Wayward, Vol. 3: Out from the Shadows

Wayward

by Jim Zub, Steve Cummings (Artist), Tamra Bonvillain (Artist)

The new gods of Japan have arrived and a clash with the myths of old will change the country forever. JIM ZUB (Conan Red Sonja, Samurai Jack) and STEVEN CUMMINGS (Dead Shot, Legends of the Dark Knight) combine the camaraderie and emotion of shows like Buffy with Japan's engaging culture and mythic monsters.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural, Mythology

140 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2016

About the author

Jim Zub is a writer, artist and art instructor based in Toronto, Canada. Over the past fifteen years he’s worked for a diverse array of publishing, movie and video game clients including Disney, Warner Bros., Capcom, Hasbro, Bandai-Namco and Mattel.

He juggles his time between being a freelance comic writer and Program Coordinator for Seneca College‘s award-winning Animation program.

Reviews

[Shadowdenizen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Along with Black Science, Vol. 4: Godworld, the strongest arc-to-date of it's story.

Also along with Black SCiene, this is not a great jumping-on point for the series, though it is marginally better at giving the backstory than Black Science.

[Vivone Os · Rating 4 out of 5]

Postalo je baš zanimljivo i napeto. Baš me zanima što će se dalje dogoditi.

[Mangrii · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 / 5

Esta tercera entrega de la serie nos presenta el choque frontal de la modernidad frente a las viejas costumbres. Llegamos a la mitad de serie de Wayward, donde los nuevos dioses de Japón han surgido de una vez por todas en Tokio, y el mundo nunca volverá a ser el mismo. Jim Zub sostiene un panteón de dioses creados por las nuevas tendencias humanas que dejan morir la fe de antaño. Los que en un momento fueron agredidos, pasan a ser el bando agresor. Todo ese mundo oculto y tradicional es volatilizado por la destrucción sin sentido de esta nueva hornada de dioses ¿Quiénes son realmente los buenos en esta historia?

Aunque la entrega adolece de un ritmo tan frenético que no da espacio a los personajes para ni siquiera respirar gracias a una espiral de violencia desenfrenada al más puro estilo hack & slash, la historia sigue creciendo un pasito más allá. Es cierto que no les da a los personajes ni a la trama tiempo para hacer una buena progresión, pero el entretenimiento está asegurado y la reflexión sigue vigente ¿Modernidad o tradición? ¿Deben ambas encontrar juntas un camino para coexistir o destruirse?

El arte de Wayward sigue siendo de locura. Si Cummings crea personajes expresivos, acción que quita el hipo, y paginas completas en las que perderse; el color de Tamara Bonvillain es delicioso. Sin ninguna duda, este tercer volumen despunta en las escenas de lucha, tan abundantes como brutales. Y finaliza, como cada uno de los dos volúmenes anteriores, con unos ensayos de lo más interesantes.

[Dev · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really struggling between 2 and 3 stars for this but I figure if there's that much uncertainty it's more realistic to go with the lower rating. This series has so much potential but I feel like nothing ever really happens or gets explained, so it's like great art and concept but really poor execution. Also I really don't like Rori's dad so I'm unsure how I feel about that whole subplot.

[ScottIsANerd (GrilledCheeseSamurai) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just chugging along and enjoying the hell outta these. This one is action-packed and feels like its just one fight leading into the next, leading into the next and all of a sudden you are at the end and...wait? What just happened?

Yeah...I'll definitely be reading the next one to see what happens....

[Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third volume concerning the clash of modernity of the old ways and its attendant yokais with the future of Japan at stake. Still an entertaining ride.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a decent series, but the best thing about it so far is the supplemental material at the end of each collection, discussing Japanese history and the origins of the supernatural cast of characters for his stories.
This volume ended on a surprising note, and I'm eager to see what happens next.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honesty, I can't figure out if I like the use of myth better or the kick ass girls. I really don't know. This is not a good point to start the series. Go back to the beginning if you haven't read this. This issue is a bit more violent, but the story telling works really well.

[Ross Alon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another okay book, from an okay series. The art is nice. Sadly already bought it all so you'll get al least 2 more of these pinup review, which probably go the same wasy.

Skipping this series will not mean you'll miss anything.

[Anastasiaadamov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this graphic novel series and hope to get next volumes as well.
What I love about them beside graphics and interesting characters are little essays at the end of each volume that are very informative on Japanese history and culture.

[Mariano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much action packed, not much plot development. Let's hope the focus go back to the story!

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This world writhes with a constant need for information. It's an obsession sickness"
Great addition. This one adds in the use of technology as a power, the yokai both banding together and falling apart, as well as Rori's Irish dad. There are amazing looking battle scenes, the artwork is fabulous. I loved it visually with the differing panel sizes and colouring. Also liked the addition of the Ronin character.
Speaking of the Ronin, again the information in the back was so cool. I knew the names of a few of the big Ronin but don't know much about their story. I definitely didn't know almost anything about the Yokai, how the came to be, disappeared and returned to Japan. I love that a comic adds all this knowledge at the back.
Can't wait to read on!

[Tom Ewing · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jim Zub and Steve Cummings' culture-clash fightfest hits its stride in the third volume, unburdened from the need to introduce scads of new characters - though it can't resist one or two more. Rory Lane's group of "new gods of Japan" have a suspiciously strangest-teens-of-all vibe to them, but as stories of teenage superfreaks go Wayward is enjoyably visceral - Cummings' smooth art (particularly gorgeous on the covers) giving a gloss of prettiness to the plentiful and brutal fight scenes. Fans of such things as relatability should avert their eyes - this lot are mostly thoughtless, violent little fuckers.

If there's a problem with Wayward it's that the antagonists - the yokai, Japan's older myths - continue to feel rather weightless and unspecific, generic monster hordes and schemers rather than the fascinating creatures they are in more local works. I never thought I'd be praising porny cyberpunk manga Gantz, of all things, for its mythological heft, but its nihilist teens v yokai action captures the strangeness of Japan's folklore fauna a lot better than Wayward does. This volume ends on a promise of a shift in location, which I am a bit nervous about, in the same way that Chris Claremont's Japan suddenly felt rather less real when you thought about Chris Claremont's London.

[Zaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume was totally on the street gang war side, with several battles between Rori's team and Nurarihyon's minions. The normal humans were also more involved, trying to defend their country against all the destruction. Because of those two sides, I was less hooked by the story than before, but the introduction of two new characters with powers was great, as usual (and she was so cute!). It was also interesting to see duos forming more deeply inside the team, bringing some fights to another level. The art was candy for the eyes with all the gorgeous colors, it's definitely one of the strongest points of this series.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 Stars

This graphic novel wasn't quite as good as the previous ones. I wanted more character development, but this volume solely focused on the action and fight scenes. I was intrigued by the ending, but the next volume will need more emphasis on the character storylines in order to keep me reading this series.

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

The new gods continue to bring the fight to the yokai, who take most of the losses. Rori Lane is either out of commission or being controlled through the Tsuchigumo (spiders) throughout most of this collection. The teens, still finding their strengths, as a result, don't really have their own agenda. Where will this take them? Looks like...Ireland, at least temporarily!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoying this series.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story. Japanese and Irish mythology are being mixed. I really liked the fox spirit, Inaba Kami's eye make-up.

[jcw3-john · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably my favorite of the three volumes I've read so far - Nurarihyon's smug, melodramatic cunning makes for a great overarching plot, and the use of the JSDF in this book is really fun. Touru makes a solid addition to the cast - this petty jumped up loser who gets obliterated the instant he tries to get into an actual fight. . Ibana and her dysmorphia re: the fox form and her self-centered ronin personality are also fun.

The main cast is more mixed - I like that Wayward is adding more obvious flaws for them - Ayane being reckless, impulsive, and more than a little cruel, Shirai's cowardice about telling Emi the truth - not that she really seems to care that much, Rori's Galadriel moment that's only slightly justified by the tsuchigumo machinations, if I'm reading all this right. Nikaido is also there.

I think the series is trying to juggle a few too many characters - it's all a bit *too* fast-paced, there are quite a few moments where I thought something was *kind of * foreshadowed but not well enough, and so on. It's certainly not bad, but it falls short of its true potential.

[Sidny · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Rating: 2.5/5

This was what I assumed a middle book in the series would be, while it was still interesting once I got into the plot line, it didn't really hold my interest and took several attempts to gain intrigue. The art style is as amazing as ever and the addition of new characters is fascinating. I'm curious to see where the series goes and what else we learn about our already existing characters.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what it is, but this always borders on the wrong side of good. It's not bad at all, it's just not as good as I think it COULD be. The artwork is still great. There isn't much to the characters. Rori's dad shows up and is arrested for being the father of a domestic terrorist. It's just like, stuff happens, and it's fairly cool in the moment, but there's no real substance there.

[Melissa Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really like Wayward. Vol. 2 picked up speed and the foot is still on the gas in Vol. 3. I think the character development is great and the story weaves (😉) it’s way into paths I don’t always expect. There is a lot going on but I don’t feel overwhelmed by plot points.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's some attempts to flesh out the yokai antagonists in this volume, but I'm not sure how effective that really was. They still largely feel like video game mooks, interchangeable and without any real heft when they inevitably get torn to pieces.

[Kendal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another really great volume! I love this group of friends, the writing, art and pacing are all fantastic. The way the fantasy elements have evolved in a really cool way and I'm excited to see what happens next especially after that cliffhanger.

[Valissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I keep putting off reading these amazing comics, testing my delayed gratification, and then kicking myself for waiting . . .

[Neil Franz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, that escalated quickly again. Wishing for a good character development for the next volume. I need some back stories!

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

too many layers of plot but I am interested in the super powers and mythology

[Adrian Bloxham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoying this series

[Johan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While reading this, I gradually started losing interest, but the so much happened at the end, that I am now eager to start volume 4.

[Christopher Mclean · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with the previous volume I enjoyed the art here but the story and characters felt quite lacking.

Once again the back matter essays are fantastic.