Of all the people after Wynd, General Zedra reaches him first. In a skirmish between humans, Faeries, and Vampyres, who will win? Find out in Wynd: The Throne in the Sky #5 from BOOM! Studios.

WYND: THE THRONE IN THE SKY #5

Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Michael Dialynas
Letterer: Andworld Design
Editor: Eric Harburn
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $5.99
Release Date: December 14, 2022

Previously in Wynd: The Throne in the Sky: The kids come under attack on their way to Northport but are saved when a Giant named Strawberry gathers them all up in a jar as though they were bugs. He takes them to the ruins of the Old City which he is excavating. General Eks and his second are the only surviving attackers. He has heard tales of Giants near the Old City and thinks this will be a good place to martyr the children. The duke and his party find the remains of Eks’s people. Merien begs Wynd to try to convince Strawberry to help them get to Northport. But while he talks to Strawberry, who should show up but General Zedra!

THE BAIT AND THE TRAP

Wynd #5: The Throne in the Sky opens with General Zedra taking Oakley to a high balcony. She wants vengeance on the boy who led her brother, the Bandaged Man, to his death. They dreamed of finally ending the war, she claims, but now she wants Wynd to suffer, and to do that, she wants Oakley to scream.

Wynd explains the war to Strawberry, only to learn that he already knows about it. Strawberry also claims to have two winged human friends like Wynd who are probably coming back soon. They are interrupted by Oakley’s scream. Strawberry stands to try to get a better look, and Eks’s second-in-command leaps on him and stabs his nose. General Eks flies up to Wynd and slashes one of his wings.

The band of Vampyres captures the remaining children. Merien notices that they no longer are interested in Yorik. She also thinks that if they cause a distraction, one of them can burn through their ropes. Teek cheerfully screams and Bastian holds his hands near the fire. The Vampyres notice almost immediately, but this does distract them enough that the duke’s men surprise them. The duke greets Bastian and Yorik with relief. In contrast, Thorn’s dad sees his changes from the magic and tells him to stand back.

Strawberry calls out Sprytles from his beard to help heal his wound. Wynd sees this and asks if he can borrow some. They allow him to change into his more monstrous form and heal up so he can fly up to Oakley. She may have screamed, but she is fiery enough to tell Zedra that they are going to kill her too. Wynd flies in, grabs Zedra, and flies off with her. He intends to gain altitude and drop her. But he must hold her close, so she is able to bite his neck.

Roderick and Titus find Oakley. Roderick is happy to have found her, but she never knew that he was her father. On the other hand, Titus helped Molly to raise her, and she greets him with an impetuous hug. We get an entire range of reactions just with this small group of people.

Strawberry warns the children that they need to flee, and he collapses. General Eks has killed him. His second attacks the duke’s men. Oakley wonders where Wynd is. Zedra arrives holding him by his ankle, unconscious and no longer in his monstrous form. She has wings, much to the surprise of Eks. His second, Lonomia, attacks the Vampyre. Zedra claws her chest deeply and lets her fall. Then she attacks Eks. She decides that she will fly away with Wynd and Yorik, taking them to the Vampyrium. She is willing to let the rest of them go, although she does tell them a battalion of Vampyres is on its way. Can anyone stand up to her?

THE SKIRMISH IN THE OLD CITY

There is wonderful subtlety in the art of Wynd: The Throne in the Sky #5. When we saw General Zedra before, she was confident and powerful. She still is powerful, but the loss of her brother has actually affected her. When we see her with Oakley, she seems more serious. Her eyes are haunted and there is a burning determination about her. When she talks about vengeance, she pulls her brother’s skull out of her bag, which is creepier than I was expecting in this book. Even Oakley comments on how weird it is. We do not see her old confidence again until near the end when she reveals her wings.

I like the scenes where fathers are reunited with their children. The duke and Bastian have a happy greeting which is not a surprise. Even though the duke has not seen Yorik since he was a baby, he greets him with just as much affection, which Yorik plainly did not expect. Thorn is terribly hurt that Ash pushes him away. This even makes an impression on Yorik who clumsily tries to reassure Thorn. Going through so much danger together has forged and strengthened the bonds between these young people.

BOTTOM LINE: A THRILLING CONFRONTATION

Wynd: The Throne in the Sky #5 has a huge cliffhanger ending, but it does seem that the series will be continued. For a while, it seemed like too many characters to keep track of, but there is enough room in these double-sized issues to develop them and their connections. I also love the underlying message of inclusivity and liking people for who they are as people.

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