Wonderland: Asylum 5

In the face of Violet’s resistance, the Void realizes his only hope for marriage is to trick her. But his success comes to a halt when the Madder Hatter shows up and goes on a murderous rampage. The Void quickly promises all Liddle members safety from Wonderland if Violet truly accepts him, to which she agrees. Their union opens a gateway between Wonderland and Earth, but just what does Lory plan to do with her new Wonderland subjects? The final issue of Wonderland: Asylum begins now.

The deed is done!  Violet has “accepted” The Void (you know what I mean) and now the power of the Hatter is hers, which doesn’t end so well for the Madder Hatter.  Violet can finally make a difference in Wonderland and start dispelling all of the evils that have corrupted this former place of dreams.  However, that’s going to be easier said than done, especially when an unexpected “ally” shows up, flanked by a new set of Wonderland monstrosities.  This newcomer to the party completely screws up The Void’s plans, which leaves him with very few options.  Violet, on the other hand, couldn’t care less about either one of them and decides to take matters into her own hands and has that whole idea pretty much blow up in her face.  Fortunately she’s able to make her way out of The Void’s stronghold before things got too hot to handle.  Although, I thought she had this immense power now, so why is she making a narrow escape?  It seems like these powers aren’t all that The Void made them out to be.  Not a lot is really known about the abilities of the Hatter, except that it’s driven the previous wielders insane.  So, now that Violet is in possession of these powers, she only has to keep herself in check, or else succumb to them like all of the rest.  Only time will tell what fate awaits the newest Hatter.

Now we get to the good stuff, although the finale usually is the most action-packed part of a series, that doesn’t make it any less entertaining.  Violet has the power now, and she isn’t taking crap from anyone.  She’s no longer afraid of what lies within Wonderland because she’s now become a part of it and that means there’s no stopping her from putting an end to the horrors of this realm.  This is what I really enjoyed about this issue, seeing Violet finally able to just really let loose.  No fear or worry about the consequences, she’s what needs to be done and just goes for it.  A good example is when the band of monsters show up after her and The Void had consummated.  As The Void and the leader of the gruesome group bicker between themselves, Violet just conjures up a sword and sets to hacking off one of the creature’s arms.  No hesitation whatsoever, she sees an enemy and they’re getting cut, or stabbed, or smashed, or anything that’s needed to get the job done.  Violet is a force to be reckoned with now and with her newfound abilities, there isn’t much that can stop her.  I found the overall issue to be a great piece of work.  It had hot bedroom action, scandalous revelations, argumentative yelling and fire, all rolled up into one nice little package for your reading pleasure.

With Violet now in possession of the power of the Hatter, the only thing left to do is to find her mother and then start cleaning up the chaotic nightmare of Wonderland.  It’s a big job, but it’s nothing Violet can’t handle, especially with all of these turn coats running around.  So, head out to your nearest store and snag a copy of the final installment of Wonderland: Asylum, Pat would really appreciate it.  For more info on where to find this issue, please 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 belong to the individual reviewer.

Wonderland: Asylum 4

Locked away with no one to turn to, Violet begins to believe that all hope really is lost, until a strange group of birds show up and provide her with a means to reach out to unknown ally.  The birds arrive too late however, and Violet is lead away to prepare for her pending nuptials.  Will help arrive before she ties the knot, or will she accept her place beside The Void and obtain the means to put an end to Wonderland?  Find out in the penultimate chapter of Wonderland: Asylum.

It’s the wedding of the century as Violet and The Void walk down the aisle.  Can’t really say it’s a mutual consensus, but that’s Wonderland for ya.  Now, I’m not sure if The Void is too cocky, or too lovestruck to see that this whole situation probably won’t end well for him.  I mean, Violet despises him and yet he’s willing to grant her an immense amount of power if she accepts him?  I don’t know, I feel like there’s a fine print to these powers that The Void isn’t telling her and that’s why he’s so willing to bestow them upon her.  What’s to stop Violet from turning on him after she gets them?  The power of the Mad Hatter has done a number on everyone else who’s obtained it, so what’s to say it won’t change her as well?  Sure enough, as The Void tricks Violet into marrying him, the Madder Hatter shows up with a trail of bodies in her wake.  Here is the prime example of the power gone wrong.  Once a proud police detective, now a psychopathic killer, the Madder Hatter will now stop at nothing to take out her rival for the hat.  She has followed Violet everywhere she’s gone and now the time has finally come to decide the rightful heir to the power.  Remember though, this is still Wonderland, so things aren’t ever as they seem.  As much as they’d like to think otherwise, The Void is still in control of the situation.

A few important things happened in this issue, most that are better left to be discussed in the next review, however there is one thing I’d like to touch upon for this book and that’s that the Keepers are the ones who brought about Wonderland, or more specifically The Void, in the first place.  From what I’ve seen in all of the other Zenescope series, it seems like the Keepers are pretty much the root of all of the problems, The Being and The Void are two prime examples.  And the best part is, the Keepers just don’t seem to care that much about what they’ve wrought.  These two immensely powerful entities have been left unchecked for years and it’s pretty much up to the ones that they’ve been terrorizing to put a stop to them.  Left alone in the world of Wonderland, The Void began to dream and create, at first making things simply out of the ordinary, but not all of his dreams had turned out so well and began mutating into the grotesque nightmares that have plagued the Liddle family their whole lives.  If only these Keepers had paid more attention to their creations, a lot of pain and suffering could have been avoided.  This isn’t something that I found truly enjoyable, in fact I’m finding myself feeling the same as the last issue, but I felt like it was important enough to say something.
 
The Void and Violet are now husband and wife and their witness couldn’t have objected more.  The Madder Hatter has Violet by the throat, but she may have lost this round before it even began.  This isn’t a true “Red Wedding”, but it’s just about as violent.  So, pick up your copy now while The Void still permits it.  For more info on where to find this issue, please 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 belong to the individual reviewer.

Wonderland: Asylum 2

After escaping into Wonderland, Violet finds herself face-to-face with a being known as The Void.  He claims he’s here to help Violet, but she knows better than to trust anything from Wonderland.  However, with the Madder Hatter hot on her trail, Violet may need to go against every instinct and accept a helping hand from The Void.  Pat Shand continues Violet’s tale of trials and tribulations in this latest chapter of Wonderland: Asylum.

The Void has it bad, and he has it bad for Violet.  He’s completely infatuated with her and she wants nothing to do with it.  I mean, this is the essence of Wonderland for crying out loud!  This is the cause of all of the nightmares and horrors that have plagued Violet’s family for generations.  And now, all it wants to do is get down and dirty with her.  In fact, the Void claims that they were destined to be together, which Violet isn’t buying one bit.  He may talk a big game, but she knows better than to trust anything even remotely related to Wonderland.  The Void sweeps her up, regardless of how she feels about him, and takes her on a journey of revelation, a journey that reveals new aspects of the Liddle family’s altercations in Wonderland.  Everything was by The Void’s design, all so he could find that perfect piece to help him realize his true vision for Wonderland.  The Liddle family has been nothing but playthings for him.  Everything that has happened throughout the Wonderland series has all been a result of The Void having his fun.  Now with the puppetmaster in her sights, it’s Violet’s time to shine.

This issue metes out the heart of the series and ties everything together and I think that’s what I like best about this issue.  After all of this time and going on this crazy roadtrip, we’re finally seeing what’s all been about and all wrapped up in one issue.  No more dragging out plot points, this is the whole enchilada, so to speak.  I’ve read some series in the past where the cusp of the story is prolonged over several issues, which can be exciting at times, but then again it can get a bit tedious too.  Sometimes, you just want it all summed up for you so you don’t have to wait a whole month for yet another tidbit of information.  However, as result of all of these revelations, I can’t really go into too much detail as to what happens, through fear of revealing any surprises.  It is well worth the read, trust me on this one.  Now that the point of it all has been brought to the surface, we can sit back and enjoy the antics of Violet as she tries to make her way out of Wonderland and away from The Void and the Madder Hatter.  The series can only get better from here and I for one am really looking forward to how this pans out.

All has been revealed now, as The Void attempts to woo Violet to his side.  Little does she know however, that as she resists his advances, Wonderland’s dark forces are at work recruiting more lost souls to fill its empty roles.  Everything is falling into place as Violet continues her journey through the dangers of Wonderland.  So, be sure to snag a copy of the latest chapter of the Wonderland: Asylum saga.  Consider yourself committed if you don’t.  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 belong to the individual reviewer.

Wonderland: Asylum 1

During a skirmish with the Madder Hatter and the Dark Cheshire Cat, Violet flees through the looking glass.  Now she finds herself in Wonderland, the very place her mother had been running from for so long.  It turns out, however, that Violet is not alone.  Who is this mysterious new stranger and are they friend or foe?  Find out in the thrilling new mini-series from the creative mind of Pat Shand, Wonderland: Asylum.  There is no escape from the madness.

The time has come for Violet to experience the horrors of Wonderland first-hand.  All her life, she’s heard her mother tell stories about this place, all of the horrors Calie endured while trapped in here and everything that had followed her out.  It is a place of pure evil and no one should ever have to witness what goes on in there.  Unfortunately, Violet found herself caught between a rock and a hard place and chose the lesser of two evils at the time.  Down Violet goes, down the rabbit hole, reliving the tragedy that is the Liddle family.  Now she’s in a world unknown to her, with a lurking terror her only companion.  The time has come for Violet to show off her newfound abilities and begin her trial in Wonderland.  Will she succeed, or succumb to the darkness?  Meanwhile, in an insane asylum on Earth, the evil of Wonderland has begun recruiting new madmen to fill the void that Calie had left from her previous run-through.  It seems like, no matter Calie and Violet do, Wonderland finds a way to seep into the dark recesses of the Earth realm.  It may be up to Violet to finally put an end to the terror that is Wonderland.

Now it’s really time for Violet to shine.  She’s lived her life in fear of Wonderland, but now she’s ready to take it on full-force.  This series is about Violet and how she deals with being on her own against all of the horrors her mother had been telling her about and that’s what I like about this issue and what’s to come with this series.  The Wonderland series as a whole has always centered around Alice and Calie, primarily Calie though, so now we get to see what the new generation brings to the table.  Violet’s upbringing was different than Calie’s.  She didn’t have the mother with psychological issues and suicidal tendencies, she didn’t have the adulterous father, or sadistic younger brother.  All Violet had was Calie and their eventual nomadic existence.  Sure, there was the constant threat of some monstrosity from a hell dimension slaughtering them at moment’s notice, but they had each other.  Calie was there for Violet, protected her, and taught her everything she knew about how to survive Wonderland.  Violet’s on her own now and with Pat’s great track record of writing badass women, Violet is going to be a force to be reckoned with.  This is just a great issue that sets us off on Violet’s path toward awesomeness.

I honestly couldn’t find anything that I didn’t like.  The artwork was a little iffy, but it works out with the disorder and chaos of Violet’s time in Wonderland.  I’m looking forward to what’s to come and to see how Violet grows throughout this series.  Pat has yet to let me down, so I know it’s going to be great.

With Calie out of the picture, Violet must now venture forth into insanity itself.  There’s no telling what new horrors she will have to face, but she’s been preparing for this for as long as she can remember.  It’s time Violet experience what her whole family has, so she knows how best to stop it.  So, pick up Wonderland: Asylum 1 and watch the newest generation of Liddle gives Wonderland a run for its money.  You’d be crazy to miss this one.  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 belong to the individual reviewer.