Review: Wonderful Wizard of Oz #1
Hooray for public domain!
As The Wizard of Oz books become free reign in the United States, Marvel and artist Skottie Young take the opportunity to convert one of the most well known stories in the Western hemisphere to graphic literature.
How does it compare to Baum's original book? Is it worth comparing to the film that sits so highly in some people's hearts (although it really doesn't in mine)? Does it even matter since if we didn't review this book we'd have to give back our gay blogging license to the internet police and be handed over to Ann Coulter for punishment?
Yeah, that's right. Coulter. She said that if you don't read this review you'll be her new best friend. Got that? Read this review or you'll be spending all your free time with ... with ... her!
Trust me, make the jump and read on!
This limited series (the first of several adaptions of Baum's "Oz" series) was the brainchild of artist Skottie Young, though he did enlist the writer Eric Shanower to help him out. I already went into why the book was made in the intro, so let's skip the fanfare and just dig deep into the meat of the book.
The first thing you notice about this issue is Young's amazing artwork. Certainly a bit stylized, his work is always crisp and full of energy with Oz being no different. Even the cover jumps with excitement and it's little more than a simple cast shot of the main characters. But look at Dorothy's face and body language - even with the majority of her body being taken up by a white apron there is everything you need to know about her disposition.
Inside the cover the art continues its greatness. There is manic movement and terror as Dorothy is tossed around the cyclone and even though she herself is colored in brightly, the rest of the house is dark browns and blacks adding a real sense of foreboding ... until a crack of sunlight alerts her to her arrival in Oz.
As we move briskly along, Young's redesign of the Scarecrow is probably his best in the book (though his quartet of directional witches adds a bit of character to the overlooked foursome). Both sweet ad scary at the same time, Scarecrow looks he really should. He's lanky with dropping arms and a somewhat creepy grin, but he is always smiling so it's almost okay.
If you're like me (and God help you if you are), you're probably shocked that the Scarecrow actually makes it int the first issue. The series is eight issues long and by the end of the first book we've killed the witch, left Mucnhkin Land and have teamed up with Scarecrow. Is there enough story left to fill the next seven issues? I'm certainly not going to question Shanower as he has more than proven himself a capable writer with the magnificent Age of Bronze series, so call this a question I can't wait to see the answer to.
In all, this one issue has done more to spark my interest in the Oz world than any past incarnations - including the live action film which has an ungodly following in my estimation. Shanower and Young have a very obvious love for the source material and their excitement is contagious to the reader. If anything I'm about as far from the target demographic that they were shooting for, yet I'm completely hooked. I showed up for Young's artwork, but stayed for everything else.
Definitely recommended.
Goblin
Posted to Comics, Review on 13 January 2009
· Comments (2)
Other stuff like this: Age of Bronze, Eric Shanower, Frank Baum, Marvel, Reviews, Skottie Young, Wonderful Wizard of Oz
You are completely right! This book was amazing. I loved every frame of it.
This Oz comic, "BB and the Magic of Shazam" and "Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade" have made me virtually stop going to the main shelves in the comic shop. I spend all my time in the 'younger readers' section! They are great. Especially this title. While 'real' titles are loosing my interest every time I open them, these three get my imagination swirling!
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Building Batman
I love Eric Shanower. I'll be waiting for the trade, but I will definitely be picking it up.