Is this sordid and dark tale form Wonderland worthy of attention or even some praise? Read on to find out.

The official description from Zenescope:

The Queen of Spades, The Jabberwocky, and Keres all have been leading Johnny toward his eventual destiny as the Mad Hatter. Will Johnny Liddle be able to escape his prophesized future, or will he embrace his dark fate? The saga of Johnny Liddle concludes here!

Is there any reason to think that this particular member of a rather tormented family might get a happy ending? The short answer is: nope.  Because those of us who know what’s coming understand that destiny’s threads have already be woven. And To their credit the creative team steps up to the challenge of making a pre-determined course feel engaging, and for the most part they succeed in delivering something that’s worthwhile.

Pat Shand and Raven Gregory combine forces to deliver what feels like a proper book-end to this character’s odyssey. There are moments where it was painfully obvious where the story was going, but the core dialogue delivered by these two scribes made it all digestible. There were moving sequences that are certainly going to stick out, but the conclusion for me brought everything to the fore in a way that didn’t cheapen the journey.  It uplifted a rather maddening intersection that had already started to creep to the surface. In other words: this was a really good script that’s worth the price of admission.

The artwork by Vincenzo Riccardi is top-notch, as this talent brings enough substance to this romp. His pencils birthed a series of satisfying visual conclusions that are sure to excite dedicated followers. Each player is perfectly rendered, as this illustrator absolutely wowed me. I did find a few hiccups here and there but nothing that could derail these efforts. To sum it up: the pictures were dynamic and functional.

Grimm Fairy Tales presents Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass #5 is, in a word: striking. It’s not perfect by any stretch but it’s engaging as it got me excited for the future of this property. Recommended.

4/5