Described by writer Scott Snyder as “a knock-down, drag-out fight between all your favorite DC Super Heroes in a cosmic tournament to save the universe from Darkseid,” DC K.O. begins this month. The crossover event by Snyder and his co-architect Joshua Williamson promises enough slugfests to satisfy any comic fan’s action cravings, but if you’re looking for a bit more, you’re definitely in the right place. As a tribute to the launch of DC K.O., House of List-ery is becoming House of Fist-ery this week, as we round up some of the best hand-to-hand fights in the history of the DC Universe. There are lots of things that can make a fight scene memorable—art, pacing, story and context, to name but a few—and you’ll find examples of all of them below.
But enough talk! It’s time to throw down DC-style, as we list off the ten best slugfests to ever rattle the DCU.
The New Gods #8
Jack “King” Kirby practically invented the comic book slugfest with the hand-to-hand brawls in his Golden Age Captain American comic, and, later, as the principal architect of the Marvel Universe in the ‘60s. But he reached new creative heights in his Fourth World titles at DC. There are tons of great fight scenes in the pages of his The Forever People and Mister Miracle. But it’s Kirby’s flagship DC title, The New Gods, that offers perhaps the perfect example of his prowess in its eighth issue (August 1972’s “The Death Wish of Terrible Turpin!”), when Darkseid’s two sons—Orion and Kalibak—go mano a mano in Metropolis.
Adventure Comics #418
Sometimes a comic artist only needs a single page to demonstrate their consummate skill. Case in point: Alex Toth’s “Black Canary” in the April 1972 anthology Adventure Comics #418 (written by Denny O’Neil). The first of a two-issue tale sees Dinah Lance demonstrating her judo prowess as she applies for a job as a martial arts instructor. Toth, best known to DC fans as the designer of the 1970s Super Friends cartoon, was an artist’s artist, and it shows in every graceful, minimal line of this one-page fight scene.
All New Collectors’ Edition #54
DC’s tabloid-sized All New Collectors’ Edition series was the Black Label of its day, offering storytellers an oversized canvas on which to tell their tales. And few were so deserving of such a canvas as artist José Luis García-López, whose Superman tales and Wonder Woman covers defined the look of these characters in the 1970s. So, it made sense he would draw the pair’s first major fight in October 1977’s “Superman vs. Wonder Woman” (written by Gerry Conway). Assisted by Dan Adkins, García-López delivers a stunningly drafted tale set at the height of World War II within the pages of All New Collectors’ Edition #54, with Superman and Wonder Woman battling over the first atomic bomb before joining forces to battle Baron Blitzkrieg.
All New Collectors’ Edition #56
Another oversized All New Collectors’ Edition artist showcase was April 1978’s “Superman vs. Muhammad Ali” in issue #56. Here, penciller supreme Neal Adams reunited with writer Denny O’Neil (with whom he’d crafted Green Lantern/Green Arrow and many a memorable Batman story) for a book-length saga that finds Supes forced to battle the boxing superstar in order to save the Earth from aliens. Though the premise may sound silly, Adams’ dynamism was never better than in his lovingly rendered match between these two American icons.
The Dark Knight Returns #2
Writer-artist Frank Miller’s 1986 landmark four-issue series The Dark Knight Returns features brutal fights with the Joker and Superman himself. Both battles are epochal. But it’s a third—in The Dark Knight Returns #2, with the savage leader of a mutant street gang terrorizing Gotham City—that stands out for its primal fury and brutality. Realizing he’s not just fighting an enemy, but auditioning to be the mutants’ new leader, a middle-aged Batman gets as down and dirty as we’ve ever seen him. Aided immeasurably by colorist Lynn Varley’s moody palette, this fight was faithfully adapted in 2012’s The Dark Knight Returns animated movie, in which Batman is perfectly voiced by Peter “Robocop” Weller.
Wonder Woman #9
George Pérez illustrated enough epic slugfests in his lifetime to power the careers of a dozen comic artists. From his runs on Justice League of America, New Teen Titans and Crisis on Infinite Earths, to his landmark JLA/Avengers. But his post-Crisis rebooting of Wonder Woman for the Modern Age saw him break from his beloved team books and tackle a solo hero, allowing for more intimate battles. For a sterling example, one need look no further than August 1987’s Wonder Woman #9 (co-written by Len Wein). Reintroducing the Cheetah into Wonder Woman’s new continuity, it offers a brutal, perfectly paced tussle between the two archenemies, made all the more violent for how it opens on a note of serenity for the Amazon princess.
Superman #75
The most talked about comic book slugfest of the 1990s was Superman vs. Doomsday, the centerpiece of the era-defining, bestselling, media-frenzied “Death of Superman” event. Featured in November 1992’s Superman #75, “Doomsday,” written and illustrated by Dan Jurgens, is a fight as big as its format allows—it consists entirely of single-panel pages that drive home the force of its two opponents’ every blow. Aside from its emotional resonance, few fights have altered the shape of the comics industry, or attracted non-comics readers, quite like this one.
Batman #497
In the wake of Superman’s 1992 death, character-redefining events were all the rage. The most important of these was arguably Batman’s “Knightfall,” which was kicked off by the introduction of Bane and his subsequent breaking of Batman’s back in May 1993’s Batman #497 (“The Broken Bat”). Written by Doug Moench and pencilled by Jim Aparo (with inks by Dick Giordano), the issue presents a harrowing beatdown of a physically and emotionally exhausted Bruce Wayne by his new archenemy. Aparo is most often praised for his Batman work in The Brave and the Bold and Batman and the Outsiders, but the veteran artist delineates a nightmarish issue, abetted by Moench’s lean, gripping script.
Kingdom Come #4
Fawcett Comics’ Captain Marvel—or, as he’s now known, Shazam—was often pitted against Superman after he was introduced to the DC Universe in the 1970s. Who wouldn’t want to see the World’s Mightiest Mortal go toe-to-toe with the Man of Steel? But most of their fights ended before things could get out of hand, with no clear winner. Not so in writer Mark Waid and artist Alex Ross’s Kingdom Come #4. The August 1996 climax of this four-issue series finds Superman confronting a Lex Luthor-brainwashed Captain, who’s hellbent on his destruction. Ross’s painted pages bring a heretofore unseen Wagnerian intensity to mainstream superhero comics.
Batgirl #25
Lady Shiva has been hailed as one of the DC Universe’s greatest hand-to-hand fighters since she was introduced in the pages of Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter #5 back in 1975. Her character gained new depth, however, when she was revealed as the mother of Cassandra Cain, a.k.a. Batgirl. The two battled several times before their climactic duel in February 2002’s Batgirl #25, written by Kelley Puckett and pencilled by Damion Scott. Yet, while this climactic fight may get the edge, it…ahem…hits hardest if you’ve read everything in the series that’s come before. And in fact, one could pick almost any of Scott’s manga and hip-hop influenced fights from throughout his run on the title, so why not start with issue #1?
DC K.O. #1 by Scott Snyder, Javi Fernández, Xermánico and Alejandro Sánchez is now available in print and as a digital comic book. It can also be read on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.
Who will win? Enter the DC K.O. Bracket Challenge for a chance to win some great prizes!
Joseph McCabe writes about comics, film and superhero history for DC.com. Follow him on Instagram at @joe_mccabe_editor.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joseph McCabe and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
