Wayward #2 Review

After a strong beginning, do you need #2? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

IMAGE COMICS’ NEW SUPERNATURAL SENSATION! Rori’s uncanny senses lead her to a classmate with a dark secret…one he’s willing to kill to keep hidden.

The second issue is in and it looks like this independent publisher has yet another winner on their hands. Through the strength of its creative team we’re gifted a glimpse at another society, and for many it might be foreign but the talents convey it in a way that allows their fantastical yarn to come off steeped in realism. And that gives it room to stand out from the crowd as it earns accolades and attention.

Jim Zub deserves a lot of credit for not only keeping the narrative in-check, but he also allows enough room for it to grow in some interesting ways. Our main focus remains Rori Lane, because she’s had a unique stay in these Eastern lands. The whole package is inviting form the first page to the final sentence, and it helps that we see the humanity of our protagonist through the author’s carefully crafted body of text. So far our heroine continues to deal with being a fish out of water while combating supernatural elements, but how long she can keep it up remains to be seen.

The comic survives through the written word but strives to be something more thanks to the visuals by Steve Cummings. Each page comes off as a near perfect blend of international influences, that seem tailor made for this specific yarn. There were some panels where the characters themselves seemed underdeveloped but for the most part these did little to sully the experience. Add in the instantly engaging colors by John Rauch and Jim Zub and the entire package feels absolutely complete.

Wayward #2 is another striking entry for a new franchise that balances quite a few themes combined with a resilient protagonist and some varied monsters to boot. Two issues in and I can say that this is something that deserves a spot on your pull-list. Highly recommended.