abbracadabbling: PageTurner: Skottie Young Makes 'OZ' Marvelous Fantasy

08 November 2009

PageTurner: Skottie Young Makes 'OZ' Marvelous Fantasy

Noel Langley's screenplay for the 1939 MGM adaptation of L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz begins with these words:

For nearly forty years, this story has given faithful service to the Young in Heart; and Time has been powerless to put its kindly philosophy out of fashion. To those of you who have been faithful to it in return...and to the Young in Heart...we dedicate this picture.

Seven decades later, one hundred eleven years since the world was first introduced to Dorothy and her friends, those same words could very well appear in the foreword of Marvel Comics' The Wonderful Wizard of OZ, for they ring just as true. Written by Eric Shanower and illustrated by Skottie Young with colors by Jean-Francois Beaulieu, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is one of Marvel's best publications of the last year - and certainly the most distinct.

Imagination is the heart of The Wonderful Wizard of OZ. Capturing the original's essence is the challenge of adaptation, and though Baum's original fantasy wasn't written in verse, few if any would claim Judy Garland voice didn't succeed doing exactly that.

Yet where MGM takes its musical detour, Shanower's story follows far more faithfully, a conscious effort that results in tale that is straightforward without being simple. This gives the comic book its All-Ages rating -- though in OZ's case, the better descriptive would be Universal. It's got that much appeal, and true to best comic book form, the words provide a framework so the pictures can deliver the experience. It's an awesome responsibility for any artist, and Skottie Young nails it so well his OZ is as uniquely fresh and imaginative as the film. Beaulieu's colors seal the deal; OZ is almost as synonymous with color as it is with magic, and a flip through OZ's pages is evidence that he brought both to this project.

Marvel's OZ has been incredibly popular with readers no matter how old they may be. The book's been a huge draw for younger girls -- a demographic too often overlooked by most comics -- as well as for Oz fans and readers who prefer the fantasy of Vertigo's Fables, Th3rd World's The Stuff of Legend, and Harry Potter.

The comic does forgo the darker side of fairy tales, those themes inherent to Aesop's works and which run through Baum's story as well as the MGM musical. The movie, while done in color, distinguished its Land of Oz from Dorothy's more mundane reality by filming on Sepia Tone, like so:

It's easy -- and even kind of cool and downright interesting -- to imagine the rest of The Wizard of Oz portrayed in this way. The movie would quickly become a horror film, and as a guy with a film degree, believe me when I say that's exactly from where today's horror movies evolved: musicals.

But Shanower and Young's OZ doesn't need these darker elements to grab an older audience; the art is enough.

Considering that the 1939 movie captured the visual 'reality' of Oz for generations, that Marvel's OZ succeeds in its own fairy tale reinvention speaks volumes both about the series and especially Skottie Young's contribution. It's all enough to overlook the occasionally abrupt chapter endings of the monthly, which in new formats may not be as evident.

I enjoyed every one of the eight issues in the limited series, which began last year and wrapped in July. Comics PageTurner takes its recommendations seriously, and books reviewed under this banner should be considered experiences worthy of your time, your attention, and your money.

Marvel's OZ hardcover collection was published in September and debuted at Number 9 on The New York Times Best Seller's list. You'll still find it there...which means you can also find it inside Present Magic Comics Amazon.com bookstore, and at our always-magical discounted price. Look for it this week!

Marvelous Land of Oz - Issue #1 (Nov '09)

Shanower, Young, and Beaulieu returned last week with their comics adaptation of L. Frank Baum's The Marvelous Land of OZ.

Land is OZ's sequel, and the only one of Baum's many OZ stories that didn't feature Dorothy as a character. Since I'd never read the original OZ , Marvel's comic series was a fresh read, and introduced me to his world in ways MGM did not. If you've read Baum's first book -- as a fair number of folks have -- then your experience of Shanower and Young's world will probably differ from mine. But its likely more of us are unfamiliar with The Marvelous Land of OZ, and ass we all know, being a stranger in a stranger land can have its ups and downs.

The immediate nostalgic attraction to anything that reminds of us of The Wizard of Oz we all grew up watching won't be along for the Marvelous ride -- and this element alone might have an impact on its appeal to the newer and younger readers of the first series. Many of the familiar and creatively re-imagined characters will be still be present, chief among them the Scarecrow and Tin Woodsman.

The setting won't have changed, either; and Marvelous' tale begins in the magical Land, not Kansas, and readers experience this Fantastic from page one. To me, that's a definite plus. It'll be fun not knowing where the Yellow Brick Road goes and who we'll meet along the way.

The darker scenes of tornado-wrought Kansas are replaced by darker themes in the OZ sequel, and considering they're meshed with character and plot, should be more evident in the new limited series. The story belongs to Tip, a young boy who's motivation isn't to return home, but to run away from a life of slavery. To that end, Tip's tale will be his own journey to Oz and his quest for his future. He'll be joined by his homemade friend, Jack Pumpkinhead, and a few of Dorothy's as well.

Shanower and Young bring the hallmark of consistency and quality to their first issue of Marvel's next limited series, and essentially use every page to reintroduce us all to Baum's world as if for the first time. There's not a lot of action or forward movement, but the stage is set well and set brilliantly.

The Land of OZ is a definite monthly PageTurner, so don't wait for the trade. Marvel earns their $3.99 here. And besides, the joy is in the discovery, and its marvelous to watch it unfold in OZ. Read Marvel's official solicitation for their new eight issue limited series here.

Comics PageTurner's scores for Marvel's OZ hardcover and The Marvelous Land of OZ Issue #1 can be found at the bottom of the blog. On your way down, enjoy a look at Issue #1's variant cover art (by Eric Shanower) as well as the first seven pages of this latest Oz adventure . Plus, we've got a sneak peak at Skottie Young's Issue #2 and Issue #3 covers that you won't find anywhere else!