Even madness has a beginning … and sanity has an ending.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Dave Franchini
Artwork: Renzo Rodriguez
Colors: Leonardo Paciarotti
Letters: Kurt Hathaway
What They Say:
Before Alice, before the madness, there was a peaceful realm of dreams called Wonderland. This is the story of corruption, the birth of madness, how the realm of dreams became the realm of nightmares.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
Wonderland is an idyllic land where peace reigns and dreams can become reality, a place where imagination is as endless as the horizon. And it is within this realm where we find a happy couple, who at once seem familiar but at the same time different, with the girl leading a merry chase from a man wearing a curious hat. Her name is Evelyn du Lac and he is Geoffrey, they purse each other, without a care in the world as they enjoy their merry game of tag; however they are not alone as another raven haired beauty observes them silently, Adalaide, the female player’s twin sister, who is tired of watching the lovers and decides to join the hunt. While Hatter and sibling devise a clever pinning strategy, the quarry Evie finds herself stumbling into a wondrous cavern, like none she has ever seen before in her exploration of the region.
This monstrous underground domain must be of Wonderland, but for some reason it has an ominous presence deep within its confines. Evelyn feels uneasy as she traverses the landscape, and becomes ever more so as a gelatinous entity emerges from a primal pool within the serene setting. An undulating tendril approaches the cautious girl as she questions the foreboding presence without an answer seemingly forthcoming. It is only after it begins to transmute her companion’s token does she snap from the trance as her sister’s call awakens the sibling from this mysterious case of mesmerism. While it may have only been a few minutes for the panicked lass, in reality her dismayed searchers have been looking for several hours to locate their missing friend; if they were delayed any longer, the companions would have been late for the Queen of Suits party, and she is not someone who you wish to disappoint. However the gruesome grotto still weighs heavily upon Evie’s mind, even during the frivolity of the festivities, and so she warns her twin to stay away from that perilous predicament, for she sensed something wicked within that hazardous purview. But will Ada follow her worried sister’s suggestion or will curiosity cause her to disappear within that phantasmagorical land of perdition?
In Summary:
It has been almost a year since readers were last treated to the fanatical trials and tribulations of Wonderland, but now we given the joyous pleasure of leaping once again head first into that confusing world of nightmares and dreams gone wrong. However this time writer Dave Franchini presents us with a new spin on that beloved Zenescope cornerstone, and it is a refreshing interpretation of those famous escapades. While most would have been satisfied with a continuation of the old story line, I for one am glad for this new tangent and thus exploration of what we have never seen before. It allows Franchini to pick up on the original mythos, but at the same time, sequentially grants him the freedom to embellish concepts which were briefly touched upon or never fully developed. As such, this rarity of returning to an old friend is welcoming – if you are willing to put up with their eccentricities and lunacies, being careful not to fall into their delusional states or paranoia.
(Let me first explain that I discussed the following details with Dave via e-mail, and he has elaborated that clues scattered throughout this issue could lead into what will hopefully become a new series in the near future … at least that is what he and I hope! So if you do not want any more possible spoilers, do not read the following pair of paragraphs.)
From our conversation, this one-shot takes place several hundred years before Alice originally goes to Wonderland, and reveals to us the origin of that mad land. As any loyal fanatic of Grimm Fairy Tales will recognize, the character Lance du Lac is, of course, a descendant of twins Evelyn and Adalaide; but as the story progresses and they undergo the transformation, Ada becomes the first Queen of Flowers, quickly followed by Evie. Now in case you are as confused as I was, here is Dave’s explanation: “This is the first ever Queen of Flowers or Queens of Flowers appearance. In previous stories we had flower girls, but these would basically be the Queens who came before them and who essentially could still be alive in modern times in Wonderland, [which] we just haven’t revealed yet.”
Then for another Easter Egg, if you look closely, you might also recognize Ada’s flower scepter, which was previously revealed in Robyn Hood: I Love NY #06, being touched by Baley in the police station, before he turns into a primeval plant monster. There are many other such bread crumbs scattered throughout this issue, but the most heart wrenching for me was the resting place of Geoffrey, who you will recognize as the original Mad Hatter, which will later become the future site for the Forest of Signs. It is amazing that Franchini was able to create so many wonderful clues for readers to ferret out, but at the same time, even if you cannot find or understand them, this story will still a stand out amongst Zenescope’s Wonderland enigmatic mythology.
However, even with such an amazing narrative, it would not be complete without the sensational artwork of Renzo Rodriguez and the eye-catching palette of Leonardo Paciarotti. From the very beginning, you are immediately thrust back into the world which we had almost forgotten – a realm of fantastical animals, curious inhabitants and a wish for halcyonic dreams. It was amazing how a pastoral scene can remind us of any fantasy world, but then we see Cindy’s favorite fauna … bunnicorns! I had to grin seeing that animal in its natural habitat after Franchini gave it such a high praise scene in his last series. But even after that brief interlude, the audience cannot relax as we continue our journey down the rabbit hole, and back into a bizarrely approachable environment which somehow feels serene. Once you have a calm look around, the sight of flying pigs with neon pastel butterfly wings or a black cat hanging upside from a web lets you know this is not England. Curiouser and curiouser still is the sight of a man with a sadistic smile wearing a top hat chasing down a beautifully curvaceous girl dressed like Calie from Return to Wonderland. However, none of that worry is necessary as they stop for a loving embrace, only to be interrupted by her twin wearing a costume matching Alice’s own. The details in these pages are simply phenomenal.
Rodriguez and Paciarotti allowed their imaginations to run wild, which is as they should once they became enraptured within a world of unbridled bliss. It is so amazing that they can show the couple in a moment of tenderness, embraced by the warmth of an organic palette, with only smatterings of vivid pastels to signal that this world is not natural; but then with the simple flip of a switch, we see Geoffrey turn back to his future signature grin, and the visual clues of familiar creatures from various interpretations of this story all enjoying a spot of tea. The illustrations are at first a departure of the norm from what we have seen in previous incarnations, almost lucid amid what we know of the environment. Rodriguez gives us a gentleness which has not been seen before, one of which where innocence exists, until we arrive in the cavern. It is only then do we realize that this is Wonderland, a realm where danger can be disguised as anyone … or anything.
Paciarotti unveils his talent within this one-shot with such dramatic skill, a build up from the start allows us to enjoy placidity with a muted array of natural tones, eclipsing the danger of this land. The play of light against their chase, with Evie bathed in brightness against Geoffrey and Ada’s looming darkness, a reminder of the realm. But then that lush grotto which will change everything, it is so alluring with the stillness of an unexplored world, until we see that sickening glow. The amorphous mass which entices the sister, that luster of a nauseating emerald green, you know in the back of your mind that something is wrong. And it is from there whereby the colors of the pages changes, as if we are seeing them through a grimmer view, a shade announcing that danger lurks nearby. But of course, it is only after the Old God announces his presence does the intensity of the story commence, and with it, a full appreciation of the colorist’s importance to heighten tension and with it, unleash the full potential of the story.
Wonderland: Birth of Madness One-Shot is a nod to the original which make this story such a vibrant pleasure to read and visually absorb and it is something which I know I must return to find even more clues. With more mysteries unfolding behind every panel, the talents of Franchini, Rodriguez and Paciarotti are largely untapped within this miniscule narrative of monstrous rage. It is amazing how much information they were able to encapsulate within such a limited space, and yet the details are awe inspiring by their complexity. If this is the beginning, I for one cannot wait to see what the future will unfold, and await with bated breath to go snicker-snack once the next issue is released.
Grade: A+ for an Amazingly Phantasmagorical trip back through the beloved Looking Glass!
Rating: T (for Teens)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: May 24, 2017
MSRP: $5.99
