Written by: Greg Pak
Art by: Manuel Garcia, Cam Smith
Colors by: Chris Sotomayor
Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover art by: Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz, Chris Sotomayor
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: March 29, 2023

Planet Hulk: Worldbreaker #5 ends the mini-series with a cataclysmic battle as High Priestess Venkiera’s machine threatens to rip Sakaar to shreds.

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Is It Good?

Planet Hulk: Worldbreaker #5 ends as well as could be expected but falls short in the one area it needed to pay off the most. For the cover price and the effort following this journey, you get most of what you want, so that’s something.

When we last left the Hulks, Banner donned his Planet Hulk armor again and led his fellow Hulks into battle against High Priestess Venkiera and her army as the world-breaking machine began to rip Sakaar apart. The battle commences with giant sentinels, lava streams, and big smashing. If you want planet-sized Hulk action, this issue has a lot to like.

However, the one question that doesn’t get answered with any certainty is “Why?” You could surmise the High Priestess dislikes the Haarg as a thinly veiled allegory about the evils of racism or xenophobia, so that’s not hard to figure out. What is hard to figure out is the motivation behind the High Priestess’s motivations and her plan. What was she going to do if Sakaar was destroyed? Was she planning to rebuild her version of society somewhere else? If that was the goal, why not simply leave?

Whatever plan Greg Pak had in mind for the High Priestess either wasn’t included in the story, or it was explained in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment that didn’t stick well enough to be remembered. Without understanding the High Priestess’s motivations and goals, the conclusion comes off as hollow.

What makes the ending harder to swallow is the lack of resolution surrounding the High Priestess. Her plan is thwarted, but there’s no ending for her. You see the High Priestess fall after one of the massive tremors, but that’s all. Is there a consequence for her actions? Does she get arrested? Does she run away to fight another day? You get nothing, significantly diminishing the satisfaction factor of the ending.

At least the art from Garcia, Smith, and Sotomayor is solid. The Hulkish action hit big, the blows feel earth-shaking, and the art quality is excellent.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces

Planet Hulk: Worldbreaker #5 ends the mini-series on a solid but unsatisfying note. The Hulk action makes the world tremble, but the villain’s motivations and plan are unclear, and her final moments are left unresolved. You feel like Pak had a point to make, but he never finished making it.

6/10