Review: ‘Wynd’ #5. The Wynd Is Dead. Long Live The Wynd.

It’s Wynd vs. the Bandaged Man! But if Wynd wants to save his friends, he’ll need to accept who he truly is – and the power that comes with being a Weirdblood.

And so it ends.

I’ve believed since Wynd #1 that separating the story into a monthly publication was a good call. It gives readers a chance to really delve into each issue and take from them each their proper gravity. More so than in a graphic novel where some details or dialogue might possibly get glossed over in a rush to get to the end.

In Wynd #5 we finally get to the action built up over the first four issues and it delivers a satisfying, emotional, and moving conclusion. Very few questions are left unanswered for when the story picks up again in “Book Two: The Secret of the Wings“ in May 2021.

We get to witness the inevitable confrontation between the titular Wynd and the cruel Bandaged Man with certain truths coming to light — some surprising, some not. Writer James Tynion IV has managed to wrap up this particular arc with confident skill, tempo, and finesse. He’s set a pretty high bar for the title.

There might be some “happily ever after”-isms towards the end of the book that firmly roots this story as a young adult read, but it’s themes breach all ages.

Ultimately, Wynd has been about acceptance. Whether it’s as complex and challenging as in accepting one’s own self or as simple as in choosing to remember a person’s name. In this, the heroes have prevailed, showing that some dinner tables may be set, but are open to welcome more guests.

The villains are the ones whose craven needs and ignorance echo their twisted rationalizations or blind allegiance, regardless if those desires are bloodlust, greed, hatred, or just following orders. The worst ones get pleasure in denying, negating, or halting others their existence. When the Bandaged Man tells Wynd, “You’re just a little fry cook. You’re not going to make a difference in this world,” that minimization is as crushing as it is foolishly underestimating. But, as it’s been said: “pride goeth before a fall.” The lettering by Aditya Bidikar underscores the poignancy of each scene superbly.

The soft pastel-hued, detailed art by Michael Dialynas also continues to stun. His characters’ emotions (as well as his own, I’m sure) come through in subtle and potent ways, especially in a later scene when Wynd is reunited with a beloved character. Besides his expert way in detailing emotion through his art, there’s a neat little touch in Wynd #5 that epitomizes his elegant and effective storytelling manner on this title.

It happens after a sequence where Wynd describes a recurring nightmare of his where he turns into a dark-winged monster only to be killed by someone he loves.

The depiction of this nightmare swirls like a constricting blanket of night, subtly moving back into real life, represented by floating small stars, crescent moons and black feathers lingering behind Wynd’s head. It’s a delicate but potent stylistic choice that’s simply fantastic.

I sincerely believe that Dialynas and Bidikar intuitively understand Tynion’s vision and this combination is gold.

 

What a wonderful title. What a wonderful surprise. Wynd is a powerful surge of hopeful fantasy that’s very much needed in our overwhelming world right now. I hope it finds a bigger audience where it can resonate with anyone who wants, like Wynd, a “different dream.”

Speaking of, the epilogue is quite literally a dream. It is an earned victory and may it and Wynd continue to soar.

Wynd #5 released Oct. 28 by BOOM! Studios, written by James Tynion IV, illustrated by Michael Dialynas, lettering by Aditya Bidikar, cover by Michael Dialynas and variant cover by Peach Momoko, designed by Scott Newman, assistant editor: Gwen Waller, editor: Eric Harburn