"That thing, it wasn't from— where was it from?"
Wild's End is a love letter to early, classic sci-fi stories produced by Boom! Studios. Dan Abnett brings us the story with art by I.N.J Culbard.
Oi, this 'ere comic is providin' examples of:
- 10-Minute Retirement: Poor Clive was hoping to have a quiet retirement when he settled into Lower Crowchurch. Before he finishes painting his new place he winds up leading the town's survivors.
- Alien Invasion: In the style of classics like The War of the Worlds (1953) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951).
- Bizarre Alien Biology: The aliens in the series are either robotic, lamp-looking beings or wispy energy beings. We have yet to find out one way or the other.
- Cats Are Snarkers: Susan can sling a mean snark.
- Crop Circles: The group runs into a huge, circular one as seen in the work image.
- Crying Wolf: When Fawkes tries to inform the town about his alien encounter he is ignored due to his status as an infamous drunk.
- Death Ray: The aliens' main weapon. Clive is quick to note that normal fire "doesn't burn like that."
- Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: The giant machine easily knocks over Fawkes's car after he taunts it.
- Fully-Dressed Cartoon Animal: Everyone, in 1930s period attire.
- Funetik Aksent: Many characters talk with a strong cockney accent.
- Funny Animal: All the characters (aliens excepted). The main cast includes a dog, a fox, a rabbit, a weasel, a cat and a pig.
- Heal It with Booze: A bottle of liquor is used to heal burns.
- Hell Is That Noise: The alien's move with a noisy KLIK-KLAK.
- Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: After getting half his face vaporized by the aliens, Laidlaw straight-up base jumps off the slope and goes full-blown military dictator despite the fact that any sort of military position would mean absolute jack in the current situation.
- Light Is Not Good: The aliens are essentially composed of light and resemble lampposts, but incinerate people. A letter at the end of issue #5, implied to have been written by Susan, goes on a tangent about light being evil.
- Most Writers Are Writers: In the first series we have Susan who is a reclusive writer and Peter, a reporter. Then in Enemy Within we meet eminent sci-fi authors Runciman and Cornfelt. It is a series that appreciates writing almost as much as it does the sci-fi genre.
- Not Quite Dead: The first alien which Susan blasted with her shotgun.
- Oh, Crap!: When the gang realizes Susan's shotgun is missing.Susan: Where's my shotgun?
Clive: Where's Alph? - Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: The crew are a former Navy-man, a writer, a callous trapper, a reporter, and a hapless kid.
- Shotguns Are Just Better: The group has two double-barreled shotguns which are put to good use against the aliens.
- Skewed Priorities: After wandering into a decimated town Fawkes rushes to the tavern which to his joy hasn't been destroyed.
- Stock British Phrases: The characters drop "Bleedin'" and "Bloody" left and right.
- Wham Shot: When it gets bright enough for Susan and Peter to notice the lampposts in town.
