The Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodsman get their rewards but Dorothy is out of luck yet again.
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #7
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Eric Shanower
Artist: Skottie Young
Colorist: Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
Summary: Now that the Wicked Witch is dead, Dorothy possesses the Witch’s magic—including the Winged Monkeys. But how did the Winged Monkeys first become magical slaves? The answer involves a powerful sorceress’s love for a mortal boy and her eternal revenge for a practical joke. Then discover the dreadful truth of the Wizard of Oz’s secret identity. All Dorothy’s hopes of returning home teeter on the brink of annihilation.
Review: Issue #7 of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a reinforcement of the importance of friendships. Even though this is a kids’ book, the things we read, see and hear as children will leave impressions upon us; such is the case with comics, cartoons and other forms of entertainment. Hopefully this doesn’t sound like I’m promoting an after school special or lame Saturday morning cartoon. The Oz series is indeed for young readers but as we grow into adults we realize just how important those few close friends in our lives really are.
All throughout the issue, the premise of children being so profoundly disappointed by their mentor fills the pages. The Wizard is the adult character of the issue whose well-intentioned deceit has disappointed the innocents but they have each other for support. Just like when a child learns that adults lied about Santa or the Tooth Fairy, the shenanigans of the Wizard crush poor Dorothy.
Then he covers his failure with more deceit but the gullible gang are eager to believe him that nails and pins will work for brains, stuffed fabric can be a heart and a benign potion can fill one with courage. Utter disappointment abounds when Oz takes off in the hot air balloon leaving Dorothy behind. It’s only with a tip about seeking out Glinda which compels the team to rally together and solider on bringing the story’s message back around from hope to discontent back to hope.
The team of Young, Beaulieu and Eckleberry consistently bring a whimsical flare with a bit of a steampunk edge to the illustrations. Most of the issue takes place in the Emerald City so the familiar green overlay sets the tone; once the friends set out on their journey to find Glinda an almost full spectrum of color returns to the panels.
August 12th, 2009 at 6:58 am
Great, insightful review comparing these characters that we all grew up with and showing us how they still live within us in some capacity or another. Oh, by the way, are you telling me I was lied to about Santa? NNNOOOOO!!!!!