Review: The Wilds #1

It is a story we are familiar with. A man-made plague spreads across the world. Everyone it touches slowly becomes a monster driven by rage to destroy and kill all those around them. A small band of uninfected people are humanity“s last hope.

Comic books newcomers Vita Ayala and Emily Person mash together elements of The Walking Dead, Crossed, Tank Girl and Mad Max in a lush woodland setting. They tell their story through the eyes of Daisy, the most senior runner. Runners are drivers who connect the main compound of uninfected humans with their medical and supply bases. Daisy has been doing the job the longest of all the runners and seems to be more loyal to the compound than it is to her.

All of her friends tell her that she should retire from being a runner. But Daisy finds a fulfillment in being a runner that she can“t fully express to her friends or her girlfriend. But retirement may be the last thing on anyone“s mind as Another runner brings a warning that “they” are coming.

I wish that we had gotten a more extensive look at the Compound as a whole, because it seems like it may not survive the coming attack and I“d like to see what is it that Daisy is potentially losing, the good and the bad.It would help to make the story more unique.

You can tell you are reading a book by new talents because there is rawness to the story and the art that speaks of vibrancy. I am glad of that because much of this book feels like a retread of ideas we“ve seen before. I have a real hope that they can turn this from something generic to something special by focusing on Daisy and Heather against their ending world.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Writer: Vita Ayala
Artist: Emily Pearson
Colorist: Marissa Louise
Publisher: Black Mask

Author Profile

Andy Hall

Sent from the future by our Robot Ape overlords to preserve the timeline. Reading and writing about comics until the revolution comes. All hail the Orangutan Android Solar King!