Wynd by James Tynion IV and Michael Dialynas

SYNOPSIS:

According to Simon & Schuster:

In a world where magical heritage is punishable by death, a young boy named Wynd must hide his true identity – and pointy ears – from everyone in Pipetown, even if it means he’ll never have the normal life he wants. But when his secret is threatened, Wynd is forced to leave his home behind to embark on a dangerous quest that will put him at the heart of a royal conspiracy beyond imagination. Now on the run with the boy of his dreams, his best friend Oakley, and a literal prince, Wynd will have to embrace the magic within himself if he wants to save them from the shocking dangers that await! The team of award-winning superstars James Tynion IV (Something is Killing the Children, Batman) and Michael Dialynas (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) present the first graphic novel in an all-new fantasy epic about the power that lies inside each of us. Collects Wynd #1-5.

REVIEW

Truthfully, I struggled to like Wynd until the book's second half. It was slow and oftentimes a little confusing. Then out of nowhere, it grabbed me by the literary throat and pulled me in so quickly that I found myself emotionally wrecked. I called every bookstore around me, desperate for book two, only to find it hadn't been released yet. I was hooked!

The authors play around with the concept of fantasy characters and mutations by bringing the story to life with themes of abandonment and hope while tackling complex subjects like segregation, racism, and self-hate without bringing the reader out of the fantastical world established earlier on in the story. The authors delicately weave so many elements into the story that if you are not careful, you will miss them. I did the book a disservice by not really sitting down and giving it my full attention. My second read-through produced an even deeper yearning for the second volume, especially when I caught some well-written "hidden" moments.

INTERESTING FACT:

James Tynion IV is a well-known artist/author of several Batman/Batman universe comics, as well as the author of Something Is Killing the Children.

Michael Dialynas is an award winning visual artist who has worked on comics such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Amala's Blade.