Wild Children – Review 
Written by: Ales Kot
Art by: Riley Rossmo
Colours by: Gregory Wright
Letters by: Clayton Cowles
Cover by: Ales kot, Zoetica Ebb and Courtney Riot
Published by: Image
Cover Price: $7.99 (USD)
The solicitation for this issue takes some risks by comparing the themes and tone of Wild Children to two very well regarded stories by two of the best modern day comic writers in Warren Ellis (Hellblazer “Shoot”) and Grant Morrison (Kill Your Boyfriend).
That’s a lot for Ales Kot to live up to and I’m honestly not sure if he has manages it or not. It’s hard to know how to feel about Wild Children. I was expecting something shocking, especially with the plot revolving around a group of students taking over their school by force, but this comic surprised me in ways I was not expecting.
Despite what the preview images of teenagers with guns, and LSD induced visuals suggest, this isn’t a simple story of rebellion. It’s almost more complex while also not being especially subtle. The ideas aren’t necessarily clear; this comic is as much about ideas and the form as it is concerned with the plot specifics.
The story will divide people, but the art shouldn’t, because Rossmo is fantastic. His lines are cleaner here than they have been in Green Wake and Rebel Blood but this fits with the school setting. Rossmo’s art begins as more uniform to begin with, but as the story progresses, there is call for him to be more experimental and this works very well. The colouring, which Rossmo usually does himself, is excellent from Wright. Wright gives the school a cleansed feeling, but adds vast amount of colour when needed.
I respect Kot and Rossmo for trying to do something different with Wild Children. This isn’t the sort of comic that I can recommend and say that I believe everyone will enjoy it, but I definitely think it is interesting and worth reading for anyone looking for something a little more challenging; even if that challenge might be to find the point that Wild Children is trying to make.
7/10
