Book-It 'o13! Book #24
The Fifty Books Challenge, year four! (Years one, two, three, and four just in case you're curious.) This was a library request.
Title: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Graphic Novel written by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Eric Shanower, illustrated by Scottie Young
Details: Copyright 2010, Marvel Comics
Synopsis (By Way of Front Flap): "OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD!
With Marvel's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, an American fantasy comes to life in a classic comics retelling! Shortly after its initial publication in 1900, author L. Frank Baum put his children's literature in context: It was written "solely to please children of today. It aspires to being a modernized family tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out." Baum died 19 years later, but only after leaving behind a legacy of Oz-inspired fantasy 13 sequels long-- a legacy that was augmented by the 1939 MGM picture starring Judy Garland that took an already beloved story and turned it into a cultural institution.
Writer Eric Shanower (Age of Bronze) and artist Skottie Young's (New X-Men) adaption is the kind of artistic achievement that proves-- if any proof was further needed-- that thee story of Dorthy and her journey down the mythical yellow brick road is just as magical, entertaining and relevant to the children of today as when it first entranced a generation 110 years ago.
Delving into some of the less familiar elements of Baum's story, Shanower and Young reveal new and exciting layers-- while still translating its most timeless elements.
The Scarecrow's still looking for a brain, but did you know how it was he got stood up in the cornfield to begin with? The Tin Woodsman is still searching for a heart-- but for many, his tragically humorous tale of cursed romance has remained untold. Readers whose only exposure to Baum's mythos is the film will be pleased to discover that Shanower's script honors the original text. And Young makes his move into the upper echelon of comic artists-- a movement his loyal core of fans have been waiting for-- with his revelatory work on Shanower's script. His fearless portrayals of Dorothy, her traveling companions, and the alternately dark and charming world of Oz-- in particular the Wizard himself-- in sum amount to a modern masterpiece."
Why I Wanted to Read It: Like most people, I grew up with the 1939 MGM film holding a prominent place in my childhood. When I grew older, I learned more about the original book as well as the franchise and saw the other "Oz" films that came both before and after. Reading the original 1900 book is something that's always kicked around in the back of my mind, but my fear of it not living up to the expectations and grandeur in which it's now ensconced have kept me from actually doing it.
I'm not a fan of non-graphic novels told in graphic novel form, as I think it's too hard for too much to get lost. But the Oz franchise has been adapted and reworked so many times, I figured concentrating on this as a version rather than an adaption or translation would make it worth reading.
How I Liked It: The authors have an extremely tall order: a beloved tale that, in a way, they are telling for many people for the first time, as the graphic novel version is more likely the one to be handed to children as a "starter."
The book's storytelling is lively, and the author has a deft hand with dialog and narration. The pacing, the panels, the color work; all are exquisite.
But the book is constantly tripped up by one problem. While Baum's original book was written for children, it's so firmly ensconced in the public consciousness by now as a "classic" that you really can't tell it with a "modern" cartooning style. Am I complaining that the illustrations in a graphic novel are too "cartoon-y"? In this particular graphic novel, yes, yes I am. At its highest art form, the characters have the look of Berke Breathed. Nothing against that, of course, but when you're telling one of the most beloved stories in American history, it's, well... not exactly up to par. Yes it's a "comic" company that created this series, yes graphic novels are frequently still referred to as "comics", but plenty of art falling under that name does not look like a highly stylized version of Cartoon Network staple.
While the style of art is frustrating, the book gets so many things right it does feel like nitpicking, even if it's a major aspect of the book.
All in all, it's still a worthy contribution to the Oz franchise and will hopefully invite readers to explore Baum's original work, as well as the many sequels that followed (they are also apparently available by the same creative team behind this adaption).
Notable: For those well-versed in the 1939 film (so... everybody), this book offers the opportunity to compare and contrast scenes the filmmakers edited, adapted, or removed entirely. There's brevity, of course, but, say, our protagonists' meeting with the queen of the field mice and summoning their aid to pull the Cowardly Lion from the great meadow of poppies (unlike the film, the Wicked Witch of the West did not place such a meadow in their path, they merely encounter it) seems like it's beyond the scope of special effects in the late '30s. It'd be interesting to imagine if the film was ever remade the special effects now possible to tell the story.
Title: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Graphic Novel written by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Eric Shanower, illustrated by Scottie Young
Details: Copyright 2010, Marvel Comics
Synopsis (By Way of Front Flap): "OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD!
With Marvel's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, an American fantasy comes to life in a classic comics retelling! Shortly after its initial publication in 1900, author L. Frank Baum put his children's literature in context: It was written "solely to please children of today. It aspires to being a modernized family tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out." Baum died 19 years later, but only after leaving behind a legacy of Oz-inspired fantasy 13 sequels long-- a legacy that was augmented by the 1939 MGM picture starring Judy Garland that took an already beloved story and turned it into a cultural institution.
Writer Eric Shanower (Age of Bronze) and artist Skottie Young's (New X-Men) adaption is the kind of artistic achievement that proves-- if any proof was further needed-- that thee story of Dorthy and her journey down the mythical yellow brick road is just as magical, entertaining and relevant to the children of today as when it first entranced a generation 110 years ago.
Delving into some of the less familiar elements of Baum's story, Shanower and Young reveal new and exciting layers-- while still translating its most timeless elements.
The Scarecrow's still looking for a brain, but did you know how it was he got stood up in the cornfield to begin with? The Tin Woodsman is still searching for a heart-- but for many, his tragically humorous tale of cursed romance has remained untold. Readers whose only exposure to Baum's mythos is the film will be pleased to discover that Shanower's script honors the original text. And Young makes his move into the upper echelon of comic artists-- a movement his loyal core of fans have been waiting for-- with his revelatory work on Shanower's script. His fearless portrayals of Dorothy, her traveling companions, and the alternately dark and charming world of Oz-- in particular the Wizard himself-- in sum amount to a modern masterpiece."
Why I Wanted to Read It: Like most people, I grew up with the 1939 MGM film holding a prominent place in my childhood. When I grew older, I learned more about the original book as well as the franchise and saw the other "Oz" films that came both before and after. Reading the original 1900 book is something that's always kicked around in the back of my mind, but my fear of it not living up to the expectations and grandeur in which it's now ensconced have kept me from actually doing it.
I'm not a fan of non-graphic novels told in graphic novel form, as I think it's too hard for too much to get lost. But the Oz franchise has been adapted and reworked so many times, I figured concentrating on this as a version rather than an adaption or translation would make it worth reading.
How I Liked It: The authors have an extremely tall order: a beloved tale that, in a way, they are telling for many people for the first time, as the graphic novel version is more likely the one to be handed to children as a "starter."
The book's storytelling is lively, and the author has a deft hand with dialog and narration. The pacing, the panels, the color work; all are exquisite.
But the book is constantly tripped up by one problem. While Baum's original book was written for children, it's so firmly ensconced in the public consciousness by now as a "classic" that you really can't tell it with a "modern" cartooning style. Am I complaining that the illustrations in a graphic novel are too "cartoon-y"? In this particular graphic novel, yes, yes I am. At its highest art form, the characters have the look of Berke Breathed. Nothing against that, of course, but when you're telling one of the most beloved stories in American history, it's, well... not exactly up to par. Yes it's a "comic" company that created this series, yes graphic novels are frequently still referred to as "comics", but plenty of art falling under that name does not look like a highly stylized version of Cartoon Network staple.
While the style of art is frustrating, the book gets so many things right it does feel like nitpicking, even if it's a major aspect of the book.
All in all, it's still a worthy contribution to the Oz franchise and will hopefully invite readers to explore Baum's original work, as well as the many sequels that followed (they are also apparently available by the same creative team behind this adaption).
Notable: For those well-versed in the 1939 film (so... everybody), this book offers the opportunity to compare and contrast scenes the filmmakers edited, adapted, or removed entirely. There's brevity, of course, but, say, our protagonists' meeting with the queen of the field mice and summoning their aid to pull the Cowardly Lion from the great meadow of poppies (unlike the film, the Wicked Witch of the West did not place such a meadow in their path, they merely encounter it) seems like it's beyond the scope of special effects in the late '30s. It'd be interesting to imagine if the film was ever remade the special effects now possible to tell the story.