W0rldtr33 #1 is an intriguing debut. Part horror. Part social commentary. Part mystery. It feels like a comic that’s supposed to both disturb and get readers thinking. In 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.

Written by James Tynion IV, W0rldtr33 #1 is teases a lot but answers little. Presumably due to some online viral thing, a young man has gone on a murder spree. A young naked woman is on a mission as well for… something. And a group of individuals are afraid something has escaped, most likely whatever drove the young man to murder. All of those plotlines come together for an opening that feels like a comic that has something to say.

W0rldtr33 #1 comes at an interesting time. The act of livestreaming horrific acts as they’re committed has become more common, often caught well after the heinous act has begun. The internet is clearly a tool to manipulate and control individuals driving them to those heinous acts. W0rldtr33 feels like it’s at the center of that but with a throwback to the tech films of the 90s and early 00s. We don’t know a ton of what’s going on, but it’s weird, and we want to find out more.

The art by Fernando Blanco has a glitch style to it with color by Jordie Bellaire and lettering by Aditya Bidikar. The look of the comic feels like it fits a grittiness of the early part of today’s technology. The issue is packed with panels with pages packed with a dozen, a television viewing of the horrible events. Small details tease what has happened, never giving too much away and leaving readers wanting to find out more.

W0rldtr33 #1 is an interesting start of a comic, exploring today’s issues with social media and technology as a whole while also delivering straight horror. While it’s not clear as to exactly what’s going on, the debut ends with unexpected shocks that leave even more questions out there. It’s another mystery from Tynion that’ll leave readers guessing what happens next.

Story: James Tynion IV Art: Fernando Blanco
Color: Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Story: 8.15 Art: 8.4 Overall: 8.2 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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