Written by Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder and illustrated by Javi Fernandez and Alejandro Sánchez, DC Ok.O. and its numerous tie-ins go deep into DC lore. Not solely can we see unlikely battles (Hawkman vs Aquaman) and stunning team-ups (Lex Luthor and Supergirl), however we additionally see variations of the characters from throughout comedian historical past. Meaning everybody from Electrical Blue Superman to Sixties Captain Atom to Man Gardner: Warrior will get slightly consideration within the sequence. And but, as dense and peculiar as it’s, DC Ok.O. is basically a easy preventing story. It appears like a child taking his toys and smashing them collectively till one falls over.
Due to the haphazard nature of the general storyline, DC Ok.O.: Boss Battle made sure sense. The problem begins with these accountable for sending the mainline heroes into the match—Booster Gold, Doomsday because the Time Trapper, and the World Forger—experiencing ruptures within the multiverse. The ruptures ship six mainline characters into alternate realities, the place they meet the difficulty’s particular visitor stars.
Plastic Man and Black Lightning arrive in a unique match, and discover themselves preventing Scorpion and Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat. Lex Luthor meets Samantha Robust, the candy serial killer bear from IDW‘s Beneath the Timber The place No person Sees. Batgirl encounters the traditional alien bloodsucker Vampirella. Star Sapphire lands in Sabrina’s hometown Greendale, whereas the Joker arrives on the Warrens’s home to fulfill Annabelle. Marvel Lady clashes with sword and sorcery character Pink Sonja and Superman fights Homelander.
Or somewhat, we predict that’s what occurs, as a result of we solely get a couple of appears to be like at every meet-up, leaving most the motion off-screen.
Too A lot is Too Little
Normally, the surplus of D.C. KO has been a very good factor. The sequence has been a logic-free romp, one which celebrates even the goofiest elements of comedian e book storytelling whereas nonetheless staying true to the primary characters. However Boss Battle‘s story exceeds the boundaries of its 31 pages. Author Jeremy Adams, who has been one of the crucial dependable storytellers in DC’s present period, merely can’t discover sufficient room to do justice for the 16 characters. The group of artists—Ronan Cliquet, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Kieran McKeown, Pablo M. Collar—do their finest to make the scenes distinctive, however they will do little greater than create splash pages.
In some circumstances, that’s high quality. Marvel Lady and Pink Sonja look cool dealing with off with each other, and it’s not like there’s thematic resonance to be gained by watching Plastic Man shout “You recover from right here!” whereas throwing Scorpion into Sub-Zero. These are fan debates on Reddit come to life in official type. And Adams does attempt to get inventive the place he can, as within the case of Annabelle vs. the Joker. As a result of Annabelle doesn’t truly do something in The Conjuring motion pictures, aside from look creepy whereas scary issues occur round her, the Joker simply has a tea celebration with the doll, babbling about how he is aware of one thing bizarre is occurring whereas looking at her.
