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The Wizard King Trilogy #1
The Wizard King Trilogy, Vol. 1: The King of the World
The King of the World, volume I of Wallace Wood's The Wizard King trilogy, is similar in tone and setting to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. MAD magazine and Daredevil comics artist extraordinaire, Wally Wood, takes us on a magical journey filled with elves, warriors, wizards, maidens, Unmen and kings! The Immi, a medieval society of elves, lived deep in the forest, completely isolated from the rest of the world, and were happy until a strange shadow fell over their village: a shadow with EYES! A young Immi known as Odkin is tricked into volunteering to investigate, and is drawn into the intrigues of Alacazar the wizard to save the world from Anark, the blackest villain of all space and time. Through his journey, Odkin meets and enlists the aid of Iron Aron, Lord Vandall and Weer the lizard man, and saves the Immi from the monstrous Unmen, but is then ordered by Alacazar to face even greater perils! When legendary cartoonist Wally Wood became Mad magazine's first star artist he had already revolutionized comic books with his Weird Science sci-fi work which put him on Entertainment Weekly's all-time top-100 list. Wood co-created Mars Attacks for bubble gum cards and the movie, designed the super-collectible Fireball XL-5 lunchbox, and the red costume as used in the comics and major motion picture, Daredevil.
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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41 people want to read
About the author
Wallace Wood
758 books37 followersWallace Allan Wood was an American comic book writer, artist and independent publisher, best known for his work in EC Comics and Mad. Although much of his early professional artwork is signed Wallace Wood, he became known as Wally Wood, a name he claimed to dislike. Within the comics community, he was also known as Woody, a name he sometimes used as a signature.
He was the first inductee into the comic book's Jack Kirby Hall of Fame, in 1989, and was inducted into the subequent Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame three years later.
In addition to Wood's hundreds of comic book pages, he illustrated for books and magazines while also working in a variety of other areas — advertising; packaging and product illustrations; gag cartoons; record album covers; posters; syndicated comic strips; and trading cards, including work on Topps' landmark Mars Attacks set.
For much of his adult life, Wood suffered from chronic, unexplainable headaches. In the 1970s, following bouts with alcoholism, Wood suffered from kidney failure. A stroke in 1978 caused a loss of vision in one eye. Faced with declining health and career prospects, he committed suicide by gunshot three years later.
Wood was married three times. His first marriage was to artist Tatjana Wood, who later did extensive work as a comic-book colorist.
EC editor Harvey Kurtzman, who had worked closely with Wood during the 1950s, once commented, "Wally had a tension in him, an intensity that he locked away in an internal steam boiler. I think it ate away his insides, and the work really used him up. I think he delivered some of the finest work that was ever drawn, and I think it's to his credit that he put so much intensity into his work at great sacrifice to himself".
EC publisher William Gaines once stated, "Wally may have been our most troubled artist... I'm not suggesting any connection, but he may have been our most brilliant".
He was the first inductee into the comic book's Jack Kirby Hall of Fame, in 1989, and was inducted into the subequent Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame three years later.
In addition to Wood's hundreds of comic book pages, he illustrated for books and magazines while also working in a variety of other areas — advertising; packaging and product illustrations; gag cartoons; record album covers; posters; syndicated comic strips; and trading cards, including work on Topps' landmark Mars Attacks set.
For much of his adult life, Wood suffered from chronic, unexplainable headaches. In the 1970s, following bouts with alcoholism, Wood suffered from kidney failure. A stroke in 1978 caused a loss of vision in one eye. Faced with declining health and career prospects, he committed suicide by gunshot three years later.
Wood was married three times. His first marriage was to artist Tatjana Wood, who later did extensive work as a comic-book colorist.
EC editor Harvey Kurtzman, who had worked closely with Wood during the 1950s, once commented, "Wally had a tension in him, an intensity that he locked away in an internal steam boiler. I think it ate away his insides, and the work really used him up. I think he delivered some of the finest work that was ever drawn, and I think it's to his credit that he put so much intensity into his work at great sacrifice to himself".
EC publisher William Gaines once stated, "Wally may have been our most troubled artist... I'm not suggesting any connection, but he may have been our most brilliant".
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 20, 2022
Sea Gate First Edition = January 1978 = No Price
Narrative: ****
A fun tale of "Swords & Sorcery" with an intelligent plot and interesting characters.
Art: ***
I just didn't see what so many others speak so highly of. It's above average but nothing here looked top tier.
Why did many artists of that era leave men nipple free?
Narrative: ****
A fun tale of "Swords & Sorcery" with an intelligent plot and interesting characters.
Art: ***
I just didn't see what so many others speak so highly of. It's above average but nothing here looked top tier.
Why did many artists of that era leave men nipple free?
April 18, 2021
There are many faults in this serie as a whole.
Even if you do not consider the main character to be oversexed, and the rather large amount of naked ladies for no good reason (even the most naked male still wore a loincloth so I think there's a bit of a view on the author itself, but I digress), the pacing of this whole trilogy is bad.
It feels like they tried to squeeze a book of a thousand pages into 60-something comic pages.
Every single panel felt rushed, with no difference in pacing between action scenes and out-of-combat scenes.
In the end it led to more confusion than enjoyment.
Even if you do not consider the main character to be oversexed, and the rather large amount of naked ladies for no good reason (even the most naked male still wore a loincloth so I think there's a bit of a view on the author itself, but I digress), the pacing of this whole trilogy is bad.
It feels like they tried to squeeze a book of a thousand pages into 60-something comic pages.
Every single panel felt rushed, with no difference in pacing between action scenes and out-of-combat scenes.
In the end it led to more confusion than enjoyment.
March 29, 2018
Book one of Wood's planned trilogy, a sort of irreverent take on Lord of the Rings. According to the intro, book two was completed (though Wood relied heavily on a few assistants) and book three was laid out, mostly pencilled, and being lettered when Wood committed suicide. Vanguard supposedly wants to finish the story and put it all out in one edition. I'd read it if they manage to do so, though probably from the library. For a company that devotes itself to excellent illustrators like Wood, Steranko, Al Williamson, Roy Krenkel, Vanguard's production values aren't really that great.
Still, the story itself is pretty fun. Not Wood's best art - it doesn't have the depth of his great sci-fi work, and Wood's not a great writer. It's flawed, but Wood clearly had some fun with it, taking basic fantasy precepts and poking his finger in their eye. The hero is a diminutive scoundrel who obtains a magic sword needed to save the world. On the surface, it's pretty rote stuff, without the character evolution of the traditional hero arc. The guy stays pretty self-absorbed! Throughout, however, Wood's narration subverts the surface story, with goofy side-comments about the problems with the society the characters live in. When a brave, noble prince shows up (too late) to get the magic sword, Wood tells the reader that it's okay, because he's kind of a twit. It's not great, not extremely recommended, but it's a fast, breezy read and fairly fun. Art's nice, though Wood fans probably expect more.
Still, the story itself is pretty fun. Not Wood's best art - it doesn't have the depth of his great sci-fi work, and Wood's not a great writer. It's flawed, but Wood clearly had some fun with it, taking basic fantasy precepts and poking his finger in their eye. The hero is a diminutive scoundrel who obtains a magic sword needed to save the world. On the surface, it's pretty rote stuff, without the character evolution of the traditional hero arc. The guy stays pretty self-absorbed! Throughout, however, Wood's narration subverts the surface story, with goofy side-comments about the problems with the society the characters live in. When a brave, noble prince shows up (too late) to get the magic sword, Wood tells the reader that it's okay, because he's kind of a twit. It's not great, not extremely recommended, but it's a fast, breezy read and fairly fun. Art's nice, though Wood fans probably expect more.
September 15, 2019
Strange little fantasy story about an oversexed hobbit-a-like recruited to battle an evil wizard king. What's curious is the tone, which is mostly serious but just subversive enough to never take seriously. In the end, though, Wood doesn't seem to have anything to say, so it's never anything more than a mildly amusing diversion.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews