Legends of Oz : The Scarecrow

The first in the collection of planned character studies and standalone vignettes, The Legends of Oz: The Scarecrow is a two issue miniseries devoted to everyone’s favorite mysterious sidekick. Join Big Dog Ink and writer Pat Shand as we delve deeper into the origins of the quirky Scarecrow who’s out to prove that just because she’s a mysterious puppet created by evil magic, it doesn’t mean she can’t be pure good!

It’s not Kansas anymore, although it certainly feels more like it than the classic Oz did.  Regardless of where it really takes place, this Legend of Oz: Scarecrow mini still has the same wonderful mystique of the story we all know so well.  If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading any of BDI’s twist on Oz, this is a great place to start.

With writer Pat Shand at the helm, we get a wonderful little story that is paced just right for the two issues it was set in.  Whether or not you have actually read Wicked West, you’ll get to enjoy some fun insight into the history of our adorable Scarecrow.  Odds are if you haven’t though, this well written pair of books will wet your whistle enough to make you seek out the rest of the series.

Even having provided such good writing, that could only go so far considering our leading lady can’t talk.  It says a lot about how successful the art is when a mute character can speak volumes with just her body language.  By the end of the story, you’ll be pleased with the job Carlos Rena did in portraying everything the Scarecrow “said” to people.

Although this mini-series can easily stand on its own, you’re not going to want to stop with just these two books.  Taking a classic like Oz and doing it right is risky, but the folks at BDI pull if off oh so well.  Do yourself a big favor and grab The Scarecrow and then check out the rest!

For more information on The Scarecrow or other Big Dog Ink titles, check out Big Dog Ink.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are 100% those of the individual reviewer.

Zenescope Entertainment Announces OZ

Zenescope Entertainment has announced plans to publish its newest Grimm Fairy Tales comic book spinoff entitled OZ. Fans of Zenescope’s comics have been looking forward to the company’s re-imagining of this classic story for quite a while as it’s been hinted at in numerous issues over the past two years. Oz will finally make its much-anticipated debut at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con and hit retailer shelves in late July.

Zenescope’s President and co-founder, Joe Brusha, will be handling the writing for the new Oz series. “We’re very excited to finally reveal the fourth realm of the Grimm Fairy Tales Universe.” said Brusha “We’ve already introduced alternate versions of Neverland and Wonderland and have been planning Oz for such a long time and now we finally get to deliver something epic to our fans. I hope they enjoy reading it as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it.”

This modern take on the Oz story retells the classic mythology with a fascinating blend of dark fantasy and action-packed adventure. It begins as the witches of Oz search for a lost weapon of power known as the Veridian Scepter. Their quest ultimately leads them to the unlikeliest of places – the farmlands of Kansas - and specifically to the home of a young woman named Dorothy Gale.

The first issue features interior artwork by newcomer Rolando Neto and covers by superstar artists J Scott Campbell, Artgerm, Eric Basaldua and Ale Garza and is available now for pre-order in Diamond's May edition of PREVIEWS for a July 2013 release. For more information on Oz or any other Zenescope title, visit www.zenescope.com or follow their updates on Facebook and Twitter.

Zenescope Entertainment was founded by Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco in 2005, and has quickly grown into one of the top comic book and graphic novel publishing companies in the world. Zenescope's Grimm Fairy Tales and subsequent spinoff series such as Wonderland, Neverland and Robyn Hood, which put a dark twist on classic fables, are some of the best-selling and longest-running original independent comic books on shelves today. Zenescope publishes and develops both original and licensed material and has worked with dozens of clients that include Discovery Channel, History Channel, CBS, Lionsgate TV, Mandalay Vision, New Line Cinema, Titmouse Studios and many others.

The Legend of Oz : Wicked West

Welcome to another comic book review! This one comes to us from Big Dog Ink. I first met these guys at the Detroit Fan Faire back in September and I have to say that they were super nice and friendly. I know what you're thinking.."Of course they were nice and friendly. They were there to promote their product." You would think that'd be the case, right? Sadly, that's wrong. There were a lot of people there who were actually quite rude and others that just weren't great with people. Artist temperaments aside, if you want to sell product, you have to be nice to the people. These guys? Super nice. If you ever get the chance to go to a con that they're at, I highly recommend stopping by and saying hi. Even tell them I sent you..it's become a bit of a running joke to have people name drop my name as if I'm somebody.

Anyway, recently, Tom over at Big Dog Ink agreed to let me review some of their books. While I haven't received anything from their media department yet, I do have a copy of the first issue of The Legend of Oz just waiting for me to read it and since it's a brand new comic, I thought it the perfect place to start! So, let's go!

The first thing I noticed with this book was the heaviness of the cover. As someone who tends to lay things down and then the kids or the cats knocks them somewhere, I really appreciated a more durable cover than you find on some comic books. The colors, done by Kate Finnegan reminded me of the darkness in some of the old western movies. This is rather important as this Oz is just a little different than your Judy Garland Oz. It's not green and lush..it's dark, it's dusty...it's the old west in all it's stereotypical glory. Kate does a wonderful job using just the right coloring to get that feeling across.

I, for one, love this new take on an old classic. Our good friend, Dorothy, is now going strictly by her last name, Gale. Did you know that was her last name? Unless you're a big fan of either the movie or the book series, you may not have. Her faithful friend, Toto? He's now a very handsome horse. Remember the flying monkies? Ok, these ones will scare you far more than the movie ones ever gave me the creeps. Do you remember them? *shudders*  In this series, they're all grown up into shape shifting gorillas! Did I mention their glowing eyes? Some serious bad voodoo going on there, folks.

The story is familiar and yet, totally new. Our heroine is still searching for the Emerald City but this time it's not nearly so easy to find as people..and other things..have been taking the gold bricks from the road. She wanders into one of those classic western towns where the only thing open is the local tavern and that's all I'm going to tell you because I promise you that if you love good comics, good writing, The Wizard of Oz and any combination of the above, this is a series that you're going to want to pick up. The best part? Going strictly by the first issue, this is a series I could let my kids read. Yes, Miss Gale is a hottie, but she's not overtly sexual. Yes, there's some violence but at their ages, my kids have seen far worse in some of the video games they play at their dad's house.

My opinion? You'll want to pick this one up. If you want to order it, you can find it via Amazon, via the Big Dog Ink link above or hunt down these guys at a Comic Con near you. I know they'll be at the one in Mesa, AZ this weekend. Just remember...tell them Katrina sent you. ;)

If memory serves, I bought this copy of this book. All thoughts, comments and general gushiness over an awesome book is totally 100% mine.