There’s an element of heresy in pointing out that strictly in terms of his prose, Baum wasn’t a great writer, but his imagination let him flourish. Shanower is also a very effective colourist, so although these stories were created in the 1980s, the flat colour scheme he used still works very well indeed despite the advances in technology. This can take the form of nature in all its glory or the wonderful fixtures and fittings of Oz. Page after page amazes, and particularly effective is the method of using decoration to distract from dialogue needed to move the plot forward. They include a large blue flying swordfish, a bright red living candle and the stunningly illustrated wood nymphs.įor all his facility with plots, the most immediate effect on cracking this compilation open is Shanower’s gorgeous art. These are not only well suited to Baum’s world and mix well with his cast, but are excellently designed to be visually engaging, which is important in the graphic novel format. Shanower keeps Baum’s creations consistent with the versions in his books, and involves his own new characters to ensure an uncertainty and to enable them to progress. For greater detail about them check the individual reviews, but suffice to say it’s unlikely any fan of the original works will be disappointed. The Enchanted Apples of Oz begins the collection, followed by The Secret Island of Oz, The Ice King of Oz, The Forgotten Forest of Oz, and The Blue Witch of Oz. His Dorothy, for instance, is blonde rather than dark haired, and his lion in no way a man in a costume. Shanower sometimes draws on the original book illustrations of William Wallace Denslow, with the Tin Man very strong, but largely ignores the film designs when casting the material. They’re all beautifully illustrated by Shanower, and the flat colours have an attractive bright allure equal to Oz itself. This is a compilation of five books originally produced during the 1980s, but sharing the timeless charm of Baum’s original work. His prominent use of others, particularly Ozma, the rightful ruler of Oz is explained in an editorial. This is mentioned because Eric Shanower draws the cast for his original Oz stories from well beyond the familiar film characters, although most of them appear along the way.

Many who love the film remain unaware it’s an adaptation, and even those who do rarely consider another sixteen books followed. Frank Baum’s turn of the 20 th century children’s novel far surpasses the appreciation of the source material. As a cinema landmark, the 1939 adaptation of L.

Oz by Eric Shanower