Sunday 'Comics' Part Two

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, Adapted by Eric Shanower and Drawn by Skottie Young A graphic novel adaptation from Marvel. Eric Shanower had long been writing Oz graphic novels of his own continuing stories; here he worked on adapting Baum’s original novels. This was more or less my introduction to the art of Skottie Young, which has sneakily grown on me. So much so, that I would like to see him do a version of “A Grave on Deacon’s Peak”. Together these two have done six of the fourteen Baum books; this one is by far the longest and fullest. Ranking: Essential. File Code: Graphic Novel. Adaptation. Softcover.

The Marvelous Land of Oz, by L. Frank Baum. Adapted by Eric Shanower and Drawn by Skottie Young A graphic adaptation of the second book in Baum’s Oz series. I will have a lot more to say about “The Marvelous Land of Oz” when I get to the Scholastic edition. Right now, suffice it to say that this is a good visioning. It includes some “bridging” and expansions not included in the original book, but these are few and engaging, and not intrusive; Shanower sticks to the style and intent of Baum while dramatizing some events for the comic book pacing. Ranking: Essential. File Code: Graphic Novel. Adaptation. Softcover.

Ozma of Oz, by L. Frank Baum. Adapted by Eric Shanower and Drawn by Skottie Young. Book 3 in the Marvel graphic adaptations of Baum’s books. I was never as fond of the rest of the Oz books after the first two, perhaps because I didn’t read them until I was 16 or 17, and out of the first flush of enthusiasm. Skottie Young does a good job, however, of reproducing, in his concept of Billina, that mad wall-eyed look that some chickens have. Ranking: Enthusiasm fading, fading, fading … File Code: Graphic Novel. Adaptation. Softcover.

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, by L. Frank Baum. Adapted by Eric Shanower and Drawn by Skottie Young. Dorothy and the Wizard are reunited and travel (in a roundabout way – they are swallowed by an earthquake and journey through several underground realms before Ozma fetches them) back to Oz. Episodic rather than one united tale with a goal, and introducing mainly forgettable characters. Still, it’s part of the run. Ranking: Fading, fading … File Code: Graphic Novel. Adaptation. Softcover.

Road to Oz, by L. Frank Baum. Adapted by Eric Shanower and Drawn by Skottie Young. Dorothy once more is lost and gathers an odd troop to travel through strange lands, winding back up in Oz. By this time the formula is growing a bit tedious, and the new characters are growing less and less memorable. One gets the feeling that Baum (and perhaps Shanower and Young) are beginning to feel the fatigue but must continue the money grab. Ranking: Fading … File Code: Graphic Novel. Adaptation. Softcover.

The Emerald City of Oz, by L. Frank Baum. Adapted by Eric Shanower and Drawn by Skottie Young. Dorothy, Uncle Henry, and Aunt Em at last move permanently to Oz. Most of the story is a tour of strange corners in the fairyland, with a subplot of the Nome King planning to conquer all the kingdom. Baum intended at first for this to be the end of the stories, and with I can only imagine were dwindling returns, so did Marvel, producing no more in the series. Most annoyingly, this volume is a different size from all the others. Ranking: And gone. File Code: Graphic Novel. Adaptation. Softcover.