“W0rldtr33 #1” is the latest book from the madcap James Tynion IV, and like much of his works, lies somewhere on the border of fantasy, horror, and science fiction — with “W0rldtr33” #1 emphasizing the latter two. The first issue of “W0rldtr33 #1” is a home run. This is a gripping horror story that feels like it’s part Terminator (insofar as there is a hot cybernetic baddie), part pandemic horror (insofar as there’s a rapidly spreading “virus” that’s poised to destroy the world), part Black Mirror (insofar as there seems to be some critique or emphasis on technology and it’s propensity for amplifying violence), and part Code Lyoko (insofar as the story seems to revolve around a group of kids (now adults) who have battled the story’s antagonist in another time, in another virtual world). Basically, this is a cybernetic freak show of a story that’s truly scary, well drawn, and masterfully plotted. Some spoilers ahead.
Cover by Fernando Blanco“W0rldtr33 #1”
Written by James Tynion IV
Illustrated by Fernando Blanco
Colored by Jordie Bellaire
Lettered by Aditya Bidikar
Reviewed by Kobi BordoleyIn 1999, Gabriel and his friends discovered the Undernet, a secret architecture to the Internet. They charted their exploration on a message board called W0RLDTR33.
Then they lost control. Someone broke into W0RLDTR33-someone who welcomed the violent hold the Undernet had on them. At great personal cost, Gabriel and the others thought they sealed the Undernet away for good.
They were wrong. And now they will know the meaning of PH34R.
“W0rldtr33 #1” starts off with our villain, who can best be described as Yolandi from Die Antwoord in the skin of QR code (but make it scary, not goofy) logging onto a dead man’s computer and booting up a livestream. We’re not sure if the villain is a personification of some malevolent force, an actual person, or a fever dream. But it doesn’t matter, because we’re hooked. We then zoom into the livestream and watch as a teenager narrates, and we see the world from his POV as he ambles about town murdering people with the help of the “undernet.” We have no idea what the undernet is at this point, it we understand that looking at any screen that contains it will send someone into a fugue state. With the aid of the undernet, or teen villain, watched by the main villain in the story, and also watched by us (there are layers to this) go about his spree with clinical precision and childlike wonder. It’s incredibly creepy. Tynion’s writing here is clear and eviscerating, similar to the knife wounds left in the victims that are so expertly rendered by Blanco. In another story, maybe we’d get some blood splatter, a body on the floor, etc etc. But “W0rldtr33 #1” is not any other comic, and showing violence with precision seems to be one of “W0rldtr33 #1″‘s missions. And so we do. This part of “W0rldtr33 #1” really is drawn like the livestream of a killing spree. We see the knife move, in and out, in and out. Creepy. Horrifying. And then we see we cut to the villain, surrounding by darkness save for the glow of the computer screen, watching the violence with a look of what appears as awe or admiration. Even creepier. Even more horrifying.
While Tinyon’s writing holds down the fort, these scenes really shine as a result of the fully creative team. Fernando Blanco’s dynamic and detailed illustrations are unparalleled. His art style blends realism with a stylized approach, resulting in images that are lifelike and visually striking. He is particularly skilled at conveying complex emotions quickly and effectively. When people feel something in “W0rldtr33 #1” they really feel it — be it pain, fear, terror, horror, dismay, or something else bad (there are not a lot of good feelings in “W0rldtr33 #1”). Bidikar’s lettering also does a lot of work in this section. There’s always been something a little sinister behind the buzzes and beeps of dial up, or the static of a television screen. Bidikar goes all in on “W0rldtr33 #1” and serves us some truly sick custom fonts and unique sound effect signifiers that really bring the book to life. Bravo. Bellaire’s color work is also delectable. Given the two dimensional (at least for now) aspect of the undernet, it’s important for the story to visually show when someone’s under its effect. Bellaire uses this red-blue color shift and orange sepia to make that clear, and it’s a useful tactic in “W0rldtr33 #1” that helps keep the reader aware of what’s going on, even if we don’t yet know the “rules” to this story or its world.
Continued belowAfter the livestream, we jump-cut to a cool couple on a road trip, waxing poetically about the dangers of the internet, old 4chan message boards, and how Zoomers have a higher tolerance and are more inundated with online violence than their Millennial elders. In other hands, this kind of writing would seem awkward and daft, but the way it plays out on the page actually feels natural, and we’re getting content from the character’s voice, not the author’s. Things then ramp up as threads introduced in the earlier part of “W0rldtr33 #1” converge, and you’ll just have to read it to find out!
But overall, the pacing in “W0rldtr33 #1” is incredible. There’s some multiple timeline, perhaps even parallel universe stuff at play here, and never once does “W0rldtr33 #1” feel like it’s left the forest for the trees in terms of worldbuilding, nor does it become too confusing to follow. Yes, there are some parts that leave you speculating, but it’s all in the right dosage. In sum, this is a major fear of storytelling and you can expect that your friends who are into this kind of story will be buzzing.
Final Verdict: 9.1. A terrifying cybernetic apocalypse is upon us and all we can do is watch.
