Grimm Fairy Tales: Alice in Wonderland #3
Publisher: Zenescope
Writer: Raven Gregory
Artist: Robert Gill (cover “A” by Stjepan Sejic)
Colors: Jason Embury
Is the Mad Hatter really mad, as his name suggests? Is the Queen of Hearts loving as her name suggests? Um, no, not really, not even a little bit. One is quite insane and the other very much a vengeful and jealous being. This issue starts out spotlighting a little scene between the two homicidal maniacs, setting the tone for this issue for sure. Well, the Queen makes a quick exit after that scene, but the Mad Hatter is the jewel of this book, and he doesn’t disappoint. As usual, Alice is duped by a disguise (and a good one at that!), and ends up in the clutches of her enemies. We then see a card game with the March Hare, the Cook, and others, but the real fun starts when the Hatter shows up bearing a gift! A double-cross, lots of blood, the Cheshire Cat, and a whole lot of death ensue in this fantastic issue by Raven Gregory!
All I can say is that if anybody is on the fence about this series, come down to the side of fun and excitement! The adaptation of a timeless tale is spot on with Zenescope’s style of books. Gregory does an excellent job with crafting a tale of non-stop madness, action, and just loads of fun! I can’t wait for the next issue of this book, because the deck is stacked against Alice, but just when you think she doesn’t have a chance, you might get a surprise!
Robert Gill is the artist, and he is doing a great job on this book. I know some people in the past have accused Zenescope of having great covers but only mediocre interiors, but if you check out this series (and many others), you’ll have to disagree with that label. The characters are the best part of the work, but don’t let that fool you, all the work is solid. The animals, settings, etc., are all good stuff. From a colors standpoint, I’m really digging Jason Embury’s work, too. He seems to have a knack for using the right colors to get your eyes focused on whatever it is he wants. They are vibrant, and really make the work of Gill that much better.
Where this book is leading, I’ve not a clue, but this I know. The creative team on this book is darn near perfect, and if they keep going at this pace, they’ll have crafted not just a cool comic book, but a great story indeed. Books like this are why I’ll stick with Zenescope for a very long time. Check out the awesome alternate covers below by Sean Chen (“B”) and Joe Benitez (“C”). Rating 4/5
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
