Wild Blue Yonder #3

by Mike Raicht, Zach Howard, Austin Harrison & Nelson Daniel

After a bit of a hiatus, Wild Blue Yonder returns this week with issue 3. This issue picks up at the end of Tug’s training as a “Gun” on the solar powered airship and also gaining the trust of his new crewmates. Since this issue jumps to a week later it makes the gap between issues much more manageable for the reader.

The premise for Wild Blue Yonder is pretty basic; the earth is mostly inhabitable so most have moved to the skies on airships where most live a sky-pirate lifestyle. This issue reveals more about Cola’s mom past like how she became commander of the airship and her relationship with fighting The Judge. Raicht does a great job of progressing the story while doing some deep character development in the dialog between characters while they interact. At no point does it feel trite but actually keeps the story moving efficiently, which is exactly what you need from a mini-series. With only five issues Wild Blue Yonder balances sticking to basics and moving the plot along while making the reader care for these characters.

When it comes to post-apocalyptic future scenarios it is easy for the art to go in a very dark direction, not that parts of Wild Blue Yonder aren’t dark but they are able to balance that darkness with powerful small moments of lightness, not just in the colors but in the interaction between characters, whether it’s a quick smile or a high-five. The art is very much a selling point of this series, there is so much striking detail to everything in Wild Blue Yonder that makes a far-fetched concept feels so realistic.

Wild Blue Yonder is an excellent example of balance. The balance between the easy to grasp world they setup in this story but with the rich and deep characters that inhabit it. The art is able to balance the dark and rough feel of a dystopian future with the quick glimpses of lively colors and stylish designs. There are only two issues left and hopefully they’re as solid and consistent as the first three because this is shaping up to be an unbelievable series that’s flying under most people’s radar.