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Wild Blue Yonder #1-6
Wild Blue Yonder
Take to the skies in this thrilling, new, action-adventure sci-fi tale! In the near future, mankind has destroyed the Earth, and the only refuge from radioactive pollution can be found in the skies. Unfortunately, dwindling supplies and bloodthirsty air pirates make life all the harder. Join the crew of the Dawn as they battle their way through dangerous threats from other crews and deadly hazards.
180 pages, Hardcover
First published October 7, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
September 24, 2018
This was a very pleasant surprise full of wonderful world-building, adventure, and excitement. It's set in a dystopian world where pollution has made the ground toxic and we must take to the skies. However, fuel is running out and only the mythic "Dawn" is powered by solar energy and can stay afloat long term. The Judge is making one last ditch effort to board the Dawn and save his people by pirating the ship. Zach Howard's art was big and bombastic. A hodge-podge of Chris Bachalo and Gabriel Rodriguez. I absolutely loved this book and would love to see more.
September 2, 2020
SO GOOD OMG
August 4, 2015
A fun tale in a future where pollution and war has made most of the land area of the world to dangerous to live in. The air is heavily polluted. But, up above the clouds the air is still clean. So some of humanity has been keeping alive by flying above the clouds. Most of the ships still run on fossil fuels and have to visit the earth and have some basis where coal and other fuel is processed for the ships. But, these won't last forever.
The story opens with a girl flying a plane and visiting a pub where she looks for another person to join her ship for a dangerous job. Her recruit (and the reader) is introduced to their flying ship and comes to find out it's the one big ship in the sky that doesn't run off of any fossil fuels. The author doesn't make it clear what the ship runs off of (or I missed it). Naturally, this ship is a target of others who realize they can't refuel their ships forever.
The penciling is good and the coloring is usually good.
The story opens with a girl flying a plane and visiting a pub where she looks for another person to join her ship for a dangerous job. Her recruit (and the reader) is introduced to their flying ship and comes to find out it's the one big ship in the sky that doesn't run off of any fossil fuels. The author doesn't make it clear what the ship runs off of (or I missed it). Naturally, this ship is a target of others who realize they can't refuel their ships forever.
The penciling is good and the coloring is usually good.
August 2, 2016
A pleasant surprise. Crammed with action, adventure, romance and even some philosophizing about the motives of the good guys and bad guys that casts some shades of gray over the whole story. Very satisfying package.
May 2, 2019
3.4. stars
Decently interesting story with very solid art by Zach Howard, it fit the tone of the story so well.
Decently interesting story with very solid art by Zach Howard, it fit the tone of the story so well.
November 30, 2020
Bought this at the suggestion of a shop employee during Free Comic Book Day. I thought it was the graphic novel a friend Kickstarted several years ago, but as I started to read it (and went back to check my Kickstarter history) it doesn't seem like Matt Kelly ever got his Annabelle Avery off the ground (no pun intended). His story was much more steampunk themed, whereas Wild Blue Yonder is more dystopian future (with a steampunk vibe).
The story is simple—humans have polluted the world to be completely unliveable. The only survivors are on airships and there are many battles in the sky for the few precious resources that remain. The lowest class of people (somehow) survive on the radioactive ground, mining fuel for the ships above, and one ship—The Dawn—is rumored to be fully solar-powered, never having to land.
Our heroes live on The Dawn, while the villains are trying to find her and take her over since their fuel reserves are growing ever smaller. The female on the cover is Cola, a young ace pilot whose mother commands The Dawn—the two argue about listening to commands versus following your gut. There's a lot of good dogfight action between planes with additional "guns" who are jetpack-wearing attackers flying around wreaking havoc. The art is a little too busy at times (the coloring might be a little heavy to follow exactly what's happening).
But still, it was a good read with a decent story—a few twists and surprises and again, some really good action. I just wonder exactly what do these people eat, especially on the ship that never has to land...
The story is simple—humans have polluted the world to be completely unliveable. The only survivors are on airships and there are many battles in the sky for the few precious resources that remain. The lowest class of people (somehow) survive on the radioactive ground, mining fuel for the ships above, and one ship—The Dawn—is rumored to be fully solar-powered, never having to land.
Our heroes live on The Dawn, while the villains are trying to find her and take her over since their fuel reserves are growing ever smaller. The female on the cover is Cola, a young ace pilot whose mother commands The Dawn—the two argue about listening to commands versus following your gut. There's a lot of good dogfight action between planes with additional "guns" who are jetpack-wearing attackers flying around wreaking havoc. The art is a little too busy at times (the coloring might be a little heavy to follow exactly what's happening).
But still, it was a good read with a decent story—a few twists and surprises and again, some really good action. I just wonder exactly what do these people eat, especially on the ship that never has to land...
September 16, 2015
Enjoyable read a little far fetched in the premise but a fun read nonetheless.
July 28, 2022
I normally struggle to read a graphic novel this length in one sitting. I usually end up getting a bit bored and needing a break.
However, Wild Blue Yonder pulled me in and didn't let me go! Think Mad Max: Fury Road, but with airplanes! From the dystopian, semi-apocalyptic setting, to the 1940s aesthetic, to the hearty crew, I was completely entranced! I had my doubts that a dogfight would come across well in a comic book, but the creative team pulled it off with a cinematic aplomb! There's a few extra points in there for having some non-campy, non-sexualized female characters (character designs favour storytelling over fanservice! YES!).
This is one of the best comics I've read all year, and I work at a comic shop.
I did stop reading multiple times to study the art in the more impressive panels. It's obvious that Zach Howard, the artist, has immense skill in communicating dynamism, setting, perspective, and the special little details that glue everything together for truly immersive dip into the story. As for the inking and coloring crew, (Nelson Daniel and Jolyon Yates), I can't praise them enough for their boldness and mastery over their line work and palettes.
That being said, there were a few moments where the plot was a bit hammy. It seemed as if the writers(Mike Racht, some story by Zach Howard, edited by Bobby Curnow) wanted to stick closely to a storyline that worked, one seen time and time again on the big screen. The villain was fairly developed and had a great motive, but was a bit overdone at times... dare I say, campy? Thankfully, the story mostly lacked the melodrama seen in many comics and action movies. The dialogue was pretty smooth, other than the fact that sometimes I had no idea who was talking because the jumping between multiple crewmembers over the radio. At the same time, it was impressive that I almost always caught onto who was talking just from the way they talked.
My real issues were: There was a romance that was a little too quick, and it felt like backstory for some crewmates was missing. This made multiple relationship dynamics seem confusing or rushed. Yet for a 6-chapter book/6-issue comic, it was decent. I'm often turned off by series that are this length because they're usually much worse than this.
However, Wild Blue Yonder pulled me in and didn't let me go! Think Mad Max: Fury Road, but with airplanes! From the dystopian, semi-apocalyptic setting, to the 1940s aesthetic, to the hearty crew, I was completely entranced! I had my doubts that a dogfight would come across well in a comic book, but the creative team pulled it off with a cinematic aplomb! There's a few extra points in there for having some non-campy, non-sexualized female characters (character designs favour storytelling over fanservice! YES!).
This is one of the best comics I've read all year, and I work at a comic shop.
I did stop reading multiple times to study the art in the more impressive panels. It's obvious that Zach Howard, the artist, has immense skill in communicating dynamism, setting, perspective, and the special little details that glue everything together for truly immersive dip into the story. As for the inking and coloring crew, (Nelson Daniel and Jolyon Yates), I can't praise them enough for their boldness and mastery over their line work and palettes.
That being said, there were a few moments where the plot was a bit hammy. It seemed as if the writers(Mike Racht, some story by Zach Howard, edited by Bobby Curnow) wanted to stick closely to a storyline that worked, one seen time and time again on the big screen. The villain was fairly developed and had a great motive, but was a bit overdone at times... dare I say, campy? Thankfully, the story mostly lacked the melodrama seen in many comics and action movies. The dialogue was pretty smooth, other than the fact that sometimes I had no idea who was talking because the jumping between multiple crewmembers over the radio. At the same time, it was impressive that I almost always caught onto who was talking just from the way they talked.
My real issues were: There was a romance that was a little too quick, and it felt like backstory for some crewmates was missing. This made multiple relationship dynamics seem confusing or rushed. Yet for a 6-chapter book/6-issue comic, it was decent. I'm often turned off by series that are this length because they're usually much worse than this.
September 2, 2020
This story absolutely carried me away into an alternate world of jetpacks and aerial battles between the few surviving vestiges of humanity in a collapsed world. Even with that, it's full of light and hope, and lots and lots of action.
While the plot is pretty straightforward and predictable as it follows a newcomer joining the Dawn, a ship who is seen as the last refuge for humanity. Meanwhile the antagonist The Judge is leading his fighters to claim it.
The book does a good job of creating depth for all of the main characters, heroes and villains alike, with many getting a level of depth I wouldn't have expected considering the focus on action. But Tug, Cola, Dr. Stephens, and the Judge all feel well-developed.
The art is very effective, even in almost all of the action scenes (although the climax hits sensory overload and loses clarity a bit because of), and has some gorgeous individual panels. I was fully invested in the characters and the world and the choices every person was making, and the stakes behind them. While some of the "how" and "why" of the backstory never gets addressed, it doesn't really detract from the story. Highly recommended
While the plot is pretty straightforward and predictable as it follows a newcomer joining the Dawn, a ship who is seen as the last refuge for humanity. Meanwhile the antagonist The Judge is leading his fighters to claim it.
The book does a good job of creating depth for all of the main characters, heroes and villains alike, with many getting a level of depth I wouldn't have expected considering the focus on action. But Tug, Cola, Dr. Stephens, and the Judge all feel well-developed.
The art is very effective, even in almost all of the action scenes (although the climax hits sensory overload and loses clarity a bit because of), and has some gorgeous individual panels. I was fully invested in the characters and the world and the choices every person was making, and the stakes behind them. While some of the "how" and "why" of the backstory never gets addressed, it doesn't really detract from the story. Highly recommended
June 24, 2025
Not the most original thing I've read, but far from the least.
The most convincing depiction of 'life in the skies' I've seen. The antagonist is not so much a bad guy, just 'the other guy', as in two sides who need something and don't necessarily require killing as many people as possible to get it.
Major ding for the artwork. It's serviceable most of the time, but when the action really gets going, it's not really possible to tell what's going on. THIS IS A VISUAL MEDIUM. MAKE SURE THE READER KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON. The most egregious example is at the end. I don't think it's a major spoiler to say 'there is an explosion'. It's quite important, and how it plays out is crucial to the plot. It was five panels that literally looked like analogue tv 'white noise'. During battles, the planes constantly look like they are turning into sand or dissolving. That's not damage, that's just shitty art decisions.
The most convincing depiction of 'life in the skies' I've seen. The antagonist is not so much a bad guy, just 'the other guy', as in two sides who need something and don't necessarily require killing as many people as possible to get it.
Major ding for the artwork. It's serviceable most of the time, but when the action really gets going, it's not really possible to tell what's going on. THIS IS A VISUAL MEDIUM. MAKE SURE THE READER KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON. The most egregious example is at the end. I don't think it's a major spoiler to say 'there is an explosion'. It's quite important, and how it plays out is crucial to the plot. It was five panels that literally looked like analogue tv 'white noise'. During battles, the planes constantly look like they are turning into sand or dissolving. That's not damage, that's just shitty art decisions.
August 2, 2017
An interesting post-apocalyptic world where the final planes rules the sky. The Dawn a solar powered fortress is the prize of skies and Cola will do her best alongside jet-pack powered flyers.
A reasonably good graphic novel that was nicely drawn and had a lovely family plot to the good guys. You never quite know the backstory of the bad guys and only in the final pages do you understand the impetus of the main bad guy. A bit more character development would have added nicely to the story.
A reasonably good graphic novel that was nicely drawn and had a lovely family plot to the good guys. You never quite know the backstory of the bad guys and only in the final pages do you understand the impetus of the main bad guy. A bit more character development would have added nicely to the story.
October 1, 2020
I read this for my college course (taught by the actual author himself) and it was the first graphic novel for me. I am happy to say that this was a great introduction to graphic novels. The plot, the art, everything about this was fantastic. The author is an incredible person, he definitely knows his writing.
November 23, 2017
Gritty post apocalypse in the sky. While the story isn't completely original, all of the characters are endearing in their various shades of grey. Colors hover in the yellow/green realm while the line work is very detailed. Wild Blue Yonder is a pleasant surprise.
September 9, 2020
Mike Raicht, the author of the book, is a professor of mine at college and always talks about this one book he wrote. This semester I finally got the chance to read it and it did not disappoint. Analyzing every scene, there is always something new to see.
July 28, 2022
This graphic novel was action-packed from beginning to end. Although the character development could have been more thorough, it was decent. The action really made it an enjoyable read. If you like sitting on the edge of your seat, I highly recommend this graphic novel.
May 17, 2023
Wild Blue Yonder has to be one of the best graphic novels I've ever picked up and I'm so glad I did. From the writing and emotion to the characters coming alive in the art work, it was all around a great read and I wish that there was more.
July 3, 2017
Great artwork, some major plot points never got addressed but it was fun.
February 19, 2022
The story is good, but the art is what’s up.
April 14, 2024
This book was such a happy surprise. I love the premise. I love the characterization. The art was pretty solid. I was having a good time.
November 21, 2025
The star is obviously the art, here, but the story has a lot of heart and manages to hit all the right beats. Pretty damn good.
September 18, 2017
So I really truly loved the art and concept of this one. I just felt like there was all this buildup for something that took place over three pages. I felt like the whole thing could have been so much longer, y'know? I loved Tug and Cola so much...
July 13, 2016
Mixed feelings about this one.
The plot barely rates 2*, being basic as they come (nice outcasts vs bad elites tear each other up, here in the sky) and filled with the very definition of stereotyped characters (reckless young pilot, traitor/sacrificial partner, sympathetic brutish wildcard, cast-in-stone monomaniacal bad ass mofo, and the list goes on...). All characters are bland, never developing any personality whatsoever, cast are as they are in the aforementioned stereotypes they incarnate). So no cigar on this level.
On the other hand I really did appreciate Zack Howard's art and storytelling even though I found it sometimes confusing, like some dark overdetailed combat panels. Nelson Daniel's color are really good and added a real value to the overall aspect of the book. The team here deserves 4*. Which gives us an average 3*.
The plot barely rates 2*, being basic as they come (nice outcasts vs bad elites tear each other up, here in the sky) and filled with the very definition of stereotyped characters (reckless young pilot, traitor/sacrificial partner, sympathetic brutish wildcard, cast-in-stone monomaniacal bad ass mofo, and the list goes on...). All characters are bland, never developing any personality whatsoever, cast are as they are in the aforementioned stereotypes they incarnate). So no cigar on this level.
On the other hand I really did appreciate Zack Howard's art and storytelling even though I found it sometimes confusing, like some dark overdetailed combat panels. Nelson Daniel's color are really good and added a real value to the overall aspect of the book. The team here deserves 4*. Which gives us an average 3*.
September 3, 2023
Vividly drawn futuristic world torn apart by war and pollution making it easiest to live above the clouds and run on spaceship-like aircraft piloted by people like Cola, a teenage girl working with a group to fight for a little piece of their own.
Gorgeous illustrations that sometimes had a lot going on, but I loved that they used the whole page for each illustration and features a feisty female protagonist dragging the boys around.
Didn't remember that I had already read it so reading it again, so again, my favorite was the art and the dog was awesome as well as the intricate details like the blood, aircraft, and emotions.
Gorgeous illustrations that sometimes had a lot going on, but I loved that they used the whole page for each illustration and features a feisty female protagonist dragging the boys around.
Didn't remember that I had already read it so reading it again, so again, my favorite was the art and the dog was awesome as well as the intricate details like the blood, aircraft, and emotions.
Read
November 30, 2015Pleasantly surprised by this one. Not so much a fan of the "flying ace" genre; the characters really won me over. And the artwork was really nice. Vibrant colors, bold lines, thoughtful arrangement of elements within each panel (in terms of layout and perspective), and far too few gorgeous two-page spreads.
June 28, 2020
This is such a cool book. It’s got a great story the art is amazing. I really don’t have any complaints. I’ve tried twice to weed this out of my collection but each time I reread it I fall in love with it again and put it right back on the shelf for another future reread.
March 28, 2016
interesting post apocalypse story. Like snowpiercer but in the sky, um, and without the bug food, though i suppose they never really cover WHAT they eat so yeah i dunno certainly trope-y/cliche but well executed none the less
Read
April 18, 2015as single issues
February 7, 2016
Pros: Nice world-building; cool ships; very interesting, not one-sided world. Characters are realistically complex. Steampunk=teen appeal
Cons: Moves really quickly. Sometimes the art gets sloppy
Cons: Moves really quickly. Sometimes the art gets sloppy
January 18, 2016
A dystopian world where only those who live in the sky can live and one family's fight to survive.
February 11, 2016
Gorgeous art, ludicrous (if cool looking) concept, writing... trapped by the predictable loops of the ludicrous concept.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews