Wayward #4 arrived in comic shops last week and the reviews are really strong once again. If you haven’t gotten on board the series yet, please consider giving it a try. Many shops still have 2nd printing copies of our first issue.

• Big Glasgow: 9/10 “Another brilliant issue for Wayward, definitely worth buying and enjoying.”

• Black Ship Books: “Wayward continues to be one of my favorite series Image is putting out.”

• Cold Beer and Comics: 5/5 “I can’t put this comic down. It reads just like a movie and I bet this is adapted within the next couple of years.”

• Comic Attack: “Steve Cummings has consistently supplied Wayward with some of THE sharpest artwork around. The same amount of detail and great work you get on the cover is what you can expect when you open the issue up.”

• Comic Book Bin: “Wayward offers a mystery that is as unknown as it is alluring. Like Rori following the glowing threads that guide (or lead) her, we don’t know where this mystery will take us, but let’s follow!”

• Comix I Read: 5/5 “I cannot recommend this book enough to everyone.The story is fantastic and the art is some of the best in comics today.”

• Fandom Post: “This issue is heavily focused on the action and it’s warranted as it lets the creative team really show their stuff in a great way – and beautifully colored at that.”

• Major Spoilers: 4/5 “Wayward #4 is an awesome issue and the series is helmed by two creators who know exactly what they are doing and how they want events to play out.”

• Mind Capsules: 9/10 “Wayward is a truly wonderful and beautiful book on every level, one that deserves a place on your pull list.”

• Moar Powah: 4/5 “Though mostly a transitional piece, Wayward certainly makes an impression.”

• OmniJerBear: 10/10 “The best arc of the year. Period.”

• Outright Geekery: 4.5/5 “The issue was an absolute blast to read from beginning to end.”

• Panel Patter: “This is such an amazing creation, one of the best new series of 2014, and pretty much a slam-dunk for my favorites list.”

• Reading With a Flight Ring: “The moment you hit that two page spread you realize what’s going down and it pumps up the adrenaline. This could be the next big thing.”

• Third Eye Spotlight: “Jim Zub takes an incredible tale of supernatural horror and blends it with slice of life drama to make for one heck of an awesome read.”

• TMStash: 10/10 “You cannot read this tale without being drawn in – it is a totally captivating story.”

• What’cha Reading: 8/10 “Good writing, good art, this book is just a solid piece of storytelling all around.”

• What’s On The Table: “If you are interested in a modern day Japan setting with supernatural adventures, go read this comic!”

Arriving March 25th, Wayward Vol. 1: String Theory collects the first five issues of my new creator-owned comic series in a spiffy softcover for a wonderfully value-priced $9.99!

It’s the perfect price to get on board (or buy for a gift) and will be arriving in stores the same day as Wayward #6, so you can binge read 1-5 and 6 to get caught up all at once.

NOTE: The trade paperback does not include Zack Davisson’s special essays on Japanese myth and culture, our alternate covers, or our letters pages, so if you’re enjoying that extra content and/or can’t wait for the collections, please keep collecting our single issues as they arrive each month. We deeply appreciate the support and single issue sales help keep the series rolling.

You can already pre-order from your local comic shop with the Diamond order code above or from several online outlets, including Amazon, linked below:

Wayward Vol. 1 String Theory (issues #1-5) Rori Lane is trying to start a new life when she reunites with her mother in Japan, but ancient creatures lurking in the shadows of Tokyo sense something hidden deep within her, threatening everything she holds dear. Can she unlock the secrets of her power before it’s too late?

PRE-ORDER Amazon.com Barnes & Noble Book Depository Chapters-Indigo comiXology Midtown Comics TFAW

The Ashbury Park Press has a nice article talking about Wayward, getting new readers up to speed. Click on through to give it a read.

“An upbringing that emphasized both cultures tempers Rori’s culture shock just enough, in much the same way that her charismatic narration tempers ours, because Zub and Cummings hit the ground running with the borrowed images and myths that are the backbone of the series driving “Buffy”-esque supernatural narrative, throwing Rori into an unexplained world of mythological phenomena.”

I feel like issue 3 is where we’re finally hitting our stride with Wayward and reviewers seem to agree. Check it out!

• All-Comic: 4/5 “Key moments are dropped within the book to show that the scope is going to be huge. Needless to say, minds will be blown.”

• Big Glasgow Comic Page: 4/5 “Steve Cummings’s art remains fascinating, each and every image is extremely precise, very often worth just looking at in order to admire the detail he put in it.”

• Black Ship Books: “The writing flows and seamlessly weaves character development with the plot, while the art continues to be some of the most gorgeous work currently on the shelves. This is not a series you should be missing out on.”

• Comic Attack: “If you’re a fan of well written characters, Japanese mythology, and great comics then start reading Wayward.”

• Comic Book Bin: 10/10 “Yeah, it’s not fluke. Wayward is one of the best new titles of the year.”

• Comics the Gathering: 10/10 “Wayward shows no signs of slowing down and is making its way towards my favorite book of the year.”

• Comix I Read: 4.5/5 “This series has been stellar since the start… a wonderful world with a wonderful story.”

• Con Freaks and Geeks: 9/10 “…if you are not reading this book, you are missing out on an amazing story with wonderful art.”

• Fandom Post: “Wayward’s doing the right things and it’s looking good and building events and I like that the potential villain side is just now really making its way into things.”

• Fangirl Nation: “The story is pulling me in and I am already frustrated that I have to wait another month for the next issue.”

• Geeked Out Nation: 9/10 “Zub writes teenage interactions and problems realistically while balancing the supernatural elements and world-building. Cummings’ art continues to explore the wonder and horror of Tokyo as well as show the characters in dynamic action.”

• Ghost Volta: 10/10 “This is one of the rare occasions where the creative team as a whole works in total unison to put out a truly stellar product.”

• Iron Violet: 4.5/5 “Wayward is an excellent book that tells a fantastical story in an authentically-written Japan.”

• Multiversity: 8/10 “A well-paced and beautifully drawn journey into the supernatural side of Tokyo.”

• OmniJerBear: “This is definitely the book of the year. Pick it up.”

• Outhousers: “Jim Zub and his crew do a stellar job of creating a Tokyo that feels both real and drenched in mythology.”

• The Read Pile: “If you’re not reading Wayward, I really recommend it.”

• Rhymes With Geek: 10/10 “Great story. Amazing art. Beautiful designs. Wayward is my pick for book of the year!”

• Shadowhawk’s Shade: 10/10 “The art here is pretty damn fantastic…one of the best new comics of the year”

• Sound In The Signals: “This is definitely on my short list of favorite new series right now.”

• The Telltale Mind: 4.5/5 “There is a little humour sprinkled throughout the book which combined with the beautiful colouring, really keeps the feel of the story nice and light. Overall, a fantastic book and probably the best Image launch in the last few months.”

• TMStash: 10/10 “How they manage to keep such a warm feeling in such a strange tale is amazing to me.”

• Unleash The Fanboy: 9.5/10 ” It’s a thriller with a heart of gold, where just enough character development and arc progression adds up to a downright engaging cliffhanger. In other words: this release soundly comes highly recommended.”

• We The Nerdy: 8.9/10 “There’s also a nice little twist at the end that makes me think this comic series will veer into a direction I cannot predict”

WAYWARD #2 has sold out and is being rushed back to press to meet retailer and reader demand! Here’s the new cover by Steve Cummings and Tamra Bonvillain and press release from Image:

The second issue of Jim Zub (SKULLKICKERS, Samurai Jack) and Steve Cummings’ (Legends of the Dark Knight, Deadshot) ongoing supernatural adventure series WAYWARD resonates with readers in search of myth, monsters, and magic. The second issue has sold out completely and is fast-tracked for a second printing to meet demand. Fan praise for WAYWARD has lit up social media and gone viral.

In WAYWARD #2 Rori’s uncanny senses lead her to a classmate with a dark secret… one he’s willing to kill to keep hidden.

“Steve and I are ecstatic about the response so far to Wayward,” said Zub. “This has been a dream project for both of us and knowing that the readership is engaged and growing helps us keep working hard.”

Fan praise for WAYWARD:
“I loooove Wayward, manager at this local comic store recommended it and so I got the first issue and found myself needing more, went back the next day and just had to grab the second issue. Really enjoyed the work gone into this, keep on keepin’ on!” —level9lamewad

“Wayward is one great comic. Two issues in and I’m wanting more and more.” —@JoshuaCoast

“Jim Zub’s Wayward comic is brilliant and beautiful.” —@wordwill

“Wayward is basically Buffy directed by Miyazaki. It’s the best new comic I’ve read in ages. It’s going to be huge.” —@samashurst

“If you’re not already reading it, give the comic Wayward a read. Definitely deserves more attention!” —@couragebatou

“Love this comic.” —@Mer_Ault

“A really cool fusion of Western comics & manga.” —thegamingkoala

WAYWARD #2 has completely sold out at the distributor level, but may still be available in comic stores. It is currently available digitally on the Image Comics website (imagecomics.com) and the official Image Comics iOS app, and on Comixology on the web (comixology.com), iOS, Android, and Google Play.

The second printing of WAYWARD #2 (Diamond Code SEP148170) will release on 11/19.

WAYWARD #3 will hit stores on 10/29 and can be pre-ordered with Diamond Code AUG140692. Cover B by Jorge Molina can be pre-ordered with Diamond Code AUG140693.

If you’re a digital comic reader you’ll definitely want to take advantage of Image Comics’ latest comiXology sale. Try out 20 different new Image #1’s, including Wayward, for only $14.99!

Incredible variety and quality for a killer price, plus you’re helping support creator-owned comics.

Wayward #2 arrived in stores last week and, once again, all of us on the creative team are blown away by the response from retailers and readers alike. Thank you so much for the praise and support. Keep telling others about the series as we continue to crank away making it the best we can.

• Bleeding Cool: “The new high school experience, the language differences, and exploring of a stranger world within a strange world, yeah, definitely the comic of the week.”

• 13th Dimension: “There is no question that the slowly unfolding series is brimming with promise and, in the meantime, if Zub can continue to regale us with Rori’s adventures in Tokyo, the series should continue to be an essential read.”

• All-Comic: 5/5 “Wayward is only on its second issue, but has instantly become one of most vibrant and fascinating titles in Image’s stable.”

• Big Glasgow Comic Page: 4/5 “Wayward is still a very, very open book: anything could happen.”

• Black Ship Books: “Rori continues to be a fascinating character and Cummings’ art alone is well worth the cover price. Don’t miss it.”

• Comic Book Bin: 10/10 “Wayward does indeed look to be one of the year’s best new comic book series and one of the best fantasy comic books period.”

• Comics: The Gathering: 9/10 “Wayward continues with an incredibly strong second outing that is vivid and eye-catching. Don’t miss this one.”

• Comix I Read: “Supernatural beings, a deep and confused main character and fantastic art make Wayward issue #2 a must read for this week.”

• Con Freaks & Geeks: 9/10 “As Rori’s story continues on, her powers manifest even more. Wayward’s story is progressing very strongly and is leading to something very big.”

• Emertainment Monthly: “Wayward has an incredibly unique take on both monsters and Japanese culture and Zub does an excellent job of establishing—and quickly fleshing out—his characters.”

• Fangirl Nation: “Anyone who is a fan of the fantasy/supernatural element would be interested in this comic. It is compelling, beautiful, and full of creatures that most people outside of Japan never heard of.”

• Four Color Bullet: “This is fast becoming one of my favorite books, both for content, and a nice price tag.”

• Geeked Out Nation: 8/10 “When everything is said and done you do have to take notice of the attention put into Rori’s relationship with her mom and how there are things about both of their lives that they don’t discuss for the sake of not burdening the other.”

• Iron Violet: 5/5 “I cannot express how much I love the artwork for this series! Its that rare enigma of being the perfect blend of comic book art with manga influences that doesn’t have too much or too little of either.”

• Major Spoilers: 9.5/10 “Wayward #2 is a visually stunning as the narrative is engaging. Cummings, Ruach and Zub are all on their A-game and work together effortlessly.”

• Mind Capsules: 4.5/5 “After two issues, this book has become a keeper and one to definitely pick up if you are not doing so already.”

• OmniJerBear: 10/10 “I really think it’s going to do great.”

• Pop Culture Company: “Image has another huge winner on their hands here”

• Pop Culture Maven: “Zub is not rushing things along. Cummings artwork is one of the key things that is really driving the book.”

• Reading Pictures: “Thus far, Wayward has shown it’s in a real class of its own with its hybrid version of a Japanese coming-of-age tale. Zub, Cummings and the rest of the team have something going strong and this book is just plain fun to read.”

• Reading With A Flight Ring: “I can’t believe I’m such a big fan of this book already it’s that much fun to read.”

• Rhymes With Geek: 9/10 “How nice to be able to say that Wayward is a series that only gets better in the second issue.”

• Shadowhawk’s Shade: 9.5/10 “What can I say, another mindblowing issue from a great team.”

• Talking Comics: “This art is absolutely stunning. It is beautiful, and grounds the story in the real world.”

• Unleash The Fanboy: 9/10 “Two issues in and I can say that this is something that deserves a spot on your pull-list. Highly recommended.”

• We The Nerdy: 87% “Issue 2 is continuing the trend of building and following a character worth reading about. As a reader, I can’t ask for much more than that.”

• What’cha Reading: 4.5/5 “I love Wayward more and more each issue. Rori is identifiable and the right combination of fragile and strong.”

• Word of the Nerd: 8/10 “The art is marvelous and so are the colors.”

Arriving in December… Pre-order now!

WAYWARD #5
story: JIM ZUB
art: STEVE CUMMINGS & JOHN RAUCH
cover A: STEVE CUMMINGS & TAMRA BONVILLAIN
cover B: MARGUERITE SAUVAGE

DECEMBER 17 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.50

IMAGE COMICS’S SUPERNATURAL SENSATION!
The first story arc ends. Revelation and sacrifice.