Zenescope Entertainment 2019
Written by Terry Kavanagh
Illustrated by Marcelo Mueller
Coloured by Leonardo Paciarotti
Lettered by Maurizio Clausi of Arancia Studio
PART 2 OF 5
Cut off from most of her loyal followers and exiled from the Emerald City, Dorothy is still trapped in a body that is not her own. Now on the run through increasingly forbidding lands, and with the very heart of the realm itself on the line, she must protect herself and the people who rely on her.
There is something about this book that helps to separate it from what’s come before. The story itself is a great one as Dorothy has been body swapped and while the Wizard is I her body instead of placing her in his he put in another woman’s body. Thankfully her mind is her own and while the Emerald City and it’s denizens remain unaware there are those who know and believe in the quest that lies before them. There is a smart and intelligent approach to the story that the boys thought through and which Terry brings to life beautifully.
With last issue and this one I notice that if you haven’t been reading the Oz saga before now then they do a really nice job in catching us up to date while leaving a few things out so our interest is piqued. The opening here is highly reminiscent of the old school Zenescope way of thinking I mean those shorts seriously and who in their right mind would put boots that size with those shorts? Thank goodness that’s the past. So while we see the past and the present for Dorothy Terry isn’t just satisfied with that and shows us what’s happening in the Emerald City as well.
I adore the amount of subterfuge and underhandedness of the layers of storytelling that we see. It has a different meaning everywhere we look and while the Nome King has his own reasons that have yet to be revealed it is obvious that his wife isn’t happy. So it doesn’t what part of the story we see there are so many avenues to be explored that the readers’ mind goes into overdrive thinking about all the possibilities. This means we take the story off-page and run wild with it in our own imaginations thus become more and more invested in the ongoing story. This really is smartly done and is thoroughly engaging and entertaining.
I am a big fan of the interiors here. The crisp, clean and strength behind the linework here is stellar stuff. The attention to detail and how the varying weights of the linework are utilised really brings these characters and this world to life spectacularly. That scene where the Scarecrow and Tessa are having their discussion for example the creativity, imagination, the linework and the colours are all so well intertwined with each other it just captivates the reader. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show this extremely talented eye for storytelling. That backgrounds are utilised as they are really do enhance the moments and bring this amazing sense of size and scope to the world. The colours are fantastic as well. From the vibrancy to the dryness of the sand and how the light sources create this shading and colour gradation effects are sensationally well done.
Zenescope is emerging as home to some powerhouse storytelling. Gone are the frivolous scantily clad stereotypes and they are replaced by powerful female characters worthy of the mantle of heroine. This is fresh, exciting and in completely in the vein of what makes for good, strong and powerful storytelling. There is character growth and development amidst the chaos and pain that they have to endure while on this epic quest to regain the kingdom. The story & plot development, pacing and characterisation alongside the interior artwork make this book stand out and well worth reading.