Writer, Illustrator: Daniel Bradford
Publisher: Cave Pictures Publishing

The struggle is spiritual in Daniel Bradford’s Wylde. The three-issue comicbook opens as a local sheriff joins forces with a mysterious lawman and angel-warrior to beat back a pack of monsters that emerge from an abandoned mine. But the horde, we learn, only scratches the surface of a cosmic battle that involves heavenly soldiers, the undead, and Native Americans with ancient secrets. The result is a fun and ambitious read with a positive message.

That message is centered around the Christian themes reflective of the mission statement of Cave Pictures Publishing. Wylde re-packages the story of Lucifer’s fall from grace into a western sci-fi adventure about a civil war raging across the universe among God’s angels. The premise has potential, though Bradford tends to over-do the allegory. His decision to devote the entire second issue to the origin of the cosmic battle slows down the story. In all, Wylde could have used a strong editorial hand. Re-written and condensed, it would have made an enjoyable opening issue.

The artwork feels a bit like a tribute to Mike Mignola’s Hellboy. The deliberate, exaggerated line-work leads to caricatured figures that stand off against the rugged terrain of the story’s setting. Bradford uses color and perspective well. Shading and shadows deepen the mystery behind the undead lawman and otherworldly angel. The panel-work adds a sharp dimension to the battle scenes. Wylde is a comic with enough potential to check out. It is a book for fans of religious themes and cosmic battles. All issues are available on Comixology.