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Wynd #1

Wynd, Book One: The Flight of the Prince

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YOU CAN'T FIND YOUR HOME UNTIL YOU FIND YOURSELF.

Wynd lives a quiet life in Pipetown -- working at the local tavern, out of sight in the secret rooms beneath the floorboards, often stealing away to catch glimpses of the son of the castle's groundskeeper as he works.

But Wynd also has a secret... magical blood betrayed by his pointed ears, forbidden within the city limits. His shaggy hair has obscured them for most of his life, but now that Wynd is a teenager they are growing too unwieldy to hide.

Joined by his best friend Oakley and Thorn, the groundskeeper's son, Wynd's strange dreams and an encounter with the city guard send him on the most dangerous adventure he could imagine, where Wynd will discover the magic in the world around him and, most importantly, the magic within himself.

The GLAAD Award-winning team of writer James Tynion IV (Batman, The Woods) and artist Michael Dialynas (The Woods) present a new young adult fantasy series about learning to spread your wings no matter the dangers that life puts in your way.

Collects: Wynd #1-5

243 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 17, 2020

52 people are currently reading
3767 people want to read

About the author

James Tynion IV

1,645 books1,990 followers
Prior to his first professional work, Tynion was a student of Scott Snyder's at Sarah Lawrence College. A few years later, he worked as for Vertigo as Fables editor Shelly Bond's intern. In late 2011, with DC deciding to give Batman (written by Snyder) a back up feature, Tynion was brought in by request of Snyder to script the back ups he had plotted. Tynion would later do the same with the Batman Annual #1, which was also co-plotted by Snyder. Beginning in September 2012, with DC's 0 issue month for the New 52, Tynion will be writing Talon, with art by Guillem March. In early 2013 it was announced that he'd take over writing duties for Red Hood and the Outlaws in April.

Tynion is also currently one of the writers in a rotating team in the weekly Batman Eternal series.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 559 reviews
Profile Image for Charlie.
111 reviews602 followers
August 11, 2022
If I could just read graphic novels forever, I would be totally fine with that.

My best friend was screaming at me to read this for a while so naturally I purchased both volumes because I trust her judgement. WYND is set in a dark fantasy world where magic is banned and those who use it, or are it, face persecution. I love that despite the dark elements of the world, queerness was expressed casually, and was not something that alienated residents of Pipetown from their neighbours. The lore of the Weirdbloods was so engaging, and I loved all the different kinds of mythical creatures that were introduced in the first volume. The world building was crisp and unique, and I loved learning about the history of the Vampyres, Faeries and Spyrtles.

Thorn, the gardeners son, lives in the dangerous palace, and is a friend of the rebellious prince. Wynd, who watches Thorn from rooftops, has a crush on the older boy, who represents a lot of what Wynd dreams about his life one day becoming. Events force them together, and soon Wynd and Thorn are running for their lives. I love that Wynd slowly starts to believe in and accept himself. All of the drama seems centred around the prince, who was incredibly annoying. The variations in characterisation was something I really appreciated, as there were so many characters to love and hate.

I feel like their little group is slowly settling into the found family trope, and I would love to see it happen. The art is really vivid and colourful, truly a treat for the eyes. I couldn’t recommend this enough!

I post about queer books on: Instagram Twitter TikTok
Profile Image for Paul.
2,793 reviews20 followers
October 29, 2020
Thanks to the Marvel Unlimited subscription my wife buys me for my birthday every year feeding my Marvel addiction, I get to spend my money on indie books. I picked this one up on a whim because I liked the cover, knowing absolutely nothing about it, and it totally blew me away.

This is a chunky volume as, while it only collects five issues, those issues are all about fifty pages long, so you get a lot of bang for your buck.

This story is set in a fantasy world, in a city where magical folk and folk who have been 'tainted' by magic are strictly forbidden, punishable by death. Our titular protagonist is one of said 'tainted' but his 'taint' is so minor (just little pointy ears he can hide under his hair) he can pass for 'normal', living with his adoptive family.

Wynd is gay but this isn't even commented upon, just taken for absolutely normal, which I bloody loved. If only our 'normal' non-fantasy world could be more like this. His crush on one of the other characters is really sweet and well-written, if bordering on slightly stalky at times! In fact, all the characters are really well-defined, in as few strokes as possible; the writer really shows some restraint, only saying what needs to be said to tell the story.

It's good the book isn't overly wordy as the artwork is gorgeous and it would have been a shame to clutter it up with too many word balloons. This is actually some of the best cartooning I've seen in a long time and the colour work really brings it to life.

For a book I bought on a whim, I'm now a hardcore fan, and can't wait for volume two to start in May! The ending was great and I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!
Profile Image for Chad.
10.3k reviews1,061 followers
July 24, 2021
This was great. It's about a teenager growing up in a city where magic is outlawed because it's contagious and can cause many adverse affects to humans. He is an unknown magical being with pointed ears who hides them beneath long hair. The Bandaged Man has returned to the city for the first time in 20 years. He can sniff out magic. The last time he was in Pipetown all of the magical beings were sought out and murdered. So Wynd's adopted mother attempts to get him out of the city before it happens again. There's a lot of great world building here. I also like how Wynd is gay but no one cares. Even though there are still discriminatory undertones, it's because of magic not sexual orientation. It's an interesting contrast. Michael Dialynas has adopted a more cartoonish look for this world that looks great.



Received a review copy from Boom and NetGalley
Profile Image for Jim Ef.
434 reviews104 followers
December 2, 2023
8.1/10
An amazing story set in a fantasy world, full of great messages.
Both, writing and art, are done very very well.
You can relate and/or understand each person. Even the ones that play a small part, mean something to the story and have an impact. Can't wait to see what comes next.
Profile Image for Drusilla.
1,064 reviews423 followers
April 4, 2025
What a great story. Fast paced plot, lots of interesting and also annoying characters. But also quite a lot of depth and sadness. Pretty brutal for being YA.

„Magic is the way the world touches you, and changes you into who it needs you to be. Some of those changes are frightening, but many of them are beautiful.“ 🌟

„I used to go up to this silly little crow’s nest on top of the Dark Spout with my telescope, and I would watch you run. And I would picture that someday, I’d wake up and my ears would be regular, and I would get a regular job, doing regular things, and I’d pick up flowers from you at the market. And you’d tell me the things you knew about the flowers, and help me pick just the right ones. And maybe you’d ask me to have dinner with you or something silly like that.“ 🫠🥺🫠
Profile Image for Hosein.
300 reviews120 followers
August 5, 2024
من اتفاقی روی فولدرش کلیک کردم و صرفا چون جلدش جالب بود تصمیم گرفتم ده صفحه بخونم. اینقدر خوب بود که تا وقتی تموم شد نتونستم چشممو از صفحه بردارم. یه داستان فانتزی خیلی پیچیده با نژادهای مختلف و تاریخ و شخصیت‌های جالبه که اصلا مشکلی توی پیش بردن داستانش نداره. معمولا کارهایی که اینقدر پیچیده‌ن مجبورن که حجیم بشن، خیلی چیزها رو هزاربار بچرخونن تا بگن، ولی این خیلی راحت همشو منتقل میکرد توی داستان. امیدوارم توی بقیه ی جلدهاش افت نکنه.
Profile Image for Shannon.
3,111 reviews2,565 followers
March 13, 2021
A really fun high fantasy series with some great themes and beautiful art. I think I kind of love everything Tynion writes now.

Individual issue reviews: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5

Total review score: 3.6
Profile Image for Mir.
4,975 reviews5,330 followers
April 9, 2023
Solid, very traditional coming-of-age fantasy that reminded me of the ones that I read by the sack as a tween and teen. Wynd is different from other teens, he ha a secret he is [spoiler] Special. We rooting for the colorful underdogs against the mean authorities. It's made slightly less old-school by having a gay MC (in a totally PG way; don't worry, parents, he just ogles his crush and blushes) and a smart-girl foster-sister who is a sewer engineer.

3.5 star, pleasant if unsurprising read.
Profile Image for Chris Lemmerman.
Author 7 books123 followers
April 30, 2021
Wynd is another brainchild from the mind of James Tynion IV; set in a fantasy world where being magical is shunned, a young boy with wings finds himself embroiled in a tale of intrigue and succession as his attempts to live his life as he truly wants to live it come crashing into the plight of a pampered prince who wants nothing more than to get away from it all.

Tynion IV's world building is fantastic, as always. These five issues are extra sized, but even so you'll feel like you've been in the world of Wynd for a lot longer by the time they come to a close. There are revelations that feel organic within the framework of the world and manage to upend everything you've already been lead to believe, and there's so much potential for more that I'm glad Boom! have already announced that the book's coming back soon.

The characters are a nice mix as well; Wynd's innocence contrasts nicely with the prince's cocksuredness (which all falls apart once they leave the walls of the city), and the villain of the piece is especially chilling. Also, hell yes for queer creators writing queer characters, and Tynion IV never disappoints on this front.

On art is Tynion IV's collaborator on The Woods, Michael Dialynas, who turns his hand to magical fantasy just as well as he did to sci-fi horror on that book. The colours are so beautiful and lush, and the pure joy on Wynd's face is infectious as hell.

Wynd's another win for Boom! and the entire creative team. It's a joy to read, lovely to look at, and the promise of more soon is just icing on the cake.
Profile Image for James.
2,586 reviews79 followers
March 28, 2022
4.25 stars. This was a lot of fun. It starts off pretty slow. But it moves at a steady pace so once I got hooked in, there was no looking back. It just kept getting more and more interesting as more lore was dropped in and as the stakes kept getting higher. Wynd is a young boy with pointed ears which means he has magic in him. The people in Pipetown where he lives don’t like people with magic in them. Therefor, Wynd has to keep his ears hidden and stay in the background. As the story progresses, he learns that what he thinks he knows about all that may not be exactly what the deal is. This story has a nice sense of adventure, I’ve really been digging the supporting characters more and more and they have seemed to only scratch the surface of what’s really going on. The art is solid and fits this book nicely. Volume 2 up next!!
Profile Image for Mattthew.
116 reviews11 followers
October 12, 2024
A great YA fantasy with LGBT characters. The art is a little funky, but in a good way, that feels natural to the story. The colors are great, too. Looking forward to volume 2.
Recommend.
Profile Image for Kadi P.
878 reviews141 followers
September 3, 2021
*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review*

Unsurprisingly, this was just as good as I expected it to be, but surprisingly, it was touching and emotional too.

With a wide array of fascinating characters, both magical and otherwise, the comic did well to juggle them all and created great character dynamics. The character growth for all of the characters was great to see, especially in the Prince character. It’s always the one that’s the worst that grows the most and whilst I didn’t actually mind his whining (it provided a good contrast to everyone else’s helpfulness) it was satisfying to see the Prince get put in his place by Wynd so spectacularly.

I did find it slightly confusing to have the explanation of the magic structure of the world change half way through, but I also saw how that was kind of the point of it. The reader learns about the world along with the characters and the uncertainty lends itself well to the mystery of it.

It was cool to see this vol manage to be both cute at times and serious at others. I loved the raised stakes of it because it was unexpected and that only made it seem even more genuine.

This laid down a great foundation for what’s surely going to be an even better sequel. I can’t wait to read book 2!
Profile Image for Chris.
777 reviews13 followers
May 31, 2021
"I don't want it to be a part of me! I want to be normal!"

Wynd is a fifteen year old boy living in a city where having any kind of magic in your blood is enough for you to be put to death, so he must hide his pointy ears at all costs from everyone but his closest friend Oakley and her mother.

He knows that there's a chance as he grows older the magic is going to become even more obvious and reveal itself in some sinister way. He regularly dreams of turning into a giant bird monster that is beaten to death by Oakley because she doesn't recognise him.

So he's scared and lonely, his only respite from it all is going up on the roof and spying on the pretty gardener's son Thorn during his lunch break.

When it seems he's about to be outed he needs to scramble to quickly leave town and everything he ever knew behind.

Michael Dialynas has a colourful, cartoony style of drawing which is occasionally punctuated by scenes of violence and death. But mostly it's colourful and cartoony.

I have always admired the way James Tynion casually includes gay characters as his protagonist, and he does it here once again with Wynd. Although the parallels between Wynd coming to terms with his magical heritage and an LGBT kid coming to terms with their sexuality is pretty blatant.

I sometimes get frustrated when a story does an allegory for LGBT characters without actually including them. Star Trek was guilty of this for a long time with the stories that are about how it's okay to be different (wink gay) without ever including a gay character (until recently). That kind of thing feels like they're throwing LGBT people a bone while also being able to court the homophobes.

So, I like the allegory while also featuring an LGBT protagonist. It's a nice one-two punch from Tynion.

It's a cute little story that feels aimed at a younger demographic but it's still one that can be appreciated by those who enjoy a classic hero's journey.
Profile Image for Jenn Marshall.
1,158 reviews29 followers
June 30, 2023
Wynd is just a regular boy who lives in a fantasy world where magic is feared. He has a secret and has set off on a quest with his best friend to discover magic in the world. Volume 1 contains issues 1-5 of Tynion's series.

It was so good that I read it in one sitting not even pausing to take notes for my review. I could not wait to find out what was next. Before I had even finished I added Wynd to my pull at our local comic shop. I do not want to wait to find out what happens next.

The art is perfect for this story. The characters are complex and interesting. Everything about this book feels so real. I love it.

Creative Team:
Written by James Tynion IV
Illustrated by Michael Dialynas
Lettered by Aditya Bidikar
Profile Image for Rory Michaelson.
Author 5 books116 followers
May 22, 2022
Absolutely loved this and can't wait to read the second. Beautiful story and incredible illustration.
Profile Image for Carlos.
672 reviews304 followers
December 24, 2022
Nice graphics, the story was very easy to follow and I'm interested in knowing more about the world in the book and I think that is a good sign that the author did a good job!
Profile Image for Alex Sarll.
7,059 reviews363 followers
Read
April 15, 2021
Queer YA fantasy, which in places feels so firmly situated within that niche as to lack much identity of its own. Wynd lives, surreptitiously, in Pipetown; he's both literally gay and 'weirdblood', tainted by wild magic in a way the authorities dislike, which as such clearly doubles as metaphorically gay, right down to the bit where he's tempted by brutal, risky and expensive conversion therapy just so he can try to be 'normal' in this hostile environment. Except now the Bandaged Man, with his scars and his nose for magic, has come to town, so hiding isn't an option anymore, and a perilous quest across the wilds beckons. All fairly familiar stuff, right? And ditto the visuals, at least when it comes to the principals and the vaguely steampunk city. Where it sparkles is when things get stranger – the insectoid who undertakes to guide Wynd and co. through the wider world, and above all the adorable little plant sprites which the city ruthlessly, heartbreakingly suppresses lest they spread the magical contagion. At times, the story's commitment to diversity rubs against itself; also in Wynd's escape party is the city's prince, who wants to repeal the repressive blood laws, but is a right rude bastard when confronted with anything outside his pampered experience. Presumably he's meant to represent the arrogant, condescending self-proclaimed ally, but that type feels very white, which he ain't. Oh, and a separate issue, but his dad, the hardline king? He's called Yossar, which means to any British reader of a certain age you keep expecting him to say 'Gis a job, I can rule that'. As for the timing of the raid which leaves Wynd aware that there's something particularly unusual about his blood, but with no hint as to what it might be...sometimes, plot contrivance can be a little too blatant. I've really enjoyed some of Tynion's other inclusive all-ages books, like Backstagers, which felt much more confidently its own thing. But while I can definitely see there'd be an audience who'll love Wynd, I'm not it.

(Netgalley ARC)
Profile Image for Jess Bragg.
32 reviews112 followers
May 24, 2021
This is now in my top 10 for 2021. Fantastic fantasy story with brilliant art, a book about being different with tons of action, adventure and big jerks. Good guys to root for too!
Profile Image for ame.
148 reviews3 followers
July 15, 2023
This was a visually stunning graphic novel that immediately caught my eye with its beautiful art style, especially the use of colors. While I wasn't immediately drawn into the story, it eventually grabbed my attention. The world building is intriguing and it's easy to get invested in the characters' stories. The plot is fast-paced and action-packed, which makes it feel like you are speeding through the pages.

The only aspect of the book that didn't quite work for me was the romance part, which felt unnecessary since it didn't add anything to the story and even felt cringy at times. However, this is a minor quibble in an otherwise enjoyable read.

Overall, it was really interesting and I'm definitely interested in reading the next book, as I'm curious to see where the story goes.
Profile Image for Cristina.
195 reviews94 followers
September 9, 2023
Me ha sorprendido gratamente este primer cómic que leo de James Tynion IV. El worldbuilding se vislumbra ya en este primer tomo, aunque se echa en falta un mayor desarrollo del mismo, pero la leyenda que pesa sobre Esseriel está ahí.

La personalidad y características principales de algunos de los personajes está bien definida y, aunque tenga cierto aire juvenil y el protagonista sea un adolescente, me han encantado casi todos, incluso el villano, y solo es insufrible el príncipe.

Habrá que ver cómo va desarrollándose la trama en el resto de tomos, y el origen de los vegetelfos, que no me quedó muy claro en la leyenda. La recomiendo si te va la fantasía y quieres un entretenimiento rápido al final de la jornada laboral, sin que te agote tus ya maltrechas neuronas, que somos algunos los que aún no pudimos disfrutar de vacaciones, en mi caso porque solapé mi trabajo en la privada con el de funcionaria, y en departamento que recalé a mediados junio ya concedieron vacaciones. La ventaja: cuando vuelvan todos, yo me iré a ver mundo fuera de Madrid.

En conclusión, me la recomendó David del canal de YouTube "El muro cómic", y yo os la recomiendo a vosotros.
Profile Image for Wayne McCoy.
4,291 reviews33 followers
June 2, 2021
'Wynd Book One: Flight of the Prince' by James Tynion IV with art by Michael Dialynas is a fantasy graphic novel set in an unusual fantasy world.

Wynd works in a pub helping out, but Wynd has a secret. He has pointy ears and that could get him killed. Especially now that the menacing Bandaged Man is in town looking for him. Fortunately, he's got new and old friends that want to help him escape.

I really liked this world and these characters. I liked the twists and turns the story took and I'd be more than happy reading more in this series. The art is also a win, with great character design.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from BOOM! Studios and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Profile Image for Johnee.
208 reviews449 followers
January 19, 2023
Re-read on Jan 18, 2023:
Still amazing, still heartbreaking, tons of action, the lore, etc. Needed a refresher before I start Book 2. There’s a reason why this was my fave queer graphic novel from last year!

•••••

Review from Jan 27, 2022:

This had action, mythology, character development, violence, and parts that pulled at my heartstrings. I loved the story - well told with lots of suspense and drama too. I absolutely adore the artwork style and will definitely be pre-ordering Book 2 asap.
Profile Image for TJ.
767 reviews63 followers
May 19, 2021
I thought this was spectacular! It’s like a D&D world but if it had the metaphors of the X-Men mixed in. The characters were all memorable, and the art was fun and colorful. I can’t recommend this enough, and I would say it’s an all ages read. 5/5 stars and a new favorite graphic novel!
Profile Image for Sandra.
413 reviews963 followers
May 8, 2021
Check out my full video review: https://youtu.be/FmoJcUNDc38

This graphic novel follows Wynd, who has all his life had to hide his magical parts. He is about to be discovered and has to escape with his sister, his crush and the crown prince to a place where it is safer for people with magical blood.

This graphic novel had so cute art! The characters really shone on page, and I’m excited to get to know them better and see them develop even further. You really start to care for them. The setup of the world and foreshadowing for the story to come keeps it all interesting and fun. While, this has a lot of darkness in it, it general gave me a happy and fluff feel? It was adorable and happy, while also being gritty and sad? Really, it has everything you could want in a graphic novel so I recommend it a lot! I'm excited for the next volume. 4/5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 559 reviews

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