It’s A High-Tech Natural Showdown — Reviewing ‘Titans’ #30

Darkseid’s return looms large as the DC Universe’s heroes and villains alike face off in the brutal DC K.O. tournament. Brackets have been set, pitting friends against one another for the ultimate prize: the reality shaping Omega Energy from the Heart of Apokolips.

It’s friend versus friend in Titans #30 as Cyborg and Swamp Thing battle to the bitter end in a story from John Layman, Pete Woods, Bruno Abdias, and Wes Abbott.

Superheroes are created to inhabit a vast array of power types and levels. Scales range from no powers with just skills to powers that can change the universe itself. That being the case, trying to pit them against one another in a formative “this for sure beats this” sort of way is kind of pointless.

Not saying that people who debate this shouldn’t or it’s wrong, just that there is no way to have an objective answer. So, when they announced this tournament, it was hard to even pick bracket winners because powers and abilities will never be the way these things go. It’s all about the story itself and what is best for the overall narrative.

We get that here as Layman focuses on the idea that the hero who walks away from this has to have the heart and drive to keep pushing. While it’s kind of obvious who the winner will be — the narrator alone gives it away some — the way to get from start to finish is interesting. A fight to ensure that the hero best story suited for the win “proves” that they can do what must be done when the time comes.

Everything is slick and shiny, really capturing the dynamic of the moments with Woods artwork and the inks that Abdias provides. Plenty of depth, heft, and details to be found on every panel. Keeping a focus on the foreground and the events rather than the background in most cases, choosing a fight space that is more barren in some ways.

Overall, it works as the colors are really midtone in some cases, and vibrant in most others. Fitting for a superhero throw down sort of piece.

Capturing voices and really delivering a visual flair is something Abbott excels at. It gives the book that last emotive push that the script and artwork both bring in spades. Love how the caption boxes match the aesthetic one would expect for Cyborg. Just the right visual distinctiveness that we love to see.

Titans #30 is now available from DC Comics.