REVIEW: ’Wynd,’ Issue #1

Wynd #1 is published by BOOM! Studios, written by James Tynion IV, with art by Michael Dialynas and letters by Aditya Bidikar. Welcome to Pipetown. Pipetown is a human town. It prides itself on its purity. Elsewhere in the world, there are weirdbloods. Humans who have magic. Tainted by magic many in Pipetown would say. This is a problem for the young man named Wynd. For he lives in Pipetown, and he is a weirdblood.

The fantasy genre has always been an exceptional place for exploring morality. By placing a story in a magical land far removed from our own, storytellers can paint images about the broad concepts that we deal with in our real world. But by placing them in a faraway land, these concepts can be explored without any of our preconceived biases clouding the issue. And while some authors play these themes with subtlety, there is nothing subtle about the morality tale that Wynd #1 looks to explore.

In Pipetown, people have a problem with weirdbloods. Though, it seems like most of the folks of this town have never even seen one. And yet, they dread them. Talk about how monstrous they are. Furthermore, they pride themselves on being the only place left that is “untainted” by them. How Pipetown’s pure human population makes it special. This sort of talk made my skin crawl. But this is the reaction one cannot help but presume the creative team behind Wynd #1 is expecting the reader to have.

Tynion’s writing of this casual, close-minded bigotry, while pairing it with its classic partner, the overwrought sense of self-importance, perfectly captures the classic bigoted archetype. Quick to judge, blindly believing what’s been told, without thought of the possibility that they could be wrong. And amidst all this, there’s Wynd.

Wynd #1‘s titular protagonist is a kind, hard-working boy. The sort of kid that exemplifies the virtues of youth. Even if he struggles to get out of bed in the morning. The only discerning characteristic this young man has that sets him apart is the points on his ears. Beyond that, as far as has been shown, he’s a normal kid. And while having magic in him is undoubtedly going to reveal there is more to him than meets the eye, it’s still sad that those pointed ears could get him killed.

While Wynd #1 does a good job of establishing the personalities of its characters and setting, the art does an equal job of introducing the reader to its own unique look. While not a classic high fantasy setting, Pipetown has a strong industrial feel to it that Dialynas captures excellently. The spaces feel a bit dirty and well worn. As folks seem to busy to take the time for a bit of extra care. At least, until the reader is shown the castle.

The royal estate stands in stark contrast to the rest of Pipetown. Lovingly groomed gardens and echoing halls that shine with spotless purity are what awaits inside. These impressive spaces say a lot about how the rulers live compared to the ruled. It almost makes one wonder if the royalty like everyone worried about the monstrous weird blood so no one wonders if there are more productive ways to spend taxes than on maintaining that sweet royal household.

Lastly, let’s talk about the lettering in Wynd #1. Letterer Bidikar does a great job here. While diverting from the industry standard of making all the letters capitalized, Bidikar has no problem keeping the text easy to read. This makes the text stand out from the usual. Coupled with a solid job with text box placement and Bidikar’s work is completed flawlessly.

When all is said and done, Wynd #1 does an excellent job establishing the characters and world this story will continue to explore. I’m curious to see where Wynd’s journey will take him. And whether or not the more closed-minded denizens of Pipetown might learn a thing or two from him.

Wynd #1 is available on now wherever comics are sold.