Battleworld #5: Is This The End Of The Line For The Heroes of Battleworld?

Korvac has won. Our heroes are defeated. What does this mean for the heroes of Battleworld? This issue provides a very valuable lesson about choosing to carry on, even when it’s hard or feels downright impossible. Battleworld #5 reminds us that while we can’t control what happens to us, we can choose how we respond to it.

Creative Team

Writer: Christos Gage
Artist: Marcus To
Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letter: Travis Lanham
Cover Artist: Leinil Francis Yu and Romulo Fajardo Jr.

Writing

Christos Gage has really taken the Battleworld concept and run with it. What could have simple been a knockdown fight between heroes mean to rival DC KO, turned into an introspective look at suffering and how we overcome it. The challenge of tackling something like Battleworld for a writer lies in the idea that you are pulling all these different characters from different moments in their story.

These are characters, many of whom are plucked from unique Marvel storylines, with their own legacy and story. Battleworld itself has it’s own history and revisiting the concept of Battleworld a decade after 2015’s Secret Wars event is a challenge unto itself. Gage handles all of these challenges with the beauty of a Captain steering their boat through rough seas. Each character shines in a way that feels both true to their legacy and the multiverse they hail from, but also unique to this shared experience in Battleworld.

Art

To, Rosenberg, and Lanham really shine in this issue. Every issue of the Battleworld event has been well done, but this issue is the best so far. Each of these artist stepped into the challenge of Battleworld and turned it a slam dunk. Like with the writing, there is a certain expectation for fans out of the characters.

Each character steps out of their world and into Battleworld, with fans expecting certain unique aspects of those characters. Certain artistic expectations come with a Days of Future Past Storm, a fresh-in-his-job Spider-Man, or an All-Father Thor. It would be understandable for the art team to fall back on generic, same-old designs for those characters. Still, even Luke Cage feels updated while maintaining his early look—the lines, color, and shading all pop, making this a beautiful comic to read.

Overall: 9.5/10

This was a great way to close out the Battleworld arc for Marvel. The entire creative team hit it out of the park crafting an arc that is both satisfying and unexpected. With the Battleworld story, I got what I was expecting and so much more.

Until next time, may your pulls be magical and your multiverse remain stable.

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How did you enjoy Battleworld? Let me know in the comments below.