In my review of Orphans of the Impact Winter #4, I posited that now that Chuck has found a group of friends to help him through the apocalypse, he wouldn’t need the fantasy world he’s created for himself much longer, wherein he and his dog Addie are daring space explorers traveling to distant planets. The fantasy world was his way of dealing with his isolation and loneliness, so now that he’s no longer isolated, he can live more comfortably in the real world.

However, even with friends, he’s still living in a post-apocalyptic hellscape, and there are far more horrors to want to escape from besides just loneliness and isolation. There’s still a need to cope with what’s going on all around. So, as the group of friends continue on their journey, the drab, grey real world still periodically transforms into vibrantly colorful alien planets, as Chuck imagines whatever task lies before him as a mission to save the galaxy.

Up until now, the fantasy world has just been Chuck and Addie, against whatever horrors they currently face. Now that Chuck has friends, though, is it possible to include those friends in the fantasy, as well? Is it possible to share the fantasy with them? This is what Chuck will have to find out as he and his friends attempt a dangerous mission to rescue Ingrid, another member of their group, from a well-armed and well-fortified military base.

When Chuck finally joined with his group of friends, I thought the story might be winding down, and that this might even be the last issue. It’s definitely not, though—this issue ends on a major cliffhanger which has me practically on the edge of my seat. And even aside from that, there’s clearly plenty more to see and experience in this world—both the real world and the fantasy world. Which is totally fine with me. I’m loving the journey, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Creative Team: Lee A. Carlisle (story), Ross Carlisle (art), Marina Gonçalves (colors), Marco Ventura (letters)
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