Here Comes the Pain!

**DC K.0: Wonder Woman vs. Lobo #1** *(Published December 10th, 2025). Story by Joëlle Jones. Art by Jason Howard, Cary Nord, Daniel Bayliss, and Tamra Bonvillain.*

*Cover art by Jorge Corona and Sarah Stern.*

The battle rages on in the tournament designed to crown the King Omega in the pages of DC K.O., and one highly anticipated battle is the subject of our review. In one corner, we have the Princess of Themyscira, founding member of the Justice League, and arguably the greatest warrior the DC Universe has ever seen in the form of Wonder Woman! And in the other, we have the Last Czarnian, the meanest son o’ a bastich that ever lived and the most infamous intergalactic bounty hunter in all of comic bookdom, Lobo! Let’s get right into it!

(Spoilers for DC K.O: Wonder Woman vs. Lobo #1 ahead)

The issue doesn’t spend a lot of time on build-up, generally assuming that the reader is aware of what’s going on in the main DC K.O. event. This is not only refreshing, but it also saves us some time without needing to remind everyone why this broadly diverse cast of heroes and villains are fighting each other and how high the stakes are. We open up with what we can only assume to be some higher plane of reality as a mysterious entity is flipping through various television channels before stopping on the broadcast of Wonder Woman vs. Lobo, giving the whole fight a true pay-per-view feel (or “premium live event” if you feel so inclined). We’re immediately thrust into the action at ringside as our very first round begins in earnest.

The Fight Begins!

The first round clearly shows Diana’s skill edge over Lobo, which I don’t believe was in any doubt.

Our first round begins in a pretty straightforward contest between the titular characters, taking place inside what appears to be a galactic boxing ring. After the rules are reiterated for those just jumping in—best two out of three falls in a fight to the death—the bell rings and Diana takes the initiative. Within just a few panels, we clearly see the advantages of each fighter proudly displayed for all to see. Diana is clearly faster and a more technically proficient fighter. I don’t think anyone who’s followed both characters over the years, or even only briefly, could dispute that.

We also see that Lobo makes up for what he lacks in skill and finesse with raw brutality and power. He’s able to cut off Diana’s short-lived initial advantage and proceed to literally pummel her into oblivion, resulting in the first victory of the match. Personally, I think Diana probably could have been made to last longer in the fight than she did, especially given her bouts against Superman and Darkseid, but given how fast this comic is moving, it’s a fine compromise.

A valiant effort, but a loss nonetheless.

What in the New 52…?

Our second round takes the fighters to Themyscira, as the rules of the tournament enable fighters to pick their preferred form from across time and space. In a telling move, Diana’s idealized form is her in her iconic Golden Eagle armor… surrounded by her extended Wonder Family! This includes Donna Troy, Cassie Sandsmark, and Yara Flor, all of whom have used the Wonder Girl moniker at some point. We also get a "blink and you’ll miss it" cameo of Jumpa, Wonder Woman’s pet kangaroo.

In easily the biggest twist and nod to DC continuity in the issue as a whole, we see Lobo in his chosen form: that of the—uh, controversial to say the least—New 52 version of himself! The ensuing battle is a chaotic mess, as Lobo is basically fighting four Amazons at once (while Jumpa starts attacking space dolphins). Ultimately, the numbers game is too much for Lobo, even with his regeneration, as Wonder Woman hijacks his space hog to run him over into oblivion, making the score a dead tie.

Wonder Woman mowing down New 52 Lobo with his own bike wasn’t on my bingo card.

Final Round: FIGHT!

Finally, we get to our third round, which is ultimately a series of various contests to see which of these immortal beings has a leg up on the competition. There’s slap fighting, shin-kicking, chessboxing, and even “Carjitsu,” as neither competitor seems to get a clear advantage over the other. Finally, the "final-final" round commences in what is a gladiatorial bout complete with all sorts of armaments. Lobo is quick to start the fraggin’ (though not before another crude advance toward Diana), but Wonder Woman is able to deflect his spray of bullets away.

A well-timed explosion later and the two are once again up close and personal with one another as Wonder Woman goes to strike Lobo with her sword despite his iconic chained hook grasping her. The Main Man breaks her wrist and gloats, bragging to her that no matter how she tries to end him, he simply cannot be killed—and it’s because of a deal he made with the damn Almighty himself!

*record scratch*

It’s at this moment that we see the Almighty—The Presence himself, revealed to be the entity who had been watching the fight unfold from the beginning of the issue—simply nullify the terms of his contract with Lobo due to the latter taking his name in vain. This hilariously removes Lobo’s trump card as Diana is able to quickly stab him, resulting in her victory.

But almost as soon as the fight concludes, we quickly head back to the Watchtower, where the World Forger confronts the Darkseid-possessed Booster Gold. He scornfully informs the God of Evil that he had picked the wrong host as his summoned army of Booster Golds swarms the possessed one. But even while possessing the body of Booster Gold and seemingly not in possession of his full might, Darkseid… is. A well-aimed Omega Beam quickly dispatches the World Forger as the Lord of Apokolips watches on, drawing our issue to a close.

Even while possessing Booster Gold’s body, Darkseid brings the heat.

Lobo is the best at being the worst, that’s for damn sure.

Whereas Superman vs. Captain Atom (check out my review on that issue here) was handled seriously, doing a dive into the character and motivations of both individuals, this issue—written by Joëlle Jones—offers a tonally different and frankly insane vibe that I can’t help but admire. At the end of the day, while there will undoubtedly be cosmic ramifications going forward as far as whoever is ultimately crowned King Omega, this is still a tournament arc that revolves around superheroes and villains fighting each other. And this one-shot just leans into it with over-the-top results.

Wonder Woman is mostly played pretty straight-laced, a serious, battle-honed warrior who has a long list of notable victories under her belt. Lobo? Yeah, he’s here for a fraggin’ good time and doesn’t stop reminding us. Whereas Diana is fighting to win and to do so as efficiently and swiftly as possible, Lobo is basically just having the time of his life fighting Diana while, at the same time, trying to flirt with her (with the expected results). It’s this kind of departure in tone and energy that serves as a neat palate cleanser following the first two issues of the event and the other K.O. tie-ins; yes, this is all very serious and the fate of the universe hangs in the balance, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun.

The results of the matches are somewhat expected, as fans have been quick to point out. Wonder Woman is an iconic A-list DC character and Lobo, while popular in his own right, doesn’t carry the star power of Diana. That said, the story did certainly take into account the one obstacle Wonder Woman didn’t readily have an answer for: Lobo’s immortality. How do you win a death tournament when your opponent cannot die? Literal divine intervention, apparently… which is kind of ironic and certainly humorous given Diana’s own ties to godhood.

Granted, some fans are prone to shout, “Oh, plot armor,” which just makes me chuckle and nod my head. Yes? Plot armor is literally what has kept Lobo alive all these years. The plot dictated that The Presence—aka the Almighty—bestowed the inability to die onto him. Being granted immortality (especially by God with a capital “G”) is literal plot armor! And the way Lobo lost said plot armor absolutely checks out in the sense that his vulgar and uncouth nature kicked in at the wrong (or right, depending on your definition) moment. I understand power-scalers and feat-fanatics are going to take issue with some of these fights and cry about the nature of the plot and the writers’ “rigging” of the events. Still, given the silly nature of this whole fight, I personally can’t be bothered with complaints regarding power levels and abilities.

I will say, now that this is the second bout I’ve read in the tournament, the rules seem purposefully vague enough to allow the characters (and, by extension, the writers) to do almost whatever they want. Upon suffering a defeat in a round, characters can pick a form after the loser is regenerated. With Superman vs. Captain Atom, we learned that these characters can essentially just pick their most powerful incarnation across the multiverse and any number of timelines. In this issue, we find out that a character’s “form” is more open to interpretation; in Wonder Woman’s case, it can effectively work like a summons of sorts, as her chosen form was her in her Golden Eagle armor, but also surrounded by her Amazonian sisters: Donna Troy, Cassie Sandsmark, and Yara Flor. To that end, this rule should, in my humble opinion, have some better explanation or limitations. Logically, it will be difficult to have plausible outcomes when many of these characters have achieved some form of godhood or quasi-omnipotence in their careers and could just pick their most OP form every round (despite the fact that they do not). Also, if the characters advance to the next round, do they still have those forms in their back pockets to use when needed, or are they available only for that specific fight? I’m hoping we get some clarification moving forward, but I couldn’t help but wonder about this while reading the issue.

My favorite call back of the issue, bar none.

The art style here fits the vibe perfectly. It’s brutal, over-the-top, and extremely violent in a way that keeps the event fun and entertaining without devolving into gratuitous gore for gore’s sake. This clearly benefits Lobo, given the nature of the character. There are certainly moments where The Main Man can be in a serious sort of story, despite his unserious behavior the vast majority of the time—his role in the House of Brainiac arc comes to mind. This is not that, and the art rightfully evokes that distinction. It’s edgy, kinetic, and hilariously violent without being gross; at times, it is honestly beautiful in a chaotic, frenetic sense.

The art team of Jason Howard, Cary Nord, and Tamra Bonvillain (Daniel Bayliss wraps things up with the Watchtower Interlude) collectively do a great job of elevating the story beyond the dialogue and leaning into the goofy premise of not just this specific match, but the tournament as a whole. The show-stealer, however, would undoubtedly have to be the New 52 Lobo appearance, which is treated with a knowing wink and a smile. It’s stuff like this that makes me appreciate DC all the more, because at the end of the day, these creators are largely in touch with their audience and revere their rich, almost century-old history. Seeing the much-maligned “Lobo” show up was probably the best moment in the book for me from an art direction standpoint, and I’m glad they made it a point not to mess with the design of that iteration.

Final Thoughts and Verdict

All in all, this issue served as a prime example of what events revolving around fights should be: FUN. We can deal with pathos, long-term consequences, and character development in the main event series, but for a one-off one-shot featuring two of DC’s perennial powerhouses, this hit the spot.

Final Verdict: 8/10

This is a straightforward fight issue that doesn’t really get all that in-depth regarding the characters involved—and that’s okay! There are some plot-based shenanigans that decide the victor instead of their own inherent abilities and power. And that’s okay, too! This was an entertaining throw-down that allowed us to breathe a little and maybe crack a smile and a chuckle, too.