Wayward #4
Publisher: Image
Writer: Jim Zub
Artist: Steve Cummings, Josh Perez, & Tamra Bonvillain
Cover: Steve Cummings & Ross Campbell
Back Matter: Zack Davisson
Rori finally takes her place as the very reluctant leader of the supernatural group she’s stumbled upon the last few days. However, she has no idea what to do or what they should be doing, so she relies on the magical threads that have been leading her so far. This time the threads have a different look about them, and as they get closer to their destination the team realizes that it just might be a trap. Sometimes it really doesn’t pay to be the leader.
Zub is a talented storyteller who has brought together a very odd group of characters for Wayward. It’s a strength that Zub plays with throughout the issue with some very natural dialogue between the group, expertly shown with Ayane and Rori as they have some of the best interactions in this issue. Shirai, though, still comes off as just the angry guy that only seems to stand out during the action scenes. This was something of a problem last issue, but Zub does seem to enjoy putting him in some outrageous situations. The newest member, Nikaido, is still quiet, but we do get a pretty big surprise from her that is very impressive.
Steve Cummings has consistently supplied Wayward with some of THE sharpest artwork around. The same amount of detail and great work you get on the cover is what you can expect when you open up the issue. He has put a lot into very little with very fine detail that makes everything stand out. Nikaido and Shirai have pretty simple character designs when compared to the many complex parts of Rori and Ayane’s outfits. This is a nice balance for the group from a visual standpoint. The creatures that come into the story are just as detailed and sinister looking in a double page spread that has more turtle demons than you can shake a stick at. This issue possibly wouldn’t look as spectacular without the colors of Josh Perez and Tamra Bonvillain, who do a wonderful job bringing it all together.
Wayward continues to be an excellent title that is seeped in Japanese mythology all wrapped in a great story and some eye catching artwork!
Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net
