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Review: The White Queen #2

Posted on March 4, 2015 by

Rolling out of the pages of Age of Darkness comes this unconventional entry into the Grimm Fairy Tales sagas. The farther that the stories get away from the shared universe, the stronger that they tend to be, and that is the case here. In the first issue, the Dark Queen was introduced into Calie’s world and despite her inability to control Wonderland she proved quite capable of controlling Calie. After all it was only the Dark Queen that controlled the one thing that could kill Violet. This second issue picks up from there, and while it doesn’t necessarily go in the direction that one might think, it still builds well in the path that it chooses.

Early into the issue, there is a strange recollection by Calie of a childhood dream where she met the Dark Queen. This is a bit of retroactive continuity for a character that was made into the Queen of Wonderland more as an afterthought after her own struggles, but aside from this literary shortcut, the entire issue works well. At one point the Trickster lines up a myriad of foes against Calie, but the battle is not shown, rather only the victorious cutaway afterwards. While some might feel cheated out of the fight, it also fits in a difference sense, as the real fun in this story is when Calie manages to summon the spirits of the previous rulers of Wonderland, and the creative teams deserves credit specifically for its presentation of the Jabberwocky, both in the art but especially in the speech.

This is a short series, with the following issue being the last,but it has been unexpectedly entertaining in its relatively short run. The character are not written for depth, but they don’t really need to be as they are well established elsewhere. Instead it is the concept which drives the interest here, and it works. It might not if it were drawn out longer, but in this shorter version, the miniseries manages a better focus. By the end of this issue it is well set up for a showdown in the final issue and it looks equally as fun.

Story: Troy Brownfield Art: Luca Claretti
Story: 8.1 Art: 8.1 Overall: 8.1 Recommendation: Read

Zenescope provided Graphic Policy with a free copy for review

Review: Wonderland #32

Posted on February 10, 2015 by

Erica J. Heflin has done some interesting things since taking over this title. Previously the series and all spin-offs had been under the overseeing gaze of its Zenescope creator, Raven Gregory. Since taking over the helm, Erica, has proven that there are a lot of good stories left to tell with the main characters of the Wonderland series, but she has pulled off some other notable successes as well. One of them is with this issue, and ties indirectly into the previous issue. In fact, it is quite indirect as it really has nothing to do with it, other than the fact that both have been stand alone issues of good quality, which is a relative rarity in modern comics where every story seems to be part of some story arc or some new direction.

The story here even focuses very little on one of the strongest parts of the series, the protagonist and hero Calie Liddle. Instead it focuses on the Cheshire Cat. In the madness of Wonderland where anything is possible, there are still some things which feel out of place, but the writer is capable of making a community of laughing maniacal cats seem to be at place, even when the leader of the cats dwarfs the other large cats. Cheshire has returned home to be judged by his peers and his community after having long since left. What follows is an unconventional story as he is forced to fight for his life in unforeseen ways.

What ends up transpiring is story which should feel out of place in the land of Carroll, but instead fits right in. Of course this is still the Grimm Fairy Tales version of Wonderland and is thus a bit more brutal, but the manner of the cats and Calie’s eventual response to them is close to being a perfect mix for the modern Wonderland as can be found. As the next issue promises the lead-in to the next story arc, the previous two issues almost makes the reader wish that another story arc was not up next, as the stand alones have been fulfilling reads.

Story: Erica J. Heflin Art: Vincenzo Riccardi
Story: 8.8 Art: 8.8 Overall: 8.8 Recommendation: Buy

Zenescope provided Graphic Policy with a free copy for review

Review: The White Queen #1

Posted on February 4, 2015 by

Readers of Zenescope main focus will know that the main universe involving Sela Mathers has a tendency to push its way into all the other series in one way or another. Those series that stand alone are best able to deal with their own storylines without being bogged down by the stories about the five realms and Myst and all the other stuff that goes hand in hand with the main series and its spin-offs. The stories of Wonderland have manged to stay mostly free of the confusion, even if they occasionally get dragged in by way of association to the company wide events. The titular White Queen in this series is Calie Liddle from Wonderland, which bodes well for this series, but this is an Age of Darkness tie-in miniseries, which does not bode well for the series.

The story follows Calie as she is given a task by the Dark Queen. Calie doesn’t have the option of refusing, because her evil counterpart controls the locket which can end Violet’s life. She is bound by certain obligations as a Queen and by certain obligations as a mother. She is to murder a group of refugees seeking passage across Wonderland, but she tries her best to figure a way out of the deal, to satisfy the conditions but not to murder and to keep Violet safe.

The duality of the series and even the company as a whole is shown as a microcosm in this series. The parts where Calie is forced to deal with the Dark Queen are laborious, but when she is allowed to cut loose on her own the story picks up a lot of momentum. For those who enjoy comics for their action sequences, they are unlikely to find a more interesting fight sequence this week than when Calie takes on the killer mushrooms, which is noteworthy for both its whimsy and its brutality, even if it is a bit short on length. In the end the story ends up slightly bogged down again by the Dark Queen, but the overall result is still enjoyable, and more so for fans of the Wonderland series.

Story: Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco, Troy Brownfield Art: Luca Claretti
Story: 7.8 Art: 7.8 Overall: 7.8 Recommendation: Read

Zenescope provided Graphic Policy with a free copy for review

Review: Wonderland #31

Posted on January 16, 2015 by

Although this issue looks like it was going to be a hero vs. hero/mother vs. daughter fight, it did not turn out that way. Instead it paid homage to one of the better moments and stories of the series as was told in the second miniseries in the Wonderland saga, Beyond Wonderland. This story finds Violet in a situation similar to her mother, acting as a waitress while simultaneously trying to figure out the madness which Wonderland tries to infect her with, all the more present here as she knows that the power of the Mad Hatter would like to overtake her. In so doing, this is a rare issue of this series which focuses more on Violet than on Calie, leaving the latter almost completely out of the story here. In this case the series without its main heroine works out fine, as Violet has been more than fleshed out enough as a character to be able to handle a story on her own.

As Violet struggles to make it through the hours at her job, she is also fighting the incursion of an unseen foe, one that visits her first in her sleep, but one which she soon realizes is following her wherever she goes. In this way, the story acts almost as a microcosm for the Beyond Wonderland series, as Violet first confronts her tormentor and then fights back, in what is first full of characterizations and then becomes full of gory action. If there is one drawback to the entire issue it is that Violet and by association Calie will be more closely associated with the main Grimm Fairy Tales universe, an association which generally doesn’t work well for any series. What is perhaps most impressive about this is the writing work of Erica Heflin. While the entirety of the stories and the characters had previously been in the hands of Raven Gregory, here she proves that she is able to seamlessly transition to her own storytelling style without losing the core of the characters.

This issue stands as a bit of an aside for the series as a whole, cleaning up a bit of loose ends from the Wonderland miniseries, but still does so in an entertaining manner. It is less common to see with this series a standalone self contained story, but it works here, and did not feel constrained by the space limitation. This series remains one of the bright spots under the Grimm Fairy Tales imprint, and as it stands doesn’t need much to keep up its general high standard.

Story: Erica J. Heflin Art: Manuel Preitano
Story: 8.7 Art: 8.7 Overall: 8.7 Recommendation: Buy

We Talk Wonderland with Erica J Heflin

Posted on October 21, 2014 by

After a few years working with GreyHaven Comics, Erica J Heflin was given the reins for Zenescope’s ongoing Wonderland series. Turning the psychotic stories a bit on their side, she is now taking the title in a new direction. She chatted with us for a bit and told us what it is like to go down the rabbit hole.

Graphic Policy: How did you cross paths into Zenescope and Wonderland? Was there a magical looking glass involved?

Erica J Heflin: No looking glasses! My general history of disliking what I see reflected means that I avoid mirrors handily.

In this case it was the perfect combination of luck and hard work put me behind a table slinging my own books when the delightful Pat Shand happened upon the table. This was several years ago, and while he introduced himself as a writer I didn’t recognize his name. We had a pleasant conversation where I both told him about my books and tried to get him involved in an anthology project that I was working on with GrayHaven Comics. We exchanged some books and continued to share books at different cons. When the opening for Wonderland occurred, I was invited to pitch!

GP: You picked up writing duties on the series after Calie had managed to finally conquer Wonderland and take over as its queen. Do you foresee a change in tone to the overall series now that she has “won”?

EH: Oh, yes. Her victory and conquering of Wonderland really changes the entire landscape of the book. While it’s still a fantasy-horror series, the madness and claustrophobic lack of control isn’t as pervasive. These were some fundamental motifs in the earlier books and the ongoing, so it’s a pretty substantial change.

But in addition to Wonderland’s changes, Calie changes a lot too. She’s no longer in a position where her survival – and her daughter’s – is threatened in each moment. Though she has enough paranoia and experience to know that Wonderland is still a VERY dangerous place, her own relationship with it has changed. Moreover, Calie’s experiencing a life event that is both very normal and very emotional for a parent. Violet’s grown and is stepping out into the world as her own woman. So at the most basic level the dynamics of Calie’s life are changing.

GP: The Grimm Fairy Tales version of Wonderland is a combination of fantasy and wonder with horror and terror. Which one do you think defines the realm more?

EH: I’d say that in its natural state Wonderland holds to a combination of fantasy and wonder. Through the last several years it’s leaned heavily away from this whimsical charm and into the dark horror and now Calie is struggling to return the balance to Wonderland. Calie’s life hasn’t made her a particularly whimsical person, so watching her struggle to embrace the fantasy and wonder of the Realm she commands is a lot of fun.

GP: Mental health has been an ongoing theme in the collected series thus far. Is that an important aspect to continue with, or do you think that Calie has kind of moved past this?

EH: It will continue, but manifest in different ways. We’ll see a bit of it with Violet as she struggles with the spirit of the Hatter as well as her own demons. But overall there’s a shift away from featuring these concerns, simply because many of the characters of focus are now either birthed of Wonderland or have been fully absorbed into Wonderland. Though now that the creatures of Wonderland have free will – and free control of their destinies – there’s bound to be a lot more questioning of who and why they exist.

GP: Did you read the novel as a youngster or just watch the movie?

EH: I watched the movie when I was very young, but started reading Lewis Caroll in my teen years. It was assigned reading, I believe, but fantastical or horror stories were easy enough for me to get fully engrossed in.

I ended up reading Caroll’s work several more times – on my own, in college, etc. I love the way he built such an immersive universe and still managed a sharp commentary on historical events. I’m also a nerd for linguistics, and Caroll’s works offer such a rich breadth of word play that I love to revisit.

GP: Do you have a favorite character?

EH: I love Calie, but I have to admit that my favorite character to write at the moment is Dark Cheshire. He comes from such a unique background, and is continuing to struggle with the questions of who and why he is. He also has a history of not just doing terrible things, but taking joy from many of them. There’s a gleeful sense of affection for his own history even as he struggles to rise above the horror of what he was. It makes a very interesting dynamic to write.

GP: Does having a favorite affect how you see the series going forward?

EH: My concept of Wonderland is very Calie-centric, but her relationship with the Dark Cheshire is deeply important. Through Dark Cheshire we get a deeper understanding of Calie and her relationship with Wonderland and its people. He’s a great gateway for both her and the reader. His presence doesn’t change the story’s direction, but allows for a deeper understanding of all the characters involved.

GP: Are there any elements of the original Wonderland that you feel that the series has been missing so far that you would like to introduce?

EH: Because of the nature of the stories, Wonderland has focuses on a tiny corner of the Realm, coupled with a lot of overlay of Earth life. Going forward I’m going to show how vast Wonderland is. This is a land with a long history – history that isn’t interlinked to Earth’s – and I’m very excited to pull away that curtain and reveal the rest of Wonderland.

GP: Lastly and most importantly, why is a raven like a writing desk?

EH: You know, I have a strong desire to undermine the nature of this question and ramble about the talented Mr. (Raven) Gregory.

Review: Grimm Fairy Tales versus Wonderland #4

Posted on October 20, 2014 by

When it comes to comics series involving the word “versus” and any combination of heroes, there is almost certainly one thing which is bound to happen. The heroes will not really face off against each other in the long run, and will most likely being allied to each other in fast time, though probably after they have at least tested each other’s skills. It should be no surprise therefore that the series Grimm Fairy Tales versus Wonderland turned out this way. Really though there could be no other way, both by comic clichés and by what the company has going. Despite some of its questionable representations of women on its covers, Zenescope and Grimm Fairy Tales does tend to have a lot of female heroes, far better than the usual proportion of male to female, so much so that Grimm Fairy Tales probably is the only comic universe that has a better than 50% ratio in favor of women. At the head of this world are two heroines, Calie and Sela, representing Wonderland and the main world of Grimm Fairy Tales. Here they are matched up against a character intent on taking over Wonderland, not the first time that this has happened and presumably not the last.

One of the byproducts of the meeting of heroes is often the triviality of it. The meetup is set up as if to settle some kind of hypothetical question of who is better, but both heroes being heroes end up on the side of the righteous and end up fighting together. What usually gets glossed over in these cases is the villain, as the combined power of the two heroes is generally enough to overcome any one bad guy. In this series, this doesn’t seem to be the case. The main villain looks as though he will be playing a part in the ongoing story of Wonderland, but that brings up another problem particular to the series of Wonderland. The characters of this series have been mostly self-contained in scope to the rest of the Grimm Fairy Tales multiverse, and the popularity of the concept of Wonderland a land of madness and nightmares was presumably one that the original creators could not have foreseen. In the meantime, there has been an explosion of Wonderland books, and reading through any one of the main ongoing series of Wonderland reveals this, as it is pockmarked by information boxes with details like “See Madness of Wonderland TPB”. In the growing world of Wonderland, Grimm Fairy Tales versus Wonderland provides yet another reference point to the main series.

If this is going to reach some breaking point is a more relevant question. As long as the series remains self-contained and away from the main problems of Grimm Fairy Tales, then it shouldn’t be a problem. This was a perfect setup therefore in this series, as Sela comes to Wonderland to fight and not Calie to Earth. The end result is pleasing enough, although perhaps a little mundane at times, but it does provide an easy access to a future problem for Calie. Indeed this issue alone sums up the entire series effectively, and someone reading the main Wonderland series but not Grimm Fairy Tales, might like to get this issue just for a bit of context as to what is going on.

Story: Troy Brownfield Art: Luca Claretti
Story: 7.3 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.4 Recommendation: Read for fans of Wonderland, Pass for Everyone Else

Zenescope provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review