Broken World #4
Recap
Final issue! Elena reaches the secret emergency rocket location that might help her reach her family, but she's got cult members and security on her tail.
Review
What a shocking finale! Broken World #4 lives up to its name in the final issue, giving readers a stark reality check with a conclusion that will leave you both inspired and heartbroken.
Let’s get right to it, because I am just stunned at how this series played out. It’s been a fast-paced emotional roller coaster up until this point, and this issue only pushes things further to the edge. Elena’s conspiracy to take out the Children of the Revelation falls through, pitting the two groups of survivors against each other in a climactic fight, but in this chaos we see a new form of leadership emerge under Elena. She had been pushing to escape what was left behind on a leftover rocket, but just like her attempts to pass of forged papers, it was all in vain. This reveal is nothing short of devastating, for both Elena and myself as a reader. It forces you to quickly come to the harrowing realization that this is all that is left.
Elena’s struggle is something that isn’t often seen in stories of this genre. Her intuition and ability to navigate delicate situations with a unique sense of leadership push her into a role of action in the apocalypse and while she might not get everything she wants, her realization of the power of hope carries significant weight. After bringing the two groups together for a meetup at the bunker housing the faux rocket, we see Lieutenant Griffon taken out by one of Elena’s students and the stage set for unity and compassion. Here, we find an ending that is simply a hard pill to swallow.
Elena doesn’t get back to her family. While it seemed inevitable, hope had carried her so far in the series and as a reader, I was invested in this hope. To see it fall through and force Elena to embrace the opportunity that was given to her on what remains of Earth is a powerful ending, and helps to make it one of the more memorable series in the genre. It might not be the happy ending you wanted for Elena and her family, but the message of not holding onto the past still rings true. This is a tale about survival and what we do to find hope to continue on.
There isn’t much to be said about the visuals that I haven’t mentioned up to this point. The artistic team’s portrayal of both these great characters and the world they inhabit is spot on and deeply engaging. There are some panels that could have used more time spent on them in the final issue, but there is so much expression in every page that you just can’t help but become absorbed.
Elena may have never saw her family again, but she never gave up hope, and that is ultimately the fundamental heart of the series. The creative team delivers a story that will stick with you long after completing it due to its smart narrative decisions and heartfelt characters. There just aren’t many books like this.
Final Thoughts
Broken World #4 lives up to its name in the final issue, giving readers a stark reality check with a conclusion that will leave you both inspired and heartbroken.
Broken World #4: Let’s Go Home
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 9.5/109.5/10
- Art - 8.5/108.5/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10