Wayward, Vol. 4: Threads and Portents

Wayward

by Jim Zub, Steven Cummings (Line Art), Tamra Bonvillain (Color Art)

IMAGE'S SUPERNATURAL SENSATION CONTINUES!
The group is pulled apart and the hidden mythic worlds of Ireland and Japan are revealed.
JIM ZUB (Thunderbolts, Samurai Jack) and STEVE CUMMINGS (Dead Shot, Legends of the Dark Knight) continue their supernatural spectacle that combines the camaraderie and emotion of shows like Buffy with foreign cultures and fascinating mythological monsters.
- This volume includes design artwork by artist Steve Cummings and profiles on mythical creatures by monster scholars Zack Davisson and Ann O'Regan not found in the single issues.
Collects WAYWARD #16-20.

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

136 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

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

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rori's dad has teleported Rori and Ayane from Japan to Ireland. So know we get to delve into Irish mythology and it's grand. Each issue begins with a flashback to Dermot and Sanae's (Rori's parents) blossoming romance. Incredibly slowly, Dermot begins to tell Rori what is going on.


Meanwhile, the rest of our cast in Japan are on the run.

The first issue does have an incredibly frustrating scene where Dermot sneaks off and talks to one of the Fomoire in Gaelic. Here's a rough translation from Google Translate. (I didn't mess with using all the accented characters. Feel free to correct me.)

Fomoire: Druid, Do not go too long
Dermot: Without a choice I promise you, it was the hardest journey of what was supposed
Fomoire: No excuses. Is the girl attached to the power of the biblical of the east?
Dermot: Yes. But it's not cool
Fomoire: No? Why not?
Dermot: As if it were my inion. I have had some time to leave.
Fomoire: Very good. But the time is short. Do not miss the strength to do what he wanted. It's hard to say anything.
Dermot: I know.

Steve Cummings and Tamra Bonvillain provide some gorgeous pages. they really knock it out of the park with each issue. This is still one of the best books Image publishes. I'll save the Buffy comparisons for every other reviewer.

[Shadowdenizen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series continues to impress, adding both Celtic mythology, Rorys dad, and character death into the saga.

Highly recommended, and at the top of my must-read list (along with Harrow County snd a few others) each month.

[Vivone Os · Rating 4 out of 5]

Globalni ciljevi: druga kultura, nastavak serijala
Prošle su skoro 3 godine otkad sam pročitala treći dio i većinu sam pozaboravljala. Srećom pa na početku ovog dijela ima podsjetnik koji me je brzo vratio u priču. Sad se upetljao i irski folklor pa me baš zanima kako će se sve posložiti. Lijepo je nacrtano i mace su mi odlične.

[Dev · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apparently we are now adding Irish mythology into the mix, trying to take this in what looks to be eventually a global conspiracy of old gods vs new. A fine idea in theory but they really need to up their game to make it work because now it's just looking more and more like a poor man's version of American Gods, which is doubly unfortunate considering there is an actual American Gods comic running now in addition to the new TV show. Also at least American Gods makes sense in that the new gods are actually, well ...gods. Here we've got gods vs a bunch of random teenagers who have random powers because ...reasons??? I'm about to drop this series but the art is so good and there's so much potential for a good story I just find it so hard to walk away.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid adventure.

This time we get more background on who Rori's father is. This fills in the gaps on why she can do what she can do but also helps build a grand world of magic and demons. Then we get little time with our other heroes, and they aren't doing too hot. Last but not least this adventure ends on a sad note as one of our main characters bites the dust.

The brisk pace and solid to fun dialogue makes this a easy read. It helps that the world is colorful and so are the characters. I enjoyed moments a lot, and some great fights, with a near perfect death. However, the backstory got boring at points and some of the dialogue can still be cringe at times. saying that, it's enjoyable, probably the best book in the series so far. 3.5 out of 5.

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

Things slow down quite a bit in this volume - but in return, we get a lot of information and much of the story is cleared up, giving us a better idea of where things are headed. I'm getting a bit of an American Gods vibe going on here now and am very much enjoying the blend of Asian mythology with Irish folklore.

The art is killer - and I think a lot of why I enjoy this book so much is for the pictures alone.

there are some serious feels in this volume though...and I'ma be looking for Jim Zub to make things right! o_O

[Anniken Haga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not OK!
Still beautiful artwork, and I love that they're back in Ireland, but what I think happens is not OK!
Also, I felt that the story slowed a bit down in this one. That is good, 'cause I've had some trouble with things going too fast and feeling that I lose a lot of the story. Still want some more character develoupment, though

[Tom Ewing · Rating 2 out of 5]

My suspicion that the shift in location to Ireland would spell trouble for this series proves sadly right. Wayward has previously worked by showing mythological creatures and concepts at play in an urban environment - not exactly a new idea, but attractively done, with entertaining characters and a rich range of myths to draw on. Adding Celtic mythology for a kind of folkloric fusion cuisine might work, but Wayward's idea of Ireland feels embarassingly pre-modern and blarney-tastic, and its takes on the myths are similarly cardboard. Irish folklore is rich and often terrifying; its stories of mortals' encounters with the spirit world often tales not so much designed to make sense of the mysterious as to underline its arbitrary, cruel aspects. Wayward has none of that texture - it's one tribe of monsters versus another.

The story does check back in on its Japanese cast - the central group of kids have been separated, with fairly disastrous consequences - and rogue kitsune Inaba gets to take on the protagonist role. These sequences are pacy and feel consequential - a reminder of what made Wayward an enjoyable take on the teen-superhuman comic in the first place. I found myself enjoying them, and dreading the regular returns to the 'auld sod'.

[Maggie Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wayward Vol 4 is a transitional volume. Rory has been taken to Ireland by her dad and bits of her parents' history is revealed. Celtic folklore is introduced and the series takes a global turn. Unfortunately, not much actually happens because the book needs time to introduce the concepts. There is a rather distressing character death though, so prepare for loss. The last page of the book made me unbearably sad :( There are short glimpses at what is happening in Japan as well, so readers are not left entirely in the dark about what happened to their favourite characters.

The art is a bit off this volume. Same person, but the details seem a bit subdued and there was something about the faces that bugged me.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that wasn't fair. I'm the one crying.

Seriously, this series is great.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
My least favourite of the series so far but still a good addition. I enjoyed getting to see Rori's dad's background and all the bits of Irish myth. However I would have liked to have seen more about what is going on in Japan with the rest of the gang.

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rori's dad has whisked her and her human-made-of-cats friend from Japan to Ireland - out of one dangerous situation and into another - but the end result is that she's going to get to learn more about her powers and where they came from. Things do not go well for her feline friend, and her crew back in Japan is being hunted down by the old guard (supernatural beings that aren't taking kindly to the new kids on the block). Lots of action, some backstory (Rori's parents' relationship gets a nice treatment), and more information at the end about the mythological creatures encountered in the story.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The change in scenery in this volume was refreshing, and it was fun to see Rori come up against some new supernatural forces in Ireland. The background on Irish folklore and the pronunciation guides in the back were welcome as always.

[Dark Chocolate · Rating 4 out of 5]

The good guys are basically not good guys anymore.I won't spoil anything more but I hope Rori pulls herself together and finally fixes the mess she did in the next volume. The art is great as always :)

[Anastasiaadamov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last one ended on a cliffhanger and the action is non stop. It was nice to get a little background on Rori. The notes at the end were very informative and nice for anyone who is interested in Japanese and Irish mythology and lore.

[Dayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wayward, you are getting crazy, calm down. I just wanted to read about magic high schoolers, not fantastic genocide.

[Ross Alon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh
Nice art

[Sidny · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: 4.5/5

I have so many questions! This series keeps unfolding and gaining my attention, I can't wait to see where the rest of the series takes us. The only problem? I think this is the last copy my library owns! Tragedy strikes, but bookstores will be profiting from my obsession.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Primarily moves to Ireland for some Druidic gods equivalent (more or less) to the Japanese Yokai. I feel like it could have done more with it, though. That's generally how I feel about this entire series. It's just on the brink of being great, but never gets there. The art is fantastic though.

[Melissa Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

My least favorite so far. Full of
Confusing info dumps. I still love
The story and characters though and am hopeful the next volumes will build upon and bring together allllll the random strings introduced in this volume.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moves the action mainly to Ireland, which I think might be overcomplicating things a bit. But I'm still interested in seeing where this is going, and making Rori's dad much more complicated than I'd expected is a really interesting move.

[Johan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the artwork, the ambiance, but I am still finding it hard to see where the story is heading. Compared to the previous volume the pace has picked up. The story is getting weirder and weirder, but I like it.

[Mee Too · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had totally forgotten about this series but it was very easy to roll back into. The story plot is pretty simple and the art is very vibrant which helps with the mediocrity of the story😂

It’s basically a anime type spin on American Gods by neil gaimen.

3✨

[Sami Melber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg.. my heart.

[Neil Franz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

The back stories I need. But a concrete and solid one will be really great.

[Adrian Bloxham · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot widens and thickens

[Kendal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favourite volume yet. I really loved the duos that broke off, great hijinks. I'm quite frankly devastated by the ending and will be busy crying for eternity if it isn't a fake out.

[Hope]

I've read four of these books so far. I'm stopping here.
Like DC and Marvel style comics, I find this storytelling too exaggerated emotionally, loud, fast and empty.

[Silver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just read all six volumes in one sitting. This series is wonderful and addicting. I want more not gonna lie.

[Mariano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story, full of mythology, but I'm not a fan of the art. I don't feel it fits well