Review – Wild’s End #5 (of 6) (BOOM! Studios)

January 11, 2015

2–3 minutes

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Dan Abnett
Artist: INJ Culbard
Release Date: 14^th January, 2015

At the end of the previous issue of Abnett and Culbard’s genre mash-up Wild’s End, we saw the surviving townsfolk barely escaping – or rather, we saw most of them barely escaping – from what was left of Upper Deeping. With the casualties starting to mount up, the stakes continue to rise for our heroes, with tensions running high and each of the distinctive characters handling the horrific situation in their own unique way. Our rag-tag band of survivors now find themselves desperately trying to escape the clutches of the biggest alien they’ve encountered so far in an attempt to hopefully warn the oblivious inhabitants of nearby Lower Crowchurch.

While this series may have started off as a bit of a novelty (although admittedly a rather glorious one) with talking woodland animals reacting to an alien invasion, Abnett’s strong characterisation and distinctive dialogue is what’s carrying Wild’s End towards the finish line, with his interactions between the main characters constantly filled with depth, humour and relatability. The pace gradually increases throughout this chapter, with Abnett and Culbard taking a deep, contemplative breath before plunging headlong into a blistering action set-piece that dominates the second half of the issue.

I’ve been singing the praises of INJ Culbard’s unmistakable artistic style for what seems like years here on the Big Comic Page, but believe me when I say that his work has never looked better than it does right here. The anthropomorphic townsfolk and the chilling, Victorian-style aliens are all brilliantly realised, but the real highlight of this series, for me at least, has been Culbard’s use of colour. Much like his work on The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, every page here is soaked in rich, expressive colours as he once again uses his gift for minimalistic visual storytelling to scintillating effect. What may take other artists a cluttered page of intricate linework to portray, Culbard manages with just a flash of colour or a simple blur of movement. It’s a true gift, and one that makes any title with his name attached to it an automatic purchase for me.

It’s also worth noting that, once again, Abnett’s supplementary material at the back of the book is absolutely top-notch, with a recreation of Susan Peardew’s journal notes scribbled down during the course of the issue adding an impressive extra layer of depth to the proceedings.

On the surface, Wild’s End looks like a fluffy all-ages comic about a group of talking animals, but in reality this is an action-filled drama series with some real emotional bite at its core. Abnett and Culbard continue to display the midas touch with every project they collaborate on, and I for one can’t wait for the conclusion to what has been an unmistakably unique adventure.

Rating: 4/5.

PREVIEW ARTWORK.
[Click thumbnail for full size image]