What if there was something darker lurking beneath the internet? Something that could twist us into killers? W0rldtr33 #1 introduces readers to the undernet, just such a place that, if it isn’t stopped, could spread like a sickness across our world. Published by Image Comics, written by James Tynion IV, art by Fernando Blanco, colors by Jordie Bellaire, and letters by Aditya Bidikar. This opening chapter holds nothing back as it shows readers just what the undernet can do.
Get BWT in your inbox!
Get BWT in your inbox!
Tynion has been making his mark on the comic horror scene for years now, so the fact that W0rldtr33 #1 hits some incredibly dark notes doesn’t surprise me. However, compared to my previous experience with some of his other titles, this book hits the ground running at a much faster pace. Without going into spoilers, this book’s opening moments grab the reader and drag them into murder and gore in a disturbing fashion. Tynion’s writing takes the reader into these brutal moments through the voice of the perpetrator of the moment with chilling effectiveness. At the same time, Blanco’s art and Bellaire’s colors build out the moments in a horrifying way. Rounded out by Bidikar’s solid delivery of the story and the sounds that fill the book’s moments with their excellent lettering, this book comes together wonderfully.
But while these moments certainly deliver substantial shock value in W0rldtr33 #1, what remains to be seen is if the story builds upon this brutal opening to turn it into something more or if it will just be gore for the sake of gore. Given the creative pedigree of the book, I have high hopes for it, but only time will tell.
Beyond the brutal nature of this issue’s harshest moments, readers are also introduced to several characters that will be central to the story’s plot. There are a fair amount of angles that these characters come to the story from. Whether it is the unsuspecting brother of one of the undernet’s first victims that seems like he will get swept up in the horrors that are about to unfold or the pair of computer experts that have some knowledge of this mysterious new threat, each of the book’s cast looks like they will bring an interesting perspective to the tale, as well as provide strong launching points for plot points. And that’s not even mentioning the generally naked, heavily tattooed killer who brings untold layers of ominous to the pages of this story.
Through the horrors it presents, and the groundwork it lays through its characters, W0rldtr33 #1 accomplishes what all first issues strive to do. It lays its narrative hooks into the reader, leaving them needing to understand the greater context and details of what they just read. If Tynion and his team can deliver on the great start that this issue lays out, this book could shape up to be something memorable for horror comic fans.
W0rldtr33 #1 is available April 12th wherever comics are sold.
W0rldtr33 #1
TL;DR
Through the horrors it presents, and the groundwork it lays through its characters, W0rldtr33 #1 accomplishes what all first issues strive to do. It lays its narrative hooks into the reader, leaving them needing to understand the greater context and details of what they just read. If Tynion and his team can deliver on the great start that this issue lays out, this book could shape up to be something memorable for horror comic fans.
