Steam Engines of Oz Review

Steam Engines of Oz

writers- Sean Patrick O'Reilly and Erik Hendrix

artist- Yannis Roumboulias

With the annual Free Comic Book Day coming up again, I thought I'd review one of the treasures

given by Arcana Comics.

Steam Engines of OZ takes place long after Dorothy has left the Emerald City. Our young hero on this adventure is a girl by the name of Victoria Wright and she is the one who works diligently beneath the city, making sure the bakery gears keep turning, the production lines keep flowing, and that the clocks of the Emerald City never stop. In Victoria's eyes, what she does is keeping the fine people of the city fed. But to the ice cold

Witch of The North, what Victoria does is destroying everything outside of the great city of green. In this FCBD edition of the series' first issue, Victoria finds herself embarking on mission much like the one Dorothy did all those years ago. Victoria has to gather her team of heroes from the far and treacherous reaches of Oz, to come face to face with the dictator of Emerald City, the Tinman. I'm not sure how this particular story ends yet, but I'm glued to it and am continuously kicking myself for not finding out about Steam Engines of Oz sooner.

Writers, Sean Patrick O'Reilly and Erik Hendrix are on top of the game, as they tell a story that is far enough removed from the original story of Oz, yet so closely related that we can smell the poppies. Victoria's relationship with the munchkins and the bravery she shows when she meets the Witch of The North reminds me of Dorothy, but it's obvious that Victoria isn't some farm girl from Kansas. This heroine is a rough and tumble mechanic and I know that before the end of her adventure, she's going to get her hands dirty.

And what is there to say about Yannis Roumboulias' art? For one, it's awesome. He's committed to illustrate every drop on the steam pipes and every wrinkle on a flying monkey's snout. His work is simply stunning. When it comes to drawing Oz, there's no excuse simplicity. There are times when I think simple is best, but Roumboulias convinces me that much is going on in this book and that nothing should be left out.

So run out to find this jewel. Steam Engines of Oz, from Arcana Comics is beautiful to look at and an exciting read.  And don't forget that Free Comic Book Day is May 4th this year at a comic book store near you.

For more on Arcana Comics go to Arcana.com.
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