It is the endgame of the Wonderland conflict and only Calie and her daughter, Violet, can stop the Duchess from gaining domination. But in their current state, can they? Will they be able to thwart the Duchesses plans or will Wonderland become every land? Find out in the climactic conclusion of Revenge of Wonderland #6 from Zenescope Entertainment, in stores now.

REVENGE OF WONDERLAND  #6

Story: Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco, Dave Franchini, Raven Gregory
Writer: Raven Gregory
Artist: Allan Otero
Colors: Grostieta, Maxflan Araujo
Letters: Taylor Esposito
Cover: Sean Chen, Ivan Nunes
Publisher:  Zenescope Entertainment
Release Date: January 2, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

Previously in REVENGE OF WONDERLAND: After the land of dreams turned into a land of nightmares, the old inhabitants of Wonderland have been replaced by new, allowing the Duchess of Wonderland to rise up and take control. As she kidnaps people from our realm and twists them to her own vision, Callie and Violet travel back to the place they never wanted to return to, their mission, stop the Duchess from kidnapping children and ending her reign. Now they find themselves at the mercy of the Duchess, and her tender mercies are not to be suffered lightly. You know what they say, two in the hand…

BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING…

Calie and her daughter, Violet, find themselves literally in the hands of the Duchess of Wonderland.  Massive, clawed hands gripped around their skulls, it looks as if the Liddel women have lost, their lives preparing to be cut painfully short. You would think that if you did not pick up this issue and only read the first balloon. In reality, they had prepared for this moment before they ventured forth into Wonderland, essentially playing possum. As the Duchess rages in disbelief, the mother/daughter team strikes, toppling the massive mistress of malevolence to the ground. Realizing that turning them women is futile, she decides they must die. As a massive hammer forms in her hands, Calie and Violet chose their won weapons from those displayed around the room. Clichés fly and blows are struck. Leaping into the air, Calie brings down a massive battle-ax, fully intending to separate the Duchess’ head from her shoulders. The Duchess, however, catches the blade but misses the next attack. Violet throws her knife, which she easily deflects. Their enemy stands firm, believing her victory assured until she hears a pathetic squeal from across the room. The deflected blade has struck her beloved pig. Horrified and in tears, the Duchess transforms from her demonic appearance to her more feminine one and tries to comfort the pig. Calie, seeing their enemy distracted, prepares a final blow, but Violet stops her. There is more to the situation than what they see. Will they take the opportunity to strike the final blow and end the Duchess’ reign over Wonderland, or will they show mercy to someone who has none?

…AND WHEN YOU COME TO THE END, STOP.

This, the final issue of Revenge of Wonderland, seems to wrap up the storyline rather nicely. Raven Gregory (Grimm Fairy Tales, Wonderland) has come full circle with the character of Cali, bringing her back to Wonderland and allowing her to battle a new threat, this time at the side of her daughter Violet.  There are some nice “quiet” moments in the story, moments which help to flesh out the characters and give you an idea of the full weight of having been trapped in Wonderland brings. They are damaged, but not irreparably. You feel that they will be, essentially, okay at some point. When that point will be is any ones guess. The story moves extremely fast in this final act, building in excitement until the big slow down, letting you enjoy the fulfillment of the journey. But before you know it, Gregory hits the gas again and it’s on like the mad tea party. The whole story is well told, but the meat seems a little sparse at time. It does have some great and snappy dialogue, and you can enjoy the mother-daughter interactions.

Artist Allan Otero (Grimm Fairy Tales: Day of the Dead, Van Helsing vs. Werewolf) continues to thrill with his artistic prowess in this issue. He has some great scenes here, which I can’t really describe without giving away some spoilers, but take my word for it, they are great. His facial expressions are convincing, and he has a weight to his line that makes it all blend nicely.

BOTTOM LINE: ACTION PACKED, BUT WAIT FOR THE ENDING

As I stated, the story is action-packed but there comes a point in which it gets very reflective and the action slows down. You begin to deal with the ramifications of all that has happened and for a while, it seems as if it will be a rather cookie cutter ending. Gregory does a swerve though, in the greatest of Grimm Fairy Tales traditions, and by the end of the title you just have to sit and go, “What the…” because you most likely were not expecting that final page.

REVENGE OF WONDERLAND #6 is a satisfying end to the series, and with the exception of a few bumps, it is a fun ride down the rabbit hole.