The Patchwork Girl of Oz #1 // Review
112 years ago, L. Frank Baum published his seventh Oz book. The beloved series of children’s books was extended and the fame of Baum’s world continued to grow. Now Image Comics presents an adaptation of that seventh book with The Patchwork Girl of Oz. Writer/artist Otis Frampton adapts the novel for the page with a wide, opens sense of wonder that respects design elements created for Oz from many previous projects while finding a distinct voice all its own that feels quite enjoyable in and of itself. The series feels quite well-rendered as it opens with a big, wide look at the world of Oz.
Ojo the Unlucky is living a tranquil life with his Uncle Nunkie. There isn’t a whole lot of hunger or homelessness in Oz, but Ojo and Uncle aren’t doing very well. There isn’t anything in the cupboard and they’re down to their last loaf of bread. (There are a couple of loaves growing on the tree outside, but they’re far from ripe and wouldn’t be enough sustenance.) And so it is that Ojo and Uncle Nunkie have to head out on an adventure to find just precisely the kind of sustenance they need.
Frampton establishes relatively early on that he will be taking his time with the story. The basic establishment of life with Ojo and Uncle Nunkie is given plenty of room to expend in long, slow bits of conversation that fully render the issues that they’re facing. Frampton doesn’t bog-down the issue in too much dialogue or narration...choosing instead to allow the story to establish itself over the course of the first issue largely in big, sweeping visuals that openly embrace the comic book format. Frampton is quite patient in establishing the casual wonder of Oz in the course of the first issue of the series.
Ojo and Uncle Nunkie are just a couple of munchkins living in Munchkinland. Since the entire issue is largely focussed on them, one does not get the size comparison between them and regular-sized humans, so there isn’t as much of a sense of there necessarily being anything special about them aside from the fact that they live in Oz. The world around them is rendered in a cozy simplicity that recalls the backgrounds of fantasy adventures on Saturday Morning Cartoons in the 1980s. Simple, cozy comfort visuals in a world of modern fairy tales.
The first issue of The Patchwork Girl of Oz has every indication of being very, very ambitious. There’s a large map in the back of the first issue and a couple of encyclopedic-style entries on various elements of Oz that suggest a long, slow saunter through the seventh book in the series. It’s a good place to pick-up as Ojo debuts in the seventh book and it is largely his story. Frampton’s visuals, pacing and distinct personality feel more or less perfect for the book. It looks like it’s going to be a fun journey with Baum and Frampton.
