The Wizard of Oz returns to the comics medium in the form of an adaptation from Bram Stoker Award-winning comics creator Soo Lee (Maleficent, Minor Threats).
The world of Oz has had something of a resurgence in recent years, thanks most of all to Wicked; the musical that was made into a blockbuster movie in 2024, with its sequel set to drop later this year. Created by L. Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz hit the mainstream with the seminal 1939 movie. Over the years, the story, and subsequent novels, have been at the forefront of pop vulture, being adapted into all sorts of mediums, from film and television, to stage plays and musicals.
The beloved Wizard of Oz will soon return to the comics medium, from visionary comics creator Soo Lee. The upcoming graphic novel directly adapts the original film version of The Wizard of Oz as opposed to the original novel (which has several major differences to the movie). Announced by Dynamite Entertainment, the project allowed Soo Lee to enter the movie’s “vault,” working directly from the original film screenplay by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf. Not only does this allow a faithful adaptation, but it also means that the 128-page graphic novel includes some elements from the scripts that never made the final cut.
“I’m not reinventing the wheel, but I’m adding my interpretation to the history of this legendary story,” writer and artist Soo Lee said in a statement. “I was allowed more pages to indulge in and take my time on certain scenes, so I took advantage of the comics medium. I wanted to really shine light on Dorothy and her friends’ relationships and emotions.”
The Wizard of Oz has a rich history in the comics medium. Projects date back decades, to when L. Frank Baum himself worked with illustrator W.W. Denslow on a comic strip set in Oz. In more recent years, Eric Shanower published a number of graphic novel adaptations at Marvel.
Preview Pages
Lee’s unique art is the perfect, colourful and ethereal style to express the whimsical Oz in a fresh new way. See for yourself:
The all-new The Wizard of Oz graphic novel is set to release in September. Will you be picking it up? Tell us in the comments down below!
