The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #7 – Review

By Eric Shanower (Writer), Skottie Young (Art), and Jean-Francois Beaulieu (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I normally don’t do short reviews, but when I sat down to write about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #7…well let’s just say that I realized I’ve pretty much run out of ways to praise the brilliant mini-series for the length of a full review.

The Story: Thanks to some clever thinking by a humbug from Omaha claiming to be a wizard, the Lion gets some courage, the Scarecrow gets a brain, and the Tin Man gets a heart. Dorothy, however, has a wish that is very difficult to deal with…

It’s All Good: So…how killer does the Scarecrow look on the cover?! Alright, with that out of the way, I might as well just go ahead and say that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #7 is just as awesome as the first six issues of the series. The artwork is incredible, the colors look brilliant, and the writing couldn’t be any better. You probably expected as much. What you probably didn’t expect is that there is a fantastic teaser image on the final page that actually makes me wish for the winter to come a bit early this year. Be sure to check it out!

Conclusion: If you haven’t been buying The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as a monthly, be sure to get the collected edition as soon as possible. I can’t possibly recommend the mini-series enough…

Grade: A+

-Kyle Posluszny

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #6 – Review

By Eric Shanower (Writer), Skottie Young (Artist), and Jean-Francois Beaulieu (Color Artist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Marvel’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz adaptation really is something special. It’s a must read for comic fans of all ages because it’s easily one of the best minis of the year. I can’t recommend Oz enough. As a reviewer, I am honestly starting to run out of ways to praise it.

The Story: Dorothy must call upon the flying monkeys in order for her group to find a way back to the Emerald City. During the journey, the monkeys tell their tale. After arriving at the Emerald City, the travelers learn the truth about the great and terrible Wizard of Oz.

It’s All Good: The only negative thing I can really say about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #6 is that it makes me think that the last two issues may feel a bit stretched out so the series can fill eight full issues. Then again, that’s really not such a bad thing considering that it means you and I will get more fantastic artwork by Skottie Young and Jean-Francois Beaulieu. So is the length thing a true negative? Not so much.

So if “iIt’s All Good” in Wizard of Oz #6, you must be wondering why that is. I’ll tell you. The comic is whimsical, magical, funny, touching, clever, charming, beautiful, artistic, excellent, entertaining, engaging, accurate, cute, awesome, fun, and absolutely worth every cent of it’s cover price. If that doesn’t convince you to give the series a shot, I don’t know what will.

Conclusion: If you’ve sat on the sidelines this long, you may be better off waiting for the trade. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s an a must-read series in every way. Hunt down the back issues or wait a while for the trade. Either way, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz should not be missed!

Grade: A+

-Kyle Posluszny

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #5 – Review

By Eric Shanower (Writer), Skottie Young (Artist), and Jean-Francois Beaulieu (Colorist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I know it’s only April and that only five issues have been released, but I’m about ninety percent certain that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is going to win my vote for mini-series of the year. On top of that, I’m also fairly certain that Skottie Young and Jean-Francois Beaulieu are going to win my vote for best art team. The series (especially the artwork) has just been that good so far…

The Story: On a mission to reluctantly try to kill the Wicked Witch, Dorothy and her companions leave the Emerald City. Soon enough though, the Wicked Witch of the West learns about the group’s journey. Wolves and crows are only the beginning of the obstacles Dorothy, Toto, The Tin Man, The Scarecrow, and The Cowardly Lion must overcome…

What’s Good: Comics don’t get much better than The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #5. Seriously. The visuals are absolutely spectacular, Eric Shanower’s adaptation is extremely compelling, and the package as a whole is really something special.
Especially impressive is how the creative team mixes the whimsical and the sinister. It finally allows the writing to stand up next to the artwork without being overshadowed in any way. While I’ve had no problems with Eric Shanower’s writing so far, up until this issue it has generally taken a back seat to the artwork from Skottie Young and Jean-Francois Beaulieu. That is not the case here.

What’s Not So Good: I have absolutely no complaints about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #5. In my opinion it is a perfect example of how downright incredible the comic book medium can be.

Conclusion: Do yourself a favor and hunt down the first four issues of the series if you haven’t already. It’s well worth it. Once you are caught up, then sit back and enjoy what I’m sure will be remembered as one of the single best comics of the year.

Grade: A+

-Kyle Posluszny

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #2 – Review

By Scott Shanower (Writer), Scottie Young (Art), and Jean-Francois Beaulieu (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The first chapter of Marvel’s adaptation of the children’s classic left quite an impression on me, especially since I wasn’t exactly expecting much from it. Sure, I knew the art would look nice, thanks to the free sketchbook that was released, but I still found myself caught off guard by the incredibly high quality of the final product. The gorgeous artwork and whimsical storytelling came together in what can only be called a perfect harmony. And while I know how the story goes, I still can’t wait to see what happens next.

The Story: Dorothy’s trip along the Yellow Brick Road gets a bit more lively as she encounters a tin man wishing for a heart and a cowardly lion in need of some courage. As a result, the second chapter of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is largely driven by short origin tales, and melancholic ruminations about the nature of life. It all makes for a pretty dense read when compared to the first issue.

What’s Good: Simply put, the creative team continues to knock this adaptation completely out of the park. And best of all, the second issue of the series actually manages to build upon the incredibly impressive foundation laid down in the first, making the art even more impressive, the writing much stronger, and the overall feel of the comic more satisfying. I really couldn’t be much happier with how the whole project is coming together.

What’s Not So Good: My only complaint about the issue is something of a strange one. I absolutely love how Scott Shanower’s script is given more time to shine throughout this issue. He successfully handles the narrative and themes of the story in a way that really displays how the classic tale can appeal to people of all ages through an ingenious mix of simplistic ideas and complex, weighty themes. The downside to that is that occasionally the artwork feels almost overwhelmed by the amount of text-boxes throughout the book. And the artwork absolutely, in every way, needs to be seen, enjoyed, and savored.

Conclusion: Considering that the text-box issue is something of a necessary evil, it doesn’t really weigh a whole lot on my overall enjoyment of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #2. The comic simply rocks in every way. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. It’s a perfect example of why the comic medium can be such a fantastic thing.

Grade: A-

-Kyle Posluszny

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #1 – Review

By Eric Shanower (Writer), Skottie Young (Artist), and Jean-Francois Beaulieu (Colorist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I initially had very little interest in picking up Marvel’s Wizard of Oz series. Then I saw Skottie Young’s fantastic take on the classic characters in the free sketchbook that was released a little while back; and surpisingly I was convinced to give the first issue of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz a shot.

The Story: Based off the classic children’s story by L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz begins just as you might expect. So, to save you some time, I’ll just say that there is a tornado, there are Munchkins, a farmhouse lands on the Wicked Witch of the East, and Dorothy meets one of her traveling companions. No big surprises story wise, but don’t take that as a negative.

What’s Good: Pretty much everything. Simply put, you really can’t ask for much more from a comic adaptation of a classic story. Eric Shanower’s writing effortlessly (and effectively) captures the tone and feel of L. Frank Baum’s tale without ever getting in the way of the real star of the show, the artwork.

Skottie Young and Jean-Francois Beaulieu both deserve equal amounts of credit for how absolutely outstanding The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #1 looks. Truth be told, Young’s character and scene design are some of the best I’ve ever seen. It manages to be endearing, charming, whimsical, original, and stylish, without ever truly abandoning the source material. And the coloring by Beaulieu easily adds on to making this one of the most visually impressive books of the year. A prime example of the magic that can happen when an artist and a colorist prove to be a perfect match for the material they are working with.

What’s Not So Good: Next to nothing. From a critical standpoint, the biggest negative I can think of is the fact that the comic is simply telling a story pretty much everybody knows. As such, you probably won’t find any surprises outside of those offered by the art team.

Conclusion: The start of an exceptional, visually superb adaptation of a classic, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #1 easily ranks as one of the best comics of the year. This is one of those rare times I have absolutely no qualms with recommending a $3.99 comic book. It is worth every penny.

Grade: A+

-Kyle Posluszny