New Titans #35 is published by DC Comics and is written by Tate Brombal, art by Vincent Cifuentes, pencils by Sami Basri, inking Jordi Tarragona, colours Adriano Lucas, lettering by Tom Napolitano

The Recap: Splitting the Man from the Machine

When Tate Brombal and Sami Basri took over the Titans mantle back in March 2026 with New Titans #33, they inherited a team that was historically stuck in a loop. For years, across multiple reboots and creative teams, the Titans have struggled with the heavy burden of their own legacy. Writers always seem to gravitate toward the same old conflicts, the same interpersonal drama, and the exact same lineup that Marv Wolfman and George Pérez made famous decades ago.

But with this new era spinning out of the chaotic aftermath of the DC K.O. event, Brombal has been explicitly vocal about wanting to set these characters free from their narrative stagnation. New Titans #35 (released May 20, 2026) acts as the explosive, mind-bending culmination of this opening arc. It is an issue that literally and metaphorically tears down the past to make way for the future, forcing the classic team to face their ultimate crisis: a literal manifestation of their history turned weapon.

To understand the absolute insanity of issue #35, you have to look at the trap laid down in the previous chapter. Issue #34 left Nightwing’s core squad completely trapped within a nostalgic timeline loop while Titans Tower quite literally crumbled around their ears. To make matters weirder, they were confronted by a completely different generation of heroes claiming to be the true New Titans—headlined by Superboy (Conner Kent), Spoiler (Stephanie Brown), Wonder Girl (Yara Flor), and Terra.

Issue #35 immediately blows the doors off the mystery. The mastermind behind this reality-warping pocket dimension isn't a classic rogue like Trigon or Psimon—it’s an Omega Energy-upgraded variant of Cyborg. However, there is a massive catch.

The cosmic Omega upgrade has completely severed Victor Stone’s organic humanity from his cybernetic parts. The issue opens by introducing a mysterious figure named Eva, whose connection to the flesh-and-blood, human Victor Stone sets the baseline for the entire plot. While the human soul of Vic Stone is stuck trying to reason with his logic-driven, cold mechanical half, the rest of the Titans are left fighting for survival as their reality disintegrates panel by panel.

Story & Themes: A Meta-Commentary on Nostalgia

Tate Brombal’s script shines brightest when it leans directly into the meta-narrative of the Titans franchise. By physically separating Cyborg into a vulnerable human soul and a cold, ruthless "Robo-Cyborg," Brombal creates a brilliant physical manifestation of Victor Stone's lifelong identity crisis. The banter between the human Vic and his robotic counterpart is deeply compelling; it is an up-and-down ideological tennis match where the machine believes it is protecting the Titans by locking them in an unchangeable, idealized loop of their “Glory Days.”

The character dynamics outside of Vic’s internal warfare are equally stellar. The issue manages to juggle a massive cast without making the pages feel overcrowded. The standout interaction easily belongs to Batgirl (Cassandra Cain) and Yara Flor. Their sharp, witty one-liners provide a desperate, grounded sense of humor right as the dreamlike backdrop begins to turn terrifyingly dark.

Brombal uses this chaotic backdrop to layout exactly how and why this new generation of Titans was chosen, transforming what could have been a confusing editorial mandate into a deeply logical story beat. The narrative pulls no punches, building toward a staggering, genuinely unpredictable cliffhanger that forces the audience to question what the status quo of this title will even look like next month.

Pacing: Heavy Foundations, Explosive Payoffs

If there is one minor flaw in New Titans #35, it’s that the issue asks a lot from its reader right out of the gate. The first act is heavily front-loaded with exposition and philosophical dialogue as Vic and his mechanical counterpart exchange ideologies. For a book coming off the back of a high-octane event like DC K.O., the sudden pivot into dense, sci-fi rules regarding Omega Energy and loop anomalies can feel like a slight speed bump.

However, once the narrative pieces are locked into place, the pacing accelerates at a breakneck speed. Brombal executes a flawless mid-issue transition, shifting seamlessly from quiet, eerie psychological tension to absolute physical chaos. The action sequences don't just feel like mandatory superhero fights; they carry actual narrative weight, serving as the medium through which the heroes literally chip away at the Robo-Cyborg’s programming failsafes. It moves efficiently from Point A to Point B, ensuring that the calm, unsettling resolution of the final pages lands with maximum emotional impact.

Art & Colors: Visualizing a Fraying Reality

The artistic partnership of Sami Basri and Vicente Cifuentes on pencils, paired with Jordi Tarragona’s precise inks, makes this one of the most visually distinctive DC books on the stands today. Juggling multiple artists on a single 20-page book can occasionally result in a jarring reading experience, but here, the artistic shift is utilized perfectly to highlight the narrative divide.

What to look for: Notice how the art team treats the two distinct settings. The personal conversations between the human Vic and his robotic self are rendered in a remarkably clean, almost sterile, casual style. This contrasts beautifully with the main superhero action, which is highlighted by a jaw-dropping two-page splash page that perfectly captures the terror of a crumbling reality.

Adriano Lucas’s colors deserve an absolute masterclass award for this issue. The way he utilizes the ominous, crackling purples and dark cosmic hues of the Omega Energy to bleed into the classic, bright primary colors of the Titans' costumes is stunning. It visually reinforces the thematic elements of the script: the cold, unyielding cosmic machine slowly swallowing up the warm, colorful humanity of Earth’s premier superhero team.

The Final Verdict

New Titans #35 is a triumphant assertion of what this new creative era wants to be. It honors the massive legacy of the characters who came before while boldly pulling the trigger on changes that the franchise has desperately needed for a generation. While the heavy exposition in the front half might require a double-take on the first read, the sheer emotional depth of Victor Stone's conflict and the breathtaking visual execution make this an absolute must-read.

Tate Brombal promised a massive reckoning between the past and the future of this team, and issue #35 delivers on that promise with style, heart, and a final page hook that will leave the community talking for months. If you haven't jumped onto this run yet, consider this your sign to head to your local comic shop immediately.