Road to Oz

Road to Oz

 By L. Frank Baum

Adapted by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young

4 1/2 out of 5 Covers

The fifth volume in Marvel Comics adaptation of the Oz series is another success.  This adventure begins with Dorothy and Toto helping the Shaggy Man find his way to Butterfield only to find themselves in Oz somehow along the way.  The story takes the form, as most Oz stories do, of a travelogue, recounting their journey across the land and the people they meet until they reach the Emerald City, just in time for Ozma’s birthday party.  Joining Dorothy on the journey are Button Bright, a little boy who doesn’t seem to know anything, and Poylchrome, the daughter of the rainbow (a character with which the colorist really gets to shine).

This is not Baum’s strongest work.  The cities they travel through (a city of foxes and a city of donkeys) aren’t as interesting or inventive as his past works.  He tries to make some social point with the comparison between the two, but it isn’t very clear.  It also doesn’t help that the Shaggy Man has a love magnet, which automatically makes everyone want to be helpful, as it undercuts any tension.

However, the encounter with the Scoodlers, villainous creatures who have two faces and can pull of their heads to throw as weapons and are unaffected by the love magnet, are among the most nightmarish of Baum’s creations.

Despite the simplicity of the story, Shanower and Young pour their hearts into the work.  Shanower is handicapped not only by the story but also by the fact that Marvel cut the number of issues from the usual 8 to 6.  There a definitely moments were the reader is told things rather than shown to speed up the journey.  Skottie Young is absolutely the best artist for these adaptations, as evidenced by the four previous volumes as well as this one.  His style is full of whimsy and can turn even Toto into a full blown character.

Even with the handicaps (which are not their fault), Shanower and Young do an impressive job of turning even a lesser work into a wonderful and enjoyable journey.