Broken World #1: Who Lives and Who Dies?

Suspense meets sci-fi in a powerful way in Broken World #1, a book that finds strength in the familial bond and a woman’s drive to survive the literal end of the world. This book is a near-masterclass in character driven drama.

Apocalyptic stories in comics are certainly not difficult to come by. There are all kinds of explorations into what humanity would be like during the end times, but Broken World breaks through the noise with a strong focus on character development. We know the stakes, and the goal is simple…evacuate. This sets the stage for Elena Marlowe to take center stage and pull readers in with a heartfelt story that almost anyone can relate to.

Broken World #1 isn’t a book filled with action, in fact, its quite the opposite. Elena is a professor, even with just days left to live on Earth, and we follow her in these moments as she is simply still trying to figure everything out. Her family hasn’t evacuated on the revolutionary elevators into space yet because of her husband’s work and the small issue of her being denied entry by the government. Her journey to forcefully staying beside her family starts here, with the forging of her papers to try and sneak in. But when that doesn’t work, the story explodes with tension and raises the stakes even higher. The result is an issue that is a classic example of a page turner that you just can’t put down.

Elena is a character you can immediately fall in love with and root for. The world has turned sour in the midst of destruction, but her motivations are pure. With protests raging in the streets and a new religious cult advocating suicide, the world truly does feel broken. But the issue doesn’t get lost in the intricacies of this world building, instead, it uses it as a catalyst to explore very real human emotions like desperation and resolve.

Christopher Peterson takes on an interesting task in this book with such a heavy reliance on character drama. Facial expressions and body language are everything in a book like this and it’s all executed marvelously. Marissa Louise brings a great palette to the visuals with colors that don’t fall back on dark and moody shadows all the time, and the letters from Ed Dukeshire guide you through the escalating situation with ease. It’s a first issue that hits the ground running firing on all cylinders.

For those looking for a heartfelt take on apocalyptic comics, Broken World #1 brings all the emotion you could want. It’s dynamic, packs plenty of twists and turns, and leaves with a cliffhanger that will force you right into the next issue no questions asked. Fans of character-driven sci-fi will absolutely want to check this series out, and it’s available on ComiXology now!