Batman's Happy Ending Teased in DC K.O.: Knightfight #4 Preview

3 hours ago 8

Published Feb 2, 2026, 7:00 PM EST

Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero.

With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention.

Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

Warning! This post contains a PREVIEW for DC K.O.: Knightfight #4

DC Comics is giving Batman an all-new chance at a happy ending...and it may be far too good to deny. In the midst of the ongoing DC K.O. crossover, where heroes and villains are duking it out to win power rivaling Darkseid, The Dark Knight's trials have been far more personal.

After Batman was eliminated in the first round of DC K.O., the tournament's overseeing Heart of Apoklips placed The Dark Knight in various fabricated realities, forcing him to fight his Robins in timelines where they had become Batman in his place, promising to let him back into the tournament if he can face his fears and survive all four trials.

However, the final reality with Damian Wayne surprisingly doesn't feature any conflict for Batman to face in the new preview for Knightfight #4 (remarkably, it's the exact opposite).

DC Is Giving Batman The Happy Ending He Never Thought He'd Have

Completely shifting gears, The Heart of Apokolips puts Bruce Wayne into a reality where Batman is no longer needed.

Gotham is safe and happy, with citizens freely living their lives in peace near what was once Crime Alley. While Bruce's son Damian did take up his father's mantle in this reality, the new Batman was eventually no longer required, resulting in Damian becoming a doctor and having a son named Alfred (Bruce's grandson).

Despite knowing himself that this reality is false, the end of the previous issue saw Damian making the case to an elderly Bruce that it might not matter, with the benefits of this world potentially outweighing the truth of the reality itself.

Now, we see Batman spending time with his grandson in this new preview for Knightfight #4 by Joshua Williams and Dan Mora. Bruce is also questioning if he actually wants to leave, having never imagined that he could have a life where he's retired and gets to be a grandfather: to actually leave Batman behind and be happy.

Will Batman Re-Enter The DC K.O. Tournament?

Unfortunately, the other shoe will undoubtedly drop once the full issue is released in a couple of days. Batman will more than likely end up back in the main tournament alongside Wonder Woman, Superman, Joker, and Lex Luthor (DC K.O.'s current Final Four). That's just the way things go.

However, it's still going to be fascinating to see more of this new happy ending Batman in Knightfight #4, and whether he ends up choosing to leave it behind, or chooses to stay but is forced to leave all the same (which would be truly heartbreaking).

DC K.O.: Knightfight #4 releases February 4th from DC Comics.