Rapid Reviews - Dorothy of Oz

Hubby-Eric's new comic book version of Oz has arrived, and I think it's worth reviewing...

Dorothy: As I mentioned when I first brought this up, it's a dark version of "The Wizard of Oz". A very dark version. Dorothy is a sixteen year-old girl with a slightly goth look who hotwires a truck in the first few pages. This is not Baum's vision, but that's ok. It's a vision all its own, and I actually like it quite a bit. The comic is made up of studio photos enhanced and turned into artwork, which is jarring in some places at first. The model playing Dorothy fits the role nicely. Once you get used to the style, the art works very nicely and enhances the mood of the story better than traditional art might. It's got a very slick, very cool look to it. All of that wouldn't be worth a nickel if the story wasn't also strong... which isn't a problem. The story is a nice twist on the original tale, with the whole tornado thing happening and everything. But there's no good witch awaiting Dorothy's arrival, and things in Oz seem a bit amiss. I can't recommend this to hardcore Oz traditionalists, but any Oz fan with an open mind and just about any regular comic book fan ought to enjoy this book. If you're on the hunt for something different, try it. Recommended.

A couple more notes: the comic book has a warning label on the cover, "Contains Strong Language and Drug References". I like that the label is on the cover. It makes it pretty clear off the bat that despite the setting, this is no children's book.

I mentioned hardcore Oz fans would not like this. I mean it. I know of at least one hardcore Oz fan who would likely have a hissy fit if he saw this. That's his problem. I liked it. But don't get it for your favorite Oz fan unless you know ahead of time that they don't mind alternate versions of Oz.

I know there's a word for the use of photos in a comic book form, but I can't for the life of me remember it. This isn't simply photos, though, the photos are enhanced with backgrounds added. I particularly like the enhancement of the color on Dorothy's eyes. Very nicely done.

I absolutely love the next line after the good old I-don't-think-we're-in-Kansas type line. That and another scene got a good laugh out of me.

If you want to see a good page on Oz, go visit The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Website, aka hubby-Eric's passion.