You can never leave Wonderland behind … no matter how hard you may try.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Erica J. Heflin
Art: J.G. Miranda
Colors: Leonardo Paciarotti
Letters: Christy Sawyer
What They Say:
After years of torment at the hands of Wonderland and its many psychopathic denizens, Calie Liddle finally claimed a victory. By defeating the Queen of Spades, Calie assumed leadership of Wonderland. And now she cares for the realm that once existed to torment her family. With the White Rabbit and a newly reformed Cheshire Cat by her side, Calie seeks to transform the tainted realm to its former glory … But it will not be an easy task.
This is the story of Calie Liddle … White Queen of Wonderland.
Content (please note that portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The wayward exiles have finally returned to their adopted home of Wonderland. However, Cheshire is worse for wear, though his injuries will recover in time. But, they cannot wait for the Ace of Spades’ reach is far and it will not be long until he notices that the White Queen has returned. Although the former ruler has come back, Calie does notice that this usurper has not laid idle, he began severing her ties to the land; while it might be difficult, she must reclaim her throne and that will be by any means necessary. Her allies are few, but they are as determined as she is to overthrow this pretender, and the first shall be her bodyguard. He will pay any price if it will allow her to gain new soldiers to her side, but this is no ordinary pawn. Cheshire is the Queen’s most loyal and faithful piece, and as such, he will be the one to lead the charge.
Though even as the White Queen is mustering her forces, the Ace of Spades has also been assembling his own conscripted army. One side is composed of volunteers who wish to serve the rightful ruler and the other is amassed from the fallen of Wonderland’s past and those forced to obey a tyrant. It does not take much perception to foresee which is more determined to bring their leader’s goals into reality. Though even as Calie’s allies surge forward into battle, Cheshire is determined to show why he is his Queen’s strongest, even if it may cost him his life. But as this feline collaborator charges forth into the fray, mother and daughter begin their own assault upon the castle. They both know that Ace cannot be beaten by strength alone, but what else can they use against this skeletal foe? How can Calie or Violet even hope to be able to confront him without encountering his minions? With courage and luck as their only tools, will the Queen of Wonderland and the former Mad Hatter be able to reclaim her throne or are they doomed before they even make it that far?
In Summary:
After the massive build up with the Ace of Spades story lines, it would seem appropriate that the end of the series would become a monumental battle for control for this world, and yet, it has ended in disappointment. Although Cheshire’s redemption as the White Rook was highly gratifying, the rest of the issue seemed to fall flat. Writer Erica Heflin built Ace up as this diabolical tyrant, an ideal ruler for this realm of dreams and nightmares, with grandiose ambitions suited to match his plans for the land. He even went to the trouble of: recruiting Terror to break down Calie by driving her friend Drew insane, bring former family enemies forth to torment her even more, brainwash Violet to torture her mother and then stole her powers afterward … and all of this before they are exiled to Earth to face the cult of the Wondermen. Of course, while the Liddle family was trying to keep the toxins of Wonderland from corrupting the human world, Ace was raising the former kings and queens of Wonderland to build up his army, creating new Pawns, eliminating the Antipathies and tracking down Squire and the rest of the White Queen’s former allies. So … what happened?
With all of those machinations, it seems that it has amounted to nothing if they going to be ignored in the final tally. All of the mental torture which Ace put Calie through and then exiling the Liddles, it appears that outwardly, they had negligible ill effects; while we can understand that the family has gone through this kind of punishment for generations, no matter how mentally disciplined, no one can shelter their feelings this well and stay so composed. And while we do see some of Ace’s converted minions in the splash pages, it appears all they amount to are cannon fodder; if that is the case, why go to all of the trouble of creating this elaborate window dressing of allies to scheme behind the scenes and resurrected monarchs of the past, what we would assume to be a super army for the Ace of Spades, only to have it shattered with a resolution that leaves us with an empty feeling of satisfaction?
But of course, the most marvelous component of this wondrous masterpiece of a finale was the outstanding artwork of J.G. Miranda and the impressive complexity of colors by Leonardo Paciarotti. Every nuance was reflected within every panel, no emotion was spared as we witnessed what may be the final acts of the White Queen and her entourage. Even if you omit the words, the story is so brilliantly crafted that even someone unfamiliar with the background can understand the awe-inspiring illustrations of this world gone mad. The humanity of Calie and Violet is so meticulously shown on this barren wasteland versus the tamed savagery of Cheshire, you cannot but care so much for them when they are forced to face the insanity of Ace. This balance of the sane against the madness of an upstart ruler is only magnified by Paciarotti’s subtle use of light and shadow which steadily grows as the Liddle’s quest to release Wonderland nears reality. Miranda’s splash pages of intensity are both simple and yet riddled with complexity but they would be lacking if not for the glorious colors which serve to amplify the passion of both artists. If this is the end of the series, it could not have been more strikingly served than within the skilled hands of Miranda and Paciarotti.
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: Wonderland has come to a memorable end, but as any loyal reader knows, nothing is as it appears to be, and even if you think you understand something, it can be undone within the confines of the next series. Madness and sanity intertwine within the world of dreams and it is the responsibility of the Liddle family to guard the realms from this land’s influence. As such, the adventure is never over, for as one journey ends, the next is waiting within the whimsical grin of a Cheshire.
Grade: B
Series Grade: B+
Rating: M (Mature)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: August 10th, 2016
MSRP: $5.99
