In the melee that started with dozens of heroes and villains vying for their chance to win the ultimate power in the universe, now only one remains! But to truly be crowned the King Omega, you must battle more than the obstacles in your path…you must battle yourself. It’s the finale to end all finales as the one true champion is crowned, the fate of all that lives hangs in the balance, and a shocking decision will bring the DC Universe to the next level. We would type more, but honestly, anything else is a spoiler—so suit up, get ready, and leap into the final round! DC K.O. #5 wraps up the event with an interesting concept but overall a hollow finale.

The King Omega has been crowned and they must battle Darkseid for the fate of all of reality, past, present, and future. DC K.O. #5 is the culmination of months of stories heading up by Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson and an event that at times has been fun but overall, a bit of a headscratcher. This issue is a prime example of that. It opens with the King Omega crowned. We’re not spoiling who but when we left everyone in DC K.O. #4 that had happened and we flashed to another time to see the corruption of Booster Gold. DC K.O. #5 dives into the next round as the King Omega must face a giant Darkseid who has gone all kaiju. From there, it’s a battle through time as the champion and Darkseid punch it out for the fate of everything.

Visually, the comic is great with some very memorable moments of two combatants slugging it out literally through time. But, the comic leaves things a bit unsettled as a lot is unanswered as to the how and impact of it all and teases of yet another “Crisis” event to come. That’s the headscratcher, DC K.O. #5 doesn’t feel so much of a finale as just a resting point until the next major “Crisis” event. It’s a chapter in a very connected storyline. But, this teased storyline feels like something we’ve seen before with DC’s Metal concept and the Dark Multiverse. We get far more than just that with hints at “Next Level,” the launch of new series and characters getting the spotlight, plus storylines and possible other series yet to be announced.

The art is pretty solid. Javi Fernández, Xermánico, and Wes Craig handle different points of the story creating visuals that feel epic. Two combatants literally battling through time feels massive in the scope of it all though the fighting lacks a bit of a punch as far as the damage Darkseid does with his barrage. The trio are joined by Alejandro Sánchez on color and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou for lettering and together the comic looks good.

DC K.O. #5 goes for big swings and ideas as two titans battle. It doesn’t really hit at an emotional level when it should. It’s surface level entertainment missing a depth to really connect readers. It also reads as incomplete with a “to be continued” type ending as opposed leading to a new beginning and fresh start. Like recent DC events, DC K.O. comes off as one for the diehard fans invested in the meta story and who get excited when they see “Crisis” dropped on the comic page.

Story: Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson Art: Javi Fernández, Xermánico, Wes Craig
Color: Alejandro Sánchez Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Story: 7.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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