Written by: John Layman
Art by: Pete Woods, Bruno Abdias
Colors by: Pete Woods
Letters by: Wes Abbott
Cover art by: Pete Woods (cover A)
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: December 17, 2025
Titans #30, by DC Comics on 12/17/25, pits Cyborg against Swamp Thing in a high-stakes bout where friendship becomes a weapon as powerful as any technological enhancement or environmental manipulation.
First Impressions
This issue hits you with immediate gravitas, launching straight into a tournament bout that matters. The opening monologue about heroes fighting heroes grounds the concept, and it's clear writer John Layman understands that fighting your allies hits different than taking down villains. The emotional weight is there from panel one, and Pete Woods' artwork communicates the tension without needing excessive exposition.
Recap
Darkseid is coming, and the DC Universe is in freefall. To save reality, the Heart of Apokolips established a tournament to crown a champion. Sixteen fighters from across the superhero and supervillain ranks compete in an elimination bracket. The victor gets Omega Energy, the kind of cosmic power needed to stand against Darkseid's inevitable return and stop him from reshaping the universe in his image. This is not a game. This is survival.
Plot Analysis
Cyborg dominated the first round against Swamp Thing, deploying fire, sonic cannons, and ultraviolet-C light so intense it could sterilize an entire coastline. He won decisively, but the victory came with a cost and a grudging respect for his opponent. Now facing a rematch in Round Two, Cyborg selects a new form from infinite variations of himself offered by the tournament's organizers, hoping to maintain his winning edge. Swamp Thing, having studied Cyborg's previous tactics, comes prepared with strategy instead of just raw power, using psychological warfare alongside his plant-based attacks.
Round Two spirals into Cyborg's greatest test yet. Swamp Thing is patient where Cyborg is reactive, ancient where Cyborg is temporary. The plant elemental whispers doubts about mortality and legacy, about how machines break and humans die while the Earth endures. For just a moment, that gets under Cyborg's skin, making him hesitate. It's the opening Swamp Thing needs. Digestive acids from his molecular form wreak havoc on Cyborg's circuitry, leaving him incapacitated and forcing a third round.
Cyborg enters Round Three battered but unbowed. He realizes his mistake was fighting alone in spirit even though he fights surrounded by responsibility. He chooses a new form, one that channels the spirit of the entire Titans roster. Where Swamp Thing is legion in singularity, Cyborg becomes legion through loyalty, manifesting starbolts, shadow magic, Escrima sticks, and unbreakable bonds with his absent teammates. His counter to existential despair is familial defiance. He wins Round Three, earns his Omega Energy, and seals a promise with Swamp Thing: fight Darkseid with that same heart.
Writing
John Layman structures this issue with admirable clarity. The three-round format creates natural beats, and Cyborg's narration maintains consistent voice throughout. His dialogue feels earned, not performed. When he banters about "toxic plant farts" versus a Mother Box, it lands because it's earned through character work, not just a joke. The pacing accelerates nicely across the three rounds, with each battle building momentum while the psychological dimension deepens. Swamp Thing's stilted speech pattern contrasts effectively with Cyborg's colloquial tone. The interlude with Superman and Roy discussing evacuations provides necessary world-building without derailing the main narrative. The structure keeps multiple threads spinning without tangling them.
Art
Pete Woods handles the visual storytelling with impressive precision. The fight choreography is legible even in dense panels, a crucial skill in action comics. He uses color temperature to reinforce emotional beats, shifting from heated reds and oranges in Round One to sickly greens in Round Two's psychological assault to bright, energetic violts and blues in Round Three's turning point. Composition favors dynamic angles that enhance momentum, and his rendering of Cyborg's various forms demonstrates technical mastery. The detail work on mechanical components contrasts effectively with the organic, sprawling form of Swamp Thing. Woods does something subtle but important: he makes you feel Cyborg's mechanical nature without making it feel cold or distant. Bruno Abdias' ink work on specific pages (9-10, 17-20) adds weight and shadow where needed.
Character Development
Cyborg's arc across these three rounds is internally consistent and deeply relatable. His arrogance in Round One stems from legitimate success, making his comeuppance in Round Two hit harder. By Round Three, he achieves something more mature than victory: he integrates his individual strength with his identity as part of a team. Swamp Thing benefits from compelling characterization despite limited dialogue. He's not a villain; he's an opponent with philosophical weight behind his attacks. His criticism of Cyborg's temporal insignificance comes from a place of genuine cosmic perspective, not malice. The moments where both fighters acknowledge mutual respect elevate this beyond simple combat. Cyborg's relationship with his absent Titans family becomes the emotional core, making his choice of form in Round Three deeply meaningful rather than just tactical.
Originality & Concept Execution
The concept of heroes fighting heroes within a tournament framework isn't new, but the execution here ties it to something larger and more urgent: saving reality itself. What could have been a straightforward power-ranking exercise becomes an exploration of what we fight for when stakes get existential. The specific pairing of Cyborg and Swamp Thing works because they represent fundamentally opposing philosophies: human ingenuity and innovation versus natural patience and endurance. The notion that Cyborg wins by weaponizing friendship and loyalty rather than just technological superiority is genuinely fresh. It rejects the typical "bigger guns win" narrative in favor of something more emotionally intelligent. The execution delivers on this promise without sacrificing exciting action sequences.
Positives
The emotional core saves this from being standard superhero fisticuffs. Cyborg's journey from cocky to thoughtful to inspired feels earned, and his realization that he's never alone despite his scattered team lands with impact. Pete Woods' visual storytelling deserves recognition for making three rounds of combat feel distinct through color, composition, and choreography choices. The pacing keeps momentum while allowing character moments to breathe. Swamp Thing's role as a philosophical antagonist rather than a one-dimensional villain adds credibility to the stakes. The writing avoids trendy cynicism, committing instead to genuine themes about loyalty and hope without veering into unearned sentimentality. The moment where Cyborg realizes his Titans form is the right choice carries genuine weight because the narrative has earned it.
Negatives
The interlude sequences with Superman (Jon Kent) and Roy, while thematically relevant, fracture the tension built around Cyborg's tournament. The tonal shift away from the main event happens at a point where momentum matters most. Some readers may find Swamp Thing's dialogue overly stylized, making him feel more like a philosophical force than a character. The resolution, while thematically satisfying, skips past actual victory conditions in a way that might confuse readers unfamiliar with the tournament rules. Grail's appearance in the final panels feels abrupt, though this is likely a setup for future issues. The issue assumes readers have adequate knowledge of the larger DC K.O. context; newcomers might struggle to understand the full stakes.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TwitterThe Scorecard
Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 3/4Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 3/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 2/2
Final Verdict
Titans #30 proves that tournament comics work best when they explore character rather than just rank power levels. This issue knows what matters and delivers on it. Cyborg's transformation from hotshot to humble doesn't feel forced or preachy; it feels necessary. That's the difference between good character work and sentimentality disguised as depth. The art and writing team understands that real stakes come from caring about who's fighting and why, not just watching explosions. It's not a perfect issue because the pacing hiccups and the broader tournament context occasionally overwhelms the main narrative, but it's solid, emotionally intelligent superhero storytelling that respects both the characters and the reader.
8/10
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