Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
No Place Like Home #1
Image Comics
Tirotto & Jordan
The final comic in the opening arc for this modern (and scarier) version of Wizard of Oz wraps up with another strong issue. For the most part, Oz is finally introduced. As is the case with most things in this comic book, it's a much creepier and a more frightening version of Oz than one most readers are probably used to. The device to get to Oz is a bit fuzzy, but so have other aspects been of the overall story. It's not a bad thing at all, it's just that the reader shouldn't expect all things to be revealed in this issue. If anything, the reader will probably end up with more questions. It's a good comic book and I hope to see more of this in the future, whenever the series resumes.
The issue opens with the Sheriff, Frank, and Dee trying to make sense of everything that's happened to this point. The peace is short lived as the friendly, flying monkey returns for more mayhem. As has been the case throughout the five issues, it hunts down and kills older people that are all connected in some way. I was hoping to understand more about these threads, but ultimately it is not explained. If all the victims were related it certainly leaves an interesting hole as to the reasons certain ones were left alone.
The book quickly jumps to what I refer to as the Oz ritual. Hidden away is Lizzie as she seems to be hanging upside down staring into a portal that appears to be Oz on the other side. Lizzie makes a bold escape attempt as all of the characters converge on this portal. Lizzie creates an opening in the portal and we get a glimpse into Oz and all of its odd glory.
The comic book is a good read. It's certainly creepy and very twisted. However, we've got a good cast of characters that help to connect the reader to that strangeness. Upon completion I definitely have a desire to find out what happens next.
The comic book wouldn't succeed without the amazing artwork. This book has more than just detailed and deranged pencils. There is an aspect to the book with regards to shading and using colors to add some depth to the frightful nature of the moment in the panel. The final four or five pages are extremely powerful as the helplessness of the characters is really illustrated well. This isn't to say the art is flawless. There is a sequence in the beginning where it is difficult to reconcile the flipped over police car along with the rest of the action during the sequence. I felt like a panel was missing for some of that action. Overall, this is a tremendous artistic effort.
No Place Like Home is not a mini-series, though I do not know when the next issue is planning to ship as I don't believe further issues have been solicited. However, even if these five issues is all we get, we have a tremendous little story in here that modernizes and thrusts the throttle forward on a classic story. I urge anyone looking for something different to check this book out.
4 out of 5 geek goggles
