DC KO Issue 5 is published by DC Comics, written by Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson, art by Javi Fernández and Xermánico, colors by Alejandro Sánchez, and letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
It’s the final battle between the champion of the tournament and Darkseid, with the face of the universe at stake.
DC KO Issue 5 narrows the cast, with two remaining in the fight. Lex Luthor won the contest, given the chance to take on Darkseid himself. The Heart of Apokolips gives him the power to take on the boss, finally. But the Time-Trapper had his own plans to bring Superman back into the fight. This is done surprisingly, but it allows the previous issue to be celebrated whilst righting the course. It was always going to be Superman and Darkseid at the end, and DC KO Issue 5 proves that. The pacing is fast and direct, casting aside anything in the first moments to get to the fight. It’s energetic and universally large.
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Snyder does a brilliant job of conveying the true intensity of the fight. It’s taking place everywhere at once across space and time. The interlude that has taken place around the edges of each issue, centring on a games night, finally gets connected to the main story. But the ending doesn’t quite feel rewarding enough. Not for an event of this size, where the fights have been so monumental. There is a sacrifice, but it’s not conclusive. There isn’t a knockout punch, and it leads the final pages to taper off. In these moments, DC KO Issue 5 becomes the beginning of the next phase, rather than a meaningful end.
The dialogue is sensational. Superman and Darkseid aren’t necessarily the ones that talk the most, locked in battle against one another. It’s the narration, the Heart of Apokolips, that has been telling the story from the beginning. It’s got an omniscient quality, infused with personality, as the series reaches its conclusion. It’s the controller of the story, able to provide power, alter reality, and make the rules.
But Superman isn’t playing by those rules; he is too unpredictable and wants to do things his way, leaving the Heart utterly perplexed. DC KO Issue 5 is a great representation of what Superman stands for and the good in him. He’s not interested in absolute power. He believes in heroes and those he fights alongside. Lex doesn’t really get his big moment, which is disappointing. However, how he spins this is very in tune with his personality.
The art is spectacular, and has been on every single page. DC KO Issue 5 reaches abstract levels of cosmic combat while still managing to keep it coherent. Superman’s ultimate form isn’t totally different from his regular one, but he does look powerful, and he grows to the same gigantic size as Darkseid. They come together in a cataclysmic clash, and the early panels depict a vicious scrap.
The location changes repeatedly, almost in every panel, to help show just how sprawling the battle in DC KO Issue 5 is. Fernández illustrates most of the battle and the issue, and transitions between locations brilliantly. He uses skeletal skylines instead of specific landmarks. This issue is steeped in history, carrying everything that has happened before into the power that fuels Superman. That is shown by cameos from parts of DC’s history, or through a progression through time.
The colors are stunning. So much of DC KO Issue 5 highlights the contrast in tones between Darkseid and Superman. So much of this event had been dark, immersing the Kryptonian in a world he’s never looked comfortable in. But with a surge of energy, Superman emits a much brighter blue light that fights the darkness. Clark looks celestial, with his cape turning to a radiant gold. The fusion of cosmic-looking colors that follow and cover Superman is fantastically intense. The lettering is sensational, always able to convey noise and confidence, and slight changes in tone through phenomenal creativity.
DC KO Issue 5 is torn between an ending and a beginning. It’s clear that this issue is a bridge between ladders of the DC Universe, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. The issue sees the universe’s ultimate hero and villain battle for the fate of everything on a scale so enormous and breathtaking. The art is jaw-dropping, and the concept itself is unbelievably captivating. But that transition between trying to deliver a satisfying conclusion and moving on to what comes next isn’t long enough. There’s no time to fully appreciate what has happened because of the rush to progress.
DC KO Issue 5 is available now wherever comics are sold.
DC KO Issue 5
TL;DR
DC KO Issue 5 is torn between ending and beginning. It’s clear that this issue is a bridge between ladders of the DC Universe, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that.
