Terrorbytes #5: A Big Reveal

Every tech-gone-wrong tale in Terrorbytes’ first four issues was bookended by an ongoing framing story of a robot exploring a ruined Earth in the future. The one-shot stories never connected to the framing story which was based around two mysteries: what happened to Earth and why was the robot N8 drawn to the planet. In Terrorbytes #5, Russell finally establishes links between what happened in the past and what is going on in the future.

The framing story gets its first real plot advancement in Terrorbytes #5. Its two main mysteries–what happened on Earth and why is N8 drawn to the planet–have been interesting to a point. But there hasn’t been a sense of urgency behind the framing story. Even here, where the story leaps forward, there is too much ambiguity to get deeply invested.

Terrorbytes #5’s main story is distinct in that the technology that breaks/goes rogue isn’t at the center of the plot. Indeed, Russell buries it, developing a red herring in the form of another danger. This perceived threat to humanity easily takes center stage, not just as a result of how much space Russell devotes to it, but also because the topic has been a part of pop culture for many years.

Another reason that Terrorbytes #5’s real danger flies under the radar is that its origin is quite benign relative to the previous four issues. Intentionally or not, Russell uses the reader’s expectations against them.

Ferracci brings a limited level of detail to the characters in Terrorbytes #5, but it works quite well in this instance. Main characters Carla and Korin have a youthful quality that ultimately plays well into the sense of tragedy that develops by the end of the issue. Ferracci is able to mine the very little amount of detail around the various characters’ eyes to communicate emotion without going overly broad in expression.

There is a higher level of detail when it comes to surroundings. This additional detail is also seen in the bookend story featuring N8. The robot character doesn’t have expressions like the human characters, but what it does have is richer in a visual sense overall.

Major’s brighter color palette blends well with Ferracci’s more limited detail. The characters’ youthfulness created by Ferracci’s style is further enhanced by the vivid colors. Korin and Carla are lively, energetic characters in the story. This quality actually helps move the story along at a fast clip because of how visually engaging they are.

Terrorbytes #5’s main story is told from Carla’s point of view. At times there are more caption boxes featuring her internal monologue than there are dialogue bubbles. Mangual picks an off-white, not quite beige color for these caption boxes. They mostly stand out against Major’s color selections, but at no point do they pop off the page. And at times they even get lost on the page.