From School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up—Elliott has attempted a mash-up of a variety of Victorian fictional characters and places with only marginal success. The author has repurposed characters as diverse as Wells's Dr. Moreau and Beatrix Potter's bunnies and their adversary, Farmer McGregor. The story begins with the Wicked Witch of the West contracting with Dr. Moreau to create for her an army of flying monkeys. Soon, all manner of creatures and characters take the stage, including Moreau's daughter, Alice, of Wonderland fame, and Frankenstein's creation, as well as characters from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book and Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Moreau's vivisectionist tendencies drive off most of the other characters, including Alice, which is about where this introductory episode runs its course. The various artists on the project successfully portray the cast/menagerie, although Alice's steampunk look seems unwarranted and her original appearance in only longish shirt, while hardly scandalous, is certainly suggestive. It is unclear just who the audience is for this work, given the broad range of source material as well as the mixed levels of dialogue, concepts, and art. Young readers might be better served by waiting a few years and then reading similar efforts written for adults like Alan Moore's "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" (America's Best Comics) series or Bill Willingham's "Fables" books (Vertigo).—Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Review
"Like the twisted and bizarre? Like new spins on old fairy tales? Like Fables but don't want a Fables clone? It's time to subscribe to The Weirding Willows." - Daily Crate
"The framing and visual structure of this collection is creative and complex." - Pullbox
"intriguing and fun." - The MacGuffin
"Recommended for those who enjoy playful literary mashups, especially if they enjoy nineteenth century novels and tales and are comfortable with them being retold in twenty-first century idiom." - Fangirl Nation
"The story is compelling and fun, with twists and turns and new surprises on every page. I can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds for Alice and friends." - Three If By Space
"Fearless story using characters from the pinnacle of literary development." - Adventure Amigos
"Bagenda and Basri’s artwork is lush and beautiful, the characters strong and angularly distinctive, sharp and painterly and a delight to follow. The beautiful layout and colors serve to highlight and unite the different respective characters into Elliot’s world vision, and with the tale, make a book that is nigh impossible for any literature lover to put down." - Fanboy Comics
"A fast-paced adventure story where all the strangeness and mentally teasing aspects of Wonderland are further explored." - Bleeding Cool
"I highly recommend picking up The Weirding Willows Volume 1 when it hits store shelves on July 1st. I think it would be a great gift for a younger reader/teenage plus, or anyone who’s interested in learning more about the classic fairy tales that inspired this book!" - Comics Tavern
"If you are looking for a story that will entrap your imagination and give you a sense of multiple adventures than this is the book for you. Hilarious characters, strange situations and action packed excitement fill the pages of The Weirding Willows Volume 1: What the Wild Things Are. I look forward to more chaotic adventures and the many entangled encounters with my favourite characters of Literature in Volume 2." - Geek Hard
"A good book with an intriguing premise and a masterful tapestry of characters woven together." -Adventures in Poor Taste
"Easy to read and hard to put down." - Examiner
"This Graphic Novel is great, the art is solid, the coloring conveys the mood and the concept of the story alone is worth the read. This graphic novel could be life changing, in that you will never look at Peter Rabbit or the origin of the flying monkeys ever again." - Pop Cults
"The Weirding Willows has become one of my favorite comics. I love the way Dave Elliot has woven together these worlds, and characters, into a story together. It’s truly a magical, epic, adventure, and you should come along for the ride!" - Awkward Geeks
"The Weirding Willows starts with a pretty fantastic idea – mixing and matching a ton of classic literary characters – then takes it a step further by weaving them together in ways one might not expect. A lot of care was put into crafting this imaginative world, and it shows. Dave Elliott is brewing something pretty cool here. Anyone who loves themselves some classic literature would be sure to love this comic." - Henchman 4 Hire
"Smart, intricate connections between all the recognizable characters help build a new world with elements I recognize and some I don’t and that makes this volume feel like a discovery as much as it does an adventure." - Comics Anonymous
About the Author
Writer Dave Elliott is a constant innovator in the world of comics, with a long career as a writer, artist, editor, publisher and IP developer.
Artist Barnaby Bagenda has been illustrating comics in Asia for several years. This is his first major Western series!
