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Wild: Or So I Was Born To Be
Half roller derby action, half coming-of-age tale, Cristian Castelo’s debut graphic novel takes readers into the rinks of the 1970s on a track where identity is made and the league underdogs live to skate another day.
At Westhoff High, pain is part of the curriculum... But so is math, science, and chemistry. However, Wild Rodriguez and her pint-size companions have always had one goal and one goal only as they enter freshman to join the Rocket Rollers and test their mettle in the infamously violent roller derby league. Now, summer draws to an end and tryouts are here! Do they have what it takes to climb the ranks of the derby world, or will their dream just as quickly turn into a nightmare?
Wild discovers that sometimes dreams involve a lot of getting kicked in the face, as well as maybe accidentally getting involved in a blood feud or two. Half roller derby, half professional wrestling, the league is filled with cussin’, spittin’ roughnecks like the Cult Catastrophe, earnest athletes the 8-Ball Bruisers, sick freaks Puppy & the Pound, and the elegant-but-deadly Matadors. Becoming a true legend of the derby track like her hero (and occasional helpful psychic avatar) Rosie Rozine involves a lot of physical and emotional fortitude, luckily Wild and all her friends—imaginary or otherwise—have each other’s backs no matter what!
At Westhoff High, pain is part of the curriculum... But so is math, science, and chemistry. However, Wild Rodriguez and her pint-size companions have always had one goal and one goal only as they enter freshman to join the Rocket Rollers and test their mettle in the infamously violent roller derby league. Now, summer draws to an end and tryouts are here! Do they have what it takes to climb the ranks of the derby world, or will their dream just as quickly turn into a nightmare?
Wild discovers that sometimes dreams involve a lot of getting kicked in the face, as well as maybe accidentally getting involved in a blood feud or two. Half roller derby, half professional wrestling, the league is filled with cussin’, spittin’ roughnecks like the Cult Catastrophe, earnest athletes the 8-Ball Bruisers, sick freaks Puppy & the Pound, and the elegant-but-deadly Matadors. Becoming a true legend of the derby track like her hero (and occasional helpful psychic avatar) Rosie Rozine involves a lot of physical and emotional fortitude, luckily Wild and all her friends—imaginary or otherwise—have each other’s backs no matter what!
208 pages, Paperback
First published November 22, 2022
2 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 16, 2022
roller maybe but not really derby but mostly team fighting smash-down scott pilgrim-like with the occasional assistance of a fever dream mentor slash probably a unknown stand till next book
experimental as fuck
stayed for the art, but got an headache due to the story line
experimental as fuck
stayed for the art, but got an headache due to the story line
December 11, 2022
The narrative is a bit wonky and shallow but the art is really out there.
December 30, 2022
If you promise me a graphic novel that is a merger between roller derby and coming-of-age, you better believe I will read it! And that is exactly what Wild: Or So I Was Born To Be promises readers.
Wild Rodriguez and her friends always have cherished roller derby, and this year marks a highlight in their obsession – they're finally trying out for the Rocket Rollers. Will they have what it takes to enter the roller derby world?
Anyone who understands roller derby knows exactly what sacrifices will need to be made, including accepting pain and punishment. Not to mention the risk of joining a feud...or two.
There's something about the combination of roller derby and coming-of-age that feels so...right. Perhaps it's because both roller derby and life can beat the shit out of you. Or perhaps it's just me wanting to like this graphic novel! Either way.
Overall, I would have to say that Wild is a pretty interesting graphic novel. I think I liked the artwork more than the plot itself, but that isn't a bad thing. To be honest, the monochromatic art style probably would have stolen the show, regardless.
There's a lot of potential peaking through the pages, though I think the plot could have used a bit of tightening up. Even though I didn't love every moment of this read, something about it made me wish it was a series. I think that's the potential (and the artwork) speaking.
Thanks to Oni Press and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
Wild Rodriguez and her friends always have cherished roller derby, and this year marks a highlight in their obsession – they're finally trying out for the Rocket Rollers. Will they have what it takes to enter the roller derby world?
Anyone who understands roller derby knows exactly what sacrifices will need to be made, including accepting pain and punishment. Not to mention the risk of joining a feud...or two.
There's something about the combination of roller derby and coming-of-age that feels so...right. Perhaps it's because both roller derby and life can beat the shit out of you. Or perhaps it's just me wanting to like this graphic novel! Either way.
Overall, I would have to say that Wild is a pretty interesting graphic novel. I think I liked the artwork more than the plot itself, but that isn't a bad thing. To be honest, the monochromatic art style probably would have stolen the show, regardless.
There's a lot of potential peaking through the pages, though I think the plot could have used a bit of tightening up. Even though I didn't love every moment of this read, something about it made me wish it was a series. I think that's the potential (and the artwork) speaking.
Thanks to Oni Press and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
November 10, 2022
Miigweetch to NetGalley and Oni Press for the DRC.
"Wild" is a graphic novel about a teenage girl who loves roller derby. Set in 1975, the narrative bounces between the main character's real life and her internal fantasy world. I enjoyed the unique art style; visually it's a joy to take in, if a bit chaotic at times. The monochromatic color scheme worked for me!
I recommend this to roller derby enthusiasts as well as readers who enjoy coming of age stories, and comics that are not about superheros.
"Wild" is a graphic novel about a teenage girl who loves roller derby. Set in 1975, the narrative bounces between the main character's real life and her internal fantasy world. I enjoyed the unique art style; visually it's a joy to take in, if a bit chaotic at times. The monochromatic color scheme worked for me!
I recommend this to roller derby enthusiasts as well as readers who enjoy coming of age stories, and comics that are not about superheros.
August 20, 2024
I loved the energy and fun in this book! It was so dynamic and fluid that each page was a total joy to look at. The minimal colour pallette grounded the crazy line work really well too. Only problem I had was that sometimes it was a bit hard to follow what was going on because of the frantic nature of things. One scene had us switching between two moments fairly quickly and while I think it was an important part of the storytelling it took a look of brainpower to keep track of the jumps haha. I have a weak brain!! I also have no knowledge of roller derby so I wasn't sure how it works, but not a big deal because the book doesn't really concern itself with the rules. More of the vibes.
March 23, 2023
This art has buckets of personality. It’s cartoony and super-expressive. The roller derby chicks are really on 10. Like, it’s not that serious. They are disrespectful and vicious and basically bully the main cast or anyone they can get their hands on. Story can be hard to follow, but it’s fun. Mainly chaotic and messy.
SN:The big block font letters are also notoriously hard to read!
3.5
SN:The big block font letters are also notoriously hard to read!
3.5
July 15, 2025
A bit hard to follow, but maybe I would appreciate it more if I had a better understanding of derby history.
Want to read
November 3, 2022I was Blown Away by Not Only the Story but Also the Art in the Comic itself, I Wish this was Part of a Series of Comics.
(Thanks to Net Galley for this Book).
(Thanks to Net Galley for this Book).
November 1, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
I was interested in reading this because it's about a high school girl joining a roller derby team! I was thinking this would be sort of like Whip It, but set in the 1970's. It very much is not like that movie. This book fell flat for me. The plot is all over the place, and a bit hard to follow. I'm still unsure if this book is supposed to be reality-based or fantastical. The introductory scene confused me quite a bit, and I'm still not sure if it's supposed to be a flashback or a dream. Both? There were many scenes where I thought it was just Wild imagining the entire thing, until other characters comment on it, and I realized that nope, it's reality. The world of Wild is just that weird. It doesn't help that Wild, the main protagonist DOES have an imaginary version of her roller derby hero that she talks to and gets advice from sometimes. As far as I can tell, Wild's version of Rosie is imaginary. (Also, I can tell from the jump, the plot twist with Rosie is that it's her Mom or someone her Mom knew) The scenes of the roller derby fights were really hard to follow. I'm pretty sure a derby match doesn't allow for two players to monologue for THAT much while standing right in the middle of the track. The way the scenes are drawn makes a lot of the plot hard to follow. There were moments when I couldn't tell the order in which the panels were meant to be read since it was drawn in a chaotic way. The art style of the overall book is just chaotic in general. The style seems to change from panel to panel Everything is drawn in some sort of shade of orange, so it made everything start to blend together visually. Page flow was non-existent. Some of the fonts used in this book were so stylized that they were impossible to read. Also, what's up with there very rarely being any backgrounds? I didn't really care for this, and I see it's the first volume in a series. I really have no interest in picking up the second volume.
I was interested in reading this because it's about a high school girl joining a roller derby team! I was thinking this would be sort of like Whip It, but set in the 1970's. It very much is not like that movie. This book fell flat for me. The plot is all over the place, and a bit hard to follow. I'm still unsure if this book is supposed to be reality-based or fantastical. The introductory scene confused me quite a bit, and I'm still not sure if it's supposed to be a flashback or a dream. Both? There were many scenes where I thought it was just Wild imagining the entire thing, until other characters comment on it, and I realized that nope, it's reality. The world of Wild is just that weird. It doesn't help that Wild, the main protagonist DOES have an imaginary version of her roller derby hero that she talks to and gets advice from sometimes. As far as I can tell, Wild's version of Rosie is imaginary. (Also, I can tell from the jump, the plot twist with Rosie is that it's her Mom or someone her Mom knew) The scenes of the roller derby fights were really hard to follow. I'm pretty sure a derby match doesn't allow for two players to monologue for THAT much while standing right in the middle of the track. The way the scenes are drawn makes a lot of the plot hard to follow. There were moments when I couldn't tell the order in which the panels were meant to be read since it was drawn in a chaotic way. The art style of the overall book is just chaotic in general. The style seems to change from panel to panel Everything is drawn in some sort of shade of orange, so it made everything start to blend together visually. Page flow was non-existent. Some of the fonts used in this book were so stylized that they were impossible to read. Also, what's up with there very rarely being any backgrounds? I didn't really care for this, and I see it's the first volume in a series. I really have no interest in picking up the second volume.
December 22, 2022
I received an ebook ARC for free through NetGalley.
I was intrigued by the cover artwork and premise of this graphic novel, and I’m always looking to try to try new and different comics, but unfortunately I didn’t love this one.
The artwork and the colour scheme was the only part that appealed to me, and even on some occasions this wasn’t a strength of the book - the limited colours made it sometimes unclear who was who, or what was happening (especially in the busier roller derby action scenes) and the story was so surreal at times that it became no longer appealing to look at, or was too exaggerated for me. On top of this, there were some pages where the art style changed for no reason, then change back, that meant I got confused about who characters were. The actual roller derby scenes were so exaggerated and had so little background artwork that as someone who is unfamiliar with the sport I had no idea what was going on or even how the game is played.
The story was really difficult to follow - I could only tell you the name of one character, Wild, because her name is the title of the book. There were far too many characters and barely any time spent on their development, so I didn’t know or care about anyone. The other teams were just strange over-the-top villains, and Wild’s team mates weren’t memorable in the slightest. There was no sense of friendship or team spirit that I would expect from a sports story. Conversations didn’t flow naturally or realistically, so page to page I wasn’t sure what they were talking about. Settings and plot threads are picked up and dropped or switched without making it clear, so it’s confusing to follow.
There were also a few spelling and / or grammar mistakes that I hope don’t make it into the final graphic novel.
One star feels harsh, because the artwork was great at times, but overall I didn’t really enjoy this at all, and think I will forget about having read this pretty soon.
I was intrigued by the cover artwork and premise of this graphic novel, and I’m always looking to try to try new and different comics, but unfortunately I didn’t love this one.
The artwork and the colour scheme was the only part that appealed to me, and even on some occasions this wasn’t a strength of the book - the limited colours made it sometimes unclear who was who, or what was happening (especially in the busier roller derby action scenes) and the story was so surreal at times that it became no longer appealing to look at, or was too exaggerated for me. On top of this, there were some pages where the art style changed for no reason, then change back, that meant I got confused about who characters were. The actual roller derby scenes were so exaggerated and had so little background artwork that as someone who is unfamiliar with the sport I had no idea what was going on or even how the game is played.
The story was really difficult to follow - I could only tell you the name of one character, Wild, because her name is the title of the book. There were far too many characters and barely any time spent on their development, so I didn’t know or care about anyone. The other teams were just strange over-the-top villains, and Wild’s team mates weren’t memorable in the slightest. There was no sense of friendship or team spirit that I would expect from a sports story. Conversations didn’t flow naturally or realistically, so page to page I wasn’t sure what they were talking about. Settings and plot threads are picked up and dropped or switched without making it clear, so it’s confusing to follow.
There were also a few spelling and / or grammar mistakes that I hope don’t make it into the final graphic novel.
One star feels harsh, because the artwork was great at times, but overall I didn’t really enjoy this at all, and think I will forget about having read this pretty soon.
October 30, 2022
I picked up ‘Wild’ purely because I play roller derby (referee technically) and I’m a sucker for graphic novels.
The basic outline of ‘Wild’ is we’re following our MC (who the book is named after) as she starts high school in the 70s, while simultaneously joining a roller derby team, while also hiding the fact she has joined the team from her mum. The story then mostly follows her playing roller derby as the team’s jammer and going up against other tougher teams, with the help of her roller derby idol (in her imagination) who gives her pep talks and loans her…her strength? *shrugs*
Sadly I did struggle to get through this book as the art style is a bit wild (pardon the pun) and the story (particularly the gameplay sections) were hard to follow. I thought the more outlandish panels were Wild’s overactive teenage imagination kicking in but then realised that it’s just the kind of world this story takes place in. The art style almost seems to fall somewhere between Cuphead and Adventure Time.
The roller derby introduction in the story was very rushed - the freshman team doesn’t even do try outs (despite practising all summer) and is instantly accepted since numbers are low, and we never see them practice before it cuts to their first bout.
Since it’s meant to be the 70s I was happy that the artist showed them playing on a old banked style track. The gameplay shown in the book was also somewhat accurate of the time era: which was more “Kanas City Bomber”, fighting on track, giving the audience a show - rather than modern-day roller derby with, y’know, points and rules and stuff.
All in all, ‘Wild’ wasn’t really for me for the art style, story or the loose roller derby aspect, but might be enjoyed by others.
[This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.]
The basic outline of ‘Wild’ is we’re following our MC (who the book is named after) as she starts high school in the 70s, while simultaneously joining a roller derby team, while also hiding the fact she has joined the team from her mum. The story then mostly follows her playing roller derby as the team’s jammer and going up against other tougher teams, with the help of her roller derby idol (in her imagination) who gives her pep talks and loans her…her strength? *shrugs*
Sadly I did struggle to get through this book as the art style is a bit wild (pardon the pun) and the story (particularly the gameplay sections) were hard to follow. I thought the more outlandish panels were Wild’s overactive teenage imagination kicking in but then realised that it’s just the kind of world this story takes place in. The art style almost seems to fall somewhere between Cuphead and Adventure Time.
The roller derby introduction in the story was very rushed - the freshman team doesn’t even do try outs (despite practising all summer) and is instantly accepted since numbers are low, and we never see them practice before it cuts to their first bout.
Since it’s meant to be the 70s I was happy that the artist showed them playing on a old banked style track. The gameplay shown in the book was also somewhat accurate of the time era: which was more “Kanas City Bomber”, fighting on track, giving the audience a show - rather than modern-day roller derby with, y’know, points and rules and stuff.
All in all, ‘Wild’ wasn’t really for me for the art style, story or the loose roller derby aspect, but might be enjoyed by others.
[This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.]
December 6, 2022
I really wanted to love this. The limited color palette is stunning but the fact that is inconsistent panel to panel makes it hard to follow (ex. in one panel Wild's shirt is white with yellow trim and in the next panel it is orange with white trim). Despite the book being massive, the images still feel illegible in part to the color palette and the rest to the style. I think the style is gorgeous, I just think there needed to be more breathing room.
I also agree with others that it is also hard to parse the reality from the dream sequences. I don't mind a little surrealism but it got too confusing, to the point it pulled me out of the story. The massive size of the book and it being paperback only did make it kind of awkward to hold up as well, because it kept flopping.
Plot wise, I think it was good but my favorite aspects got sidelined. I wanted more about Wild and Rocket's friendship and about Sarah. Also Wild's relationship with her parents, it is hard to figure out how long her parent's have been divorced, and honestly was uncertain if her dad had died or not for awhile there. The plot line of Samantha's issues with Wild's lack of connection to her Mexican heritage was a really interesting one and I really liked how it was done until the comment Samantha made to Adriana about getting rid of all those like Wild?
I also feel like a lot of elements of roller derby as a sport were left out in favor of showing more violence.
I also agree with others that it is also hard to parse the reality from the dream sequences. I don't mind a little surrealism but it got too confusing, to the point it pulled me out of the story. The massive size of the book and it being paperback only did make it kind of awkward to hold up as well, because it kept flopping.
Plot wise, I think it was good but my favorite aspects got sidelined. I wanted more about Wild and Rocket's friendship and about Sarah. Also Wild's relationship with her parents, it is hard to figure out how long her parent's have been divorced, and honestly was uncertain if her dad had died or not for awhile there. The plot line of Samantha's issues with Wild's lack of connection to her Mexican heritage was a really interesting one and I really liked how it was done until the comment Samantha made to Adriana about getting rid of all those like Wild?
I also feel like a lot of elements of roller derby as a sport were left out in favor of showing more violence.
November 2, 2022
trigger warning
1970-ies: Highschool freshmen are excited enough to join the local roller derby team to lie to their parents. But will it really be as fun as they imagine?
I really like the colour palette of muted reds, oranges and yellow tones, but sadly, that's about the only thing that appealed to me. I did not care for the illustration style or the characters, and the story telling was chaotic. In places you only realise after a few panels that the plot switched to the other characters. The fancy lettering is, in places, hard to decipher as so many letters wind up looking similiar - and I had problems on the pdf version where I could zoom in. Don't know how well it's readable in the print version where you can't do that.
Not my cup of tea, at all.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
1970-ies: Highschool freshmen are excited enough to join the local roller derby team to lie to their parents. But will it really be as fun as they imagine?
I really like the colour palette of muted reds, oranges and yellow tones, but sadly, that's about the only thing that appealed to me. I did not care for the illustration style or the characters, and the story telling was chaotic. In places you only realise after a few panels that the plot switched to the other characters. The fancy lettering is, in places, hard to decipher as so many letters wind up looking similiar - and I had problems on the pdf version where I could zoom in. Don't know how well it's readable in the print version where you can't do that.
Not my cup of tea, at all.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
November 3, 2022
Wild: Or So I Was Born To Be by Cristian Castelo is a frenetic coming of age story that reads like a fever dream. The story is a combination of real life and the imaginary fantasy world of Wild Rodriguez, sometimes changing so quickly you are unsure what is what. This energy perfectly defines what Wild must be feeling on her quest to become a roller derby queen her freshman year in high school.
All illustrations are done in an orangey monochromatic scheme which exudes the atmosphere of the 70's where the story takes place. I love how Wild's idol, a roller derby queen named Rosie comes to her in her dreams to help guide on the path to greatness. I'm looking forward to read more about Wild's journey.
Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
All illustrations are done in an orangey monochromatic scheme which exudes the atmosphere of the 70's where the story takes place. I love how Wild's idol, a roller derby queen named Rosie comes to her in her dreams to help guide on the path to greatness. I'm looking forward to read more about Wild's journey.
Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
December 11, 2022
(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley. Trigger warning for ableist language.)
Fourteen-year-old Wild Rodriguez made a pact with her besties years ago: train like hell so that they could all score a spot on the Rocket Rollers, one of several roller derby teams at Westhoff HS. Now that freshman year has finally arrived, Wild is having second thoughts: not because she doesn't love roller derby, but because she's afraid she'll prove no good at her only passion. It doesn't help that her mom - a roller derby aficionado who idolizes the mysterious icon Rosie - thinks that Wild is too fragile for such a rough and tumble sport. Or that the members of the opposing teams want to reduce her to a blood smear on the rink.
I love roller derby (as a spectator only, lol), and wanted to love WILD, but ... not so much. This feels less like roller derby and more like MMA fighting. The violence and trash talk is over the top; the word 'gonzo' comes to mind. Granted, what we're treated to is Wild's exaggerated POV, but the result is bizarre and hard to follow. Several of the girls look very similar, and when you throw in the sometimes distorted facial expressions and many demonic faces, it becomes nearly impossible to tell everyone apart. Other reviewers used the term 'experimental' and compared it to CUPHEAD, both of which seem apt. If this is your thing, you might enjoy WILD - otherwise skip this one.
Fourteen-year-old Wild Rodriguez made a pact with her besties years ago: train like hell so that they could all score a spot on the Rocket Rollers, one of several roller derby teams at Westhoff HS. Now that freshman year has finally arrived, Wild is having second thoughts: not because she doesn't love roller derby, but because she's afraid she'll prove no good at her only passion. It doesn't help that her mom - a roller derby aficionado who idolizes the mysterious icon Rosie - thinks that Wild is too fragile for such a rough and tumble sport. Or that the members of the opposing teams want to reduce her to a blood smear on the rink.
I love roller derby (as a spectator only, lol), and wanted to love WILD, but ... not so much. This feels less like roller derby and more like MMA fighting. The violence and trash talk is over the top; the word 'gonzo' comes to mind. Granted, what we're treated to is Wild's exaggerated POV, but the result is bizarre and hard to follow. Several of the girls look very similar, and when you throw in the sometimes distorted facial expressions and many demonic faces, it becomes nearly impossible to tell everyone apart. Other reviewers used the term 'experimental' and compared it to CUPHEAD, both of which seem apt. If this is your thing, you might enjoy WILD - otherwise skip this one.
May 17, 2025
I really wanted to like this graphic novel. It's full of psychedelic art and a really interesting colour scheme. However, it's hard to follow what is going on. The story switches between dream, real life and imagination without any indication. The art style and colouring look good, but also make it hard to follow. I also found it hard to tell the characters apart which made it even more confusing.
I always got the impression that roller derby was a really friendly and inclusive sport and that any antagonism was just pretend, all part of the fun. In this book, though, the players and teams are genuinely nasty.
[Free ARC from NetGalley]
I always got the impression that roller derby was a really friendly and inclusive sport and that any antagonism was just pretend, all part of the fun. In this book, though, the players and teams are genuinely nasty.
[Free ARC from NetGalley]
October 29, 2022
thanks to netgalley and onipress for the eARC
The story was fine, I was confused sometimes and I’m not sure what happened. My biggest issue was the art style, I’m not saying it’s bad, it was really unique and different but personally it was too overwhelming, the colors and shapes made it incredibly hard for me to read, there was so much going on in every page and I couldn’t process everything. It was not for me but I’m sure someone else will enjoy this more than I did.
i’m not kidding when i say my head started to hurt from looking at it 💀
The story was fine, I was confused sometimes and I’m not sure what happened. My biggest issue was the art style, I’m not saying it’s bad, it was really unique and different but personally it was too overwhelming, the colors and shapes made it incredibly hard for me to read, there was so much going on in every page and I couldn’t process everything. It was not for me but I’m sure someone else will enjoy this more than I did.
i’m not kidding when i say my head started to hurt from looking at it 💀
November 8, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
This book was a roller derby fever dream. I had a bit of a hard time following the plot, as it went back and forth between reality and dreams. This made it hard for me to connect with the story, but it was still entertaining enough to read. The art is also GORGEOUS. That was a huge factor towards my interest in this book.
This book was a roller derby fever dream. I had a bit of a hard time following the plot, as it went back and forth between reality and dreams. This made it hard for me to connect with the story, but it was still entertaining enough to read. The art is also GORGEOUS. That was a huge factor towards my interest in this book.
November 10, 2022
I received a download of this graphic novel from Netgalley in exchange for a review.
Wild is a story focusing on teenage girls competing at roller derby in the 70s. It's frenetic and alternates between reality and fantasy at a fast clip.
I wanted to like this better than I did. The art is engaging and the subject matter is very cool, but the story jumps around and is hard to follow at time. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the experience I hoped for.
Still, it's good.
Wild is a story focusing on teenage girls competing at roller derby in the 70s. It's frenetic and alternates between reality and fantasy at a fast clip.
I wanted to like this better than I did. The art is engaging and the subject matter is very cool, but the story jumps around and is hard to follow at time. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the experience I hoped for.
Still, it's good.
August 15, 2023
Mean girls on wheels? Nah, there's hearts of gold beneath all of those bruises.
My son has been following this artist, so he got this book for his recent birthday. It's a lively read, almost feels like holding a cartoon in your hands. Melts in your mind and the very orange Arizona sun, by way of Daly City apparently.
Reminds me to go check out my friend and her roller derby squad one of these days, don't think they rock thematic costumes....yet.
Onward Cristian creator and Oni Press!
My son has been following this artist, so he got this book for his recent birthday. It's a lively read, almost feels like holding a cartoon in your hands. Melts in your mind and the very orange Arizona sun, by way of Daly City apparently.
Reminds me to go check out my friend and her roller derby squad one of these days, don't think they rock thematic costumes....yet.
Onward Cristian creator and Oni Press!
July 19, 2022
Reading because I'm moderating a panel with Castelo about the graphic novel, this unique graphic novel. Grit and raw, it's about a girl in her freshman year in the 1970s at a California high school doing roller derby and all the mischief and hijinks that's fairy traumatic!
But curious characters abound with a distinct color palette.
But curious characters abound with a distinct color palette.
July 22, 2022
This first volume of "the Wild" series, is the late 1970s coming to life on the roller derby track. Don't worry about winning, just try to stay alive. As you have hallucinations, dreams and the rival teams after you. The ketchup, mustard and hamburger colors show in minimalist format, the gruesome ugliness of it all (and the spaghetti eating contest wall of shame).
January 16, 2023
While I liked the art of this book.... The art style was all over the place and took me out of the story quite a bit. I loved the color scheme and loved that it took place in the 70's ... But sadly that was about it. Also: part of me realllllly disliked it being an oversized book. It was hard to handle to read.
February 4, 2023
Abandoned it mid way. It’s mainly about violence and verbal abuse. I didn’t think the graphics were great either. They definitely supported the physical and verbal abuse in the story. Apparently tongues are important to the story.
July 24, 2022
I loved the limited color pallet and the fun hijinks, but I found some of the layouts a little weird to follow. Fun and unique!
Want to read
August 17, 2022Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.
February 8, 2023
An absolute feast for the eyes! Incredible energetic, incredible cartooning
February 17, 2023
The story has so much potential and the art and colors are SO GOOD but the story is confusing bc too many people look alike bc of the coloring. It’s confusing and a bit boring.
April 11, 2023
I liked this. I’m looking forward to reading more volumes about these roller derby girls.
March 11, 2023
Love the visual style although it made it difficult to read the text sometimes. Everything else though, from story to characters, fell kind of flat. Like it was trying to address larger issues of integration and being a minority in America while trying to grow up as independent people separate from family but mostly it was one chaotic fight after another. Partway through I forgot this was a roller derby league and not just teams beating the snot out of each other.
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