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Wild's End #7-12
Wild's End: The Enemy Within
What's to Love: The first Wild's End miniseries kept us in constant suspense with its unlikely mash-up of War of the Worlds and The Wind in the Willows. We're holding our collective breaths as author Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy) and illustrator I.N.J. Culbard (The King in Yellow) are set to play with the paranoia and "enemy amongst us" conspiracy theories prevalent in stories we love like Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The X-Files. What It Is: As survivors of the alien invasion of Lower Crowchurch try to cope with what happened to their small town, the military arrives in an attempt to cover up the "incident." Town residents are immediately detained, questioned, and treated with suspicion. Clive, Susan, and the others will need to escape imprisonment if they're to get the word out and warn the rest of the world before the aliens return. Collects the complete limited series.
158 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 27, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 18, 2016
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
MISTER FAWKES
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
=(
I AM SAD.
(I love this comic so much, and I also love that Dan Abnett isn't all about the happy endings. Even though I am devastated by the loss of Mister Fawkes.)
MISTER FAWKES
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
=(
I AM SAD.
(I love this comic so much, and I also love that Dan Abnett isn't all about the happy endings. Even though I am devastated by the loss of Mister Fawkes.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2021
Fawkes, Clive, Peardew, Alph and Minks were imprisoned when the army came into Lower Crowchurch to isolate the area. The army hasn't encountered the space spiders yet and are interrogating the populace incessantly. They suspect Clive's group of being aliens in disguise, so Clive decides they need to escape and release the news to the world.
In a move that makes little sense, the army invites sci-fi writers Herbert Runciman and Lewis Cornfelt to Lower Crowchurch as specialist consultants on otherworldly technology. Peardew puts it best: 'the country's first recourse is to consult the imagination of a man who couldn't imagine himself out of a cupboard.'
In a move that makes little sense, the army invites sci-fi writers Herbert Runciman and Lewis Cornfelt to Lower Crowchurch as specialist consultants on otherworldly technology. Peardew puts it best: 'the country's first recourse is to consult the imagination of a man who couldn't imagine himself out of a cupboard.'
November 15, 2016
Wild's End Volume 2 was a substantial improvement from the first! While the story is still quite trope-y, the way that Dan Abnett handled it this time was much better. The military has moved in, and our protagonists from the previous book are being held for investigation. No one is really quite sure what is going on, and this leads to some foolish mistakes, more deaths, and the potential destruction of Earthen life.
Like the previous volume, the end of every section of the book comes with some form of non-graphic writing. These are interesting additions to the narrative, and some of them are rather affecting.
The best part of this series though is the ending. Wow, it is just chilling and unforgettable!
Like the previous volume, the end of every section of the book comes with some form of non-graphic writing. These are interesting additions to the narrative, and some of them are rather affecting.
The best part of this series though is the ending. Wow, it is just chilling and unforgettable!
October 30, 2016
I often find it difficult to pick graphic novels to read. I don't like the never ending story arcs of Marvel or DC, and I'm not overly keen on things being dark and weird for the sake of it. I like stories with structure, pacing, and most of all, good characters that have depth & conflicts.
I don't even remember where I heard about Wild's End, but the point is I did and now I have to talk about it.
Wild's End is a 12 part series about a village inhabited by talking animals in the English countryside during the 1930's. Things start to go horribly wrong for the quaint community when it falls victim to an alien invasion. The story follows Clive, Peter, and Gilbert as they try to survive and escape to warn the world.
The series is brought to us by Boom! Studios and is written by the incredibly talented, Dan Abnett, with amazing artwork by I.N.J. Culbard. It can now be picked up in two volumes which each contain 6 of the 12 issues, plus bonus material. The two volumes have very distinct feelings. Each one tackles a different theme while looking at the concept of an alien invasion and the reactions to such an event.
The pacing throughout is fantastic. I loved the tense build up leading up to the reveal of the aliens who aren't ever truly shown, but instead reside within large, mechanical vehicles that are as terrifying as they are non-descriptive.
If all this is sounding somewhat familiar, that's probably because it is.
If you're a fan of science-fiction then I'm sure you are familiar with the classic piece of work, The War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells. This story is basically a clever re-telling of that incredible book, paying homage to it whilst still providing some fresh new ideas that are injected seamlessly into the narrative. The one major difference is that all of the characters are talking animals. What I like about this is that these aren't just any talking animals like in Zootopia, or Madagascar. These are all very British animals; a fox, pig, cat, and bull mastif all feature in the roster. It looks and feels very British and much like War of the Worlds, it reads like a British story.
This is basically the love child of War of the Worlds and Sylvanian Families and I utterly adore it.
As I mentioned earlier, the story, for me, comes in two distinct parts. The first half focuses on the discovery and horror of an alien invasion on the people affected directly. Our characters, who up to this point have lived a life in the peaceful, English countryside (most of them at least) now find it difficult to come to terms with what is going on. It's these characters that really make this graphic novel excel. I love the three main characters. Each offers a very different perspective to what is going on around them. There is plenty of snappy dialogue between them which made me think of Edgar Wright's, Simon Pegg's, and Nick Frost's Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy; another staple of British popular culture.
Once the action starts, the pacing changes as the characters frantically try and survive the alien death machines. In true War of the Worlds fashion we don't really get to see the aliens, instead the focus is on their mechanical vehicles that have lots of long, tentacle-like legs, fire heat rays, and look like old Victorian lamp posts. The aliens pull no punches here and plenty of characters are killed over the course of the story. They are all pretty spectacular and surprisingly gory at times, with Culbard creating some pretty creepy imagery. My favorite being a squirrel character who has half of her face melted off to reveal her skull and now empty eye socket.
As we move past the first volume into the second, the story takes a dramatic shift in tone. After weathering the alien onslaught, the survivors now find themselves quarantined by a paranoid military, who are hell bent on covering up the incident and taking charge. The first volume is all about suspense and survival, but the second focuses on government conspiracies and PTSD. What started out as War of the Worlds suddenly takes a left turn to explore the psychological impact of an alien invasion on those involved. The story strides headlong into X-Files territory here and it's a nice change of pace from the first volume.
What I really liked about the volumes, apart from the incredible production quality, was the bonus content found between the issues (chapters) of the story. These took the forms of journal entries, transcripts, and newspaper articles to name a few. They were all enjoyable to read and they really helped to flesh out the world.
Speaking of the world, I really appreciated the 1930's setting and especially how everyone talked. It was easy to tell at a glance who was local to the countryside, and who was an outsider. The well educated spoke differently to the farmers and it was through clever use of English slang (which I enjoyed a lot) that these kind of character differences were clear. The way a character speaks says a lot about them and in this, Abnett was able to really diversify the characters.
I enjoyed the introduction and portrayal of the military in the second volume, and how they would typically try and deal with a situation like this. It felt very authentic for me and I liked the conflict between the morally disciplined military leader, and the shady government agent who are both trying to achieve the same results, but in very different ways. I don't want to give too much away here, but there are some very interesting conversations during this part of the story. All of the tension and slower pace builds towards a really interesting, if not bleak ending that wrapped things up nicely and left me satisfied. It's a very isolated story which I think plays to its strengths as you get to experience a situation, which is normally discussed at a high level, by the people on the ground.
Wild's End is a charming story and a great example of good character driven science-fiction. The art is fantastic and there are some truly incredible panels here that will stay with me. This is absolutely worth your time and money, and I think if the legendary H.G. Wells was around today he would really enjoy giving this a read too.
I don't even remember where I heard about Wild's End, but the point is I did and now I have to talk about it.
Wild's End is a 12 part series about a village inhabited by talking animals in the English countryside during the 1930's. Things start to go horribly wrong for the quaint community when it falls victim to an alien invasion. The story follows Clive, Peter, and Gilbert as they try to survive and escape to warn the world.
The series is brought to us by Boom! Studios and is written by the incredibly talented, Dan Abnett, with amazing artwork by I.N.J. Culbard. It can now be picked up in two volumes which each contain 6 of the 12 issues, plus bonus material. The two volumes have very distinct feelings. Each one tackles a different theme while looking at the concept of an alien invasion and the reactions to such an event.
The pacing throughout is fantastic. I loved the tense build up leading up to the reveal of the aliens who aren't ever truly shown, but instead reside within large, mechanical vehicles that are as terrifying as they are non-descriptive.
If all this is sounding somewhat familiar, that's probably because it is.
If you're a fan of science-fiction then I'm sure you are familiar with the classic piece of work, The War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells. This story is basically a clever re-telling of that incredible book, paying homage to it whilst still providing some fresh new ideas that are injected seamlessly into the narrative. The one major difference is that all of the characters are talking animals. What I like about this is that these aren't just any talking animals like in Zootopia, or Madagascar. These are all very British animals; a fox, pig, cat, and bull mastif all feature in the roster. It looks and feels very British and much like War of the Worlds, it reads like a British story.
This is basically the love child of War of the Worlds and Sylvanian Families and I utterly adore it.
As I mentioned earlier, the story, for me, comes in two distinct parts. The first half focuses on the discovery and horror of an alien invasion on the people affected directly. Our characters, who up to this point have lived a life in the peaceful, English countryside (most of them at least) now find it difficult to come to terms with what is going on. It's these characters that really make this graphic novel excel. I love the three main characters. Each offers a very different perspective to what is going on around them. There is plenty of snappy dialogue between them which made me think of Edgar Wright's, Simon Pegg's, and Nick Frost's Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy; another staple of British popular culture.
Once the action starts, the pacing changes as the characters frantically try and survive the alien death machines. In true War of the Worlds fashion we don't really get to see the aliens, instead the focus is on their mechanical vehicles that have lots of long, tentacle-like legs, fire heat rays, and look like old Victorian lamp posts. The aliens pull no punches here and plenty of characters are killed over the course of the story. They are all pretty spectacular and surprisingly gory at times, with Culbard creating some pretty creepy imagery. My favorite being a squirrel character who has half of her face melted off to reveal her skull and now empty eye socket.
As we move past the first volume into the second, the story takes a dramatic shift in tone. After weathering the alien onslaught, the survivors now find themselves quarantined by a paranoid military, who are hell bent on covering up the incident and taking charge. The first volume is all about suspense and survival, but the second focuses on government conspiracies and PTSD. What started out as War of the Worlds suddenly takes a left turn to explore the psychological impact of an alien invasion on those involved. The story strides headlong into X-Files territory here and it's a nice change of pace from the first volume.
What I really liked about the volumes, apart from the incredible production quality, was the bonus content found between the issues (chapters) of the story. These took the forms of journal entries, transcripts, and newspaper articles to name a few. They were all enjoyable to read and they really helped to flesh out the world.
Speaking of the world, I really appreciated the 1930's setting and especially how everyone talked. It was easy to tell at a glance who was local to the countryside, and who was an outsider. The well educated spoke differently to the farmers and it was through clever use of English slang (which I enjoyed a lot) that these kind of character differences were clear. The way a character speaks says a lot about them and in this, Abnett was able to really diversify the characters.
I enjoyed the introduction and portrayal of the military in the second volume, and how they would typically try and deal with a situation like this. It felt very authentic for me and I liked the conflict between the morally disciplined military leader, and the shady government agent who are both trying to achieve the same results, but in very different ways. I don't want to give too much away here, but there are some very interesting conversations during this part of the story. All of the tension and slower pace builds towards a really interesting, if not bleak ending that wrapped things up nicely and left me satisfied. It's a very isolated story which I think plays to its strengths as you get to experience a situation, which is normally discussed at a high level, by the people on the ground.
Wild's End is a charming story and a great example of good character driven science-fiction. The art is fantastic and there are some truly incredible panels here that will stay with me. This is absolutely worth your time and money, and I think if the legendary H.G. Wells was around today he would really enjoy giving this a read too.
September 15, 2020
The groundwork from Volume 1 pays off here. While the previous instalment of the story had a few surprises to it and some depth, it is here that another dimension really enters play. The examination of the characters takes off, the fun little additional materials between chapters become much more interesting, and the sophistication in the story turns up a notch.
While my criticisms of Volume 1 remain, this is really a step up - albeit by necessity building on what came before and not being able to be fully taken out of context - and those criticisms really fade away for the most part. This is one of those rare things, a top quality second part of a trilogy.
While my criticisms of Volume 1 remain, this is really a step up - albeit by necessity building on what came before and not being able to be fully taken out of context - and those criticisms really fade away for the most part. This is one of those rare things, a top quality second part of a trilogy.
September 30, 2019
I enjoyed the first Wild's End so much that I neglected to actually review it. Whoops. Anyway, I described volume 1 as "War of the Worlds but with furries". That didn't do it justice because, even though it was a well-trod story, it was superbly executed. But if that description made you react with "What the fuck?", don't worry, you're in good company: Following the invasion in book 1, the British military rolls in to assess the situation and quarantine the survivors. The military brings in a bunch of science fiction authors, because who better to keep them informed than people who make stuff up for a living? Their primary question: "What the fuck just happened?"
The survivors from book 1 are among those quarantined. There's the usual shame of survivor's guilt, but also the shock of realizing the government that was supposed to save the day doesn't seem to have any clue what it's doing. The aliens were able to disguise them as lamp posts before, so why wouldn't those same aliens be capable of disguising themselves as the innocent people they were incinerating??
What makes this book even better than the first is that each chapter break includes written correspondence from the characters fleshing out their backstory and motivations. This letters are written by Nik Abnett, who had a couple great stories in Sabbat Crusade.
But the whole thing is scripted by Dan Abnett, which means things are going to go downhill fast and no one is safe. HG Wells couldn't have done it better.
The survivors from book 1 are among those quarantined. There's the usual shame of survivor's guilt, but also the shock of realizing the government that was supposed to save the day doesn't seem to have any clue what it's doing. The aliens were able to disguise them as lamp posts before, so why wouldn't those same aliens be capable of disguising themselves as the innocent people they were incinerating??
What makes this book even better than the first is that each chapter break includes written correspondence from the characters fleshing out their backstory and motivations. This letters are written by Nik Abnett, who had a couple great stories in Sabbat Crusade.
But the whole thing is scripted by Dan Abnett, which means things are going to go downhill fast and no one is safe. HG Wells couldn't have done it better.
January 20, 2020
A sort of War of the Worlds revisited, with animals as the English countryfolk
I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. I assumed this would be 'big eyes and cute fur' and it's actually quite bleak and hardcore. It's also the second volume of a series which is very not obvious from the packaging of the book. It speaks well of the storyline that I dropped in with no problem and immediately cared about the characters.
There's bloodhound Slipaway, a former naval man (dog) with PTSD, and a fox poacher, and a wee pig boy named Alph that they all take care of in the equivalent of a prison. The military are interrogating them for days, yet don't think to - you know - go to the scene of the alien crash. Always listen to the English countryfolk who successfully destroyed an alien, people.
I'll definitely go back and read volume one.
I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. I assumed this would be 'big eyes and cute fur' and it's actually quite bleak and hardcore. It's also the second volume of a series which is very not obvious from the packaging of the book. It speaks well of the storyline that I dropped in with no problem and immediately cared about the characters.
There's bloodhound Slipaway, a former naval man (dog) with PTSD, and a fox poacher, and a wee pig boy named Alph that they all take care of in the equivalent of a prison. The military are interrogating them for days, yet don't think to - you know - go to the scene of the alien crash. Always listen to the English countryfolk who successfully destroyed an alien, people.
I'll definitely go back and read volume one.
December 15, 2016
The story continues here - as our heroes are interned by the military for reasons of "national security". The military are worried that the aliens are infiltrating society. How right they are! I love this series - unique, exciting and well-crafted. This volume ups the body count from the last one with the death of as well as a host of minor characters. Also, is it just me or is Slipaway implied to be ?
October 31, 2018
Re-read this last night:
Continuing the story of some animals who leave their village because it's attacked by War of the World's esque tripods.
This is not for little kids, but mostly because of death. Not really gorey and no sexual content or anything.
It's also wonderful and the characters are delightful and fun even as they tap into well known archetypes.
This is the second of three volumes.
Continuing the story of some animals who leave their village because it's attacked by War of the World's esque tripods.
This is not for little kids, but mostly because of death. Not really gorey and no sexual content or anything.
It's also wonderful and the characters are delightful and fun even as they tap into well known archetypes.
This is the second of three volumes.
March 2, 2019
okay i'm stupid. i thought this was the first book in the series. but the story was a perfect balance of morbid, realistic, and fantastical, and i'm really really hoping that it continues on, and i'll be able to access it.
October 12, 2023
This was so good and completely devastating! I've become very attached to these characters and something terrible happens to one of them. I'm going to start the next volume right away and see if there is any consolation. 'sniffs and tears up'
November 18, 2017
This second volume of the series takes a much more practical and realistic approach to alien invasions in the vein of Philip K. Dick.
June 19, 2018
A gripping read, who'd have thought that lampposts could be so bloody sinister.
August 8, 2018
Following along from Steven Moffat's example: Lampposts are now at least a little bit terrifying... huh.
September 14, 2020
Weakest book of the series. Pretty boring, although the art work on the animal soldiers is pretty hilarious. Story wise pretty plodding, but still worth reading.
December 29, 2023
Oh my! The situation gets quite intense when the military arrives in volume 2; stakes are raised and consequences are much more serious.
Very much enjoying the progression of this series.
4/5
Very much enjoying the progression of this series.
4/5
June 3, 2022
Esta historia nos presenta un mundo lleno de animales que viven como si fueran humanos. Un día, una nave extraña aparece y salen una especie de farolas que parecen arrasar con su rayo por donde pasan.
Nuestros amigos animales intentarán huir y avisar a la población pero, no todos creerán la historia hasta que ya sea demasiado tarde y todo desaparezca. ¿Lograrán acabar con esta invasión o será definitivo el fin del mundo?
Debo comenzar con la edición. Tapa dura, unas portadas preciosas y unos lomos que quedan perfectos juntos en la estantería. Son unas novelas gráficas que cuentan esta historia que tiene un final. Llenas de color, animales y oscuridad, tiene unas viñetas que te harán transportarte a ese fin del mundo.
Me ha gustado mucho la historia, me parece muy original, es una trama llena de ciencia ficción que te engancha y quieres saber qué ocurre. Los personajes son geniales, reflejan muy bien tanto con los dibujos como con sus diálogos como son cada uno, y los tenemos muy variados. Como consejo, mejor no coger cariño a ningún personaje 🙄😄 que luego te llevas un disgusto.
Muy recomendada esta trilogía para los amantes de las novelas gráficas y la ciencia ficción.
Nuestros amigos animales intentarán huir y avisar a la población pero, no todos creerán la historia hasta que ya sea demasiado tarde y todo desaparezca. ¿Lograrán acabar con esta invasión o será definitivo el fin del mundo?
Debo comenzar con la edición. Tapa dura, unas portadas preciosas y unos lomos que quedan perfectos juntos en la estantería. Son unas novelas gráficas que cuentan esta historia que tiene un final. Llenas de color, animales y oscuridad, tiene unas viñetas que te harán transportarte a ese fin del mundo.
Me ha gustado mucho la historia, me parece muy original, es una trama llena de ciencia ficción que te engancha y quieres saber qué ocurre. Los personajes son geniales, reflejan muy bien tanto con los dibujos como con sus diálogos como son cada uno, y los tenemos muy variados. Como consejo, mejor no coger cariño a ningún personaje 🙄😄 que luego te llevas un disgusto.
Muy recomendada esta trilogía para los amantes de las novelas gráficas y la ciencia ficción.
August 21, 2016
I love this series. Fun War of the Worlds swooshed together with Wind in the Willows
January 15, 2018
I've moved my fangirling about this series to the Goodreads page for the first volume.
November 12, 2016
Continuing the fantastic telling of War of the World. I love the characterisation! So good!
January 4, 2017
Again, simply wonderful.
May 10, 2019
Anthropomorphic characters fighting aliens??? Yes please!!! If you enjoyed the first one, the you’ll for sure enjoy this one. It’s even more intense than the first book! More please!
April 3, 2017
A really unsatisfying, frustrating conclusion. The entire first half of this volume shows no involvement with the aliens and instead focuses on very modern indignation against the military's "national security" concerns and internment camps (and yet this early-20th-century military has female officers?). Ultimately, the character's are left without an interesting conclusion, merely a hackneyed "crap, this is way bigger than we anticipated" moment. I really don't understand it: spend half the book doing only character and dialogue, and then leave the characters nowhere.
September 9, 2017
Better than the first but still 'meh'... I think there is a lot of potential for it to be good (how the second ended) but it was just sooooo slow. I might read the third but won't buy.
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