This hardcover edition collects the entire graphic novel “Lost Girls”, preA very complicated review to make.
Warning: This book is for adults only.
This hardcover edition collects the entire graphic novel “Lost Girls”, presenting the three volumes, with its thirty chapters
Creative Team:
Writer: Alan Moore
Illustrator: Melinda Gebbie
Letterer: Todd Klein
WE’RE ALL MAD HERE
I’m Alice.
Oh, well. M-my name’s Wendy.
And I’m Dorothy. Y’know, ain’t it just perfect we should all be friends?
Alan Moore is the writer with more balls in the comic books’ business and the only comic book writer that can come out with such polemic book and not being attacked as a “dirty pornographer” but a “witty artist”.
Alan Moore, only Alan Moore.
Because after reading Lost Girls with all its greatness but also all its controversy, you can’t deny its artistic virtues.
There are chapters, such like, “The Mirror” & “Shaking and Waking”, that they are indeed crafty pieces of art, merging narrative with drawing. Also, the book has a faultless format with chapters where each is made of exactly 8 pages, with 10 chapters per volume, in 3 volumes. I always like symmetry in a work. And talking about the materials of the the book: hardcover, paper, size, inks, etc… I have to admit that it’s easily one of the most gorgeous books ever published, in the genre of comic books (no wonder why it’s $45, but the resulted presentation is worthy).
Lost Girls initially was serialized in the comic book Taboo (edited by Stephen R. Bissette (old friend of Moore since their days in Swamp Thing) and where, in that title, From Hell (also by Alan Moore) was serialized too. However, Lost Girls never was completed in Taboo and the collaborative team of Moore and Gebbie to finish Lost Girls was prolonged for 16 years (and resulted in the marriage of Moore and Gebbie, after he was left by his first wife and their mutual lover (yes, a complicated life). So, you can say that Lost Girls wasn’t just a work of sex, but also a work of love.
Lady Alice Fairchild (adult version of Alice in Wonderland’s Alice, in her 50s), Dorothy Gale (adult version of Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy, in her 20s) and Wendy Darling (adult version of Peter Pan’s Wendy, in her 30s) meet in a hotel at Austria, a year before World War I. The three women recognized themselves as soulmates, having experienced unusual experiences in their teenage years, so they open themselves with each other in these threesome, to know everything about them.
I think that my major complains about Lost Girls is its lack of point (beside the basic concept of portraiting classic children’s books’ characters from different tales, in their adult age, and interacting with each other) and its unnecesary lenght.
You know, I read that Watchmen supposed to be only 6 issues (I figured more centered in the investigation of Rorschach (my favorite character there)) but DC wanted a maxi-series, so Moore had to include the heroes’ origins to be to expand the work to 12 issues, and while, obviously Watchmen is a masterpiece, I think that it’s felt that it’s longer that initially intended.
And while Lost Girls may be possess its intended extension, I don’t think that it was needed so many chapters to point out such basic concept, since beyond that, the narrative hasn’t any other purpose, goal or (ironically) climax. In fact, there is a moment where this turned to be just uneventful chapters filled with sex scenes, unlike the initial chapters where you feel more ingenious interaction between the characters.
And, of course, the main reason of all the controversy about this graphic novel, is due that the three main characters tell their own sex experiences while they are still teenagers.
Everybody discover sex in his/her teenage years, but I guess that presenting that in such open way in an illustrated story, is one heck of fuzz. And playing Devil’s Advocate, I can’t blame those who may find awful those parts of the narrative, since after all, some of those scenes aren’t free of abhorrent acts that they are clearly legal offenses, and that's not good, not matter the reason, if there is any.
PIXIE DUST
Like shoes, we try our fantasies on, yes? Sometimes they are too big for us, sometimes we outgrow them; they become too small. Too confining. Or perhaps they wear out; become dull, familiar, merely comfortable.
I guess that while there are a lot of scholar studies analyzing the sexual allegories in classic children’s tales, one thing is reading about those hidden devices, in hypothetical scenarios; and quite other to have them in open way, without subterfuges, and with illustrations included.
We read the tales when we were kids, and when we grow up, we want to get back to those stories, and that’s why those re-tellings are so popular since you can read about your favorite characters but with an adult-oriented angle.
However, when the story turned to be too real, when the pixie dust is depleted, when the characters turned to be too adult, with needs too adult, well, no one can be blame if they feel that it was just a little too much.
We want to know what happened with the characters after their original books ended, when the characters got older, beyond the yellow-brick roads, but sometimes you aren’t prepared for what you may find there.
They are fiction characters for a reason. They aren’t real people. Characters are idealized, to the point to be put in pedestals. They became perfect in our minds. However, when fiction characters got too real, too human, they stopped to be characters and become people. And people aren’t perfect. You aren’t watching a reflection in a mirror anymore, but the true nature of people. So, you have to ask yourself if you really want to read about people or fiction characters.
That’s why fantasy is such appealing, while reality can be awful sometimes.
NOT KANSAS ANYMORE
War’s such a frightful perversion. It turns everything contrariwise.
Make love, not war.
If there is some way to simplify this massive work of Lost Girls, I think that’s that.
Maybe you find having promiscuous sex like something dirty or wrong, we aren’t here to judge anyone (that’s God’s job), but definitely having war is far, far worse.
And since this review has been quite challenging to write, I think that it’s better to leave it here.
When you love the stars, even if you are on Mars, you still are confined to a planet.
This is a short story that were presented initially on a audio foWhen you love the stars, even if you are on Mars, you still are confined to a planet.
This is a short story that were presented initially on a audio format on an anthology titled Rip-Off!.
It seems that the concept of the anthology was to combine known literaty characters and/or historic figures with science fiction stories set in more contemporary settings even in the future.
I was attracted to read this short story due its linking to the realm of "Oz" along with Dorothy Gale.
I have to say that the linking is quite weak and forced, since even Dorothy Gale isn't one of the main characters but merely a secondary character where she doesn't do anything that any other character couldn't do too. I mean, you have Dorothy Gale but she is a medical doctor here that it's a cool idea (sometime Dorothy should grew up and choosing some career), however her role in the sci-fi short story was done in a way that any other literary character could do just the same and even her role is quite kept at minimum time.
So, you may wonder... why then a 5-star rating?
Well, while the "rip-off" concept was a cheap trick to make people reading the short story. The short story itself is a wonderful and smart science fiction tale that I am quite glad of having read.
The Lady Astronaut in Mars is like the european film Amour meets The Martian Chronicles, where the Amour part of the story is managed way, WAY, better, since honestly I didn't like the film, I understood the ideas that they wanted to show but I didn't enjoy the form of the development there. However, here, on The Lady Astronaut in Mars, you can really enjoy the love of an old couple between themselves but also balancing it with their own personal passions and how much each other is able to sacrifice for the other but also how much is the other really expecting that to be sacrificed.
Moreover, while the story is based on human emotions and topics that anybody can relate, the author knew that since it's a science fiction tale, the aspect to develop an interesting setting of technology and a cool futuristic ambiance.
Remarkable reading that I recommend to any fan of sci-fi short stories....more
This is the sixth comic book adaptation of the original works by L. Frank Baum.
I was lucky to getThe last journey to Oz, at least in this editions
This is the sixth comic book adaptation of the original works by L. Frank Baum.
I was lucky to get it on the 5 single issues, but I will do the review on the collected edition to be able to do an overall review.
Creative Team:
Writer: Eric Shanower (based on the original works by L. Frank Baum)
Illustrator: Scottie Young
FAMILY TRIP
This time Dorothy won't be on Kansas anymore, but her uncles neither.
Finally, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em travel to the marvelous land of Oz and they will be able to confirm that those all wonderful adventures of Dorothy were true.
Meanwhile, the evil Nome King wants revenge on Ozma and Dorothy and getting back his magic belt. For this, he finds the perfect general for his Nome army, Guph, who will contact other evil groups to invade Oz.
WONDERFUL STORY
This is a wonderful book where you will get glimpses of almost all major characters whom appeared on the previous books. And also, you will get to meet even more totally new characters here.
In this book you will be able to realize how powerful really is Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, and how much she has impacted in the land of Oz.
Ozma is totally great here, since she is rational, open to advices and ideas, and also she doesn't compromise her principles.
And the Scarecrow shows yet again why he is the smartest being in all Oz.
A HUMBUG SHOULD REMAIN HUMBUG
Something that I didn't like is that now the Wizard of Oz is able to perform real magic (learned from Glinda). The whole concept that he is a humbug is what makes truly great this character. Definitely that was a bad development to this character on this book.
ALL GOOD THINGS...
The sad thing is that it seems that the creative team of Eric Shanower and Scottie Young will do a pause in the graphic adaptations of the original works by L. Frank Baum.
There is a similar "closure" on the original book, however, still there are several books written by Baum.
I really hope that Marvel Comics would continue with Shanower and Young as the creative team.
--O--
To check my reviews of the previous five graphic adaptations:
I had huge expectations about this book seeing that it was so high rated (at least whenInsanely...disappointing
OFF WITH THEIR MENTAL SANITY!!!
I had huge expectations about this book seeing that it was so high rated (at least when I noticed it) and it crossovered the topics of Wonderland and Oz in real life context in an adult approach involving sex, drugs and murder.
What else can one ask?
And I have to admit that the reading experience was like a rollercoaster, since at some points I was sure that I will give it a full 5-star rating and at some other moments each lower possible rating and sometimes gets higher again and later it gets lower, you get the picture.
I really believed that the first chapter is like a test, to see if you really want to get further into the novel since it has very kinky sex situations, careless use of drugs and gruesome bloody violence but most of all, it isn't written in any elegant way but very directly and raw.
At that point I was believing that it was a poor choice of reading since it seemed to be a vulgar book without class. At that point you still get only Alice, so I want to read at least to the meeting with Dorothy that I guessed was the whole point of the book.
I was interested about the concept of two girls in a psychiatric ward believing that they are "Alice" from Wonderland and "Dorothy" from Oz. It was a thrilling idea.
Wonderland was always linked with the topic of madness, however, Oz not so much, however there cases like the movie "Return to Oz" that while it wasn't too good, it was still interesting and logic to think that Dorothy maybe seemed to be crazy if she started to tell about her adventures with talking scarecrows and flying monkeys.
There is a very good approach on this book that I think it was one of his strongest points of originality. However, it wasn't enough that premise to hold the book and to present a decent tale.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE PSYCHIATRIC WARD
The two girls are in psychiatric evaluation due showing general abnormal behaviour, but not because they'd claimed to be "Alice" and "Dorothy".
So far it seems that in the reality of this book, nobody heard about the books of Alice in Wonderland or The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, since both made several comments that anybody could sum two-plus-two and reaching to the realization of how crazy they must be...
...but no, they are considered insane due showing rages of violence to others or to themselves, not because they claimed to be "Alice" and "Dorothy".
Dorothy always is trying to hunt tornadoes to reach a magic land that she called "Oz", but nobody seems to think that something is odd here since her full name is Dorothy Gale and indeed she has an Aunt Em and an Uncle Henry.
Best proof that in the universe of this story, nobody heard before of those both classic tales.
And while Alice & Dorothy are in the psychiatric ward is a pretty good reading, even some chapters with the doctor examining them are very well written in a truly smart way.
The personalities of Alice and Dorothy can be described using elements from their own books, since Dorothy is like the Cowardly Lion while Alice is like the Jabberwock.
Dorothy is childish (even since she is already an adult), sweet and shy.
Alice is insanely violent, unpredictable and totally wacko.
Alice and Dorothy made a quick bond, even taking in account that in this book, Dorothy is lesbian, and while Alice isn't lesbian per se, she didn't mind about it.
It's clear that she hasn't enjoying much the sex relationships with men so she is kinda open to the idea of accepting the feelings of Dorothy for her, also it's an easy way to manipulate her, to making her helping to escape from the hospital.
Until then, the book was quite engaging, but on the road the story took a wrong turn...
VIOLENCE, DRUGS AND SEX! OH, MY!
When they are on the road, there a lot of bloody violence, some lesbian moments and tiny bits of drug using.
I think that the story could be developed in a better way since while the narrative has good timing and logic, it's presented in a crude way without much imagination or elegance.
Even I felt quite odd some comments in the story about not "glorify violence", but more like odd, like hypocrisy since the book is clear that it's been sold like a story of "sex, drugs and violence".
So why trying to make such statements that they are totally out of place here?
Also, something that I didn't like is that Alice is way more like the main protagonist, while Dorothy is lowered to a role like a sidekick.
When you are reading about Batman & Robin, while there is an "&" in the title, you know that Robin is the sidekick of Batman. Batman is the lead hero and Robin is a companion.
However, since this was a "crossover" book, putting together two lead protagonists of their own books, when I read the title Alice & Dorothy, I was expecting a 50/50 of importance of both characters in the story.
It's that not only Dorothy is like a weakling sidekick without much utility in the story, but also, you don't get much of the elements and references of Oz, only some poor attempts here and there.
But instead you have heavily use of the recognizable elements of Wonderland.
So, I thought that why including Dorothy and the Oz world into this novel if the author seemed like uncomfortable with it or not knowing how to use it in a smart way into the plot?
At the end, it was a very good idea with a kinda standard development, with a too vulgar prose, and I honestly think it could be much better where it didn't explode its whole real potential as story.
Writer: Eric Shanower (based on the original works by L. Frank Baum)
Illustrator: Scottie YounA fair adaptation from a pointless book
Creative Team:
Writer: Eric Shanower (based on the original works by L. Frank Baum)
Illustrator: Scottie Young
NOT SO EASY TO RATE
My rating to this particular graphic novel is an average between the great presentation by Eric Shanower (writer) and Scottie Young (artist) and the original source material by L. Frank Baum.
If I think on the graphic novel per se, easily I could give it easily a full 5 stars rating, but the story that it's an adaptation of the original book by L. Frank Baum barely can reach a 3 stars rating.
So, I think quite fair to give a 4 stars rating overall.
Eric Shanower did his best to work out the book, but after all, he had kinda tied his hands due of having to work based on what L. Frank Baum did on the original prose book, that I feel it wasn't as good as his previous engagaments with the world of Oz.
IN CASE YOU ARE NEW TO THIS VERSIONS
In case you don't about those adaptations and/or you didn't read my previous reviews about the other OZ graphic novels, I can assure you that the formidable teamwork of Shanower and Young is a delight and you won't find a better graphic adaption around from the original work by L. Frank Baum.
Due the classic film "The Wizard of Oz", that I love, I was interested to read this graphic adaptations, that while I am reading them, I did research and I can assure that they are quite faithful to the original source material.
Of course, the best option always will be just to read the original books (that I will do, hopefully in a near future) but if you want to read the OZ stories in a graphic format, never doubt that getting these ones is a great option...
...because they truly are.
COOL NEW CHARACTERS BUT NO PLOT OR CLIMAX
Okay, about the story in this particular adventure...
Sure, there are cool things like having back Toto in the story, and the new characters are real interesting, the Shaggy Man, Button-Bright and Polychrome.
However the whole story is quite pointless and without any real danger (sure we have the Scoodlers but not nearly a threat comparing to previous adventures.
The "climax" of the story is the Birthday Party of Ozma and it's only that, a birthday party, there isn't any secret plot or the intrusion of some nasty villain trying to spoil the party, no, they have a real nice and appeased party...
...so much for a "climax", geez!!!
Also, you get a huge bunch of "guest appearances" that they are characters from other Baum's book unrelated with Oz, that one can think that a "crossover" is not a bad idea, however they didn't do anything useful or relevant on the story but to attend to...
...the dang nice and appeased birthday party!!! Geez!!!
So, while any excuse to return to the marvelous land of Oz is good, well, I was expecting some insightful moral lesson or some perilous and daring challenge against a powerful villain, but no, nothing relevant happens in this story.
Still, having to read the book with the ready-witted adaptation for the dialogues by Eric Shanower, along with the truly wonderful illustrations by the great artist Scottie Young, was a wondrous treat, so I have no regrets of having bought this book.
I love my physical edition of this novel...while the reading experience wasn't as good as always thought that it would be.
MANY SHADES OF GREENI love my physical edition of this novel...while the reading experience wasn't as good as always thought that it would be.
MANY SHADES OF GREEN
A thing that I got amazed when I started to "label" this book, in the process of my review, in my virtual shelves of Goodreads was how many different genres the novel touches... Politics, Religion, Romance, Humor, Fantasy, Magic, Mystery and even Espionage.
And I was very tempted to select Military too but I opted not.
And certainly the mood and themes of the story embraces all those genres and maybe more.
I knew about this book series some years ago while I was researching about the topic of Oz in general and since then I thought that it could be good to read it.
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT... FOR A BOOK'S EDITION
Some months ago (2013), by chance, I found this edition in a shelf of a local bookstore. I recognized the title of the book and I took it by impulse. The cover was gorgeous with the poster of the musical version BUT what stunned me was the detail that this particular edition has the edges of the pages colored in green...
GREEN!!!
Ah?! Honestly I can't think in something cooler to make irresistible this edition.
Those marvelous green edges on the pages of the book sold me the novel right away and I couldn't took back the book on the shelf. Thanks goodness the wicked magic of the credit card allowed me to go out of the bookstore with the novel.
THIS IS NOT KANSAS!
Certainly when I started to read the book, I knew that I wasn't in Kansas anymore! Geez! The Cowardly Lion and the Tin Woodman kiss their mothers with those filthy mouths?! The introduction of the book is like a slap to the readers to make them understand quick and hard that this is indeed an adult book.
You know? I am not a prude, not in the least, but I think that Maguire made a hard effort to make sure that this will be an adult novel since I think that many of the issues touched here could work just the same without the need of some big words and sex scenes, while the drugs had to stay, hehehe, since indeed here the drugs played an important purpose on key moments.
It was like: "well since we have sex, drugs and rock n' roll (well no, no rock n' roll, really, not even on the musical version) this is a story for only we, the adults, sorry kids, you will have to keep busy with the Baum's cute books meanwhile you grow up some years."
Well, C.S. Lewis said that any children's tale that it can't be enjoyed by adults just the same, it's a poor children's tale.
So, facts of life... first, kids aren't dumb, they can understand heavy topics, even more the new generations that grow up with internet as nanny, and second, adults don't need sex, drugs and r... (you got it) to enjoy an intelligent story.
IT'S NOT EASY TO BE GREEN
Since this is a really smart tale, but maybe I had some expectations that affect my final rating of the book.
First, there are really big "jumps" between the chapters and while there some unexpected turns and twists (that one can think that it's something good) but some of those twists were... ah? With him? Really? Geez! And romance left the building!
Later, I really expected an explanation of how a person can turn to be evil or be seen as evil, but Elphaba turned out to be wicked not as evil but as crazy and for reasons really odd.
Also, since the beginning there is something that I don't understand. Elphaba born with green skin, okay, HERE, in our beloved Kansas and the rest of the Earth around, it could be a real trouble but hey, they aren't in Kansas anymore, that's Oz, a land where animals can talk and people can do magic!
How odd really can be a person with green skin over there?
Honestly I could be more freak out for a talking goat or lion than watching a person with green skin.
Also, the green skin resulted an odd issue again at some point, you see, Elphaba is in hiding, but hey, she is walking around the city... how good can be in hiding for "several" years if she is supposed to be the only woman with green skin in all Oz?!
What? The Gale Force recluted colorblind people?! Geez!
Also, I have my theories about the physical problem of Nessarose (Elphaba's sister) but since it wasn't approached beyond of being just a birth defect, I don't see the point of her problem.
Even I think that the story was evolving quite fine until Maguire tried to put together his own story with the original story when Dorothy arrives to Oz.
WICKED READING
Besides all my complaints, the book is still a smart vessel to touch sensitive topics of politics, religion and social interaction without worrying to be subjected to harsh critique since he smartly uses characters and themes in Oz and you have to deduce those allegories on your own and at the end, they will be your own ideas and not necessarily what the author wanted to say.
However, the book lacks of some action, all stuff happened in a very appeased tempo.
Nevertheless, I want to try in the future the other books by Maguire, on this Wicked series and his other stand-alone novels based on retellings of classic children's books.
Writer: Eric Shanower (based on the original works by L. Frank Baum)
Illustrator: Scottie YThe Wizard and Dorothy are together again!
Creative Team:
Writer: Eric Shanower (based on the original works by L. Frank Baum)
Illustrator: Scottie Young
MANGABOO(GIE) TIMES
As the title clearly states, the two most famous characters from the first book are together again. Dorothy and the Wizard reunites!
And you can bet that new companions rise. Zeb, that he's Dorothy's cousin. Jim, a work horse. And Eureka, a mischief cat. As happened with Billina in the previous book, the horse and the cat can talk once they are in the realms of the fairy lands. (One must wonder what the heck is going with Toto? Is he mute? Has he nothing good to say? Dang it!)
The bunch are lost yet again in fairy terra incognita, far from the familiar territory of Oz.
Good thing that Dorothy and her friends soon enough have the support of the Wizard!
They will have to face in the strange land of the Mangaboos and the odd valley of Voe, but you can bet that a visit to Emerald City in Oz is not so farfetched to hope.
The journey is entertained, full of humor, with plenty of perils and indeed one heck of adventure!
The wonderful Oz-esome team of Eric Shanower and Scottie Young is together again to adapt the fourth book of L. Frank Baum.
Writer: Eric Shanower (based on the original works by L. Frank Baum)
Illustrator: Scottie Young
BEWThe story is far from ending up!
Creative Team:
Writer: Eric Shanower (based on the original works by L. Frank Baum)
Illustrator: Scottie Young
BEWARE THE WHEELERS!
Dorothy returns in another adventure but to her surprise she may not being in Kansas anymore but it's not Oz either.
Dorothy and her new companion, Billina, are now in the wonderful land of Ev!
Billina is a hen, but unlike Toto, the dog, Billina is able to talk while she is in the magical realms, making her more interesting to read in the story. And don't get me wrong, Toto is adorable, but being able to speak, indeed is a big plus to Billina as companion to Dorothy.
Soon enough, Dorothy and Billina will have the help of Tik-Tok, a likeable metallic soldier.
And that's good since this time Dorothy will need all the available help since she will face a new villain, the powerful Nome King!!!
OZMA RULES!
Now, Oz is ruled by Ozma, the real heiress to the throne of Oz.
Ozma rules! (In more than the literal way)
And as I commented that Dorothy would need all the available help, so that's good that Ozma won't hesitate to form a party (No! Not one of those where you dance and eat cake, you silly!) of the best characters in Emerald City to make a daring journey from the boundaries of Oz to reach the dangerous territories of Ev.
New challenges are ahead, so don't miss the next chapter in the magical and charming saga of Oz!!!
Eric Shanower and Scottie Young are back again to adapt in a wonderful way, this third book by L. Frank Baum.
Writer: Eric Shanower (based on the original works by L. Frank Baum)
Illustrator: Scottie Young
BACK TO OZ
If you think OZ-esome!!!
Creative Team:
Writer: Eric Shanower (based on the original works by L. Frank Baum)
Illustrator: Scottie Young
BACK TO OZ
If you think that since Dorothy was back in Kansas, that meant that it was the end of the adventures in Oz...
...you can't be more wrong about it!
The wonderful creative team of Eric Shanower and Scottie Young return to adapt the second book by L. Frank Baum and you are able to return to the magical land of Oz with them.
Some of the popular characters of the first adventure made appearances but you get a big bunch of totally new characters in this story.
I enjoyed at the fullest since while I was quite aware of the events in the first book due the classical movie adaptation, not matter the changes in the story, you had all the essential elements and moments, however, when I read for the first time The Marvelous Land of Oz was indeed terra incognita and I think that it was like to be another member in the party discovering and getting surprises about all what was happening at Oz.
If you want to read it, don't try to research much ahead, just dive in the book! Since there is a major twist in the story that if you know about it before the reading, you will miss a lot of the fun, stun and punch!
Writer: Eric Shanower (based on the original works by L. Frank Baum)
Illustrator: Scottie Young
TAKE THE YELLWonderful work indeed!
Creative Team:
Writer: Eric Shanower (based on the original works by L. Frank Baum)
Illustrator: Scottie Young
TAKE THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD
I love these adaptations published by Marvel Comics about the original books by L. Frank Baum.
Without a doubt the creative team of, Eric Shanower writing and Scottie Young drawing, are the right choice to this wonderful task.
They did a perfect job showing the classic tale as L. Frank Baum would make it, if he would be in the comics' business nowadays.
If you are only familiar with the classic film (that by the way, it was my first contact with the OZ world), it will be an excellent experience to read this graphic novel, since you can appreciate the original story by Baum, only adapted in a graphic presentation.
Shanower is doing a masterful job taking the original texts of the prose novel and adaptating them into a comic book format without losing anything of the original tale.
Scottie born to illustrate stories like this one and I can't think of anybody else better suited to this task.
I am sure that projects like this one will be able to create a whole new generation of fans for the wonderful world of Oz along with charming quite again to the already fans of it.