L. Frank Baum’s most famous work makes for a great all-ages graphic novel in Marvel’s THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ, written by Eric Shanower and illustrated by Skottie Young. Adults will be pleased to see how much it differs from the movie; better yet, kids may be seduced by it, serving as a gateway to a world of reading.
A tornado whisks little girl Dorothy and her dog, Toto, away from her Kansas farm home and into the land of Oz, where her house promptly drops atop the Wicked Witch of the East, killing her instantly, thus making Dorothy just as instant of a hero, however unwittingly.
She’s only interested in getting home. Magical Munchkins point her way to the Emerald City, where the all-powerful Wizard lives; perhaps he can help her find her way back. Following the yellow brick road, Dorothy comes upon three traveling companions in short order: the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman and the Cowardly Lion.
With their help, she makes it to the Emerald City, where the Wizard says he can’t help her unless Dorothy also kills the Wicked Witch of the West. Doing so proves to be pretty simple, but that’s a mere blip in this group’s wild adventures. They also encounter a swarm of bees, two raging tigers and rock-headed cavemen. The more that distinguishes the comic from the beloved film, the better.
Shanower’s adaptation is solid; although it was originally published as eight issues, it’s near impossible to tell where one chapter ends and another begins in this hardcover, making for a seamless storytelling experience. He rightly keeps his script heavy on wit, and refuses to water down his material for younger readers; after all, the Tin Woodsman cuts a cat in half (hey, PETA, he had no choice).
And Young seems the perfect artist to bring this fairy tale to life. His pencils are just as fanciful as the situations in which our heroes find themselves. His style is purposely sketchy, keeping everything from looking too pristine. That helps keep the slight air of menace to the story intact. I especially love his character design for Scarecrow, with a mouth askew as if drawn on a pumpkin by a toddler.
Marvel’s hardcover also collects the series’ colorful covers — variants included — and Young’s character sketches, all of which help the work earn the WONDERFUL of its title. —Rod Lott
Related posts:
- The Wizard Lord
- The Real Wizard of Oz: The Life and Times of L. Frank Baum
- Dragonfrigate Wizard Halcyon Blithe
- CAPES, COWLS & COSTUMES >> S’Wonderful, S’Marvelous
- Bloodstained Oz
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Cool. Snagged a copy as a gift for my teen girl who digs OZ.
So this came via UPS and I gifted it to my daughter … then looked it over as soon her hands were off it. Awesome artwork. Darker story line, the way I like it. Oh, she does too.