For his fall crossover event, DC Comics is going all in with the action, thanks to DC K.O., a deadly tournament. Coming from writers Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder, the architects of the DC All-In/Absolute universes, this crossover is presented as a cosmic, bracket-style tournament where 32 of the DC Universe’s greatest heroes and villains are forced to fight for the fate of existence.
The story follows the emergence of a massive, five-tier gladiatorial arena that rises from the Earth, drawing the DC Universe’s most powerful champions into a series of escalating battles. Each level of the arena tests its combatants through increasingly brutal and symbolically resonant trials, with the ultimate goal of generating enough Omega Energy to rival Darkseid’s power. Darkseid, having ascended to a new and more dangerous form, has erased the DC Universe’s future, leaving the present as the heroes’ only chance to stop him. The tournament’s victor is destined to be crowned the new “King Omega,” a cosmic being capable of realigning the universe’s fate.
While the event features iconic heroes and villains from all over the DC Universe, it is described as a Superman story, exploring themes of morality, inner darkness, and the weight of leadership under extreme circumstances.
What to read before DC K.O.?
DC K.O. is the first event of the DC All In era. To understand what happened to Darkseid that led to this event, you have to go back to the beginning with DC All In Special #1, the one-shot written by Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson with art by Wes Craig and Daniel Sampere.
The Justice League Unlimited series is at the heart of the DC All In saga. To be up to date for DC K.O., it’s the title to read. On Superman’s side, the recent “Legion of Darkseid” arc is leading up to the crossover event.
- Justice League Unlimited Vol. 1: Into the Inferno
Collects Justice League Unlimited #1-5. - Justice League Unlimited/World’s Finest: We Are Yesterday
Collects Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #38-39, Justice League Unlimited #6-8, and Batman/Superman: World’s Finest 2025 Annual #1. - Justice League Unlimited Vol. 2: The Omega Act [2026]
Collects Justice League Unlimited #9-11, Justice League: Dark Tomorrow Special #1, and Justice League: Legion of Darkseid Special #1
DC K.O. Reading Order
DC K.O. Collected editions
[Updated] Several DC K.O. trade paperbacks are included in DC’s June 2026 solicitations, including a volume collecting the All Fight Month – confirming DC’s weird decision to collect them separately from the main event.
DC K.O. Reading Order: Issue by Issue
As usual, the main issues are in bold and the tie-ins are not, except when some of them contain important details to the main plot. As DC K.O. is, at its heart, a Superman event, we recommend checking out those issues.
At some point, Justice League Red #4 was solicited as a tie-in for K.O., but has been removed. We can confirm that it has only a loose connection to the main event, so it is completely unnecessary and takes place before the event. In that same vein, the Aquaman tie-ins have a very loose connection to the main event and are really for Aquaman readers only. You can also easily skip DC K.O.: Green Lantern Galactic Slam #1 that is a Omega Wam-Bam Man story featuring Kyle Rayner set during the early days of DC K.O.
Countdown: The Road to DC K.O.
- Superman (2023) #28-30 – Superman: Legion of Darkseid.
- Justice League Unlimited #11 – Official Prologue
- Aquaman #11 – The issue is set before The Omega Act Special and DC K.O. #1.
- Justice League: The Omega Act Special #1 – Official Prologue
The Main Event Starts here!
- DC K.O. #1
- DC K.O.: Green Lantern Galactic Slam #1 – The issue is set after the beginning of the tournament from DC K.O. #1. The Blackfire cameo places it before Titans #29.
- Titans #28-29 – The Earth is transforming into New Apokolips. Except for Cyborg, the Titans are in charge of evacuating the planet and dealing with the delocalisation across the galaxy.
- Superman #31 – The issue runs parallel to DC K.O. #1.
- The Flash #26-27 – Follow-up to DC K.O. #1 with Wally and Bart.
- DC K.O.: Knightfight #1-2 – In the aftermath of DC K.O. #1, Batman goes on his own epic journey.
- DC K.O. #2
- Superman #32 – Takes place during DC KO #2 and contains a few spoilers, must be read after.
All Fight Month! After the challenge that took place in DC K.O. #2, the sixteen remaining fighters face off in eight rounds during the Epic Month of All Fights! You need to read the rounds in the order they are released, as each issue contains an interlude on the Watchtower.
- DC K.O.: Superman vs. Captain Atom #1 – Round One in the Epic Month of All Fights!
- Aquaman #12 – Round Two
- DC K.O.: Wonder Woman vs. Lobo #1 – Round Three
- Titans #30 – Round Four
- DC K.O.: Harley Quinn vs. Zatanna #1 – Round Five
- The Flash #28 – Round Six
- Superman #33 – Round Seven
- DC K.O.: The Joker vs. Red Hood #1 – Round Eight.
The following events take place during the transformation of Earth into New Apokolips and its subsequent evacuation. These mostly run parallel to previous events and the All Fight Month. To avoid interruption and maintain reading fluidity, you can check them here:
- Justice League Unlimited #12-16 – Five-part story “The Terrific Ten” that can be read in one setting. The story starts after DC K.O. #1 with the time-displaced heroes from the “We Are Yesterday” story, and takes place during the evacuation of the Earth.
- DC K.O.: The Kids Are All Fight Special #1 – An optional read about the adventures of Jon Kent, Cassandra Cain and the young superheroes. Serves mostly as an introduction to the Titans #31
- Titans #31-32 – The conclusion of Titans’ story feat. the group from The Kids are All Fight Special.
- The Flash #29-30 – This is a direct follow-up and conclusion to The Flash #28 and can be read after. The story takes place before the events of Superman #34.
- DC K.O. #3
- DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1 – Takes place directly after DC. K.O #3
- DC K.O.: Knightfight #3-4 – Continuation and conclusion of the story, with a page in #3 that makes references to what happens in the tournament. The story continues in DC K.O. #4.
- Aquaman #13-14 – Those issues are set during and after DC K.O. #3, although there is clearly a continuity error as the Earth does not seem to be undergoing any transformation.
- Superman #34 – A page reconnect with Superman and events from D.C. K.O. #3 while the arrival of characters featured in the Flash indicates this issue takes place also after The Flash #29.
- DC K.O. #4 – This issue features Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman from the Absolute Universe.
- Superman #35 – Lois Lane learns about Superman’s fate in the tournament, placing this issue after DC K.O. #4.
- DC K.O. #5 – It ends here! The Final Battle for the heart of Apokolips!
What to read after DC K.O.?
DC Comics has announced that “The K.O. Aftermath hits the DC Universe in All In Act II” with new series and storylines starting in March 2026 in the Next Level. Stay tuned for more!
Really appreciate this guide! Especially with the wonky sorting for this event on League of Comic Geeks atm
One small note: Titans #30 def comes before #31-32 and the Kids are All Fight Special. I’m not necessarily sure where they fit in most neatly, but just thought I’d share
Oh yeah! When I moved #31-32 and the Kids are All Fight Special, I didn’t realise I placed them before #30 (the conclusion placed them before the ending of All Fight Month if I’m not mistaken). Thanks for the heads up, I will update this right now.
Also, Ari, please don’t hesitate to suggest a better way of sorting some issues if you think of one.
I tried to organise the tie-ins so as to avoid interrupting the different storylines too much, while taking into account what was going on in the main event.