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The Wilds #1 - 5
The Wilds
After a cataclysmic plague sweeps across America, survivors come together to form citystate-like communities for safety.
Daisy Walker is a Runner for The Compound, a mix of post-apocalyptic postal service and black market salvaging operation. It is a Runner’s job to ferry items and people between settlements, and on occasion scavenge through the ruins of the old world. Daisy is the best there is at what she does.
Out beyond the settlement walls are innumerable dangers: feral animals, crumbling structures, and Abominations — those that were touched by the plague and became something other. After a decade of surviving, Daisy isn’t phased by any of it — until her lover, another Runner named Heather, goes missing on a job. Desperate to find her, Daisy begins to see that there may be little difference between the world inside the walls and the horrors beyond.
From writer Vita Ayala (Bitch Planet: Triple Feature, Wonder Woman Annual) and Emily Pearson (Cult Classic) with colors by Marissa Louise (Spell On Wheels) and covers by Natasha Alterici (Heathen), comes this bold tale of surviving in bleak times.
Daisy Walker is a Runner for The Compound, a mix of post-apocalyptic postal service and black market salvaging operation. It is a Runner’s job to ferry items and people between settlements, and on occasion scavenge through the ruins of the old world. Daisy is the best there is at what she does.
Out beyond the settlement walls are innumerable dangers: feral animals, crumbling structures, and Abominations — those that were touched by the plague and became something other. After a decade of surviving, Daisy isn’t phased by any of it — until her lover, another Runner named Heather, goes missing on a job. Desperate to find her, Daisy begins to see that there may be little difference between the world inside the walls and the horrors beyond.
From writer Vita Ayala (Bitch Planet: Triple Feature, Wonder Woman Annual) and Emily Pearson (Cult Classic) with colors by Marissa Louise (Spell On Wheels) and covers by Natasha Alterici (Heathen), comes this bold tale of surviving in bleak times.
Unknown Binding
First published July 9, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 24, 2023
2.5 rounded up
I liked a lot about this, but a lot of it seemed like the start of something really cool that didn't get fully realized. The worldbuilding was great and interesting, I love the idea of a nature-takeover zombie plague, but I wanted so much more from this side of the story, we really only get little bits and pieces. There was a great diverse cast, with a sapphic relationship at the center. The introduction of characters and just number of side characters was a bit hard to follow, and the changing art styles throughout the issues really added to the confusion- I flipped back and forth a lot trying to figure out if/how someone was the same character because the art was just SO different. The story was a bit disjointed, the art didn't always make it clear what was happening with the limited text, it just took a while to get my bearings throughout. The artwork of the infected was really cool though. And overall this was a cool story, I just feel like it could have been so much more, like this could have been a much longer story/comic run to really dig into the characters and worldbuilding.
I liked a lot about this, but a lot of it seemed like the start of something really cool that didn't get fully realized. The worldbuilding was great and interesting, I love the idea of a nature-takeover zombie plague, but I wanted so much more from this side of the story, we really only get little bits and pieces. There was a great diverse cast, with a sapphic relationship at the center. The introduction of characters and just number of side characters was a bit hard to follow, and the changing art styles throughout the issues really added to the confusion- I flipped back and forth a lot trying to figure out if/how someone was the same character because the art was just SO different. The story was a bit disjointed, the art didn't always make it clear what was happening with the limited text, it just took a while to get my bearings throughout. The artwork of the infected was really cool though. And overall this was a cool story, I just feel like it could have been so much more, like this could have been a much longer story/comic run to really dig into the characters and worldbuilding.
January 16, 2020
This had some promise, but between the sometimes sloppy writing and somewhat rudimentary art, it was hard to really care about these characters and what was going on. I like the plant zombies, but they're right out of The Last of Us or The Girl With All the Gifts, so not entirely original. Story is ultimately a bit ho-hum.
December 18, 2019
Story - 4* / Art - 2*
Nerad tenhle komiks, kterej tu ma par hodnoceni potapim do prumeru, byt pribehem by si zaslouzil vic, ale te kresba, to je neco, co me hlava nebere, ze vubec spatri svetlo sveta. Ale o tom potom...
The Wilds je klasicky postapo, kde roli hrozby tentokrat prevzal jakejsi kvetinovej virus, kterej z lidi dela zombie porostly kytkama. Nic extra originalniho a popravde s o nem moc nedozvime (az na par flashbacku), protoze pribeh se odehrava cca nejakejch 15 let po apokalypse. Ustredni myslenkou je pak po vzoru The Walking Dead skutecnost, ze behem apokalypsy jsou casto nejvetsi hrozbou ostatni lidi. Vic k pribehu, kterej tvori pet sesitu, asi neni potreba prozrazovat.
To co The Wilds tahne do prumeru je kresba, ktera postrada jakokoliv dynamiku. Dokud se obliceje a staticky veci, tak je to jeste celkem v pohode, ikdyz sem mel obcas problem rozlistit kdo je kdo a prislo mi, ze na zacatku trochu haprovalo, jestli hlavni hrdinka ma nebo nema jizvu v obliceji. Jak ale dojde na nejakou akci, tak je to pruser. Jakykoliv souboje pak vypadaj hrozne smesne a kdyz dava nekdo nekomu pesti, tak bez kontextu by clovek nevedel, jestli ho hladi po obliceji nebo mu dava delo. V zaverecny akci pasazi pak nefungovalo ani rozvrzeni scen a panelovani, takze sem si treba nebyl jistej, jestli se spolu postavy bavej pres vysilacku nebo uz se potkali v jedny mistnosti.
Pokud mate radi postapo a nenechate si to zkazit fuserskou kresbou (ktera ale jinak neni oskliva), tak smele do toho. Pokud vas ale v komiksu vytriggeruje jen odflaknuty pozadi na par panelech (koukam na tebe, Vasku!), tak jste byli varovani.
Nerad tenhle komiks, kterej tu ma par hodnoceni potapim do prumeru, byt pribehem by si zaslouzil vic, ale te kresba, to je neco, co me hlava nebere, ze vubec spatri svetlo sveta. Ale o tom potom...
The Wilds je klasicky postapo, kde roli hrozby tentokrat prevzal jakejsi kvetinovej virus, kterej z lidi dela zombie porostly kytkama. Nic extra originalniho a popravde s o nem moc nedozvime (az na par flashbacku), protoze pribeh se odehrava cca nejakejch 15 let po apokalypse. Ustredni myslenkou je pak po vzoru The Walking Dead skutecnost, ze behem apokalypsy jsou casto nejvetsi hrozbou ostatni lidi. Vic k pribehu, kterej tvori pet sesitu, asi neni potreba prozrazovat.
To co The Wilds tahne do prumeru je kresba, ktera postrada jakokoliv dynamiku. Dokud se obliceje a staticky veci, tak je to jeste celkem v pohode, ikdyz sem mel obcas problem rozlistit kdo je kdo a prislo mi, ze na zacatku trochu haprovalo, jestli hlavni hrdinka ma nebo nema jizvu v obliceji. Jak ale dojde na nejakou akci, tak je to pruser. Jakykoliv souboje pak vypadaj hrozne smesne a kdyz dava nekdo nekomu pesti, tak bez kontextu by clovek nevedel, jestli ho hladi po obliceji nebo mu dava delo. V zaverecny akci pasazi pak nefungovalo ani rozvrzeni scen a panelovani, takze sem si treba nebyl jistej, jestli se spolu postavy bavej pres vysilacku nebo uz se potkali v jedny mistnosti.
Pokud mate radi postapo a nenechate si to zkazit fuserskou kresbou (ktera ale jinak neni oskliva), tak smele do toho. Pokud vas ale v komiksu vytriggeruje jen odflaknuty pozadi na par panelech (koukam na tebe, Vasku!), tak jste byli varovani.
June 29, 2020
I didn't even bother to finish it. While not one-star material it only barely escapes such a rating. To put it bluntly, it's very run-of-the-mill post apocalypse. The only fresh thing it brings to the table are the method of the infection. Aside from that it's everything you'd expect...
World gone to hell.
Surface level social commentary.
Stock characters.
Something bigger is going on.
On top of all that, the artwork looks very lazy in that it falls into the familiar territory of "the bare minimum background detail." A lot of the time the most you'll get is a solid color and a few lines to indicate some kind of structure.
It gets points for good representation. The cast is full of queer poc in all manner of roles, not just the typical supporting and tertiary ones. They feel like real people and not just token diversity characters, well, sort of...you don't really get to know them very much at all. They are all too wrapped up in the events of the story to really get to know anybody outside the main character. Everyone else is just kind of there, either playing off the main character or blandly following the plot without any real personality to offer.
In all, it has potential but really needs to break away from the norm and bring something new to the table. As much as I hate to be "that guy" and draw comparisons between two completely different genres and stories, CODA by Simon Spurrier is an excellent example of bringing something new and exciting to familiar territory.
World gone to hell.
Surface level social commentary.
Stock characters.
Something bigger is going on.
On top of all that, the artwork looks very lazy in that it falls into the familiar territory of "the bare minimum background detail." A lot of the time the most you'll get is a solid color and a few lines to indicate some kind of structure.
It gets points for good representation. The cast is full of queer poc in all manner of roles, not just the typical supporting and tertiary ones. They feel like real people and not just token diversity characters, well, sort of...you don't really get to know them very much at all. They are all too wrapped up in the events of the story to really get to know anybody outside the main character. Everyone else is just kind of there, either playing off the main character or blandly following the plot without any real personality to offer.
In all, it has potential but really needs to break away from the norm and bring something new to the table. As much as I hate to be "that guy" and draw comparisons between two completely different genres and stories, CODA by Simon Spurrier is an excellent example of bringing something new and exciting to familiar territory.
June 14, 2020
2.8/5
This graphic novel reminded me a lot about a book I read 3 months ago called "Wilder Girls" by Rory Power. The story is fairly interesting and the same. I like the decision to go away from gore via Zombie Flowers (in the book there weren't any zombies.) but this is the cleanest post-apocalypse ever. People are going around in clean clothes, clean cars, looking well-fed and so on when they're trading batteries and gas. Even, the violence and zombies are clean!
I'll be honest, the art in the back up has more energy and dynamic storytelling than the main story and the cover does a much better job of explaining why these "abominations" are supposed to be so scary. I do think the plot is somewhat original, compared to the hundreds of other post-apocalyptic zombie stories, but there's absolutely no sense of urgency.
This graphic novel reminded me a lot about a book I read 3 months ago called "Wilder Girls" by Rory Power. The story is fairly interesting and the same. I like the decision to go away from gore via Zombie Flowers (in the book there weren't any zombies.) but this is the cleanest post-apocalypse ever. People are going around in clean clothes, clean cars, looking well-fed and so on when they're trading batteries and gas. Even, the violence and zombies are clean!
I'll be honest, the art in the back up has more energy and dynamic storytelling than the main story and the cover does a much better job of explaining why these "abominations" are supposed to be so scary. I do think the plot is somewhat original, compared to the hundreds of other post-apocalyptic zombie stories, but there's absolutely no sense of urgency.
April 30, 2021
It's The Walking Dead crossed with The Last of Us, but instead of focusing on the dire, end-of-the-world environment, the story is primarily about labor relations. Oh sure, I guess it's eventually revealed that a band of scientists are trying to cure/use the flower-zombies, but the first half of The Wilds is narrowly focused on Runners (apocalypse couriers) complaining about how they're treated by higher-ups at the Compound.
It's dull as hell! And despite the copious amount of dialogue, I couldn't tell you a single thing about any of the characters. Same goes for the world-building. Vita Ayala drops a page of backstory at the beginning of each issue, yet by the end of the book, I still had no idea how the flower-zombie world worked. Besides the fact that there are Runners and that they are unhappy, of course.
The art in The Wilds does no favors to Ayala's limp storytelling. The colors and designs are flat and static, truly boring pictures to look at. A reminder: The Wilds takes place on a post-apocalyptic Earth. How can you make that setting so unappealing and ugly? I should have put this down after the first issue, but instead read on just to see how bored I could be.
It's dull as hell! And despite the copious amount of dialogue, I couldn't tell you a single thing about any of the characters. Same goes for the world-building. Vita Ayala drops a page of backstory at the beginning of each issue, yet by the end of the book, I still had no idea how the flower-zombie world worked. Besides the fact that there are Runners and that they are unhappy, of course.
The art in The Wilds does no favors to Ayala's limp storytelling. The colors and designs are flat and static, truly boring pictures to look at. A reminder: The Wilds takes place on a post-apocalyptic Earth. How can you make that setting so unappealing and ugly? I should have put this down after the first issue, but instead read on just to see how bored I could be.
September 5, 2020
Years ago, there was a plague. The afflicted became abominations, zombie-like creatures with an affinity for nature. Today, humans scrounge for survival, living off the leavings of the old world and doing whatever it takes to stay alive. Daisy Walker is a Runner. She works for the Compound, salvaging supplies and fighting abominations. It's a hard life, but she is determined to help people, and this is the best way that she knows how. One day, while she's on a run, she finds a man being attacked by abominations. She knows that the wise choice would be to leave him and keep herself safe, but she's not that person. She saves him and brings him back to the Compound. Little does she know, that simple act of mercy will change everything...
I thought there was a lot to like about this comic. There's a lot of diversity, which I think is probably how it ended up on my to-read list, but doesn't feel too forced. We get people of all races and sexualities, including a main character who's in a relationship with another woman, but it's a very casual inclusion with no real commentary. It's just the way that it is, which I liked. Daisy, the main character, was very likable for me. She's tough and no-nonsense, but she clearly cares for her people and is a leader among them. Her relationship with Heather is loving without being saccharine, and they're both complex characters in their own right.
Beyond Heather and Daisy, there's a pretty nice ensemble cast. Each of the Runners gets little moments to shine, which I really liked. Despite this only being one volume long, I actually ended up a lot more attached than I expected, and I got a bit teary at the end, which is a sign that the characters were really done right for me. I think part of what helped this along was the short stories at the end of each chapter where the Runners exchange stories of their most impressive run. That really gave some space for each character to grow and become someone to be attached to, and I liked it a lot.
The setting isn't terribly unique in this day and age, but I really liked the plant spin on the zombies. They made for really cool covers and were pretty creepy to see on the page, and I liked the man vs. nature vibe that it gave the story. The art was mostly enjoyable for me, although I did find some of the lines on character's faces made me a bit confused about ages, and a bit of the action was hard to follow. Likewise, I occasionally thought the story was a bit hard to follow, especially as it drew close to the ending. Still, I got things figured out in the end, and the commentary on community and consent was pretty spot-on. In short, I enjoyed it. Recommended.
I thought there was a lot to like about this comic. There's a lot of diversity, which I think is probably how it ended up on my to-read list, but doesn't feel too forced. We get people of all races and sexualities, including a main character who's in a relationship with another woman, but it's a very casual inclusion with no real commentary. It's just the way that it is, which I liked. Daisy, the main character, was very likable for me. She's tough and no-nonsense, but she clearly cares for her people and is a leader among them. Her relationship with Heather is loving without being saccharine, and they're both complex characters in their own right.
Beyond Heather and Daisy, there's a pretty nice ensemble cast. Each of the Runners gets little moments to shine, which I really liked. Despite this only being one volume long, I actually ended up a lot more attached than I expected, and I got a bit teary at the end, which is a sign that the characters were really done right for me. I think part of what helped this along was the short stories at the end of each chapter where the Runners exchange stories of their most impressive run. That really gave some space for each character to grow and become someone to be attached to, and I liked it a lot.
The setting isn't terribly unique in this day and age, but I really liked the plant spin on the zombies. They made for really cool covers and were pretty creepy to see on the page, and I liked the man vs. nature vibe that it gave the story. The art was mostly enjoyable for me, although I did find some of the lines on character's faces made me a bit confused about ages, and a bit of the action was hard to follow. Likewise, I occasionally thought the story was a bit hard to follow, especially as it drew close to the ending. Still, I got things figured out in the end, and the commentary on community and consent was pretty spot-on. In short, I enjoyed it. Recommended.
June 16, 2025
3.2 ⭐️ A plant pandemic with a side of sapphic romance.
This is a very similar vibe to The Last of Us. It focuses on a plant pandemic, dystopian setting which is something I figured I would really love.
Overall, I had mixed feelings about this one. It’s worth a read but it’s not something I would re-read.
I did enjoy the story for this but sometimes there was too much going on without much explanation. This was not at all helped by the art style. There’s a lot of same face syndrome going on to the point that many characters look identical to one of the MCs which makes the storyline hard to follow. So, I didn’t enjoy the art style for this.
It also didn’t feel particularly fresh and felt more like a story I’ve already seen many times.
I appreciated the sapphic focus in it and felt like I clicked well with the MCs but the other characters weren’t as fleshed out.
Rep// Black Sapphic MC, White Sapphic MC. Central romance is WLW/Sapphic.
TWs listed below, please skip if you don’t want vague spoilers.
TW// Needle, pandemic, sex and nudity (on page, brief), guns, kidnapping, forced medical trials, gun violence, suicide (on page, graphic)
This is a very similar vibe to The Last of Us. It focuses on a plant pandemic, dystopian setting which is something I figured I would really love.
Overall, I had mixed feelings about this one. It’s worth a read but it’s not something I would re-read.
I did enjoy the story for this but sometimes there was too much going on without much explanation. This was not at all helped by the art style. There’s a lot of same face syndrome going on to the point that many characters look identical to one of the MCs which makes the storyline hard to follow. So, I didn’t enjoy the art style for this.
It also didn’t feel particularly fresh and felt more like a story I’ve already seen many times.
I appreciated the sapphic focus in it and felt like I clicked well with the MCs but the other characters weren’t as fleshed out.
Rep// Black Sapphic MC, White Sapphic MC. Central romance is WLW/Sapphic.
TWs listed below, please skip if you don’t want vague spoilers.
TW// Needle, pandemic, sex and nudity (on page, brief), guns, kidnapping, forced medical trials, gun violence, suicide (on page, graphic)
May 20, 2020
This sounded like it would be a lot of fun, unfortunately, the story is choppy and the art is really pretty bad. I really have to stop trusting cool looking cover arts and interesting summaries.
March 31, 2024
This would be 2.5 Star rounded up to 3 for Goodreads.
This is a hard book to rate because the story is decent, but the art is pretty bad. Everything feels really flat and static. Even when action is taking place, it doesn't feel fluid - it looks like people are holding poses instead of a snapshot of action taking place. I looked up both the artist and colorer and their work is good so I'm not sure what happened here. There are some short stories in the back of the book that add to the world. Each story is drawn by a different artist and the art is so much better in these stories.
The Wilds takes place in an apocalyptic future where a bacteria has transformed a large part of the population into flower-like zombies. These creature just want to spread their disease to other humans and will eventually slow down to becoming a part of nature. I thought the set-up of these creatures was pretty interesting, but they are basically just a plot point for the story of the actual survivors. Society has moved to shelters which seems to be a pretty normal way of life. There are Runners who are basically indentured servants who make cargo runs between different shelters and scrounge in the wild for food and supplies. Runners and other people in the shelter start to go missing and the story goes from there. I don't want to post any spoilers but I thought the story became pretty generic from there on. I understand the story the author wants to tell, but I found the world of plant-creatures more interesting and nothing really happened with them.
A major plus for this book is the diversity of characters. Unlike many apocalyptic stories, the shelters are very diverse in age, race, backgrounds, and sexuality - it isn't just a bunch of 20-30 year old white people. But for an apocalyptic world, everything is surprisingly clean and well kept: the roads are all clear, the buildings are all intact, there aren't pop-up military zones, and everyone's clothes look like they just came off the rack. It is unclear how much time has passed but based of one of the short stories, it has been 5-6 years? But there are no problems of food, medicine, or technology breaking down.
I think this book is a pass unless you find a good bargain on it.
This is a hard book to rate because the story is decent, but the art is pretty bad. Everything feels really flat and static. Even when action is taking place, it doesn't feel fluid - it looks like people are holding poses instead of a snapshot of action taking place. I looked up both the artist and colorer and their work is good so I'm not sure what happened here. There are some short stories in the back of the book that add to the world. Each story is drawn by a different artist and the art is so much better in these stories.
The Wilds takes place in an apocalyptic future where a bacteria has transformed a large part of the population into flower-like zombies. These creature just want to spread their disease to other humans and will eventually slow down to becoming a part of nature. I thought the set-up of these creatures was pretty interesting, but they are basically just a plot point for the story of the actual survivors. Society has moved to shelters which seems to be a pretty normal way of life. There are Runners who are basically indentured servants who make cargo runs between different shelters and scrounge in the wild for food and supplies. Runners and other people in the shelter start to go missing and the story goes from there. I don't want to post any spoilers but I thought the story became pretty generic from there on. I understand the story the author wants to tell, but I found the world of plant-creatures more interesting and nothing really happened with them.
A major plus for this book is the diversity of characters. Unlike many apocalyptic stories, the shelters are very diverse in age, race, backgrounds, and sexuality - it isn't just a bunch of 20-30 year old white people. But for an apocalyptic world, everything is surprisingly clean and well kept: the roads are all clear, the buildings are all intact, there aren't pop-up military zones, and everyone's clothes look like they just came off the rack. It is unclear how much time has passed but based of one of the short stories, it has been 5-6 years? But there are no problems of food, medicine, or technology breaking down.
I think this book is a pass unless you find a good bargain on it.
dnf-nope
December 10, 2021I've never dnf-ed a comic during issue 1 before so it's definitely a first for me. Neither the art nor the writing was up to my standard. And my standards are super low going into this, I tell ya. There are many post-apocalyptic stories out there. You aren't missing out on anything by skipping this one.
December 31, 2020
I loved the art of the zombies. I think the scenes that happen indoors got a little monotonous because of the backgrounds. Story was gripping and engaging.
December 8, 2025
3.5 stars
October 8, 2025
The main character and secondary characters were strong, capable, and use their overwhelmingly stubborn nature to keep each other breathing day in day out. This tenacity also entrenched them firmly to their version of events and motivations which made their interpersonal dynamics all the more believable. Tenaciously clinging to their viewpoints as it has kept them and their families safe and fed during a vegan friendly apocalypse only works until their trust is shaken. Their badassery is only bolstered by their need to support and sustain others, always viewing the risks they take saving others in the wild as a sensitive scale that can move the out of their favor at any moment.
While each major character has a counterpart challenging them, the baddies are one dimensional. This story didn't need an overly complicated nemesis, but the "men like you" monologues spewed at the baddies when they are pinned down do the time building up the respect and awe of the main characters a disservice. More time was spent with arguments between survivors on the same side than ultimately pursuing the main baddies. But then again, maybe that was the point: humans spend more time policing each other's behavior than going after the real problem.
I'm got gonna lie, the cover art was a major draw for me. Unfortunately that made finally seeing the inside art a bit of a let down, at first. The facial shading and stillness of action panels took some time to get use to - I honestly hadn't seen any comic styles like it. As the issues progressed, I paid attention to the background coloring and landscapes more and more. The harsh facial lines and minimal texture work integrated more uniformly with all the other elements and I came to appreciate it.
While "The Wilds" does smack of other alternative apocalyptic fiction (like "Legend" and "Last of Us"), it gives the reader a different perspective on what it means to be a well rounded survivor during a time great resource strain and emotional duress.
While each major character has a counterpart challenging them, the baddies are one dimensional. This story didn't need an overly complicated nemesis, but the "men like you" monologues spewed at the baddies when they are pinned down do the time building up the respect and awe of the main characters a disservice. More time was spent with arguments between survivors on the same side than ultimately pursuing the main baddies. But then again, maybe that was the point: humans spend more time policing each other's behavior than going after the real problem.
I'm got gonna lie, the cover art was a major draw for me. Unfortunately that made finally seeing the inside art a bit of a let down, at first. The facial shading and stillness of action panels took some time to get use to - I honestly hadn't seen any comic styles like it. As the issues progressed, I paid attention to the background coloring and landscapes more and more. The harsh facial lines and minimal texture work integrated more uniformly with all the other elements and I came to appreciate it.
While "The Wilds" does smack of other alternative apocalyptic fiction (like "Legend" and "Last of Us"), it gives the reader a different perspective on what it means to be a well rounded survivor during a time great resource strain and emotional duress.
November 19, 2021
Another classic zombie story - but with a twist! Flower zombies. Similar to the concept of Green Class and The Last of Us, where the infected exhibit nature-inspired effects. Flowers, fungus, trees and more sprout from these once-human figures caused by Mother Nature fighting back.
We have a compound, a romance, plot twists, a potential vaccine and survival. All my favourite elements in a zombie-esque story but with another one of my favourite elements - LGBT representation! The main relationship in this graphic novel is sapphic and I adored it! There were also some other LGBT relationships sprinkled throughout.
A few things however did fall flat, other than the main characters, there were a lot of side-characters thrown in and sometimes it was hard to differentiate who each character was. The story was also sometimes a bit confusing. But it got there in the end. This story battles with the questions; what is humanity? What is freedom?
The artwork was gorgeous and I loved the concept. Will definitely pick up more from these creators in the future.
We have a compound, a romance, plot twists, a potential vaccine and survival. All my favourite elements in a zombie-esque story but with another one of my favourite elements - LGBT representation! The main relationship in this graphic novel is sapphic and I adored it! There were also some other LGBT relationships sprinkled throughout.
A few things however did fall flat, other than the main characters, there were a lot of side-characters thrown in and sometimes it was hard to differentiate who each character was. The story was also sometimes a bit confusing. But it got there in the end. This story battles with the questions; what is humanity? What is freedom?
The artwork was gorgeous and I loved the concept. Will definitely pick up more from these creators in the future.
January 21, 2021
THE WILDS creates a fascinating world that I want to know so much more about, in part because most of the things I found most interesting weren't fully explained or explored! The science behind the virus/bacteria/plague is a bit hand-waived away (which, I'm find with, not what I necessarily look for these days), but I wish there had been more attention to the afflicted: the nature imagery is gorgeous and disturbing, visually reminding me a lot of Annihilation (2018).
I would have loved more attention to the dynamics between the runners and the compound -- particularly with all of the signals to a specific culture the runners cultivate. There were a lot of little parts I liked, and overall, none of them were really given enough attention to scratch the itch.
Overall, interesting and enjoyable, but I think it will stick with me because of what I wished there was more of, rather than anything executed particularly well.
I would have loved more attention to the dynamics between the runners and the compound -- particularly with all of the signals to a specific culture the runners cultivate. There were a lot of little parts I liked, and overall, none of them were really given enough attention to scratch the itch.
Overall, interesting and enjoyable, but I think it will stick with me because of what I wished there was more of, rather than anything executed particularly well.
June 18, 2020
There's a lot of promise here, but I just couldn't get invested. The plant-based spin on the zombie trope seemed interesting, but really didn't lead to much. The art by Emily Pearson has a light, wispy quality that is often reminiscent of Michael Allred, but unfortunately suffers a lot from a lack of motion, and unclear storytelling. Vita Ayala's main characters get some decent development, but the narrative is often jumpy and disjointed, in too much of a rush throughout, and doesn't feel satisfying by the time it concludes. There are also some parts that are a bumpy read due to poor wording, and even words missing altogether.
This wasn't bad, and the creators involved are clearly talented, but it feels like it needed to bake a bit longer.
This wasn't bad, and the creators involved are clearly talented, but it feels like it needed to bake a bit longer.
June 24, 2023
Another excellent work by the ever dynamic Ayala that’s mainly marred by the artwork making it unclear what just happened or who is even standing where doing what in a given panel. But hey it’s big gay and big lefty so that sands over the rough edges.
I can promise you that 10 out of 10 people who don’t like Ayala’s writing are boring people who you can safely ignore. Always distrust white ppl like me if we suddenly get very *frothy in the mouth* about the writing of the few racialized authors we read whose opinions we don’t like. We sure start telling on ourselves real quick! OH SURE I LOVE BLACK AND BROWN PPL BUT ONLY WHEN THEY ARE A CARBON COPY OF ME. lol sure jan
I can promise you that 10 out of 10 people who don’t like Ayala’s writing are boring people who you can safely ignore. Always distrust white ppl like me if we suddenly get very *frothy in the mouth* about the writing of the few racialized authors we read whose opinions we don’t like. We sure start telling on ourselves real quick! OH SURE I LOVE BLACK AND BROWN PPL BUT ONLY WHEN THEY ARE A CARBON COPY OF ME. lol sure jan
January 29, 2020
I can't judge this book on art, really, just on the story. I've never really connected with graphic novels or comics; my brain has a hard time processing picture and words at the same time. That said, I was hooked on The Wilds! I've read some similar life-after-a-medical-end-times stuff recently in novel form, and I found that the story line was in line with the genre as a whole. I did have a hard time understanding the action scenes, though. Without words I had a hard time understanding what was going on. I’m still not sure whether Daisy died or not.
August 10, 2022
It took me a issue or two to get into this, but in the end (despite some 'flat' artwork/colouring) I actually came to care for the characters and wanted to see where it lead. Some scenes in the final pages were a bit confused, but otherwise the conclusion was satisfying with enough left open to want to see if the world would expand with some of the characters leaving The Compound...
The End Run shorts at volume's end were very satisfying, with better art than in the main book.
The End Run shorts at volume's end were very satisfying, with better art than in the main book.
August 15, 2020
this was a rather quick read and I did enjoy it but there didnt seem to be much of a sense of emotion in it?? a character dies fairly soon and you can tell they're important to the others, but it doesnt really feel that way if it makes any sense.
I do however, dig the plant zombies and the lesbian couple. LGBT+ rep and plants are my jam even if I'm not so partial to zombies
I do however, dig the plant zombies and the lesbian couple. LGBT+ rep and plants are my jam even if I'm not so partial to zombies
November 7, 2020
Typical zombie story focused on the people still alive and how they can be the true monsters toward each other.
The floral zombification is the most interesting and least explored part.
Pretty middling overall. The art is good at times and then looks rushed. Frequently people are in stiff, non-dynamic poses like they are in a seat-back flight safety card.
Not bad, but not recommended.
The floral zombification is the most interesting and least explored part.
Pretty middling overall. The art is good at times and then looks rushed. Frequently people are in stiff, non-dynamic poses like they are in a seat-back flight safety card.
Not bad, but not recommended.
March 30, 2021
Whatever you do, don’t notice the characters’ weirdly overdrawn upper lips.
Also, great representation and such, but why do the character’s skin tones change from book to book? Makes the damn thing even harder to follow than the already confusing action scenes and samey backgrounds would have done otherwise.
Also, great representation and such, but why do the character’s skin tones change from book to book? Makes the damn thing even harder to follow than the already confusing action scenes and samey backgrounds would have done otherwise.
March 22, 2022
DNFing around 50%
The story was meh and the art was so flat and motionless it was distracting! Sometime daisy had a scar(?) on her lip and the next panel she wouldn’t but the panel after that it would be back.
Lazy art. Flat story.
The story was meh and the art was so flat and motionless it was distracting! Sometime daisy had a scar(?) on her lip and the next panel she wouldn’t but the panel after that it would be back.
Lazy art. Flat story.
April 20, 2020
um conceito interessante que merecia mais desenvolvimento (e uma arte mais complexa)
May 3, 2020
Artwork felt hollow and cold, but the story was solid and the dialogue was great!
September 16, 2020
Concepts are super cool, I'm super into art of the plant people, points for good treatment of queers, story kinda wasn't my fav.
December 14, 2020
A mix of artists put this series together. The plot was plodding and rather uninspired art work.
January 6, 2021
Interesting story, I think I would enjoy it more as a novel, wasn't much excited by the art.
January 17, 2021
Visually stunning.
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