If you miss comics that confidently refuse to tell you what they’re about, the wait is over. “W0rldtr33” is a new series from James Tynion IV and Fernando Blanco, published by Image through Tynion’s Tiny Onion imprint. It’s scary and weird. There is a ghostly naked woman doing unspeakable crimes. It doesn’t make a single goddamn lick of sense, but it is my favorite comic series of 2023.
Written by James Tynion IVCover by Fernando Blanco
Illustrated by Fernando Blanco
Colored by Jordie Bellaire
Lettered by Aditya Bidikar“A new world is coming. And I helped build it.”That’s what Ellison Lane’s teenage brother told him after murdering 60 people. Something called the Undernet is influencing terrible acts of violence…and it may already be too late to stop it from spreading.Don’t miss the next horror epic from multiple Eisner Award-winning writer JAMES TYNION IV (THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH) and FERNANDO BLANCO (Detective Comics)!
Following James Tynion’s career has been wonderful. I first encountered his work when he was doing backup stories in the back of Scott Snyder “Batman” issues. I worked in a comic shop at the time, and James Tynion III was a regular customer. When James IV would have a new story, his dad would buy 50 copies. Years later when Tynion was writing “Batman” proper, it had been a long time coming. But he really proved his writing cops through “Department of Truth,” a trippy horror series about conspiracies and the power of belief.
“Department of Truth” and “W0rldtr33” make for an interesting pair. They both could have been published by Vertigo in the late 90s, in terms of tone if not content, because both of them feel vibrantly contemporary. “W0rldtr33” takes place in the present day, following a coven of hackers who haven’t seen each other in twenty years. It’s a story about technology and the internet, but its also a generational story about the first people to use the internet and where they are now.
But then there’s the naked murder lady. She is infecting computers with a dark malevolence that sends anyone who looks at it into a fugue state. We haven’t really seen the full extent of this evil force, but I’m willing to be it results in a fate worse than death. The first issue was mostly about the mechanics of this digital curse. That leaves issue #2 to establish the characters.
The “W0rldtr33” gang showed up in issue #1, but this is the part of the story where they all get to establish their respective gimmicks. The issue splits the team off into pairs, usually with one taciturn hacker working with a more talkative friend. The issues is saturated with excellent characterization, but plot movement is in short supply. That’s perfectly alright. Tynion’s ear for dialogue has become so strong, it’s constantly a pleasure to read. He finds little vulnerabilities in each character that makes them instantly relatable. They’re not always likable though. One creep loves using bigoted slurs, even as he insists he’s talking about his friends. You probably aren’t friends with a guy like that, but you definitely know one.
Seeing that “W0rldtr33” largely takes place on or in front of computers, it stands to reason that you might want to try something fun with digital art. “Department of Truth” is filled with cool digital post-processing effects, and Fermando Blanco’s “W0rldtr33” art follows in that spirit. The art taking place in the physical world is soft and parchment-like, reminding me of a cross between Sean Phillips and Chris Samnee. But when the computers come out, so do the effects. Color gets blurred and smeared and images break down like a broken LCD screen. Sound effects start to break out of panels and zooming through the gutters. The effect isn’t used frequently in #2, but when it gets taken out it is deeply effective.
The first issue of “W0rldtr33” was like a bolt of lightning. It was by far the most exciting debut I’ve read this year. It shares tone and themes with comics I already like, but stands apart in terms of genre. And while there are a lot of comics happy to get weird, most of those at least have a hook. “W0rldtr33” feels so big and ambitious, I could not possibly hope to convey it in a sentence. But when a new issue comes out, it is required reading. “W0rldtr33” #2 is smart enough to slow down and let us spend some quality time with the ensemble. The series is shaping up to be an all-time great.
Final Verdict: 9.2 – Though lacking the shock and urgency of the first issue, “W0rldtr33” is one of the best comics you’ll read this year.
