“You are what you do.”
According to creator Dave Chisholm, that’s just one core theme built directly into Is Ted OK? (You can read more from Chisholm during Thursday’s Ted wrap-up Q&A). And so far, what Chisholm has done is craft one of the more inventive and compelling sci-fi titles in recent years, exploring identity, technology, community, reality, and so much more across five extra compelling issues. Ted has been a genuine highlight of the year for many reasons: Chisholm’s otherworldly set pieces and general approach/style; his intent and intellect in which he dissects these big themes; and the slow-burn, dedicated nature of this massive tale. But most of all, Ted has been deeply, unwaveringly human in its efforts to question our world in the best, most meaningful ways possible.
But as Chisholm also revealed during our near-two-hour chat, it’s not what you’re doing but what you’ve done, and so Ted will ultimately be judged by its finale. And what Chisholm has ultimately done with said finale is nothing short of absolutely moving and essential for all of comics in 2026.
Here’s what you need to know heading into Ted #6. One, as Ted and Sarah were on the lam, our favorite graphic designer learned that he’s not actually a person, but a so-called “Manowar” created by trillionaire Noah (TM), the series’ douchey big bad. (There’s much, much more lore that I’m absolutely skimming over; go and read/re-read issue #5 as Chisholm has expertly built out the nuts and bolts of this world.) Ted and Sarah (together with Dr. Christina, a former employee of Noah) were about to hatch a plan to take down Noah (TM) when Brody (a proper corporate goon) interrupted the proceedings.
Whereas Ted #5 was an especially informative bottle episode, the over-sized Ted #6 is a thrill ride right from the beginning, picking up with the crew heading right toward Noah’s Dome in a moment that’s wonderfully, profoundly disarming. And that’s also a pretty solid, reliable theme across Ted #6 — this “dismantling,” as it were, of your sensibilities. It’s largely a means to get us feeling excited and jittery, a complete about-face from issue #5 because Chisholm is always an expert storyteller. And, to be frank, what would a finale other than a smorgasbord of action?
And Ted #6 offers the yummiest of treats across these 40 pages, a string of standouts even amid an already-packed series. Much of that centers around the final clash between Ted and Noah (TM), who has basically given himself the powers of a Manowar and ensured we’re getting an MCU-level showdown. And above all, everything feels earned — it’s the finale, and we’re coming after a decidedly slower episode, and so Chisholm “rewards” our engagement with the ultra blow-off we really need.
There’s nuclear red explosions that practically radiate off the page; some intriguing framing/layouts with Ted flying across the sky (another neat spin on superhero stories); Noah looking like the most fierce Lex Luthor clone ever; and even some gosh darn action on The Moon. Whereas Chisholm has maintained a deft hand in building out this world until now (with measured intent and purpose), this massive release is pure psychedelic candy — generally.
Because even more than his overt skill as dedicated craftsman of sci-fi awesomeness, what Chisholm maintains amid this giant-sized action extravaganza is his humanity (hey, another recurring theme!) There’s conversations and reveals and genuine emotionality and struggles baked into every single punch and slam. Lots of other books would just let you simply slosh about the chaotic, shiny glory of it all, and Chisholm knows how to inject texture and stakes and proper storytelling into these moments to drive the true purpose of this final issue: an evolution for Ted.
The finale means no more running and no more desperate searching for answers — it means hard conclusions and big decisions. The joy of the big Noah-Ted clash is a Trojan horse for the blows this issue really takes, and the pound of flesh it practically demands toward its closing pages. And while you’re punch-drunk from all that huge fun, you’re left wide open for the book’s magnum opus via an emotional superkick.
Courtesy of Mad Cave Studios.
There’s really two big moments that you’re going to have to make it through without utterly breaking down. (Truly, seriously.) The first centers around a reveal of whose been receiving/has already received Sarah’s voicemail. I can say that it does add another new character, but as Chisholm proved with the midway addition of Dr. Christina, he’s a pro at slotting characters just when and where they need to be. And our new player joins with Sarah for this absolutely gut-wrenching conversation about how relationships develop, the nature of grief, and finding peace in a world that makes that all but impossible. It takes the temperature of Ted #5 down allllll the way, but is a moment where we not only further feel Chisholm’s presence, but it’s also totally well-earned.
It’s a proper release for all of us as much as it is a realization of this one core things that I’ve believed about Ted all along: This is Sarah’s book as much as it’s Ted’s book. That so much of this title has been built and built into this massive but quiet moment where she can now feel herself part of something truly bigger, understand her own feelings and occasional tendency to flail, and perhaps gain a measure of hope and revitalization in, again, a world where that’s often easier said than done. When all the fighting is mostly done, the biggest blow comes straight to our chest as an affirmation of life and people as these things that not only define our struggle but give us the tools to tackle the impossible.
Of course, part of Sarah’s big moment comes at the price of Ted’s own fate and sense of agency. Chisholm sets up this moment perfectly — again really playing up some extra nerdy lore and tropes at a time when it makes sense — and what we get doesn’t so much turn Ted into a prop (OK, maybe, but it’s contextualized really well) but instead position him differently. Don’t expect some romantic, uncharacteristically grandiose conclusion from our lead, but he still gets his moment in the spotlight. It’s a speech that moves Ted from “manic weirdo with a good heart” to “manic hero with the biggest heart imaginable.” It’s a giant release that serves as both a love letter and a mantra of sorts, and it’s utterly gorgeous in its power to encapsulate almost any personal struggle you can filter into the situation with absolute clarity.
Because it’s not actually Ted’s story, and he’s totally OK with that. The role he plays at the very end both acknowledges and transcends his “alien” origins. He’s not only more human for this swan song, but he reminds us all that it’s not what you do or even what you’ve done — it’s so often how you do it. And Ted did it with love and hope and light beaming out of every possible inch, and his greatest power wasn’t flight or invulnerability but rather that he could see the world, understand what it needed from him, and move accordingly without a hint of anger or despair. This world didn’t deserve Ted, but it got him all the same, and his simple act of courage and commitment rings true on every conceivable level.
Of course, despite any finality you might be picking up in this review, I can confirm that Ted’s world could continue onward. With any luck, Chisholm can add to the story by playing around with new ideas and storylines — he certainly leaves the door open for himself with plenty of hefty thematic possibilities. (Perhaps more spins on superhero tropes/stories…) But if this is indeed the end of Ted as a whole, I found myself truly, profoundly satisfied. In a story that had us second-guessing our very grasp on the world itself, Ted ultimately told us that everything we needed to know was right there all along.
It’s the way we give ourselves to others and ourselves, sharing this undeniable truth that what makes us human isn’t technology, society, expansion, etc. — it’s that final moment before it all goes black. Will you stand up for others, accept the responsibility of caring, and affirm your voice in a sea of noise, or will you simply acquiesce? Ted certainly never does, and the world is better for what he’s done and will continue to do as a true hero.
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