Madness of Wonderland #4

The madness stops here, or at least that’s what Emma Legrasse is hoping for as she closes in on the suspect behind the murders.  With her girlfriend’s life on the line, she will stop at nothing to bring this person in and put an end to the violence.  However, the killer may not be who she thinks.  Read the final installment to the Madness of Wonderland mini-series that will leave you crazed for more. 

So, now Madness of Wonderland comes to a close.  The killer has been revealed (which I won’t give out here) and the legacy of the Mad Hatter lives on.  It’s been a wild ride and Emma just wants it to stop, for her girlfriend’s sake as well as for anyone else this murderer might lay claim to.  But, what is Danko’s involvement in all of this and why did he take Shelly?  As luck would have it, Emma tracks him down to the very site where Hall and Lovecraft discovered the caves with all of the strange writing.  A final showdown is at hand where they finally air-out their dirty laundry and their connection with Johnny Liddle is finally unveiled.  There were so many twists and turns in this issue that “madness” is an apt title for this series.  However, that’s what makes a good psychological thriller.  You don’t really know where the story is taking you and in the end the big reveal finally pays off.  All throughout the series you had little glimpses of the Mad Hatter and you’re told that Emma witnessed her whole family killed while being held captive when she was a kid, so when it’s shown that Johnny was there back during Emma’s imprisonment it gets you thinking of how it may have effected Johnny down the line.  Did his involvement play a role in him becoming the Mad Hatter?  That’s something for the reader to speculate on and it’s things like that, that make the story that much more enjoyable for me.

So, let’s continue on that thought of the continuity tie-ins.  When you’ve got an ever expanding universe of characters and locations, one can start to lose track and get lost in the myriad of stories that come about from all of that.  However, when a writer throws in a bit of back story that places characters at a specific event, you can develop a timeline of the universe and then try to figure out, unless you’re specifically told, how these characters or events influenced the next in line.  So, like I said, did Johnny’s involvement influence his actions down the road?  Now the fun part is going back through the series that started it all and try and place when that happened.  Not sure if Raven had this planned out way back then, but it would be some awesome foresight into an already amazing universe.  Kudos to Dan Wickline for executing this so wonderfully.  I feel like a read through the earlier series is now in order.

Now, my thoughts on what I didn’t like about this issue were simply that I thought the big reveal as to who the killer was at the end was a bit obvious.  I don’t know, I feel like they could have thrown you completely, but decided on the familiar path so-to-speak.  This is still worth the read though, so don’t let that deter you from a great issue.

Emma Legrasse has finally confronted the killer and prevented any more deaths, but where will she go from here?  Only time will tell what Wonderland has in store for Emma, but one thing you can be sure of is that it won’t be pleasant.  So, be sure to pick up this issue from your local comic shop or wherever you get your Zenescope needs.  This is not one to be missed as I’m sure the repercussions from this book will be playing out in series to come.  For more info on where to find this issue, visit the Zenescope website, or the Zenescope Facebook page.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer and not the Mad Hatter. 

Madness of Wonderland #2 & #3

 Warning: There may be spoilers ahead! Read at your own risk!

         

 As the investigation of the bizarre murder continues, agents connected to the case keep winding up dead.  Now Detective Legrasse must delve even deeper into Lovecraft’s journal in order to put this case to rest.  However, a spectre from her past begins to haunt her and a man thought dead leaves signs of his return.  The madness continues in these next two installments of the new Wonderland spin-off by Dan Wickline. 

So, I think it’s safe to say that you never want to get involved with anything even remotely related to the Liddle family.  Something Emma Legrasse is finding out all too quickly as other agents investigating the murder case that started all of the current craziness, begin to get picked off one-by-one.  Not only that, but she keeps reliving her traumatizing past, bringing up old emotions and pain that would not deem a normal police officer fit for active duty.  Somehow, Emma has been able to suppress all of those feelings throughout her life and only now having them well up during this strange investigation.  Obviously a strong willed girl, otherwise she would’ve lost it a long time ago having to deal with so many murders for all these years. 

The one big mystery though is how Lovecraft’s journal ties into all of this exactly.  Sure, the markings on the victim might have something to do with it, but if Legrasse is the only one that has the journal, who else would know about it?  Question upon question piles up across these issues, which will hopefully be answered by the conclusion to this mini-series with the next issue.  This is looking to be something great. 

 Dan Wickline is putting together quite the wonderful mystery here.  What with a quick appearance by a character we all thought dead and little hints divulged from Lovecraft’s journal, it’s certainly shaping into a series I just can’t put down.  It even has me trying to figure who this mystery killer is.  Each issue has me thinking I’ve finally figured it out and then something else surfaces that debunks my theory.  Good mysteries are hard to come by these days, at least ones that really get me thinking, so for the fact that I have no clue who’s killing everyone, I’m really looking forward to the last issue.

               

 Now, my only beef I had to do with issue three.  The art just fell short in my opinion.  It seemed flat and unemotive compared to Reine Rosenberg’s work on the second issue.  I mean when you compare the agent getting killed in issue two to the one in issue three, you just don’t get the sense that Agent Anders is feeling her life slip away as much as Nicole the medical examiner did.  Oscar

Celestini did great with the Lovecraft flashback shots in both issues, but I just didn’t feel it with Puste.

So, now this series is starting to wind down, but not before a few more wrenches are thrown into the works.  I can’t say enough how much I’m enjoying Mr. Wickline’s work on this series and really can’t wait for the big reveal.  If that’s not motivation enough to go grab these two issues then you must be mad!  Believe me when I say, Madness of Wonderland does not disappoint.  For more info on where to find these issues, visit the Zenescope website, or the Zenescope Facebook page.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of these books for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Madness of Wonderland

Written By Dan Wickline, the mind-bending follow up to Call of Wonderland is here! Following the events of Call of Wonderland, Detective Legrasse is still trying to make sense out of what happened to the two murder suspects who disappeared, seemingly in thin air, from a locked basement. But when she's called in on a disturbing and brutal murder case, she realizes that there is a connection to be made somewhere. Meanwhile, the back-story that follows HP Lovecraft's journal continues as Lovecraft's disturbing dreams are becoming more and more real to him.

The sequel to the Call of Wonderland mini-series, Madness delves deeper into Lovecraft’s journal as a murder investigation, led by Detective Emma Legrasse, holds a startling connection.  When we last saw Detective Legrasse, she was chasing down Salome Gray and Julie Sands, the two who would become the Queen of Hearts.  Now, it seems as though the horrors of Wonderland are bleeding over into the real world, although it wouldn’t be the first time and certainly not the last.  The essence of Wonderland is like a toxic fog that just hovers around anyone who comes into contact with it in one form or another.  Slowly, it eats away at your psyche, leaving you in a state of constant fear as Lovecraft found out the hard way.  Emma has been exposed to the madness by holding onto Lovecraft’s journal and her current murder investigation is only just the beginning of her trip down the rabbit hole. 

One thing I can say that I liked about this issue was that it was another addition to the Zenescope Wonderland universe.  Yet another artifact of Wonderland, Lovecraft’s journal, has already sealed the fate of Salome and Julie and now Detective Legrasse is next.  Like the mirror in the Liddle house and the hat of the Mad Hatter, the journal has created another connection to the evils of Wonderland.  Not only that, but it even explains how Wonderland came to be.  Dan Wickline has been doing a great job of expanding upon the Wonderland lore and now with Emma Legrasse in possession of the journal, nothing good awaits her.  The artwork in this issue was really well done.  Sebastian Cichon’s lines have a real nice flow that gives the issue a softness that contradicts the content of the story itself.  Somehow, that just works really well.

As it seems to be the case with a lot of what I review lately, I couldn’t find anything bad about this issue.  Great writing, great art, I mean what’s there to complain about if you’ve got both of those in a comic?  Those two things right there are what every person should, and probably does, look for in a comic.  So, let’s move on with this review and stop me from rambling on any more than I have.

               

 The Madness of Wonderland is so strong that it has conjured up its own comic series.  If anything can be said about dealing with Wonderland it's that Emma Legrasse is in for quite the thrill ride with mind-bending horror around every corner.  Let’s just see if she can keep her wits about her as she tries to solve this new murder.  A great addition to the Wonderland storyline, definitely go pick this one up, you would be mad not to.  For more info on where to find this book, visit the Zenescope website or the Zenescope Facebook page.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer and we hope not the Mad Hatter.

Zenescope Announces March Solicits

Zenescope fans hold onto your seats because March is bringing a lot of amazing titles your way. It may be time to update those pull lists, folks!

MARCH 2013

Wonderland #9

Written By Raven Gregory

Calie and Violet find themselves face to face with the cannibalistic flower girls from Wonderland who are intent on using them for their own diabolical designs.  It's up to Calie to find a way to defeat them and save Violet or become just another flower in their garden of madness.  Elsewhere in Wonderland, The Queen of Spades has the Red Queen right where she wants her but is her victory assured or will the Red Queen find a way to overcome the darkness that threatens to consume Wonderland.  The best selling and critically-acclaimed ongoing Wonderland series continues here!

Grimm Fairy Tales #83

Written By Troy Brownfield

Jack Frost Part 1 –

Looking for a fresh start on earth Sela goes back to the one thing she has always has done well…teaching. Aided by an old friend her slate has been wiped clean and the record of events that led her to jail time in the Shoe are now buried. No sooner has she set up shop at her new job she falls into her old habits…using her powers to protect her students from both the dark powers that surround them and themselves. But seldom has Sela encountered an enemy as cold and deadly as the one she faces now…an evil power known as Jack Frost

 

Grimm Fairy Tales Robyn Hood vs Red Riding Hood One-Shot

Written By Pat Shand

You asked for more, and here it is – Robyn Hood returns in this over-sized one shot, which pits her against Red Riding Hood! Red is hunting down rouge High Borns, and Robyn’s activity since returning to Earth has put the hooded archer on her radar. Arrows will fly and lives are at stake as these two Zenescope fan favorites clash in the grudge match of the year! Don’t miss the blowout battle that leads into the next Robyn Hood miniseries.

Jungle Book: Last of The Species #2

Written By Mark L. Miller

Tusk and claw collide as the elephants and tigers have an all-out battle in the heart of the jungle, with Dewan of the Apes and Bomani of the Tiger Clan fighting for more personal matters amidst the carnage. Meanwhile, Mowglii discovers that deep beneath the jungle is a whole new world to explore...and fear! More sharp-clawed jungle action from writer Mark L. Miller and artist Riccardo Baghera!

Madness of Wonderland #2

Written by Dan Wickline

The mind-bending follow-up to Call to Wonderland continues here! 

Detective Legrasse's investigation into the recent brutal murders lead her to discover a similar case in the past.  A case that was covered up by someone with powerful friends.  The case of Johnny Liddle and if her guess is right all signs point toward his murderous return. 

Meanwhile, Lovecraft's journal reveals the return of Jacob Hall and his continued plans to use the power of Wonderland for his own sinister motives.  And Lovecraft is the only person standing in his way. 

From the minds of the creators of the original Wonderland trilogy.  Don't miss the series that ties in directly with the Wonderland ongoing series!

Grimm Universe #4 – The Dark One

Written By Anthony Spay

The full ORIGIN of The Dark One, is finally revealed here!  Before the war between the council of the realms, and the Dark Horde, before the Dark One set out to conquer the nexus, there was the warlord Malec.  The son of a king captured and forced into slavery until he escaped his captors.  Malec would raise up an army whose brutality would know no match as his path of vengeance and revenge swept across the land of Myst...a path that would end with the creation of the most evil being in the Grimm Universe...The Dark One.  This is the one issue of the year YOU CANNOT MISS!!! Written and drawn by Art Director Anthony Spay.

Grimm Fairy Tales St. Patrick’s Day One-Shot

Written By Pat Shand

In the darkest corners of the Grimm Universe there are legends told of an ancient race of evil powerful beings who have rarely been seen in any of the realms.  Creatures who vast powers are only dwarfed by their insatiable greed, and cruel natures.  A creature that is about to be unleashed on an unsuspecting family with horrific results when they cross paths with...the Leprechaun!  The first ever Grimm Fairy Tales St. Patrick's Day one shot debuts here from the company that does horror best!

Sleepy Hollow Trade Paperback

Written By Dan Wickline

In the small town of Tarry Town, New York the story of the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow has become something of Myth and Legend.

A legend that is about to become all too real. When a prank goes deadly wrong those responsible will learn the truth behind the legend as the Headless Horseman returns to exact a horrifying revenge that none will ever forget. From the minds behind Salem's Daughter and Wonderland comes a tale of horror and terror that will leave you on the edge of your seats. Hold on to your hats...and your head.  This trade paperback collects all four issues of the hit Sleepy Hollow mini-series!