The DC: Knockout — What’s Next? panel at New York Comic Con featured moderator Paul Kaminski alongside Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson, Javi Fernández, Hayden Sherman, and Jeremy Adams.
Scott Snyder revealed that Joshua Williamson was the one who convinced him to return to DC Comics, pushing him to take big creative swings and encourage other creators to take risks. Snyder explained that major DC events will only move forward if they tell a great story, reflect who the company is, and set the stage for what comes next.
He teased that as Darkseid draws closer to the DC Universe, Earth itself begins to transform into Apokolips. The only way to stop it is for someone to control the Heart of Darkness hidden deep within the planet—and the only one who can do that must prove themselves worthy of the title King Omega.
Joshua Williamson added that this marks the third round of Knockout, describing it as a best-of-three battle. Characters who die in one round will have the chance to return as any version of themselves from across DC continuity.
New DC KO One Shots Announced
Superman vs Captain Atom by Joshua Williamson and Sean Izakse
Aquaman vs Hawkman by Jeremy Adams and John Timms
Wonder Woman vs Lobo by Joelle Jones and Jason Howards
Swamp Thing vs. Cyborg by John Layman and Pete Woods
Zatanna vs. Harley Quinn by Leah Williams and Stephen Byrne
Joker vs. Red Hood is Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson and Dustin Nguyen
(Snyder says Red Hood respawns as Robin in round 2 to fight Joker, in a warehouse.)
The Four Horsemen of Darkseid
The panel also touched on The Four Horsemen of Darkseid, a major element of DC: K.O. mythology. Issue #1 revealed three of the four, but the identity of the final Horseman remains a mystery. Together, these beings—known as the Absolute Trinity—are destined to become Darkseid’s destroyers in Knockout.
DC KO Knightfight
Writer Joshua Williamson and artist Dan Mora are teaming up for Knightfight #1, a story Williamson jokingly described as “Last Chance Kitchen for Batman.” “Does anyone watch Top Chef?” he asked the crowd, comparing the setup to a high-stakes elimination round.
In the series, Batman faces off against alternate versions of Robin who each went on to become Batman themselves—and they’re all arguably better at it than him.
Scott Snyder added that the story serves as a deeply personal odyssey for Bruce Wayne. “It’s a really probing examination of Batman going on the odyssey,” Snyder said. “Maybe I should let them go, and not come back,” he teased, hinting at the emotional conflict driving Batman through Knightfight.
DC: K.O. – The Kids Are All Fight Special #1
Written by Jeremy Adams with art by Travis Mercer, The Kids Are All Fight Special #1 is set to release in January 2026. Adams described the story as a fun, energetic adventure featuring DC’s younger heroes.
“These kids are kind of being babysat on the Watchtower,” Adams said with a grin, “but they don’t stay there.”