Death, destruction, and heartbreak are what’s in store for the W0rldtr33 team. No one is left the same by the end of the issue. After the shocking reveal of the prior issue, Issue #5 begins in a surprising place: the end. Whether this is where the story will inevitably finish or whether it’s something else entirely, it’s is a new mystery that’s to be solved.

There’s a lot that’s done right throughout the first act of W0rldtr33; mystery, mayhem, and shocking twists are just the tip of the iceberg behind the story. Add in the art, the colors, and every little thing that makes a good comic worth reading, and you’ll find it in this series.
What happens in issue #5 is amazing, by and far, but it does leave the reader . . . a little wanting. The first arc makes you excited for the next installment, but focuses on setting up its future story a little too much.

That’s not to say that the issue itself was bad – far from it. As always, the art and colors add a layer of depth to the story, and a lot has to be said about Tynion’s continued success at enticing readers with a no-holds-barred storytelling attitude.

SPOILERS BELOW

Getting rid of the internet is such a big move that it could be considered a game-changing event. It’s a story beat you can milk and one that could work being slowly built up throughout two or three arcs; however, that’s not what Tynion is going for, as he charges through the story, holding nothing back.

The back-to-back twists do detract a little from the impact of this issue, and that’s not counting the previous issue’s revelation either. The triple impact reveal of PH34R being Gabriel’s sister, the destruction of the internet, and the flash-forward revelation leave each plot point fighting for attention and give a little bit of story whiplash. The outcomes of this single issue imply a devastating turn of events. Not only does it leave our characters and their world in a new, unmapped area that’s ripe for creative storytelling, but it reassures us that this team of storytellers knows how to tell a good story. The implications alone are enough to get the theory mill running on high before the next issue hits, which will, hopefully, land soon.

At the end of this current story arc, and with all the highs and lows the previous issues put us through, it’s nice to know there is a clear direction of where everything is going, even if it isn’t as strong of a finale as it could have been. Nevertheless, the creative team of Tynion and Blanco has shown time and again that they’re ready to deliver an amazing story, and if these first five issues were just the prologue, then this story is about to get really crazy. I, for one, can’t wait.

Creative Team: James Tynion IV (writer/co-creator); Fernando Blanco (art/co-creator); Jordie Bellaire (colors); Aditya Bidikar (letters); Steve Foxe (editor); Dylan Todd (design)
Publisher: Image Comics
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