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118th out of 222 books
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218 voters
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The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz (Marvel's Oz Comics #1)
by
Eric Shanower (Goodreads Author),
Skottie Young , L. Frank Baum
The premiere American fantasy adventure gets the Merry Marvel treatment Eisner Award-winning writer/artist Eric Shanower (Age of Bronze) teams up with fan-favorite artist Skottie Young (New X-Men) to bring L. Frank Baum's beloved classic to life When Kansas farm girl Dorothy flies away to the magical Land of Oz, she fatally flattens a Wicked Witch, liberates a living Sca...more
Hardcover, 192 pages
Published
September 16th 2009
by 801 Media, Inc.
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Reason for Reading: Well, a bit of a story. This first came to my attention when it was nominated for the Cybils '09 Graphic Novel Award. The publisher did not send review copies and none of us judges were able to obtain copies. This year The Marvelous Land of Oz was nominated for a Cybils '10 Award and again the same thing happened so I decided to try my luck with putting an Inter-library Loan in for the this first one again. And well, I've just now received it and been able to read it.
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Despite my initial skepticism of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" being turned into a comic book, it would seem that transforming this children's story into a graphic novel has made a refreshing rendition. Since Baum's original series was intended for children and the graphic novel is aimed at children, the new alteration makes for a near-perfect transformation. Slap a classic into a shiny paperback full of colorful sketches and a modernly familiar format is a tactic that can definitely ma...more
Up to this point, my knowledge of the world of Oz has come from the Judy Garland movie and the 1985 sequel "Return to Oz". The original novel is on my to-read list, but I haven't yet had the opportunity. What I appreciate about this graphic novel is that (from what's said in the intro) it stays truer to the story of the novel than that of the movie.
Although the story is compelling, it's also rather a familiar world. It does, however, make more sense of the novel Wicked fo...more
Although the story is compelling, it's also rather a familiar world. It does, however, make more sense of the novel Wicked fo...more
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It was at first surprising, and even sad, when I learned that Shanower – the best known comics adaptor of the famed L. Frank Baum Oz books – opted not to illustrate his first Marvel OZ project; although I am sure he is more than busy juggling the writing duties for this series along with both writing and illustrating his own Age of Bronze for Image. However, once I was several pages into this beautiful hardback, I was swept away by the mercurial and whimsical art of up-and-coming comic artist Sc...more
Unlike the movie adaptation, the original book was dreamlike with plenty of dark whimsy and faerie. Skottie Young's artwork luxuriates in these elements, and Jean-Francois Bealieu's colorings bring depth to the dreamlike elements. I can, and will, reread this over and over again, getting lost in the magical realm of Oz, just like when I was a kid and read the books. My new favorite graphic novel.
It appears that Eric Shanower, a huge Baum and Oz fan, is in the process of making T...more
It appears that Eric Shanower, a huge Baum and Oz fan, is in the process of making T...more
This graphic novel rendition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was extremely satisfying. It's been years since I read the L. Frank Baum classic, but from what I remember this version of it is very faithful to the original story. Dorthy's slippers are back to silver, the flying monkeys aren't always evil, more of Oz is traveled and explored...
The pictures could tell the story without any words if it were necessary. Characters are expressive, tones range from bright jewel tones, to darker hue...more
The pictures could tell the story without any words if it were necessary. Characters are expressive, tones range from bright jewel tones, to darker hue...more
Summary: This comic book adaption of the Frank L. Baum novel follows Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion on their adventure-packed journey to ask boons of the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz.
Verdict: Squee!
Yay!: This book is off-the-map adorable. The beautifully colored drawings range from a sweet pastel palette for the nicer areas of Oz, to purplish-blue dangerous forests, to a grim gray at the Witch of the West's castle, and even sepia overtones for the illu...more
Verdict: Squee!
Yay!: This book is off-the-map adorable. The beautifully colored drawings range from a sweet pastel palette for the nicer areas of Oz, to purplish-blue dangerous forests, to a grim gray at the Witch of the West's castle, and even sepia overtones for the illu...more
When I first heard that they were going to adapt this into comic book form, I was stoked. But then when I heard that Skottie Young had been tapped to do the art, my initial reaction was "what the hell are they thinking?" This wasn't a slam against Skottie's art. If anything I was a huge fan of his. It was the style that he was famous for that had me scratching my head.
Originally, Skottie became a fan favorite on titles such as The Human Torch, Venom and New X-Men with his a...more
Originally, Skottie became a fan favorite on titles such as The Human Torch, Venom and New X-Men with his a...more
Time for a very merry christmas.
This book is fantastic. I read a comic that comes after this a few weeks ago. I really wanted to read this, but it took me a while to buy it. It is fun because it is completely different than the movie, and although I haven't read the book since junior high I think it is likely closer to the book.
I mean it is a comic book so what are we truly meant to say. It is fun.
This book is fantastic. I read a comic that comes after this a few weeks ago. I really wanted to read this, but it took me a while to buy it. It is fun because it is completely different than the movie, and although I haven't read the book since junior high I think it is likely closer to the book.
I mean it is a comic book so what are we truly meant to say. It is fun.
I really loved this adaption of the original Wizard of Oz, which I loved as a kid, into a graphic novel. It did a great job of staying true to the original story rather than the movie and will give children and adults a taste of the delightful books that started the Oz craze. Each of the characters is uniquely derived, adding personality that has been overwritten by the movie characters. It's getting high marks for the art, which I think is absolutely gorgeous. The colours are soft and love...more
I'm so torn about rating this book...
I give the illustrations a 4.5!! I ADORED the illustrations of this graphic novel. I loved how the characters looked and moved (I loved how the bottom of Dorothy's dress always seemed to be blowing in the breeze) and I loved how the designs seemed so simple but they were so fun to look at. The cover initially caught my eye because I thought Dorothy looked like Noodle from the Gorillaz XD
I give the story a 3... I loved some of the witty...more
I give the illustrations a 4.5!! I ADORED the illustrations of this graphic novel. I loved how the characters looked and moved (I loved how the bottom of Dorothy's dress always seemed to be blowing in the breeze) and I loved how the designs seemed so simple but they were so fun to look at. The cover initially caught my eye because I thought Dorothy looked like Noodle from the Gorillaz XD
I give the story a 3... I loved some of the witty...more
This gorgeous graphic novel sent me right back to 4th or 5th grade, when I read the original Wizard of Oz and most of the books that followed. If you've only ever seen the movie, this faithful adaptation will introduce you to dark and whimsical parts that Judy Garland never saw. It will make you remember that Dorothy is indeed a little girl, and the wicked witch of the West made her a slave, and that the Emerald City isn't really emerald. The lively artwork by Skottie Young and colors by Jean-Fr...more
I was first introduced to the story of OZ through the 1939 movie, "The Wizard of Oz" starring Judy Garland. I think I was 4 or 5 the first time I saw it. I was totally enchanted. I loved the characters, the colors, the story, but especially the music. I made my Dad buy the album and I made him play, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" over and over and over again. Whenever I hear that song these days, I go back to being age 5 curled up in my Daddy's lap. I had never thought ab...more
I had seen sketches of Skottie Young's artwork for this book before it came out so I already knew I'd be skipping over to the comic book shop every month to pick this one up. I did not foresee however the possibility that it might be sold out when I got there. This book took off out of the dark and I even had to use my womanly wiles one week to convince a young comic book store employee to steal a copy of #2 out of someone's pull list for me. I love the artwork...so innocent and whimsical, a p...more
The artwork in this book is beautiful. Skottie Young has a talent for crafting images that are stretched far enough from reality to be fascinating but close enough to retain a humanity and warmth, and this classic story lends itself to that. Shanower comes across as someone who loves Oz and wants to present as faithful a representation as possible, but unfortunately, that means including awkward 1900 dialogue and some mystifying plot elements (the Scarecrow is going to be stuck in a river foreve...more
Marvel's now three volumes into their comic book adaptations of Frank Baum's 14-volume series of Oz books. As a fan of the books from childhood I decided to see how things were coming along: Pretty good, turns out!
The first thing that'll pop is Skottie Young's whimsical, friendly artwork. It calls to mind Bill Waterson's style on Calvin and Hobbes, especially with its watercolor-esque palette, but I wish Young fleshed out his backgrounds more. The Oz series is as much about having a s...more
The first thing that'll pop is Skottie Young's whimsical, friendly artwork. It calls to mind Bill Waterson's style on Calvin and Hobbes, especially with its watercolor-esque palette, but I wish Young fleshed out his backgrounds more. The Oz series is as much about having a s...more
It was after finishing reading this comics adaptation of the beloved L. Frank Baum tale that I realized that Eric Shanower has earlier done well received Oz graphic novels. He was most suited for this new release from the Marvel Illustrated line of comics adaptations of classic literary works. But I came to read this graphic novel because of the work of Skottie Young.
Young’s art, almost ephemeral and whimsical will carry you through Oz as if you are part of Dorothy’s party of odd frien...more
Young’s art, almost ephemeral and whimsical will carry you through Oz as if you are part of Dorothy’s party of odd frien...more
How excited could I be that Marvel Comics was willing to include L.Frank Baum's classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as part of their offshoot of classic novels made into comics. With Eric Shanower (a true Oz fan and Oz author) handling the adaptation of Baum's work to the comic pages to boot! While I bear no hard feelings towards MGM's musical masterpiece of The Wizard of Oz, I am constantly surprised how few people seem to remember the original 1900 book and all of the differences that exist b...more
Erin
rated it
I really enjoyed this adaptation. The pictures were well done, warm and not too garish, they fit well with the world of Oz. I loved reading the author's rationale for why he was part of this project, and as I was reading this book I could see his love for the original text.
There were a ton of elements missing from the "classic" movie adaptation that have reappeared here. From the two Good Witches to the Golden Cap to the pins and needle brains, I loved seeing those ori...more
There were a ton of elements missing from the "classic" movie adaptation that have reappeared here. From the two Good Witches to the Golden Cap to the pins and needle brains, I loved seeing those ori...more
Ryan
rated it
Although long and a little meandering in places, the art was incredible and I loved the story changes. The only thing I had a real problem with was the way the Wicked Witch of the West met her demise. In the movie Dorothy threw the water on her by accident because the scarecrow was on fire. (Cause and effect.) In this graphic novel version (don't read on if you want to be surprised) she simpley throws a bucket of water on her because she's angry with her (not having any idea that it will kil...more
I grabbed this because I loved Skottie Young's loose, twisty-lined artist. Really, there's probably no comic artist more perfect for this story.
But it follows the book a lot closer than the movie, and I'd only seen the movie. The real story is longer and more drawn out, and even for a children's story, it feels endlessly repetitive. (We're reminded that the Scarecrow wants brains, that the Tin Woodsman wants a heart, and the Lion wants courage every other page.) Also, Judy Garland's...more
But it follows the book a lot closer than the movie, and I'd only seen the movie. The real story is longer and more drawn out, and even for a children's story, it feels endlessly repetitive. (We're reminded that the Scarecrow wants brains, that the Tin Woodsman wants a heart, and the Lion wants courage every other page.) Also, Judy Garland's...more
I've seen the classic Wizard of Oz movie and it does not do justice to the book. This comic adaptation is amazing. The story is so more involved than the movie was. The songs are gone, but a richer story has taken it place. We get to learn more of the back story of the Land of Oz. It's not just a quick tail from point a to point b.
The art in this book is amazing. I've found the artist to be one of my favorites. I have seen him do many different covers for Marvel comics all age c...more
The art in this book is amazing. I've found the artist to be one of my favorites. I have seen him do many different covers for Marvel comics all age c...more
This stunning graphic novel from writer Eric Shanower and Chicago illustrator Skottie Young is a color-blasted-trove-of-awesome, a faithful adaptation of the original book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. And that means for those who have only seen the famous Judy Garland Oz movie (like me) there’s a lot about this story you never knew: Packs of fiery-eyed evil wolves, hordes of killer bees, saber-toothed tiger-bears called Kalidahs, brutal stone monsters called Hammer Heads, the ba...more
My favorite comic book store is Atomic Comics in Mesa, right next to Bookman's. It can make for a fun but wallet-draining day to make a trip down there and stop at both stores. Last time I was at Atomic Comics, I picked up an introduction to this and the Joe Hill comic book series Locke & Key. They were part of the $1 collection on the wall, of introductions and special issues put out by publishers for a buck. After I read that, I knew I had to read the whole thing.
At first, I though...more
At first, I though...more
Shanower's adaptation of Baum's original novel is the most faithful I've ever seen, yet it successfully transcends prose into comicbook form with a strong narrative voice provided in captions that propel the story forward with great speed rather than bog it down with explanation, while still providing ample background on Oz and its fascinating characters. Skottie Young's art, however, is the real star. His cartooning is wildly expressionistic yet he maintains clear-as-a-bell storytelling that, l...more
Shanower's adaptation is well done - a little too fast paced for my liking, but to be expected in a graphic format. His modest augmenting of the story and dialogue is very effective. But Skottie Young's drawings are remarkable. I was initially put off by the non-traditional style (W. W. Denslow this is not) but by the time the group had arrived at the Emerald City (the first time) I was completely taken.
It's important to note that this is a faithful adaptation of the original book, no...more
It's important to note that this is a faithful adaptation of the original book, no...more
This book was extremely disappointing to me. Skottie Young's amazing art in this book is the only thing that really keep this thing salvageable. Shahower's writing is a stiff parroting of the original narrative in which the characters narrated the story to one another in dialog half the time. There's a whole lot of tell and very little show in here. In the spots where he does deviate from the original book, he opts for a grim, unimaginative turns in the narrative. This book could have been a...more
Russell Guldin
rated it
Take a wonderful piece of American literature, include an expert on the source material who is also a great writer in his own right, and add one of the great cartoonists of our time and you get this amazing graphic novel from Marvel. Skottie Young deserves a great amount of respect for maintaining the vision and wonder of Baum's Oz while also keeping his style intact; it was if they were made for one another. And kudos to Shanower for not removing any of the biting critique and sarcasm of WWoO...more
I read The Wizard of Oz (the non graphic one) a couple of years ago, and I liked it, I saw the movie when I was little, and even if I love it I haven't seen it in a loooong loong time.
This book had all those idealized memories to beat, and that is usually though.
But made it.
The story follows the original book almost to the letter, the descriptions of the country replaced by the drawings.
I liked the characters drawings, the mustache on the tin man is one ...more
This book had all those idealized memories to beat, and that is usually though.
But made it.
The story follows the original book almost to the letter, the descriptions of the country replaced by the drawings.
I liked the characters drawings, the mustache on the tin man is one ...more
If a picture is worth a thousand words then Eric Shanower and Scottie Young did more than enough to cover the 39,174 words in Baum's Story. It's nearly word for word...or at least picture for word. I even read through the book again trying to find differences and was only able to find one (I thought I found several but found that it was all in Young's frames).
As a father, this book made it easier to read with my kids. Their eyes stayed in the book for once! I'll have to say that I'm...more
As a father, this book made it easier to read with my kids. Their eyes stayed in the book for once! I'll have to say that I'm...more
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“All the same,' said the Scarecrow, 'I shall ask for brains instead of a heart; for a fool would not know what to do with a heart if he had one.'
I shall take the heart,' returned the Tin Woodman, 'for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.”
—
17 people liked it
I shall take the heart,' returned the Tin Woodman, 'for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.”
“My people have been wearing green glasses on their eyes for so long that most of them think this really is an Emerald City.”
—
13 people liked it
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