W0rldtr33 #5 Review: Into the Abyss

W0rldtr33 #5

Review

Rating

9

Good

Writer: James Tynion IV

Artist: Fernando Blanco

Publisher: Image Comics

Release Date: August 29, 2023

Format: Single-issue

W0rldtr33's first story arc ends with an intriguing and bloody finale that keeps the story wildly unpredictable from this point forward.

W0rldtr33 #5

Review

Writer: James Tynion IV

Artist: Fernando Blanco

Publisher: Image Comics

Release Date: August 29, 2023

Format: Single-issue

W0rldtr33's first story arc ends with an intriguing and bloody finale that keeps the story wildly unpredictable from this point forward.

Rating

9

Good

W0rldtr33 has been a gem of a series and is easily one of Image Comic’s hottest titles this year. All-star creators James Tynion IV, Fernando Blanco, and Jordie Bellaire worked their magic and hooked me in by its first issue. Who would have thought the concept of a haunted website would play out in such a terrifying story? However, if you really think about it, the Internet is already such a scary place to begin, even without the risk of being violently possessed. But that’s neither here nor there. At the end of its first story arc, W0rldtr33 delivered another captivating issue that caps off a rollercoaster of a debut. Let’s get into my review!

Image: Image Comics

Overview

After the shocking revelation at the end of the last issue, Ellison and Fausta scramble to make sense of PH34R’s true identity. The mysteriously naked woman arrived at the Holiday Inn to preach the word of the Undernet. Little do Ellison and Fausta know that all hell is breaking loose around the world. Without warning, uncontrolled, bloody violence starts streaming across different platforms, just like what Gibson Lane did. And, of course, PH34R is loving every second of it.

Gabriel, on the other hand, has plans of his own. Being the crazy tech genius he is, he sets into motion a failsafe to counteract some of the damage done by the influence of the Undernet. Except his plan comes at a steep price. It’s from that moment that the world as they knew it completely changed.

Image: Image Comics

Review

There is a lot to unpack in this issue. Right off the jump, the comic’s opening pages hit you with a big swerve, and there’s no way to prepare for it. Without giving away too much, the opener builds an intriguing setup for the issue and the rest of the series to come. Where some comics might have closed with such a left-field moment, W0rldtr33 boldly greets you with it. The moment is fitting for a series that’s pulled off subverting expectations through every step of its story. The work by Fernando Blanco and Jordie Belaire is top-notch in that scene particularly because of how starkly different it is from everything we’ve seen from the series until that point. But as incredible as that scene was, it’s surprisingly not the most striking moment of the issue.

Throughout W0rldtr33’s entire story, characters have hinted about the damage that the Undernet is capable of causing. This issue finally shows just how dark and twisted things can get. For people who cannot handle intense levels of graphic violence, be warned about what unfolds here. While the series has never been one to shy away from showing blood and gore, this issue has plenty of genuinely unsettling imagery depicted in gruesome detail. As much as Tynion has been getting his flowers lately, Blanco and Bellaire again deserve the spotlight for delivering such incredible work. Even as the violence in this issue escalates, it’s hard to look away from the hauntingly captivating story. Everything from the finely detailed expressions on the characters' faces to the bold color contrasts elevate the horror that unfolds across each page.

Image: Image Comics

Final Thoughts

After all the massive revelations this issue drops on us, it’s hard to predict how the story unravels from here. And that’s what makes this series so fun. It’s intriguing with its concept and unpredictable in its approach. I’m hooked on seeing where things go. If this issue can be used as any indication, it’s that Tynion and the creative team have only scratched the surface of how messed up they are willing to get for their story. There are still plenty of dark secrets to uncover in this series that will catch readers by surprise.

Why You Should Read W0rldtr33

• The story arc finale ends on a high note that keeps the story unpredictable
• The art team duo of Fernando Blanco and Jordie Bellaire is a match made in heaven
• Horror and sci-fi elements are balanced perfectly throughout the series