Review by Frank Plowright
The Final War is an ominous title, yet it’s not the series finale, which comes next time with The Way Home. No, this concerns itself with some matters previously left unresolved from earlier in the series, the first of which concerns the Horde, entirely absent from The Black City. They’ve previously been represented by their leader alone, and James Tynion IV doesn’t mess with that. Taisho is the person directing everything, and he’s who we see.
The Woods is now a series occurring over two locations, the alien planet and Wisconsin, where grieving parents have been given good cause to realise that not all is lost, and their children might be alive. As with the Horde, Tynion represents the five hundred children who disappeared via the parents of the featured cast introduced in the opening volume, be they dead or alive, and with some there’s confusion about their state.
It might not be the finale, yet the end is near and Tynion still has surprises to drop. Some people aren’t who they seemed to be, others have grown into who they are, and is there any way to avoid an apocalypse?
So much of the horror we’ve come to appreciate is down to Michael Dialynas, and he and colourist Josan Gonzalez raise their game still higher. More visual effects are called for, predominantly in lurid glowing green, and they’ll terrify as intended. It should also be noted how visually they’ve managed to induce sympathy for a creature around since the first volume and gruesome as they come. It’s been loyal to the newly arrived teens from the start, and now looks better than ever as it copes with being on Earth.
Tynion supplies a lot of nice touches during The Final War, although you may be disappointed that the title’s not literal. Most, however, fall into spoiler territory, and with any compelling series you’re best off experiencing the thrills rather than being told about them.
The third Yearbook Edition combines this volume with the next and the previous one, or alternatively the whole series is available collected as one bulky paperback just titled The Woods.
