Adventures in Oz is the collection of five comics that were published by Eric Shanower from 1986-1992, The Enchanted Apples of Oz, The Secret Island of Oz, The Ice King of Oz, The Forgotten Forest of Oz and The Blue Witch of Oz.

I hadn’t read the original comics but I fell completely in love with this collection. The stories are told in a voice very much like the original Baum stories but the stories are original. His love for his subject really shines and Oz fans will really like these original stories.

Shanower expands on the Oz myth with some amazing and imaginative little tales. I loved the flying Marlin especially. I loved the fact that Ozma, one of my favorite Oz characters is brought back to life in this book. I’ve always had a soft spot for her and thought she was wonderful. I also loved Flicker and his head of fiery hair and Knotboy.

The illustration, especially in The Blue Witch of Oz is lavish and simply gorgeous. The colors of the forests are just tremendous. There is this unbelievable page with all the wood nymphs in front of Zurline that is just gorgeous. It’s very Art Deco in style and the lines just flow so elegantly. You almost could just step right into the page and touch their hair.

Adventures in Oz is a worthy addition to any library and most especially to those Oz fans who want more Oz stories. I’ve read many attempts to capture the feel of Baum’s timeless classics, but none so spot on as Eric Shanower’s.