Beyond Wonderland #1 (Zenescope – Gregory / Tedesco / Brusha / Leister)
The sequel mini-series to the smash hit RETURN TO WONDERLAND has arrived! Months have passed since Calie Liddle returned from the terror that is Wonderland, months since that world took so much from her. Now jaded and bitter, Calie has moved far away from her hometown, attempting to lead a more normal existence in the city that never sleeps. With a different name and a new identity, Calie is just beginning to adjust to another life. But not every story has a happy ending as she soon realizes that things in her new life are not going to stay normal for very long.
With Beyond Wonderland, Zenescope brings us up to date with Calie’s plight. Her struggle with reality and sanity continues to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. This creative team on this book has nailed what the modern horror story should be… smart, haunting yet entertaining, and dark in that “keep you up at night and make you not want to look in a mirror in the middle of the night” dark.
It’s something to just deal with the emotions of being young and pregnant, but imagine that your family has a curse, you have nightmares every time you close your eyes, your mom was an emotional basket case for years and then committed suicide, your brother killed your dad then disappeared, your boyfriend and father of your child has left you and oh yea, you recently escaped from twisted dimension filled with living terrors (or at least you think did, maybe you’re insane). This is the horrific plight of our protagonist. This writing team has found the perfect balance between drama and horror and is expertly riding the edge of a driven, compelling story that has the reading freaked out and wanting more right now.
Dan Leister continues to be masterful at his pencils and being able to capture action, emotion, and horror with just a tad of cheese cake to make it a truly beautiful book. With any book, Leister would be able to show that his art has a high level of competency and wide versatility. But given that this plot is a dark sanity-questioning horror story, and that he is able to make a beautiful book here, it only further concretes the statement that Dan Leister is a phenomenal artist and a standout talent in ’08.
Even if horror isn’t your thing, this is a book you shouldn’t miss. And if you haven’t gotten it or read it yet the Return to Wonderland (first part of the story) trade is out.
Issue Grade: Big A+
