TITANS #30 (DC Comics)
Who is worthy of the crown of “Absolute Champion?”
That is the question defining the DC Universe. Darkseid is coming. After creating the Absolute Universe, he wants more! The heroes have faced him before but never at this level of power. There is one shot to defeat him, but it comes with a heavy cost.
A tournament is set up to win the Heart of Apokolips. Heroes and villians alike are involved. For one Titan, this is a make or break moment. Unfortunately, his opponent will not go quietly away. Victor Stone knows the stakes. There is no turning back now.
TITANS #30 by John Layman, Pete Woods, Bruno Abdias & Wes Abbott pits Cyborg versus SWAMP THING in this round of DC K.O!
Let’s get ringside to see how this round plays out.
TITANS #30 by John Layman, Pete Woods, Bruno Abdias & Wes Abbott (DC COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Layman crafts a fight with plenty of conflicted emotions behind it. Stone’s self doubts creep around when challenged by a clearly more powerful adversary. Their dialogue is one without animosity. It is a conversation between allies knowing what is at stake. This represents what the tourney is all about for the heroes. Readers will enjoy the second round especially in this match. The writing unloads on both heroes’ past history to create a solid bout. This pushes Stone to his breaking limits. There is never a moment when readers loose track of this.
Only for a brief interlude does the fight slow down. Arsenal’s conversation is brief but sets up more for a future time. It also sets up a solid final moment for the Titans with the closing page. However, the main focus here is on Cyborg. His inner monologue provides strength to face the last round. The result is a more calm finish than expected. It is a surprise to a certain extent. Readers will have their own thoughts on the finish, but it caters to the winner’s story. Overcoming the odds and finding inner belief. That’s what this fight was all about. Mission accomplished.
READ LAST ISSUE’S REVIEW HERE!
Woods puts together a very entertaining fight with the visuals. The opening rounds build up to an explosive full page image. It caps off a calmer build before taking the fight into deeper territory. The two page splash of Cyborg picking his persona for round two is incredible. It pops off the page with the attention to details. This helps move the story into the emotional impact side of combat. The round is brief but effective in construction.
Once the third round starts, a full page image starts the combat. Panels move very fast to mirror the big impacts of strikes. Another great full page image sets up the fights finale. It moves events into smaller panels to hone in on the powerful conclusion. The art leaves no doubt words are the most powerful weapon here. Readers are left with a strong close that goes against the normal finish. The art is simple of delivering it but less is more works with just a small panel of the victor standing.
FINAL GRADE: 8.8
The latest round of DC K.O. offers up a match-up between heroes that goes away from the traditional finish. Layman presents the bout with an internal challenge to match with the writing. Woods delivers a big fight feel with the art. The result is a round of combat that extends itself past when the bell rings. Don’t miss it.
Let me know your thoughts on Titans #30 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
