Fellow blogger Angelo wound up with two copies of IDW's Dorothy of Oz prequel comic, so he sent me his spare. (Very nice of him.) I can't believe some of the prices people have asked for it because it was an exclusive at Wondercon and the San Diego Comic Con. It is not a very substantial comic at all. The story spans only eight pages.
After Dorothy has killed the Wicked Witch of the West, she takes the broom, much to a Jester's chagrin. Dorothy takes it back to the Emerald City, where Glinda changes it to a scepter and names Dorothy the Protector of Oz. But this is a bad idea, as the "Protector" has to return home, so the Jester sends the Winged Monkeys to get the scepter that allows him to take over Oz, turning many of its prominent people into puppets and destroying the landscape. The Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Lion decide they need to get Dorothy as soon as possible.
And that's it. Dorothy leaves Oz and everything goes to hell.
This comic really isn't impressive to a seasoned Oz fan. Glinda is subdued way too easily. You don't just sneak up on Glinda and tie her up. She's far too powerful for that. But not this take on Glinda, it seems. In modern comics, eight pages is barely a story, but this just feels far too weak.
I guess the artwork is great, except I'm not exactly a big fan of the character designs. Dorothy is pretty good, though she was designed to cater to those familiar with the MGM film. Glinda's flowing pink dress and crown bring to mind Billie Burke, who didn't have such a tiny, tiny waist.
Altogether, I'm glad IDW was giving this away for free. I wouldn't buy it. As it is, it seems what happens in the comic should have been a 3 minute sequence in the movie. If the storytelling here is anything to go by, the film won't have impressive writing, which is more important to me than the visuals, music, sound, and cast. I would hope I'm wrong, but as this is based on a Roger Baum book, my hopes are not high.
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