DC Came to Comic-Con with Absolute Green Arrow, DC KO Event

DC didn’t come to San Diego Comic-Con with any major movies on hand, but it did bring a TV show and some comics for the tri. On the comics side, the publisher shed more light on some recently revealed books, including DC KO starting in October.

Written by Scott Snyder and drawn by Javier Fernandez, the limited series sees 32 fighters enter a tournament that’ll see the winner be strong enough to fight Darkseid in his new King Omega form. The fighters range from A-listers like Superman (using miniature sun-powered brass knuckles), Wonder Woman, and Supergirl to fan favorites like Swamp Thing, Zatanna, and Guy Gardner. Batman may not be amongst the roster, as he’ll be fighting adult versions of his Robins who’ve since taken up his mantle in Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora’s Knightfight spinoff.

DC hasn’t listed all of KO’s fighters yet, but fans can keep track of them all and chart the tournament with a bracket. During the DC All In panel, Snyder described the event as “Squid Game meets Mortal Kombat but fun,” and labeled it a Superman story akin to how the two Metal events centered about Batman and Wonder Woman. (You could also consider this an appetite for Injustice 3 until the real thing eventually comes out.) The event will also lead to tie-in stories spread across The Flash, Titans, Superman, and Justice League Unlimited, plus the Omega Act prelude by Williamson and Yasmine Putri.

As for DC’s recent Absoluteuniverse, that’s also getting some shakeups starting in the fall. October’s Absolute Evil one-shot from Al Ewing, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Stefano Nesi will see this world’s versions of Ra’s al Ghul, Joker, Elenore Thawne, and other villains go at each other when they catch wind of a traitor in their midst. The one-shot will introduce two Absolute characters that will “change the course of [this] universe” as it enters year two. Also coming in year two? The Absolute versions of Wonder Woman and Batman meeting in her book, while Bats’ solo will bring in mainstays like Catwoman, Scarecrow, and Dick Grayson. Writer Scott Snyder teased other Batfamily members may make their Absolute debuts in Absolute Batman as the comic continues on.

For the wider universe, the fallout of Evil will be felt in Absolute Green Arrow from Pornsak Pichetshote and Rafael Albequerque. Unlike these versions of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman who’ve been crafted by Darkseid without defining parts of their character, this Oliver Queen remains a billionaire with an affinity for archery. But Pichetshote explained Oliver is inspired by what goes down in Evil to essentially be a better billionaire and fight crime. Unlike the other Absolute titles, though, this one is a six-issue series that’ll kick off spring 2026—but that they’re introducing another hero to the lineup indicates the Absolute universe has further expansions planned, be they miniseries or ongoing.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.