown. As a Superman fan, I did enjoy him getting Shazam’s powers and a cool new costume.
Lex didn’t have much fighting to do, using his intellect to plan on Supergirl taking care of things for him. At first, I actually thought he had messed up with his selection, but should have known better that he wouldn’t be prepared. The last page with the Absolutes showing up made me smile. It was teased earlier in the tournament that they were around and would come into play at some point, so I’m looking forward to seeing them in action in the next issue. I’m assuming that Superman and Absolute Superman will be squaring off and I’m here for it. Scott Snyder, if you read this, I hope you don’t let us down on that matchup.
The art throughout DC K.O. #3 continues to shine, as Javi Fernandez’s illustrations and Alejandro Sanchez’s colors beautifully fill the pages. There are multiple spreads in this one, as one page wouldn’t be big enough to capture the magnitude of these battles. Each panel is full of energy and motion. You have to take a few extra moments to let your eyes linger over everything taking place on the page. There are a few interludes drawn by Xermanico that slow the action down and they’re just as good-looking. On the last page, the Absolutes are drawn to look even more menacing than in their individual books.
Final Thoughts
DC K.O. #3 delivers another round of crazy action with some fun character pairings. This massive event is rapidly building to the finale and the next round promises to be absolutely thrilling. Have fun, comic lovers!
