Written by: John Layman
Art by: Pete Woods
Colors by: Pete Woods
Letters by: Wes Abbott
Cover art by: Pete Woods (cover A)
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: January 21, 2026
First Impressions
The opening immediately establishes stakes through Donna Troy's narration about a fragmented team spread across the cosmos. Seeing just two Titans left on Earth fighting Darkseid's forces generates genuine tension at first. The emotional beats in Arsenal and Donna's dialogue hint at a relationship simmering beneath the action, which momentarily grounds the issue in character rather than spectacle.
Plot Analysis
The issue opens with a status report on where the Titans have scattered themselves. Starfire has evacuated to Tamaran with three towers full of refugees; Beast Boy protects another refugee group with Doom Patrol and Beast Girl on a distant planet; Nightwing and Raven went to Gemworld to help with resettlement while the local tournament determines their fate. Cyborg is fighting in the Omega Tournament for energy strong enough to face Darkseid, having already battled Swamp Thing in the previous issue. Donna and Roy remain on Earth as the last line of defense against Grail and her Parademon forces, who are reshaping the planet into a new Apokolips.
Grail arrives to capture the remaining Titans and offer Donna a chance to become her new ward, promising to train her in service to Darkseid. Donna refuses and the fight escalates with Grail unleashing Parademons. Meanwhile, in Gemworld, Raven confronts Jinx, who has conquered Amethyst and the royal mages to seize control of the magical realm. Raven attempts to recruit Jinx to help Nightwing, but Jinx refuses, still bitter about her imprisonment. Raven then confronts Terra, appealing to her sense of duty and offering her a chance to prove herself as more than just a weapon.
Terra agrees to join, but immediately betrays the group and seizes control of Gemworld herself by using her geokinesis to control minerals and crystals, overriding Jinx's magic. Back on Earth, Arsenal takes a direct hit from Grail's power while defending Donna and expressing his feelings for her in case it's their final moment. Grail taunts them both, declaring that either Arsenal will die or Donna must agree to serve Darkseid. The issue ends with Terra's takeover of Gemworld complete and Arsenal potentially incapacitated, leaving multiple cliffhangers unresolved.
Writing
The pacing races through multiple locations without giving any thread time to breathe. Donna's narration efficiently moves readers between the Titans' positions, but the jumping between Earth and Gemworld fragments the dramatic tension rather than amplifying it. The dialogue between Donna and Arsenal works, especially their intimate exchange about possibly not surviving. However, the transitions feel abrupt, cutting from emotional vulnerability to action without proper beats in between. Jinx's refusal to help and Terra's instant betrayal happen so quickly that neither moment lands with genuine shock; they read as plot machinery rather than character choices.
Art
Pete Woods' linework maintains clarity throughout the action sequences, making the combats easy to follow despite multiple simultaneous conflicts. The composition of the Earth scenes effectively isolates Donna and Arsenal against overwhelming Parademon forces, emphasizing their vulnerability. However, the Gemworld sequences blend into generic magical backgrounds without distinct visual identity. The color palette shifts between scenes work to differentiate locations, but the transition between Grail's power blast and Arsenal's presumed defeat lacks visual impact, meaning the action moment that should devastate readers passes without memorable weight.
Character Development
Donna maintains consistent determination throughout her impossible fight, and her vulnerability with Arsenal feels earned given their shared history. Arsenal's moment of confession amidst combat provides genuine character depth, showing a man facing potential death with honesty. Grail remains a functional villain with clear motivations rooted in her Apokolips heritage and desire to serve Darkseid. Terra's betrayal, however, feels hollow because her turn happens too quickly and her internal reasoning gets shortchanged. She monologues about not trusting the team and feeling used, which has merit, but the scene needs more breathing room to make her choice feel inevitable rather than convenient.
Originality & Concept Execution
The "Titans scattered across the cosmos" concept offers genuine story potential, but this issue squanders it by treating each location as a vignette rather than building interconnected stakes. The premise of desperate last stands on multiple fronts should create mounting dread, yet each storyline feels isolated. Terra's seizure of Gemworld attempts a twist on her history of betrayal, but the execution lacks originality because similar turns have defined her character repeatedly. The Omega Tournament framework gives structure to the larger crossover event, but this individual issue doesn't advance the concept with any fresh ideas or unexpected payoffs.
Positives
Arsenal and Donna's intimate exchange stands as the issue's emotional centerpiece and the only moment that genuinely attempts to make readers care about the stakes beyond spectacle. Their dialogue feels organic and character-driven rather than exposition, creating a brief pocket of real human drama amidst the cosmic chaos. The visual clarity of the action sequences allows readers to track the combat without confusion, and Woods' art keeps the kinetic energy flowing across pages without sacrificing readability. Grail as an antagonist works effectively because her motivations tie directly to her established character and her confidence in her superiority feels earned through the narrative.
Negatives
The complete absence of consequences for any action is the issue's critical failure. Arsenal takes a direct hit from Grail's power and the narrative treats this as a cliffhanger rather than instant incapacitation or death; a character shot at point-blank range by a demigod's attack should not survive without explicit explanation. Terra's takeover of Gemworld happens so rapidly that it reads as contrived rather than triumphant, with barely two pages between her recruitment and her betrayal. The issue wants readers to invest in multiple simultaneous crises across different locations, but failing to deliver meaningful consequences in any location undermines every dramatic moment. Terra's refusal to help drains momentum from what should be a crucial turning point, and her motivations feel petty given a world-ending threat. The issue also treats major character turns (Terra's betrayal, Arsenal's possible death, Jinx's takeover) as plot beats rather than earned moments with weight.
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): 2/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 3/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 1/2
Final Verdict
Titans #31 operates as competent assembly-line superhero action that pays its bills but refuses to break a sweat earning genuine reader investment. Multiple character moments hint at the emotional depth this issue could have achieved, but the relentless pace and the absence of any meaningful consequences drain the drama from every scene. This is a comic that exists primarily to shuffle pieces on a cosmic chessboard rather than make readers fear what happens next. Skip it unless you're completely locked into the event, and even then, you will not miss anything essential to understanding the larger story.
6/10
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