Wild’s End: Beyond the Sea

Writer Dan Abnett and artist I.N.J. Culbard’s original “Wild’s End” series was a fun amalgamation of “The War of the Worlds” and “The Wind in the Willows.”  You had anthropomorphic animals trying to fend off an invasion of sentient alien walkers that ran for three volumes before reaching a decent enough stopping point.  “Beyond the Sea,” looks to test the waters *rimshot* to see if there’s an audience for further stories in this universe by offering up a tale that runs parallel to the original series.  Here we’re introduced to the crew of the Merry Beet before they set out on a month-long fishing trip.  While they have to deal with the usual human drama for their time at sea, a whole new kind awaits them upon their return to land.

This return to the world of “Wild’s End” shows that Abnett and Culbard haven’t lost a step when it comes to depicting this intriguing sci-fi world.  While they find a way to broaden its scope and add a new dimension to the alien threat, they still manage to keep it grounded with engaging human drama.  Culbard is good with detailing the multiple dramatic conflicts our new cast of characters has with their antagonists, but the real star of the show is his character work and Abnett’s detailed characterization of the main cast.

“Beyond the Sea” is a really good example of how to do good characterization in an alien invasion story.  The first chapter alone does an excellent job of introducing us to the main players, showing us their distinct personalities, and even touching upon their histories as well.  Everything done with the cast here reverberates through the subsequent issues as they either conform to type or find ways to grow beyond our initial expectations.  It’s excellent work that keeps you engaged throughout, especially when you realize that not everyone is likely to survive this experience, and leaves you glad that while a certain amount of closure to this miniseries is reached the door is left open for future stories in the “Wild’s End” universe.