OneMetal.com book REVIEW:
The Complete Alice in Wonderland #1

Lewis Carroll’s defining creation, Alice in Wonderland, has been recreated as often as its trademark little girl in blue and white grew big or small. With a recent Sy Fy series and Tim Burton’s bizarre upcoming film, there’s not many places the nonsensical personages and critters of Wonderland haven’t spread their mischievous wordplay.

Wonderland aficionados Leah Moore and John Reppion aren’t aiming to reinvent the original. Instead their series, The Complete Alice in Wonderland, means to honor the classic we all know and love through the popular duality of the comics medium. For that reason, Moore and Reppion’s adaptation doesn’t present anything revolutionary: Besides a few extras (such as script work and Carroll’s introductory poem) to give the issue padding, there’s no new treasures to find … verbally, that is.

Èrica Awano teams up with colorist PC Siqueira to transform Alice’s familiar adventure into a gorgeously rendered breath of fresh air. Interestingly, Awano brings a Japanese-Brazilian “mangaka” style (a nice touch) to the table, particularly evident with Alice’s hair and her never-static expressions. From top to bottom, characters are portrayed brilliantly. Awano doesn’t necessarily warp Carroll’s tale—having been previously depicted in numerous black and white sketches—but her illustrations along with Siqueira’s magnificent colors pay extraordinary homage to the author’s creativity. Minus the Japanese flair, it’s just how you’ve always pictured Alice in Wonderland … Awano and Siqueira just immortalize it on paper.

Issue #1 is now available from Dynamite Entertainment.

Bottom Line

Fans of Alice in Wonderland won't be disappointed by this unique blending of American and Japanese perspectives. Moore and Reppion might not rework Carroll's story into something their own, but the water color-esque art will definitely please you.