Review: Alice Ever After #1
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Dan Panosian
Artist: Giorgio Spalletta and Dan Panosian
Colorist:Â Fabiana Mascolo
Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
Review by:Â Kendra Hale
Alice Ever After #1 finds me a bit behind the ball. While getting myself organized for other reviews I saw the cover art by Dan Panosian. That was all it took… I had to devour this series! Alice Ever After gives us a new spin on the Wonderland series by Lewis Carroll. Now, over the years there have been many iterations of Alice’s journey through Wonderland, meeting all of it’s zany denizens. Zenescope even has their comic horror-esque take on the Carroll family and Wonderland. Since I’m a lover of all things Alice, I was beyond excited to see what awaited readers with this series.
Let’s take a sip from the “drink me” phial and find out what wonders await us in Alice Ever After #1.
A Golden Afternoon
Alice, in this iteration, is much older. She’s a grown young lady and the daughter of a prestigious dentist. Alas, Alice has become a source of embarrassment to her Mother, Father , and sister. They find her association with a man named Morton to be scrupulous and this is proven correct in an altercation where family friend, Earl Proud, assists Alice. There’s more to the relationship than most of her family realizes, however, as Morton is Alice’s dealer, working as a janitor at the local asylum and stealing inventory for souls who want an escape. Alice’s personal escape leads her to Wonderland.
This call to wonderland leads down a dark and mysterious path. After a terrifying encounter, Alice’s choices are limited and her family already has made their decision of what they want to do about her. Trust is a precious commodity, so just what is Alice in for?
Positives
Alice Ever After is chock full of them. From the variant cover options with names like J. Scott Campbell, Sabine Rich, Jenny Frison, John Giang, Ben Templesmith, and of course the cover that garnered my full attention, by Dan Panosian. Readers will genuinely feel spoiled by the variety and the amount of lush options. The fact that Dan’s standard of art translates into the story as well creates immense joy, especially in the panels where Alice is in Wonderland. Here we get a chance to view favorite characters drawn in a style so similar to the illustrations from Carroll’s book, created by the supremely talented John Tenniel.
Negatives
None.
Conclusion
Alice Ever After #1 gives us a good look at who Alice is and how her world functions. The story’s enchanting and draws you in with the artwork. Dan Panosian has created something very special here, and I’m already lamenting the fact that there are only 5 issues in this series.
Images Courtesy of BOOM! Studios
