Michael Dialynas

aaaaaaa i did it, i finally read the book that's been on the top of my to-read pile for literal years but i've been too scared to actually start reading because i'm weird & care too much about everything & if i didn't like it as much as i thought i was going to i would literally die (figuratively). aaaaaaaaaaaa

my heart absolutely aches for wynd when he pleads that he just wants to be "normal." i think a big part of growing up is discovering that there's no such thing as "normal," and that show more that's okay, and once we realize that we can discover who WE want to be, and start working towards that.

i know not everyone gets even to this point, and i know the process of getting there can be painful. it's a kind of pain i haven't thought about in a long time, a pain that i moved past long ago… but it's a pain that's still very recognizable to me, very easy to relate to. and it's one that's conveyed quite well here.

seeing that pendulum swing the other way so dramatically, seeing wynd just absolutely SOAR (literally & figuratively) to save his friends... it was SO fucking good, you guys. i literally SHRIEKGASPED with surprise & joy when he swooped in with wings to save thorn.

the pacing is perfect. the art is amazing. the panels are big & clean, without a single one wasted. there is just something so incredibly satisfying about seeing so many people with such high levels of skill come together to make something this beautiful.

i am going to bed, and then i am starting book 2 LITERALLY TOMORROW MORNING. show less

I just finished WYND, BOOK 1: THE FLIGHT OF THE PRINCE by James Tynion IV & Michael Dialynas, from @boom_studios, and I loved it! What seems at first a cute little fantasy turns into a story with deep messages about xenophobia and standing up for what’s right. Wynd, a young boy with magical blood, must stay hidden from the close-minded people of Pipetown, who will go to almost any lengths to prevent the magic outside their town walls from infecting the last “true” humans in the world. show more He gets accidentally wrapped up in a plot to spirit the prince of Pipetown out of the city so that he can give up his claim to the thrown to his uncle, who wants abolish the laws keeping those with magic away. Together with the castle gardener’s son, who Wynd dreams of having a normal life with, and his adopted sister, the 4 kids must band together in order to escape the King’s Men and get the prince to safety. Full of lush colors and fantastic, whimsical art along with a captivating story of both self-acceptance and learning to stand up for what is right, WYND is definitely a series I will be keeping up with. This volume collects the first 5 issues of the series. show less

The first half takes a breath to build relationships between the characters as they do the fugitives in an idyll thing. But the second half kickstarts the action as their pursuers catch up and set things rolling for the big finale next time.

I'm happy I have it on hand and didn't have to wait the 2+ years between books like those poor souls who read this one when it first came out in 2023.

p.s., I'VE BEEN BAMBOOZLED!!! Despite seeing multiple references to Book 4 being the final volume, when I show more picked it up to enjoy the conclusion today, I saw the word "continues" on the back cover, not "concludes," and immediately flipped to the last page and, yep, there's a big "To be continued!" AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!

FOR REFERENCE:

Contains material originally published in single magazine form as Wynd: The Throne in the Sky #1-5.

Contents: [Prologue] -- Chapter One. A United Esseriel -- Chapter Two. The Dream of Peace -- Chapter Three. The Worst Possible Thing -- Chapter Four. The Mountain Pass -- Chapter Five. The Escape -- Chapter Six. The Throne in the Sky show less

What an unexpectedly beautiful fantasy comic! Its got a gripping story, fascinating characters, and although the art might make one think that its going to be a light read, it deals with some incredibly deep issues. I really liked the way that heavy, bad things happen in the story, but the art doesn't ever make it gory or off-putting...this is an all ages comic in the best sense of the term. Great stuff!