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Marvel's Oz Comics #4
Oz: Dorothy & the Wizard in Oz
Once upon a time, a tornado brought her to Oz. Now, an earthquake sends Dorothy on her latest and greatest adventure! L. Frank Baum's magical worlds come to life again as Dorothy Gale takes yet another unexpected trip. This time, Dorothy and her cousin Zeb tumble deep into the ground after an earthquake! They'll encounter the strange Mangaboos and invisible bears. They'll tussle with fierce wooden gargoyles and hungry 66-year-old baby dragons! But Dorothy will have an old friend at her side: the wonderful Wizard of Oz! Can the Wizard's guile save Dorothy and Zeb? And what master plan has the Wizard been hiding? COLLECTING: Dorothy & the Wizard in Oz 1-8
184 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
October 14, 2015
The Wizard and Dorothy are together again!
Creative Team:
Writer: Eric Shanower (based on the original works by L. Frank Baum)
Illustrator: Scottie Young
MANGABOO(GIE) TIMES
As the title clearly states, the two most famous characters from the first book are together again. Dorothy and the Wizard reunites!
And you can bet that new companions rise. Zeb, that he's Dorothy's cousin. Jim, a work horse. And Eureka, a mischief cat. As happened with Billina in the previous book, the horse and the cat can talk once they are in the realms of the fairy lands. (One must wonder what the heck is going with Toto? Is he mute? Has he nothing good to say? Dang it!)
The bunch are lost yet again in fairy terra incognita, far from the familiar territory of Oz.
Good thing that Dorothy and her friends soon enough have the support of the Wizard!
They will have to face in the strange land of the Mangaboos and the odd valley of Voe, but you can bet that a visit to Emerald City in Oz is not so farfetched to hope.
The journey is entertained, full of humor, with plenty of perils and indeed one heck of adventure!
The wonderful Oz-esome team of Eric Shanower and Scottie Young is together again to adapt the fourth book of L. Frank Baum.
Highly recommended to readers of all ages.
Creative Team:
Writer: Eric Shanower (based on the original works by L. Frank Baum)
Illustrator: Scottie Young
MANGABOO(GIE) TIMES
As the title clearly states, the two most famous characters from the first book are together again. Dorothy and the Wizard reunites!
And you can bet that new companions rise. Zeb, that he's Dorothy's cousin. Jim, a work horse. And Eureka, a mischief cat. As happened with Billina in the previous book, the horse and the cat can talk once they are in the realms of the fairy lands. (One must wonder what the heck is going with Toto? Is he mute? Has he nothing good to say? Dang it!)
The bunch are lost yet again in fairy terra incognita, far from the familiar territory of Oz.
Good thing that Dorothy and her friends soon enough have the support of the Wizard!
They will have to face in the strange land of the Mangaboos and the odd valley of Voe, but you can bet that a visit to Emerald City in Oz is not so farfetched to hope.
The journey is entertained, full of humor, with plenty of perils and indeed one heck of adventure!
The wonderful Oz-esome team of Eric Shanower and Scottie Young is together again to adapt the fourth book of L. Frank Baum.
Highly recommended to readers of all ages.
August 16, 2021
Dorothy returns to Oz for the first time but not before getting sucked underground during an earthquake inspired by the San Francisco disaster in 1906. There she meets up with the Wizard of OZ and they explore underground worlds of vegetable people, invisible bears, wooden gargoyles and baby dragons before returning to Oz. Shanower's adaptation is fantastic while Skottie Young's art is brilliant. Snaps to all involved.
August 2, 2019
I recently tried to read Baum's Wizard books and the writing just hasn't held up to the test of time for me. I love Baum's amazing creativity and world-building, but his writing style for me was a deal breaker. So I've been really enjoying (very gradually) reading all of Shanower & Young's adaptation of the Oz books. I find they wonderfully bring out the best in Baum's stories in a unique, vivid, highly entertaining manner. Yes, this one lacks a central plot - but it's still a lot of fun.
August 28, 2016
This graphic adaptation, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young, of the fourth book in L. Frank Baum's Oz series is outstanding. The storytelling, dialogue, and artwork are all wonderful and faithful to the original novel, and Shanower's introduction is enlightening. This is a fun series that will be enjoyed by all ages.
February 20, 2025
RE-READ UPDATE: Same thoughts as below; wildly inventive (at least until everyone reaches Oz), but totally pointless/plotless throughout.
Shanower does a nice adaptation of Baum's original story (such as it is), but the true stars here remain illustrator Skottie Young and his colorist Jean-Francois Beaulieu, (who deserves equal credit to Young, and who also teamed up with him for his delightful — and delightfully perverse — "I Hate Fairyland" series), as literally every panel is a fine art masterpiece. Cannot recommend more highly, at least from an aesthetic POV.
ORIGINAL REVIEW: The weakest link in the saga so far, as there is no real plot per se. Dorothy, Zeb and the Wizard find themselves back in...well, I'm not sure where exactly; somewhere deep inside the Earth, after which the whole book is them just trying to get from there to Oz and then once again from Oz back home again.
But Baum's mind-blowing creativity is again on full display, backed up once more by Young's delightful illustrations...so still hard to give this less than 3.5 stars. And it's not just Baum's imagination that amazes me — it's the sheer randomness of it; I have no idea how he came up with all these unrelated incidents and characters without doing massive amounts of drugs: the plant-based Mangaboos; the invisible denizens of Voe who are preyed upon by invisible bears; the bizarre Braided Man who forces on them boxes of rustles and flutters (which are never heard of again); the cave-dwelling dragons who are waiting for their mother to return (again, never mentioned again); the wooden Gurgles with their detachable wings...it's just wild and mesmerizing, if ultimately somewhat pointless.
I don't know what it is, but it seems that every half-century or so, the world is treated to one of these legends of what is apparently called Portal Fantasy. First, there was Lewis Carroll in the 1850's; then Baum in 1900; and next C.S. Lewis launching the Narnia chronicles in 1950, (as well as Norman Juster's amazing 1961 one-off, The Phantom Tollbooth).
So who then came next? Well, Harry Potter is the most famous late-20th century contender, but lacks a real "portal" element; so no — it ain't him. I'd probably have to go with Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. Yes, the first book (and now also the fourth, disappointing "prequel" Le Belle Sauvage) are strictly "parallel universe fantasy — but then once Will comes along in Book Two, the rest of the series is pure "kids trapped in other worlds and trying to get home," and so fits the bill quite well. And Pullman certainly offers a comparable menagerie of spectacular characters and devices — daemons, armored bears, Specters, Gallivespians, Mulefas; alethiometers, subtle knives and amber spyglasses.
Finally, I have to add that I'm enjoying the Oz books more than I ever did the Wonderland or Narnia stories. Much of it is I'm sure due to Young's brilliant artwork — but I think I just like the "American-ness" of Baum's stories more than the so-very-British Alice and the Pevensie children. Solely a personal preference based on my own background, but there it is :)
Shanower does a nice adaptation of Baum's original story (such as it is), but the true stars here remain illustrator Skottie Young and his colorist Jean-Francois Beaulieu, (who deserves equal credit to Young, and who also teamed up with him for his delightful — and delightfully perverse — "I Hate Fairyland" series), as literally every panel is a fine art masterpiece. Cannot recommend more highly, at least from an aesthetic POV.
ORIGINAL REVIEW: The weakest link in the saga so far, as there is no real plot per se. Dorothy, Zeb and the Wizard find themselves back in...well, I'm not sure where exactly; somewhere deep inside the Earth, after which the whole book is them just trying to get from there to Oz and then once again from Oz back home again.
But Baum's mind-blowing creativity is again on full display, backed up once more by Young's delightful illustrations...so still hard to give this less than 3.5 stars. And it's not just Baum's imagination that amazes me — it's the sheer randomness of it; I have no idea how he came up with all these unrelated incidents and characters without doing massive amounts of drugs: the plant-based Mangaboos; the invisible denizens of Voe who are preyed upon by invisible bears; the bizarre Braided Man who forces on them boxes of rustles and flutters (which are never heard of again); the cave-dwelling dragons who are waiting for their mother to return (again, never mentioned again); the wooden Gurgles with their detachable wings...it's just wild and mesmerizing, if ultimately somewhat pointless.
I don't know what it is, but it seems that every half-century or so, the world is treated to one of these legends of what is apparently called Portal Fantasy. First, there was Lewis Carroll in the 1850's; then Baum in 1900; and next C.S. Lewis launching the Narnia chronicles in 1950, (as well as Norman Juster's amazing 1961 one-off, The Phantom Tollbooth).
So who then came next? Well, Harry Potter is the most famous late-20th century contender, but lacks a real "portal" element; so no — it ain't him. I'd probably have to go with Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. Yes, the first book (and now also the fourth, disappointing "prequel" Le Belle Sauvage) are strictly "parallel universe fantasy — but then once Will comes along in Book Two, the rest of the series is pure "kids trapped in other worlds and trying to get home," and so fits the bill quite well. And Pullman certainly offers a comparable menagerie of spectacular characters and devices — daemons, armored bears, Specters, Gallivespians, Mulefas; alethiometers, subtle knives and amber spyglasses.
Finally, I have to add that I'm enjoying the Oz books more than I ever did the Wonderland or Narnia stories. Much of it is I'm sure due to Young's brilliant artwork — but I think I just like the "American-ness" of Baum's stories more than the so-very-British Alice and the Pevensie children. Solely a personal preference based on my own background, but there it is :)
March 11, 2013
The fourth book in an ongoing series in which Eric Shanower adapts and Skottie Young illustrates these classic tales of Oz. Never having read this series as a child this was a wonderful way to get introduced to these inventive tales. While Eric does a good job of adapting the stories it is really the art of Skottie Young that I must rave about. It is so beautiful, so clever, so perfect that the Graphic novel is worth it for his art alone. But we also have some very clever tales of Oz to amuse us. This Fourth book finds Dorothy back for her third adventure in Oz and we see the return of the Wizard who is painted as a much more sympathetic character than the previous books (one book he actually kidnapped a child (off screen)). They have fallen through a crack in the Earth due to the San Fran Earthquake that took place around the turn of the century. They then spend the book trying to climb back up to the top of the Earth again and go through a glass city with vegetable people, a town of invisible people and bears, a wooden land of Gargoyles, some Dragon caves of polite (but murderous) Dragons) and finally we end up back in Oz where Dorothy's kitten is put on trial. I love this story for the inventiveness but take away one star because there is no true plot - it is another journey through strange lands. But it is still a wonderful story and the art is simply amazing.
May 1, 2016
Ay, pero qué genial. De nuevo me ha sorprendido la oroginalidad del autor para crear tantos mundos y tan diferentes, y los dibujos son chachis chachis ^^
January 2, 2019
Cute, but overall lacking in substance.
August 16, 2013
I borrowed this from the library mainly to read with the girls. My 7yo thought it was good and my 5yo thought it was awesome, while I thought it dragged on as they moved through the varous lands, but loved the art. I'd like to read the original stories to compare.
October 1, 2022
(Zero spoiler review)
Perhaps writing this review the following day after my last Oz series review isn't the wisest idea, for as my extremely prescient prediction in that review stated, I feel as though I'm going to repeat every point I made about that story in every story following. And seeing as how I'm no humbug like the Wizard of Oz himself, I have gone and proven myself perfectly and precisely correct.
Bloated story in need of editing down... dated dialogue that is both a tad tiresome and occasionally hilarious... some characters I like, and some painfully bland and uninteresting. And of course, Skottie Young's series defining, beautiful artwork.
Though if I may be so bold as to offer an additional, unique criticism of sorts with this story, it felt like five or six small adventures, rather disjointedly crammed into one overlong narrative. Not as boring as whatever the hell the second story was called, although not as cohesive as the other two. If you read this, or have read it in the past, I would defy you to tell me when you reached the conclusion of the story, what one or two of the middle sections of this book were, because it certainly slipped my mind. It really did feel like a series of weird and wonderful things happening, until the things didn't need to happen anymore, so the story was over. It also just kind of ends as well. And its as if the emotional endings of the past had become a little tired and trite by this time, so its all wrapped up in a page or two, no fuss, no muss.
All in all, an enjoyable, if flawed story, and series as a whole. I really would like a slightly modernised, respectful, yet edited script to really give these tales more oomph. They really can drag at times, which would make future rereads much less likely. Still, the quaint and curious world, and Young's fabulous art makes this well worth a look, despite not being essential. 3/5
OmniBen.
Perhaps writing this review the following day after my last Oz series review isn't the wisest idea, for as my extremely prescient prediction in that review stated, I feel as though I'm going to repeat every point I made about that story in every story following. And seeing as how I'm no humbug like the Wizard of Oz himself, I have gone and proven myself perfectly and precisely correct.
Bloated story in need of editing down... dated dialogue that is both a tad tiresome and occasionally hilarious... some characters I like, and some painfully bland and uninteresting. And of course, Skottie Young's series defining, beautiful artwork.
Though if I may be so bold as to offer an additional, unique criticism of sorts with this story, it felt like five or six small adventures, rather disjointedly crammed into one overlong narrative. Not as boring as whatever the hell the second story was called, although not as cohesive as the other two. If you read this, or have read it in the past, I would defy you to tell me when you reached the conclusion of the story, what one or two of the middle sections of this book were, because it certainly slipped my mind. It really did feel like a series of weird and wonderful things happening, until the things didn't need to happen anymore, so the story was over. It also just kind of ends as well. And its as if the emotional endings of the past had become a little tired and trite by this time, so its all wrapped up in a page or two, no fuss, no muss.
All in all, an enjoyable, if flawed story, and series as a whole. I really would like a slightly modernised, respectful, yet edited script to really give these tales more oomph. They really can drag at times, which would make future rereads much less likely. Still, the quaint and curious world, and Young's fabulous art makes this well worth a look, despite not being essential. 3/5
OmniBen.
September 24, 2021
As always, really enjoying this series and the art! Dorothy and friends once again find themselves in a fairyland. This time under the earth. They travel through many different lands with all sorts of fun creatures and characters before getting to Oz again, where there is some drama between Eureka, Dorothy's cat, and some mini-pigs (which are adorable).
April 6, 2023
I feel as though I'm getting diminished returns on this series. It was nice seeing the wizard again and there were some funny parts, but I can't even recall what the plot of this story was. The ending with the kitten on trial was a bit strange too.
January 31, 2019
Oz introduces far too much content that fails to add relevant to an already captivating story resulting in a drawn narrative.
September 12, 2019
the classics all have a bit more imperialism than I remember
September 22, 2019
Some of the storyline was a bit darker than I expected, but the illustrations kept it tame. Wonderful interpretation for a young and modern audience.
August 22, 2022
Another journey filled with found friends and unique peoples. The trial was a bit silly. Also taking a buggy through underground tunnels seemed very impractical.
July 7, 2018
Wow, almost non-stop action in this one.
January 28, 2013
The series continues to be outstanding with the same team behind it. I'm not optimistically hoping they will be able to finish out the whole oz series together.
I really appreciate Shannower's introductions. They usually give a good bit of history on Oz, and this book gave some really good input on some of the oddities in the book originally, and how he tweaked the story to try and fix them.
I know the return of the Wizard to the series feels like a big thing, and he does hog a lot of the spot light here, but he wasn't the stand out character to me. The Animals stood out in this book, the new characters AND the old one's once they got to Oz. It felt their book more than anyone else.
I really appreciate Shannower's introductions. They usually give a good bit of history on Oz, and this book gave some really good input on some of the oddities in the book originally, and how he tweaked the story to try and fix them.
I know the return of the Wizard to the series feels like a big thing, and he does hog a lot of the spot light here, but he wasn't the stand out character to me. The Animals stood out in this book, the new characters AND the old one's once they got to Oz. It felt their book more than anyone else.
March 28, 2014
These Oz graphic novels continue to surpass my expectations. The storyline and dialogue are almost word-for-word from the novels, and the beautiful illustrations only enhance the fun.
As with book #2, this one gets 4 stars only because the Oz book itself is a little weak.
I really enjoy Eric Shanower's introductions at the beginning of each book. They reveal a lot of what was going on in L. Frank Baum's world and why certain decisions were made in the stories. It adds a lot to the reading, and I really appreciate that he includes them.
On to the next one!
As with book #2, this one gets 4 stars only because the Oz book itself is a little weak.
I really enjoy Eric Shanower's introductions at the beginning of each book. They reveal a lot of what was going on in L. Frank Baum's world and why certain decisions were made in the stories. It adds a lot to the reading, and I really appreciate that he includes them.
On to the next one!
January 27, 2013
Thankfully the same talent (writer, artist, and colorist) are committed to continue adapting the further adventures of the world of Oz. I've thoroughly enjoyed every adventure they've adapted and this story is unique because it brings all the current and past cast of characters together.
March 13, 2015
I didn't hate this, but I didn't like it either. I found the story boring and I had to keep re-reading pages because I was skim reading. I'm really disappointed as I really wanted to like this.
February 8, 2020
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I have to appreciate this wonderfully modern interpretation of the 1920s Oz series. With this volume, covering the 4th in the Oz books and considered the weakest in Baum's iconic series, we have a very energetic but grounded Dorothy along with an ambivalent Wizard and somewhat dim young boy companion. Toto is gone, replaced by a contentious kitten. A broken down farm horse complements the gang as they explore more fantasy lands. The illustration work is superb and detailed - creating a distinct style very different from original illustrator William Wallace Denslow but still inspired by his art.Story: When Dorothy is on a train to visit her uncle Henry in California, she gets caught up in the great San Francisco Earthquake and flung into the deepest bowels of the Earth. There, the gravity is light, the people are literally vegetables, and the city is made of glass. As Dorothy and several companions explore middle Earth, they hope to get back up to their world and away from the silliness of the place.
As noted earlier, this is probably the weakest of the Oz novels. There is a lot of meandering, it is all quite silly, and feels somewhat pointless and random. The author is careful to note changes he made (very little things) from the original story, changing an emphasis here or a scene there so that the story makes a bit more sense. I think even the author had to acknowledge that Baum's writing wasn't very tight in this particular story.
The coloring is bright and loud, as are the characters. Many pages are monochromatic, creating a surreal, almost trippy feel to several sequences. As appropriate for a children's story, features are exaggerated and everyone looks like they are having a great time, often at the expense of the adults.
While older readers may find the plot pointless and inane, kids will likely find the charm in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz.
June 20, 2018
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Great adaptation of Baum's fourth Oz book. It has been a while since I read the original, but from what I remember, this sticks closely to the original book with a few minor changes which are noted in the beginning of this book.
I actually liked this version better than the original. I think the graphic novel format works very well for this story. Baum's descriptions were often a bit vague and/or confusing, but seeing Skottie Young's versions of the various creatures Dorothy and her companions meet on their journey is breathtaking. Wonderful, fantastic artwork. I love his style. This really brings that story to life.
I find it best to read the original and then read these graphic novels, but for people who don't like reading novels or don't enjoy Baum's style yet want to know the Oz stories, this is a great route. These books take the original story and put it in a graphic novel format instead of retelling the story entirely. They can be used in hand with or as an alternative to the originals for people who prefer graphic novel format.
Great adaptation. Amazing artwork. This is a wonderful series.
Great adaptation of Baum's fourth Oz book. It has been a while since I read the original, but from what I remember, this sticks closely to the original book with a few minor changes which are noted in the beginning of this book.
I actually liked this version better than the original. I think the graphic novel format works very well for this story. Baum's descriptions were often a bit vague and/or confusing, but seeing Skottie Young's versions of the various creatures Dorothy and her companions meet on their journey is breathtaking. Wonderful, fantastic artwork. I love his style. This really brings that story to life.
I find it best to read the original and then read these graphic novels, but for people who don't like reading novels or don't enjoy Baum's style yet want to know the Oz stories, this is a great route. These books take the original story and put it in a graphic novel format instead of retelling the story entirely. They can be used in hand with or as an alternative to the originals for people who prefer graphic novel format.
Great adaptation. Amazing artwork. This is a wonderful series.
March 8, 2019
Dorothy once again visits the land of Oz, this time accompanied by her cousin, when they fall through a crevice that opens up due to a horrible earthquake. Once they reach the bottom, they meet a plant-people, the Mangaboos, who live in a self-repairing glass city. Because Dorothy & Zeb are meat-based life forms, the citizens have decreed they must be put to death. The Wizard arrives in a timely fashion to prevent their deaths, having drifted down in his hot air balloon through a similar crack in the earth. After escaping the Mangaboos, the group must evade the invisible bears in the Valley of Voe, ascend the Pyramid Mountain, escape the wooden gargoyles and baby dragons before finally being rescued by Ozma with the use of the Nome King's magic belt. Dorothy reunites with all her old friends from the previous books and enjoys her time in Oz. When she discovers that her Aunt & Uncle are mourning her death, she has Ozma send her and Zeb back home.
The plot is rather thin, and one supposes that the fantastical creatures and cities that Baum created was enough entertainment for readers in the early 1900s. I'm not certain I'd want to read Baum's books, but Shanower's adaptations are a quick read and Young's illustrations are beautiful.
The plot is rather thin, and one supposes that the fantastical creatures and cities that Baum created was enough entertainment for readers in the early 1900s. I'm not certain I'd want to read Baum's books, but Shanower's adaptations are a quick read and Young's illustrations are beautiful.
July 14, 2019
I read this book in comparison with the original story and was very pleased. I actually enjoyed this version of the story better because the artwork made up for what I didn't like in the original source material.
Kudos to Marvel for doing a great job releasing a quality product. Eric Shanower adapted the story simplistically and beautifully. The art of Skottie Young was intricate and engaging and gives this version of the story a solid 4 stars.
Here's my short review of the original story- 3.5 - It was good to see Dorthy and the Wizard team-up; however, this story felt flat. I know this is a series for children, but I think even kids can tell when a story has been written just to keep things going. Plus, I felt there was too much fighting in this story. Usually, the characters of OZ find other ways of solving their problems, but not in this story. Oh, and the cat gave all cats a bad name.
The comparison- Much of what I felt reading the original was there when reading this version. This is a perfect children's series for a reluctant young reader and any adults who may not have the time to read the original. I'm so blessed to have been able to read both.
Highly recommended to anyone wanting to read the entire series.
Kudos to Marvel for doing a great job releasing a quality product. Eric Shanower adapted the story simplistically and beautifully. The art of Skottie Young was intricate and engaging and gives this version of the story a solid 4 stars.
Here's my short review of the original story- 3.5 - It was good to see Dorthy and the Wizard team-up; however, this story felt flat. I know this is a series for children, but I think even kids can tell when a story has been written just to keep things going. Plus, I felt there was too much fighting in this story. Usually, the characters of OZ find other ways of solving their problems, but not in this story. Oh, and the cat gave all cats a bad name.
The comparison- Much of what I felt reading the original was there when reading this version. This is a perfect children's series for a reluctant young reader and any adults who may not have the time to read the original. I'm so blessed to have been able to read both.
Highly recommended to anyone wanting to read the entire series.
August 10, 2018
This is the fourth book in the graphic novelization of the Oz books by L. Frank Baum. I enjoyed this book a lot, the art by Skottie Young was amazing, like always.
My issues lied with the animal companions, Jim and Eureka, in this story. But this is really a character issue, both came off as rude or very angry. I didn't enjoy the attitude either character held towards other characters in Oz, but I understand that this is part of the book. Not complaining, merely stating.
I would have liked my more character development for Zeb, Dorothy's cousin. He seemed like an interesting character, given that he and his cousin ended up in the middle of the Earth. The crazy journey, Dorothy, Zeb, and Oz go on is an interesting one. From the people they meet in the various areas of the Earth. I enjoyed this book a lot with the exception of the two animals. I will be reading the next book, as I want to know more.
My issues lied with the animal companions, Jim and Eureka, in this story. But this is really a character issue, both came off as rude or very angry. I didn't enjoy the attitude either character held towards other characters in Oz, but I understand that this is part of the book. Not complaining, merely stating.
I would have liked my more character development for Zeb, Dorothy's cousin. He seemed like an interesting character, given that he and his cousin ended up in the middle of the Earth. The crazy journey, Dorothy, Zeb, and Oz go on is an interesting one. From the people they meet in the various areas of the Earth. I enjoyed this book a lot with the exception of the two animals. I will be reading the next book, as I want to know more.
February 10, 2024
Like many series, it seems that Oz is struggling to maintain a high quality as the book count gets higher. Sadly, this one was noticeably worse than the previous ones. There was almost no plot or conflict driving the protagonists which is never good. Most of the people they run into are not that interesting or are mean-spirited which takes away from the whimsical story too. Even the ending which was meant to be funny just wasn't quite there. No disrespect to the extremely talented artist on this book, but I felt like there was less for him to work with and so even the normally robust visuals were a bit more muted and uninspiring. I have a feeling this isn't going to get better in the last two books so I may bow out on the series for now. It was really fun up until this one anyway.
July 2, 2020
Read with my four-year-olds during the 2020 pandemic. This was another Oz book that my children thoroughly enjoyed. The art engaged them, and the story was easy to follow.
For me, this is my least favorite of the Oz graphic novels so far, despite the beautiful artwork and Shanower's wonderful writing. The story was the least engaging for me, as it doesn't have a real plotline and is more of a series of fairly unrelated episodes as Dorothy and her friends travel through different lands on the way to the surface world. Nevertheless, Shanower, Young, Beaulieu, and Ekleberry have done a nice job of bringing the story to life.
For me, this is my least favorite of the Oz graphic novels so far, despite the beautiful artwork and Shanower's wonderful writing. The story was the least engaging for me, as it doesn't have a real plotline and is more of a series of fairly unrelated episodes as Dorothy and her friends travel through different lands on the way to the surface world. Nevertheless, Shanower, Young, Beaulieu, and Ekleberry have done a nice job of bringing the story to life.
May 8, 2025
I liked this continuation of the classic story of the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy meets up with the Wizard again. This story has a little of everything like invisible people and gargoyles. Dorothy, her cat, cousin Zeb and his horse fall into the center of the Earth. Trying to find a way back out they encounter strange things....one of which is the Wizard himself. The group works together happening upon a different nicer world but they can't stay there....they have to get home....but they end up somewhere else first.
Beautifully illustrated, the colors are amazing and the story well written....a joy to read.
Beautifully illustrated, the colors are amazing and the story well written....a joy to read.
June 16, 2019
Absolutely blooming awful! What a terrible adaptation of an odd book. I was so dissatisfied with this book, I wouldn't even give it to the charity shop (not that I could anyway seeing as I borrowed it from the library, thank goodness, or else I'd be returning it to the shop for a full refund - but I digress). The illustration is underwhelming and predictable. It tries to be clever, but fails. It tries to entice the reader with its "original" drawings, but it fails. If you pick up this book expecting a rivetting read, then you too, will have failed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews