WILD’S END #5
Written by Dan Abnett
Art by I.N.J. Culbard
Published by BOOM! Studios
Release Date: January 27, 2016
No one is safe. This is Wild’s End.
Even after reading the first volume of Wild’s End, I could not comprehend just how high the stakes in this anthropomorphic world could get. Dan Abnett and I.N.J. Culbard have taken readers on another slow burn journey to this point, but now the proverbial shit is hitting the fan and it is one hell of a wild ride. No one is safe in this issue and Wild’s End will, quite literally, never be the same.
Abnett and Culbard do something pretty exceptional with this tale, building a world that is comfortable and cozy and then unleashing hostile and violent aliens into the middle of it. Wild’s End: The Enemy Within #5 flips the apple cart and brings the mayhem to this sleepy world and anyone who has been waiting for this second volume to cut loose….well, here you go. The mayhem is very well crafted, with these two storytellers injecting an amazing amount of heart into this story. Young Alphie’s tale has taken another turn, the original band of characters is no longer complete and I’m not going to lie, it affected me. I didn’t realize how much these characters have grown on me and the exceptional writing and artwork that made me fall for this fellowship of anthropomorphic characters is fully on display with issue #5.
This issue builds to the conclusion and boy, do Abnett and Culbard ever ramp up to one heck of a finish. Fans of the series will be clamoring for the sixth issue and the cliffhanger at the end of this comic is executed perfectly. I’ve grown paranoid of “klik” sounds in my life, and I fully blame Abnett and Culbard.
I.N.J. Culbard’s evocative artwork lulls me into nostalgia of stories I was read as a child then brings the nightmare home while never abandoning his Wild’s End style. The dichotomy of the sleep countryside and the alien invasion is handled elegantly by this skilled artist and his artwork is flawless in this volume. His characters are immensely expressive and he sells the wild accents that you can read in Abnett’s dialogue. He makes their personalities soar and his skill with this large, diverse cast is to be commended.
Wild’s End: The Enemy Within #5 is a fun ride that is filled with action and an emotional wallop for good measure. There’s nothing out there like this book and I mean that in the best way possible. Bring me #6, Abnett and Culbard, I have no clue what you’re going to throw at me, but I want it, dammit.
The Verdict: 10/10