In this review of DC KO: Superman vs Captain Atom #1, two heavy hitters collide. Which one will take the victory and move to the next round? Find out inside.
DC K.O.: SUPERMAN VS. CAPTAIN ATOM #1
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art by SEAN IZAAKSE
Main Cover: JORGE CORONA
Variant Covers: JOHN GIANG, LUCAS MEYER, SANFORD GREENE, SEAN IZAAKSE
Page Count: 30 pages
Release Date: 12/3/25
This review contains spoilers
After DC KO #2, we enter into the All Fight month portion of the event – eight rounds of fights between the 16 remaining combatants for the title of King Omega carried out across main titles and one shots. In this first round, titled DC K.O.: Superman vs. Captain Atom #1, Superman and Captain Atom square off, each starting in their usual form for the first fight. Superman urges Captain Atom to be careful, but Atom insists that he’s going to do whatever it takes to win. He shows Superman no mercy, hitting him with a combination of red sun energy and kryptonite punches to slow him down. From there, Atom takes the first win by draining Superman’s atomic energy.
After regenerating, Superman and Captain Atom get to pick their next form. Superman picks Superman Prime from the 853rd century, while Atom selects his Monarch form. The next fight ensues and Superman quickly flies off to the sun. With Atom in chase, Superman uses almost all of his energy to freeze the sun, creating an almost absolute zero condition, slowing the Atom’s quantum fields to nothing and gaining the win.
Upon regeneration, Captain Atom decides to cheat the system, combining all of his forms into one, whereas Superman chooses to fight as his usual self. When Atom tries to grab the Heart of Apokolips, it fights back, knocking him back into his own timeline. The Heart’s power corrupts Atom causing him to lose control, pushing him harder to win at all costs. He hits Superman with an Origin Bomb. Thinking that he’s destroyed Superman for a second time, he claims victory, but his attacks backfire on him. They give Superman the powers of Captain Atom, which the Man of Steel uses to drain the Atom, taking the overall victory in round one.
Superman vs. Captain Atom #1 closes out on Watchtower, where Darkseid, still masquerading as Booster Gold, attacks Time Trapper, tossing him out into space.
Analysis
Joshua Williamson paints a clear divide between Superman and Captain Atom in Superman vs. Captain Atom #1. From the start of the story, it is made evident that these two characters are going to approach this tournament from two different extremes. Captain Atom wants to control his future and will do whatever he has to in order to move on. Superman, however, is still coming to grips with the fact that he’s going to have to do things he doesn’t want to do if he’s going to win. Atom has no trouble with the “no mercy” concept, but it ends up costing him in the end. Superman, in the third fight, realizes that Atom is out of control and corrupted by the Heart, so he reluctantly takes him out.
Even after winning, Williamson gives us a Superman who is still questioning the costs of the battle. Clark is clearly worried about becoming corrupted by the Heart and the consequences that would bring. Things continue to shape up for a showdown between Superman and Darkseid, but what sacrifices will Clark have to make in order to win? In order for this whole event to have a true impact, the writers are going to need to carry through with the idea of corruption and have it actually mean something instead of getting wiped out by a reset. We’ll have to wait to see if that comes to pass.
The artwork in Superman vs. Captain Atom #1 by Sean Izaakse looks great throughout the book. There are multiple splash pages, spreads, and big panels filled with action. The characters are sharply drawn and the fights come at you from different angles. There are plenty of effects added in, as well. Trish Mulvihill colors most of the book and does a terrific job keeping the colors vibrant and exciting, further expressing the energy that this round brings. Hi-Fi does color work on a few pages and the quality of the coloring doesn’t change at all. This one-shot looks solid all the way around from start to finish.
Final Thoughts
DC K.O.: Superman vs Captain Atom #1 gives us a dynamic opening round fight between two high-powered superheroes with a different viewpoint on how to win. If you like good art and an entertaining fight, grab this issue. Have fun, comic lovers!
