After launching in 2017 to widespread critical acclaim, the young adult original graphic novel series 5 Worlds is coming to an end with its fifth and final installment, 5 Worlds: The Emerald Gate.
5 Worlds creator Mark Siegel has shared an exclusive preview from The Emerald Gate, along with a hint at what readers can expect as Oona, Jax and An Tzu arrive on the harsh world of Grimbo (E) to light a beacon capable of saving the five worlds from plunging into darkness. As the unscrupulous corporate tycoon Stan Moon upgrades his armor to grow even larger, his corrosive influence is felt as he continues to expand his rule. In the preview, co-written by Alexis Siegel and illustrated by Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller and Boya Sun, Moon looks over his growing empire as he prepares to make his iron-fisted reign absolute.
"In their world-hopping, beacon-lighting journey so far, our friends Oona Lee, An Tzu and Jax Amboy have confronted an escalating threat in the form of a corporate tycoon called Stan Moon," Siegel explained. "In Book One, he pulled strings from the shadows. In Book Two, he worked through a proxy. But in Book Three, they arrived on the superpower world called Moon Yatta -- a world of noble ideals but with a checkered history -- and halfway through that story Stan Moon wins an election to its presidency. Now out in the open, our villain captures the media and possesses more and more of the population's hearts and minds. By Book Four, deep divisions have polarized citizens of all the worlds, especially about Oona herself, and her mission to save the worlds from extinction. In spite of that, we saw her and her allies able to unite a great many people and light the fourth beacon. In Book Five, our series finale, Oona, Jax and An Tzu reach the strange and untamed world called Grimbo (E), a world Stan Moon hasn't been able to co opt or infiltrate -- but the threat of Stan Moon is higher than ever. His power has grown, and his reach isn't just coming from outside our heroes... but from within them, too."
Published in 2017 by Penguin Random House, 5 Worlds tells the story of three unlikely friends coming together to ignite five ancient beacons as Moon steadily rises to power, elected to the presidency of Moon Yatta while building a cult of personality around him. Each of the three friends possesses their own respective special talents and abilities, with which they embark on an epic quest to stop war from consuming the eponymous five worlds and stop Moon's far-reaching machinations.
Since its launch, 5 Worlds has been widely praised for its blend of science fiction and fantasy powered by the creative team's propulsive narrative and engaging artworks. Critics have compared the scope and swashbuckling sense of fun present in 5 Worlds to Avatar: The Last Airbender, lauding its ability to maintain its emotional core while delivering epic action set-pieces throughout its installments.
Written by Mark and Alexis Siegel and illustrated by Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller and Boya Sun, 5 Worlds: The Emerald Gate goes on sale Jan. 18 from Penguin Random House.