Oz: Ozma of Oz

Marvel's Oz Comics #3

by Eric Shanower, L. Frank Baum, Skottie Young (Illustrator)

Dorothy is back, and she's not in Kansas anymore. But she's not in Oz, either! L. Frank Baum's magical world comes to life once again as our beloved Dorothy Gale takes yet another unexpected trip to a mystical, faraway land. This time, Dorothy winds up in the land of Ev; she meets new friends such as Tik-Tok the mechanical man and Billina, perhaps the cleverest chicken you'll ever encounter. Dorothy will also have to face the wicked Nome King, who's imprisoned the royal family of Ev. Lucky for her, she'll get help from her Oz friends such as the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow - along with the new Queen of Oz, the lovely Ozma! But can even their combined might win the day and see Dorothy back home? COLLECTING: Ozma of Oz 1-8

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Classics, Fiction, Childrens, Marvel

186 pages, Paperback

Published May 31, 2012

Reviews

[Alejandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is far from ending up!


Creative Team:

Writer: Eric Shanower (based on the original works by L. Frank Baum)

Illustrator: Scottie Young


BEWARE THE WHEELERS!

Dorothy returns in another adventure but to her surprise she may not being in Kansas anymore but it's not Oz either.

Dorothy and her new companion, Billina, are now in the wonderful land of Ev!

Billina is a hen, but unlike Toto, the dog, Billina is able to talk while she is in the magical realms, making her more interesting to read in the story. And don't get me wrong, Toto is adorable, but being able to speak, indeed is a big plus to Billina as companion to Dorothy.

Soon enough, Dorothy and Billina will have the help of Tik-Tok, a likeable metallic soldier.

And that's good since this time Dorothy will need all the available help since she will face a new villain, the powerful Nome King!!!


OZMA RULES!

Now, Oz is ruled by Ozma, the real heiress to the throne of Oz.

Ozma rules! (In more than the literal way)

And as I commented that Dorothy would need all the available help, so that's good that Ozma won't hesitate to form a party (No! Not one of those where you dance and eat cake, you silly!) of the best characters in Emerald City to make a daring journey from the boundaries of Oz to reach the dangerous territories of Ev.

New challenges are ahead, so don't miss the next chapter in the magical and charming saga of Oz!!!

Eric Shanower and Scottie Young are back again to adapt in a wonderful way, this third book by L. Frank Baum.

Highly recommended for readers of all ages.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

While travelling to Australia with Uncle Henry, Dorothy is shipwrecked in the Land of Ev where she meets Billina the hen and the Tic-Toc Man. They come across the Wheelers which Skottie Young demonically illustrates to full effect.



Ozma and all of Dorothy's old friends also come to Ev in order to free the royal family from the clutched of the Nome King. The Nome King is a reoccurring villain in future Oz books and he's perfect for it. I love all of Young's illustrations in the underground and particularly the Nome King himself.



I like that Dorothy has grown up a bit and is more sure of herself. You may recognize a lot of characters from the 80's movie Return to OZ. They pulled from Ozma of Oz and Marvelous World of Oz for that story.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

RE-READ UPDATE: Yup, still brilliant. I have to say that these beautifully illustrated retellings are my favorite MARVEL books ever. Creator Frank Baum's writing style may not have aged particularly well, but there's no faulting his imagination. Even "throwaways" here that have nothing to do with the real story - like the Wheelers and the lunch-box/dinner-pail trees - are fully realized; while main characters like the Nome King and Princess Langwidere are as delightful today as they were over a century ago. Plus, who else would make his main hero - saving the day at least twice - be a character called Bill the Chicken? And of course, the pairing of Dorothy and Ozma makes one of the greatest female teams since Xena and Gabrielle. (That said, what's the point of Tik-Tok? He seems to really contribute nothing to the overall story, other than just standing in the background and "talk-ing in his su-per an-noy-ing voice.")

As always, Skottie Young's illustrations steal the show - that man cannot draw a wrong line, as seen both here and in his own perverse "I Hate Fairyland," which is basically a "Dark Brandon" take on the whole Baum world. I can't wait to share these "Oz" books with my grandson, (although "Fairyland" will have to wait a good while longer!).

ORIGINAL REVIEW: Another delightful - and beautiful - entry in the series, and as with the previous book a story I was completely unfamiliar with. How have these not been filmed? And why do they instead keep making inferior movies like "The Wiz," James Franco's lame "Oz the Great and Powerful," TV's interesting update "Tin Man," and Disney's 1985 "Return to Oz," (which was a loose and apparently terrible mash-up of Ozma and the previous Marvelous Land of Oz)? *

Now that folks are seriously adapting things like Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, The Expanse and the I-really-hope-they-don't-screw-it-up His Dark Materials, it's about time HBO or Netflix got the rights to Oz and did a decent series that combined all the stories using the techniques and talents of modern Hollywood. How do we make that happen??
_________________________________

* Not to mention the whole "Wicked" thing...

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Boxing day night I was staying with a friend and unable to sleep.
Of course I tiptoed into her library and picked up a book.
If you know me at all, then you know I love me The Wizard of Oz in every form it's available.
So it should come as no surprise that I grabbed this adaptation of Ozma of Oz to keep me company in my sleeplessness.
I adore the original, but I gotta say, these illustrations by Skottie Young were everything i never knew was missing!
Absolutely gorgeous!!!

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Dorothy ends up proving herself worthy of being Ozma's champion in this book, there's a second hero who is sometimes overlooked — Bill the chicken.

http://pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2015...

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dorothy gets shipwrecked in the land of Ev, and along with a hen named Bill she meets a new cast of characters. She gets locked in a tower for refusing to let the very vain Princess of Ev take her head. Her friends arrive just in time with Ozma of Oz to rescue her. Then they all travel to the underground realm of the Nome king to free the Queen of Ev. All this, and expertly rendered by Skottie Young.

[Cyndi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gotta tell you I was not a fan of the art in this book at all. Huge mouths *shudder*
The story was good but not as good as The Wizard. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is another book that I grabbed off of the kids' shelves because it looked fun. And the story was, but the design was confusing. It's the third book in the graphic novel series of the Oz books, so it must be selling well. But I wonder who the audience for these books is because of some of the design choices.

The story was the classic Baum tale. The story editing allowed the heart, humor and drama to come through very well. So that would work for kids or for grown-up fans of the series.

But I just didn't get a lot of the artistic choices. Dorothy is incredibly unattractive, she's drawn to look like a wide-mouthed, surly-faced bratty kid. I couldn't identify with her as my hero, I wanted to push her away. Bellina was kind of freaky looking too, with big bulging, bloodshot eyes. Maybe the chicken didn't have to be pretty, although I always imagined her that way, but she looked kind of scary in a lot of the frames. And even Ozma wasn't pretty and also made bizarre mouths. I guess giving characters that big wide open mouth this is the artist's signature style, but it really put me off for this particular story.

There were scenes in the book that were great. The Wheelers had a Gothic, scary, yet pitiful aspect, very well expressed. Tik-Tok was enjoyable. Most of the scenes with the Nome king and his lands were well designed. But those were all darker scenes and characters, when it came to beauty there was no child-like wonder in this book, or fairytale charm, or lovely princesses. Oz is supposed to contrast the lovely and the haunting, but this had only one side of the coin.

Because of those choices, I just don't really get who the audience is. I think little girls would want to see prettier princesses. I'm not saying that they have to be perfect beauties, plain is fine, just that these gals are making hideous and unattractive faces throughout the whole book. People who were childhood fans of the books would probably think that a graphic novel would be a chance to provide lovely, lush drawings that they can pore over and over. Some of those drawing should certainly be dark and edgy, but the overall the look was just unattractive. So it's not a book that I want to rush out and buy for my adult friend who's a big Oz fan, it's too unattractive for that.. And I'm not going to get it for my niece because I don't think she'll be able to identify with Dorothy, who just doesn't come across as the charming, funny, lovely girl that she is in the source book. So overall the artwork took too much away from the great story for me to be able to recommend this one, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

[OmniBen · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review) 3.5/5
I'm glad I continued with this series (I'm reading the omnibus which collects all the Marvel Oz comics) and boy oh boy, that second story was the solid gold standard when it comes to epitomising a bland and boring story. No wonder it took me so long to reopen the omnibus and keep going, so sapped of will was I to delve any further into this series. But like I said, I'm glad I did, because this restored much of the charm contained within the first arc (the story they adapted the movie from), yet many of my criticisms of this series remain, and in all honesty, probably will throughout the remainder of the run. I don't see it doing anything revolutionary or surprising from here on out, but this isn't a review of the omnibus.
Ozma of Oz returned Dorothy to the series, which is a good thing, as she is very much the heart of the Oz universe, with all other characters being peripheral and varying shades of Ok to meh. Scottie Young's artwork remains the main reason to check this series out. His scratchy, cartooonish, yet well realised and engaging style absolutely elevates this beyond the far too rigid adaptation of the source material. I've said it before and I'll probably say it every other Oz story I review. The writing is bloated and dated, and respectful homage aside, really needed to cut in half at the very least. It would make it so much punchier and more enjoyable. The narrative drags a bit at times, and so much of it is really quite peripheral, without providing anything significantly valuable to warrant its inclusion. Sharing these stories with children would be a wonderful way to experience them yourself, as much for the art as the story. I just feel like the length would be an issue for many children, and minds would wander when things got a little flat, which they do here and there.
Still, gripes aside, I am enjoying being back in this world again, albeit without Scottie Young's art, I probably would have had to bow out by now. Perhaps closer to a 3 than a 4, but hey, it's the Friday before a long weekend. I'm feeling generous. 3.5/5


OmniBen.

[Quinn Rollins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last year I discovered Marvel Comics' adaptations of L Frank Baum's classic Oz books. Beginning with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and continuing with The Marvelous Land of Oz, the combination of Eric Shanower's adaptation of Baum's writing with Skottie Young's amazing artwork had me sold from the first pages. The third volume, a hardcover comic collecting the eight comic book issues of Ozma of Oz, is now in stores, and is my favorite so far in this Oz series.

If you're familiar with the Walt Disney 80's movie Return to Oz, the story of that movie is mostly Ozma of Oz, with some Marvelous Land of Oz thrown into the mix. Dorothy Gale wasn't in Marvelous Land, so it's nice to see her return in this book. On her way to Australia with Uncle Henry, Dorothy is swept overboard in a storm and ends up in the land of Ev--a neighboring kingdom to the land of Oz. She and her traveling companion Billina (a talking chicken) soon meet Tik-Tok, a mechanical soldier. Together they need to outsmart the Wheelers, roving monsters with wheels for hands and feet (and every bit as freaky as the Flying Monkeys were), and work to free the royal family of Ev from the Nome King.

Dorothy is gutsier than she was in Wonderful Wizard of Oz. She's always been plucky, but in so much of her first adventure, she's just trying to get back home to Kansas. She's more comfortable in this story, and has more confidence in her own heroism. She's eventually reunited with her old friends the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion, who arrive with Ozma, the new Queen of Oz. Also accompanying them are the Sawhorse (met in the last book), the Hungry Tiger, and a small army, more there for comic relief than anything else.

By the time the group of travelers gets to the Nome King, they're a funny, fun, eclectic group, and you hate to see any one of them get into trouble. So when they end up fighting for their very lives, I was surprised at how anxious I was.

I've read most of Baum's Oz books before, but these adaptations are really better than the source material in almost every way. Eric Shanower, who has become a sort of gatekeeper for Baum's Oz stories, editing collections and writing new adventures, probably knows Oz better than anyone currently living. This is an ideal job for him, and he's able to cull away some of the wordiness of the Baum stories while keeping the spirit and intent and adventure very much alive. Skottie Young has illustrated all three of these volumes, and is quickly becoming a favorite artist of mine. His redesigns of these classic characters manage to pay homage to the original Denslow illustrations while stretching them into a direction nearing (but not mimicking) steampunk designs. I especially liked his Hungry Tiger, who's a fitting counterpart to the Cowardly Lion--another big ball of fluff that's both cuddly and toothy. Tik-Tok was one of my favorite characters in the movie Return to Oz, and his round design here is similar, but distinct enough in his own right. The hen Billina is just a comma of yellow with bulgy eyes and a tiny beak, but is another great design. I love the art deco flourishes that Young works into the architecture and clothing--Glinda the Good, even though she's only on a few pages, is always gorgeous. And Ozma herself is like a young goddess of the turn of the 20th Century, with oversized poppy blossoms on the sides of her head, and a stylized "OZ" scepter and tiara. Anyway. Love the art.

If you've ever been a fan of the movie The Wizard of Oz, or of the L. Frank Baum novels, or of comic books or graphic novels, you'd enjoy Ozma of Oz. It's a great adventure, with fun characters old and new, outstanding visuals and a tighter story than other Oz books. Whether you're new to visiting Oz or you're a regular, you'll find something to love here.

[Justyn Rampa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was without a doubt my favorite book of the bunch. The original text served as the other half of the inspiration for the film "Return to Oz" and is full of wonderful little bits of plot. At this point, this is the third OZ book by Baum. A series he never intended to happen but once Wonderful Wizard of Oz was so popular, he decided to make it a series.

While the first two books I felt lacked some plot logic and had some characters giving up quite easily, this book really starts to develop into some nice motivations and character development. This roster sees the return of Dorothy, a character I am not completely in love with, as well as Scarecrow, Tin Man, and The Cowardly Lion (a character I am completely in love with). In addition to the returning favorites, we also have Tik-Tok (potentially my favorite OZ character), Billina, the Wheelers, Princess Langwidere, Ozma, and the introduction of the Nome King!

It is interesting how Baum plays with gender in his books and I don't know how much of that was intentional vs. me just ascribing a modern reading of it. Also, he is clearly improving at world building by the third text as we visit the Land of Ev in this book, not OZ, though there are plenty of call backs. Again, there brief moments of illogical plot but overall, I loved it!

At this point in time, Eric Shanower and Skottie Young are continuing with adaptation of each Baum book in sequential order! I look forward to the release of "Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz" next!

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first two graphic novels my Marvel a few months ago when I did an Oz month on my blog and really loved them. The art style is pretty amazing for one thing. So whimsical. What I really love about these is how close the author stays to the books. So ... I have only read the first Oz novel by Baum but these graphic novels keep the series going perfectly. This book is about Dorthy going back to OZ ... and meeting back up with her team of friends. We get to visit with Ozma again and meet a lot of new and neat characters. Including a funny chicken. So fun

[Scott Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dorothy returns back to the fairy lands of Oz and Ev. My 7 year old son read this together and we really enjoyed it. It was our favorite of the series so far. Dorothy met some new friends and was reunited with old friends. Our favorite new friend is Bill, the hen by far. The new characters seem to have so much more life than the old ones.

[Elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favorite Oz book when I was a kid and it was so fun to read the story again in this format. As usual I love Skottie Young's art, and Shanower did a great job of converting Baum's vision into a graphic novel. Pure joy.

[asmaa☁️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't really enjoy this one as much, mainly because the plot wasn't all that (and what's with the title?). Also, switch Ozma back to Tip please :\

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love this series. So humorous and fun!

[Logan Polk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun read.

[Adriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The tale of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a classic loved by many. I personally love Judy Garland's portrayal of Dorothy Gale and the journey she takes on the yellow brick road to get to get back home to Kansas. I read the original story a while back and I saw quite a lot of editing done in the movie compared to the book. I felt it was much needed editing after I finished reading it. There was just too much filler. But, I decided to give Ozma of Oz a try because generally comics make stories seem better - at least I think so.



Ozma of Oz is the third book in the Oz series. The second one, like the introduction explains, didn't have Dorothy but this one does. I was curious who Ozma was and happy I could read a different Dorothy book so that's why I landed on this one to read out of all the graphic novels available for this series.

The story starts off with Dorothy Gale on a ship that's in the middle of a storm. She's trying to visit relatives in Australia with her uncle before this storm hits her. She gets thrown out of the ship and into this box crate - getting herself stuck with a hen named Bill who remarkably talks (probably not so remarkable based on Dorothy's past experiences). That's when the real adventure begins through this island full of creatures named Wheelers, to a castle with a collector of heads, to meeting new characters including the ruler of Oz herself - Ozma, and finally, onto the journey to save children from the evil Nome King. All done with animated characters and illustrations. Skottie Young, the artist, and Jean-Francois Beaulieu, the colorist, have great style. They made the characters come to life with their expressions and the beautiful colors across the page.



The problem I found with this story was the same I felt with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - there is too much packed in. Plus, there are too many new characters. I know that's not Shanower's fault. He includes what's in the original story presumably. I did like elements of the comic like the main plot where Dorothy had to find the children who were turned into objects by the Nome King. If you really loved the original book, then you don't have the problem I have so I would recommend Ozma of Oz to continue your adventure - comic book style.

[Karissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in Marvel’s Oz series, these are graphic novel retellings of the L. Frank Baum’s Oz books. This was a fantastic book I really really enjoyed it. I loved the illustration and colors and really enjoyed that Dorothy was back in the story.

Dorothy has returned to Oz with her only company being the chicken Billina. Right off the bat they run into some very scary Wheelers and find and activate Tik-Tok who assists them in their flight from the Wheelers. The whole thing culminates in Dorothy meeting up with her friends from the first book and facing off with the Nome King.

I have absolutely loved these graphic novel retellings of the Oz series. I absolutely adore Skottie Young’s artwork and think it depicts everything in a creepy yet colorful way that really does it justice. I loved how the Wheelers and the Nome King were portrayed.

I also really enjoyed the fact that Dorothy joins forces with Ozma in this book. They are both strong and interesting female characters that I like reading about. Additionally we have some incredibly fun new characters. Tik-tok is one of my favorites from the original full length novels and he was awesome in this graphic novel series too. I loved that the Cowardly Lion was back in the story and really enjoyed his friend the Hungry Tiger.

I enjoyed this book just as much as the first book in this series and more than the second book in the series. It is a wonderful graphic novel retelling of the Oz series. I think the best part about this series is the wonderful colorful artwork throughout.

Overall this was the best installment yet in this graphic novel retelling of Baum’s Oz series. I really love the illustration style and enjoyed the characters and story as well. This is a graphic novel series that is great for all ages. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy fantasy graphic novels, especially those who are already a fan of Baum’s Oz series.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this series! In this 3rd book in the series Dorothy comes back and we meet many new characters. Dorothy and Uncle Henry head off on a journey by ship to Australia. As fate would have it Dorothy washes overboard and ends up on a strange island with a talking hen named Bill. Dorothy resolves to call her Billina and the two explore the mysterious Land of Ev. It isn't long before they get involved in the problems of the Land of Ev. They find a mechanical man named Tik Tok who fills them in on the history of the land (the king sold his wife and 10 children to the Nome King in return for a long life, though the realization of this action causes the king to throw himself from a cliff abruptly ending his life).

The Nome King reigns over the underworld and Dorothy and her friends (who meet up with Ozma, Scarecrow, the Tinman, and an army of Oz soldiers when Dorothy is taken prisoner by Princess Langwidere after she refuses to trade heads with her). In the underworld, the Nome King makes a deal with Ozma granting her 11 guesses for her to enter his chambers and guess which ornaments are actually the enchanted royalty of Ev. It takes Dorothy and all of her friends to get their group out of trouble in the underworld and rescue the royal family.

Full of adventure with absolutely beautiful full color panels this series is a page turner that I finished in one sitting. Recommended for teens.

[Izzati · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was marvelous, as I knew it would be! It was the last book to complete my collection of Marvel's adaptation of Oz series by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young. I had been reluctant to get this one because unlike the rest that I had, this one was in paperback instead of hard cover. But I needed to have it, Ozma of Oz was one of my favourites in the Oz series after all.

The illustrations were splendid and perfect in my opinion. I thought the story was presented very well and true to the book. Despite the title, the book actually focussed on Dorothy Gale and her new friend Billina the hen and Tik-tok, the machine that needed to be wound up. But the title being not really accurate to describe the book had always been a trademark of L. Frank Baum, in my opinion.

Baum had written in total, 14 books in the Oz series (he tried to stop but kids kept asking for more). This particular adaptation by Marvel only picked up 6 of the earlier books. I wish they had continued! The graphic novels were such perfect companions to the originals by Baum.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ozma Of Oz is a great book, and much of the storyline from Return to Oz is borrowed from the plot elements here. If you're familiar with that movie, you'll know what's coming most of the time. And Ozma does have some really great plot elements, plus it introduced the fabulous Billina. I'm really enjoying how Shanower is adapting the Oz books. He obviously has a great deal of affection for the source material, and I'd say that it's a fairly close adaptation, from my memory. I do like the art style that Skottie Young uses in these Oz books, though it was a bit of an acquired taste. It is a bit of an adjustment if you're only used to John R. Neill's lovely version of Oz. Great fun for this Oz fan.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I'm not a huge fan of Skottie Young's art [too many facial expressions involving mouths open very wide...] this is a fun graphic retelling of the third Oz book. Shanower's pacing seemed well suited to the material, and the story moved along quickly and in a way which will entertain readers, whether they've read the originals or not.
As in the original prose version, this volume added several characters to the world of Oz, including the delightful Tik-Tok, a copper mechanical man that needs to be wound separately for moving, talking and thinking. Billina, the oddly un-henlike chicken [sort of a chicken version of a tomboy] is great, and one of the few where I really loved Young's artistic take.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was always my favorite Oz book, though I'd long forgotten the plot. As I read this delightful graphic version, it all came back--the princess with the interchangeable heads, the not-so-ferocious Wheelers, the Nome king's trickery. I think Billina was well served by being so charmingly illustrated, but I am not going to share this book with my own children because the Scarecrow's empty eyes are terrifying.

[Malapata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Después del bajón del segundo volumen, éste vuelve a subir el nivel. La historia es sencilla y entretenida, aunque siga lejos de la del primer volumen, y los dibujos de Skottie Young se notan más trabajados que en la segunda parte.

[Nickcole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4

The retelling from the story was really great and Mr. Shanower does an excellent forwarding letter, which gets you really excited about reading the story and why he loves it so much. The art was excellent like always and it was an exciting read.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great adaptation of the book, (this was what 'Return to Oz' film was loosely based on), enchanting illustrations and a readable story. This was a light and beautiful read. Definately recommended.

[Selena Pigoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

The quirky art is endearing rather than odd. It's a little more dense than most graphic novels, so it takes longer to read.

If you like the Wizard of Oz, read this one.

[Books on Stereo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oz introduces far too much content that fails to add relevant to an already captivating story resulting in a drawn narrative.

[Nicole Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favourite style of illustration but a good retelling of the Oz sequal.