The past is never lost … it is only looking for an opportune time to reveal itself.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Raven Gregory
Artwork: Allan Otero
Colors: Grostieta
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
With Violet captured and taken to Wonderland, Calie must once again journey to the realm of dreams gone mad to save her daughter from the diabolical clutches of the Duchess. But the Duchess isn’t the only being standing in Calie’s way, as Wonderland is more than happy to show her that its revenge … is only beginning.
Content: (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
Calie finally accepts the consequence of her family legacy – Wonderland never releases those they deem worthy, it only frees them for a moment, until it is time to come back. Ever since her grandfather Charles Dodgson found that infamous Looking Glass, his descendants have been cursed by the inhabitants of that realm, even leaking beyond into the realm of Earth to infect innocents. No matter what this child of Alice tried to do to hide from the past, it always found a way to bring her back and forever take away someone else close to her. Even locking away those memories were of little help, for they found a way to corrupt another to do their bidding, manipulating with hollow promises and yet in return empty offered little reward. And now the former White Queen is forced to face the past once again due to her own carelessness, harkening back to those nightmares she tried to put behind, all to find a way to take back her beloved daughter Violet.
As Calie attempts to find another pathway into Wonderland, the one who kidnapped Violet summons her new children around to tell her own story and how she became a Duchess in this strange land. Once upon a time long ago there was a devoted woman named Colette who lived happily on a farm with her beloved husband and cherished son Raine. One day the father departed for the market and left his boy in charge to protect his mother, but as days passed, the child soon fell into a fevered state and the woman began to wonder what happened to her mate and why his return had been delayed. As her imagination began to wander to encompass the worst of possibilities, it was not long until Raine succumbed to his illness and passed away, leaving Colette all alone. Now overcome by grief, seasons passed with her questioning if she would ever be allowed to leave this pitiful existence … it was only then did a mysterious mirror surface from the nearby lake, asking the grieving parent to surrender herself to obtain happiness once again. But did Colette find peace or has Wonderland claimed another vulnerable one to do its bidding?
In Summary:
While this story may be a transitional issue for the series, it does not mean writer Raven Gregory leaves the audience wanting for a narrative which is lacking in tragedy or the melancholy which Wonderland so furiously feeds upon. Even as this book is advertised as a Launch title by Zenescope, meaning it is an excellent starting point for new readers, there are still aspects within Calie’s tale which tempt them with a need to take up the past escapades of the Liddles to fully understand the calamities which a past mistake has incurred upon future generations. It is the echoing reflections of the past which make Calie and Colette so sadly similar, two women both struck by a moment of weakness, thereby allowing the beast known as Wonderland to feast upon them. But as one fought against her family’s legacy, the other was tempted by the honeyed words of a mirror to escape from pain and instead chose to embrace lies, all for a release and thus do this realm’s work. It is this splendid adaptation of using misery in different ways to motivate their lives which makes both protagonist and antagonist so grievously fitting in their opposing roles.
However, it is Calie’s tale which opens up so much more interest in seeing details as we delve deeper into her story in an attempt to return from the land which she rejected. I had almost forgotten the nuance which Gregory slipped into his initial series, including the meaning behind names – foremost being the one who started it all, Charles Dodgson, or the real name of author Lewis Carroll. To see such this much thought being put into an expansive narrative makes devouring it all the more satisfying, but this issue adds to the mythology by expanding upon elements from previous titles, including comically injecting the Narrator, and it all appropriately ends in Potter’s Fields of Dreams and Dreamers. Watching our heroine explore this land is fitting, especially if you consider the history behind this term – a location where the poor or forgotten are buried. To see our former White Queen return to Wonderland and then forced to face the lost and unwanted souls of the land which she once ruled is humbling, considering how she now spends her time on Earth, all building up to this event. Everything comes full circle, all in an attempt to rescue Violet, Calie must now confront her legacy and the madness which overcame her family – she must face the past to succeed in the future. This moment only makes us want to see how the story will proceed, in all of its magnificent madness.
But even as we are absorbed by the insanity of the story, there is in itself an all-consuming elegance contained within this issue which gives madness form and makes us doubt sanity as the only path. Artist Allan Otero creates a moving canvas of contrasts, evoking both compassion and distrust for the women, as we watch both lives tumble down the rabbit hole. However is it Grostieta who breathes life into the tale with a widely varied palette of colors, using subdued tones to show the taint of Wonderland, the shading slowly darkening as they become more involved or remember the pain which opens the door.
And yet there is still a haunting beauty within both sides of the story, opening as we watch Calie recall the past she tried so hard to forget, a slight veil of sepia to hide the pain, however, when she once again attempts to cross over, an amazing explosion of color hides the truth. You cannot but smile with Otero’s literal interpretation, a whirling universe opens before her in the tight black leather outfit, but once she falls down into the warped reality, it is refreshing to see Alice’s signature blue dress donned again, signaling a reawakening to Wonderland and the fallout which came after she left. Once you see old friends lying strewn across the ground from those precious memories of stories past, the sadness is too brief, only to be shaken to your core seeing the Potter’s Field archway, showing the reader a new horror is about to happen, much to Calie’s surprise and the readers’ great pleasure.
Even within the twists of a labyrinthine history, it is the recollections of Colette, or as she is now called the Duchess, which make for the most striking memory of this issue. While she may now seem to a maladjusted individual, it is the sadness of her tale which make for the most devastating twist of the narrative, showing how a tranquil life was grasped by tragedy and then strangled by the cruel hand of Fate. It is ironic how she was once a beautiful woman and fulfilled mother, but as sickness and suspicion took their toll, that happiness became weighed down by sadness, making her the best target for Wonderland. To see her slowly age and grow tired is maddening, to see the dark furrows of pain etch their desperation into a once kindly face, and as time passes, knowing there was no chance once she accepted there was no other choice for her life. And though her gentle features may now be restored, we know there is still a bitter woman still dwelling within the darkness of her royal purple costume. Another victim of Wonderland … and one who may never again see happiness with clear eyes again.
Revenge of Wonderland grows darker with each issue, and yet it is that sadness within the insanity which make for such a moving story. This transitional tale gives us a balanced contrast of the past and present, Calie versus Colette, by which you cannot but compare the two and see how the former could have easily become the latter if she succumbed to the same grief in her life. However this is the defining difference between a heroine and a villainess – one chooses to face adversity and grow stronger when facing it, but the other does not have that strength and gives into weakness as an easier path. While we now know the Duchess has not truly fallen so deep whereby she is irredeemable, you cannot but hope the two can reach a compromise so that both can be saved.
Grade: A+
Age Rating: T (for Teens)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: September 19th, 2018
MSRP: $3.99
