The Authority volume 5.  That does not bode well for a title.  Volume 5?  UUGG.  I am a complete fan of the original... Ellis & Hitch how can you go wrong.  The subsequent volumes were good as well but never duplicating the original.  Then came Grant Morrison's reboot.  This was going to be great, 2 years later and I am still waiting for issue #3.  Why would this be any different?  I am a sucker - and had to check it out.

The WORLD'S END Prequel Trilogy (Armageddon, Revelations, & Number of the Beast) set up a good story so what the heck let's give it a try.  WOW did I hit gold on this one.  For those of you that do not know what WORLD'S END is this is, well the end of the world.  Picture a Mad Max sorta backdrop across the entire Wildstorm Universe.  Things have changed dramatically for The Authority. 

The Carrier has crashed into London, now known as UnLondon, and there is no more technology.  No more "door" to make things easier and the team is in shambles.  Haze and fog cover the Earth so Apollo has had to leave the team, and his husband, to live in the atmosphere above the sun blocked skies of Earth.  Angela is no longer the Engineer and has no superpowers at all.  Midnighter is well he is Midnighter but heartbroken without his man by his side.  Jack... well if London is UnLondon then Hawksmoor should be called UnJack.  He is as messed up as the city in which they live.  Jenny and The Doctor were no where to be found but likely didn't survive the events of the Number of the Beast. 

This was one of the best takes on a post-end of the world takes that I have ever read.  These are not the same characters in a different environment.  The end of the world has changed them dramatically and they are struggling to get by day-by-day.  The arrogance of The Authority is gone replaced by pity and a sense of disbelief that they couldn't stop Armageddon. 

The second part of the LYNCH back-up story in the end of the book was like the cherry on top.  It frustrates me that you need to buy all four books to get the complete story but these backups might be worth the price of a book alone.  WildCATS: World's End was good last week.  The Authority: World's End this week was GREAT. 

I think the writing, plotting, and overall storyline were amazing.  I know that some people have been critical of the art but I thought it was very good.  I would recommend this book to anyone who was ever a fan of The Authority or anyone just looking for a good book that you can grab right off the bat.  You don't have to be a fan from way back to get the book but if you are you will appreciate it even more. 

Must buy PERIOD!!