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jeriendhalSummary: Set in L. Frank Baum's classic fantasy land of Oz, Adventures in Oz is a collection of five graphic novels written by Shanower and originally published by Dark Horse. The stories stay true to the fantastically (pun intended) complex universe created by Baum and his officially sanctioned successors and the artwork is bloody gorgeous.
Reviews of the individual stories are in italics.
Included are:
The Enchanted Apples of Oz: In which Dorothy and the Scarecrow find themselves helping the Sorceress Valynn, under whose care is the true source of Oz's magic. Unfortunately a rival wizard wants them for himself, but for a reason other than power.
A good, solid first story, with an antagonist that's conflicted in a way that adds depth to his character while staying true to the good natured style of Oz. Marred slightly by an ending that's basically "...and Ozma fixed it."
The Secret Island of Oz: Dorothy, Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion go hunting for a rare fish needed to complete the fish pond in Ozma's garden. Things get complicated when they find a secret island in the middle of a raging whirlpool, with a princess living there who has to learn the difference between growing up and becoming mature.
Another good story idea, but marred by an unsympathetic new character and an anvilicious moral.
The Ice King of Oz: A powerful ice soceror from beyond the Deadly Desert kidnaps Ozma to take her as his bride. It's up to Dorothy and her gang, along with a new friend, to journey beyond the desert to rescue their queen.
Good solid adventure with a fun new character who continues the Oz tradition of having a freaking weird curse stuck on him courtesy of the late Wicked Witch of the East.
The Forgotten Forest of Oz: A banished wood nymph becomes the bride of the evil Goblin King to help in an unholy scheme to bring destruction to the forest that cast her out.
Another good adventure with another conflicted antagonist. Plus it has lava dragons, which are always cool. Er, hot.
The Blue Witch of Oz: In which Dorothy goes on a search for the Good Witch of the East and finds herself untangling a very unfortunate tale of two families that suffered tragic losses.
A good story overall, but I'm almost afraid to say that it's got too much psychological depth for an Oz story. This is a place of mostly black and white morality and unambiguous outcomes. The Blue Witch's tragedy seems wildly out of place when placed in this setting, however well it's written.
Reviews of the individual stories are in italics.
Included are:
The Enchanted Apples of Oz: In which Dorothy and the Scarecrow find themselves helping the Sorceress Valynn, under whose care is the true source of Oz's magic. Unfortunately a rival wizard wants them for himself, but for a reason other than power.
A good, solid first story, with an antagonist that's conflicted in a way that adds depth to his character while staying true to the good natured style of Oz. Marred slightly by an ending that's basically "...and Ozma fixed it."
The Secret Island of Oz: Dorothy, Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion go hunting for a rare fish needed to complete the fish pond in Ozma's garden. Things get complicated when they find a secret island in the middle of a raging whirlpool, with a princess living there who has to learn the difference between growing up and becoming mature.
Another good story idea, but marred by an unsympathetic new character and an anvilicious moral.
The Ice King of Oz: A powerful ice soceror from beyond the Deadly Desert kidnaps Ozma to take her as his bride. It's up to Dorothy and her gang, along with a new friend, to journey beyond the desert to rescue their queen.
Good solid adventure with a fun new character who continues the Oz tradition of having a freaking weird curse stuck on him courtesy of the late Wicked Witch of the East.
The Forgotten Forest of Oz: A banished wood nymph becomes the bride of the evil Goblin King to help in an unholy scheme to bring destruction to the forest that cast her out.
Another good adventure with another conflicted antagonist. Plus it has lava dragons, which are always cool. Er, hot.
The Blue Witch of Oz: In which Dorothy goes on a search for the Good Witch of the East and finds herself untangling a very unfortunate tale of two families that suffered tragic losses.
A good story overall, but I'm almost afraid to say that it's got too much psychological depth for an Oz story. This is a place of mostly black and white morality and unambiguous outcomes. The Blue Witch's tragedy seems wildly out of place when placed in this setting, however well it's written.
