But I have, unequivocally, loved this series of adaptations of L. Frank Baum's Oz books.
There's a reason why these stories are beloved and continue to be popular today: they're loaded with imagination, heart, friendship, magic and some delightfully nasty villains.
And The Emerald City of Oz has more than its share. While Dorothy and her friends and having fun exploring some mystifying corners of Oz, the forces of evil are plotting the destruction of the Emerald City.
A huge army of monsters, gnomes and assorted creatures are tunneling their way into the heart of the city, but most shocking of all is that the city's ruler, Ozma, intends to do nothing to defend the city.
It's a terrific tale, and if the ending is a bit too pat, well, we can overlook the occasional stumble.
This adaptation is the sixth by writer Eric Shanower and artist Skottie Young, and I can't recommend them highly enough. Loaded with amazing, spirited art, and written as true as humanly possible to the original tales, these have been absolute gems.
But the last page reveals a heartbreaking secret - apparently this is the last in the series, which means Marvel won't be adapting any of the other Baum Oz books (not to mention the Ruth Plumley Thompson ones).
What a shame! This has been an exceptional series, and I had hoped it would continue forth for years (and adaptations) to come.
I suppose all good things must come to an end. But it's a sad note at the end of a glorious song!
Grade: A
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