As Edith’s concerns for Alice grow, Mistress Hulda sees an opportunity to take care of a troublesome patient and get more money. Will Alice get a chance to recover from her trauma? Find out in Alice Ever After #5 from BOOM! Studios.

ALICE EVER AFTER #5

Writer: Dan Panosian
Artist: Giorgio Spalletta and Dan Panosian
Colorist: Fabiana Mascolo
Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
Editor: Kathleen Wisneski
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 31, 2022

Previously in Alice Ever After: It is Matthew’s birthday. Mistress Hulda appropriates the presents sent by his family, and Dr. Madsen plans to do an experimental procedure on him. Edith has misgivings about Alice and the treatment she is receiving. Dr. Lutwidge brushes her off and talks with Mistress Hulda who tells him about Dr. Madsen’s latest treatment, but it will cost some considerable money. Earl observes Alice and Matthew on the grounds. They seem calm, until the orderlies arrive to take Matthew for his surgery. Their treatment of Matthew and Alice is quite rough. Earl is suspicious. Edith finds him and they talk. Mistress Hulda refuses to give Alice any more medication and lets her see Matthew after his surgery – a drastically changed Matthew!

THE SNARE DRAWS TIGHT

Edith bravely confronts her father as Alice Ever After #5 opens. She insists that they need to remove Alice from the sanatorium. Earl confirms that he has seen her being treated very roughly. Dr. Lutwidge insists that she is beyond being cared for at home. But he tells them that Mistress Hulda offers a miracle surgery that will save her. Edith retorts that it is an experimental surgery. He counters that he has always said that life is about experimentation – which Edith recognizes as a lie.

At the sanatorium, Dr. Madsen visits Alice. As she mentions that perhaps she may be able to decrease her medication, he tells her that after the operation, she will no longer need any medication. She boldly states she does not want surgery, especially after what it did to Matthew. Dr. Madsen first tells her that recovery takes time, and then he blames Matthew for not recovering more quickly. The orderlies arrive to clean and prep her.

Edith confides her fears to Earl. He confesses that he does not think her family have Alice’s best interests at heart. Edith wonders if they could not provide Alice with the family that she needs. The two of them hit upon a plan simultaneously.

As Alice writes a letter, Mistress Hulda counts the money Dr. Lutwidge sent her, separating out some for Dr. Madsen and for the sanatorium before changing her mind and taking it all for herself. She is the sort of villainess one loves to hate. The orderlies come to take Alice, and she stabs Thomas with her pen. I have used dip pens a lot, and I do not think you could give someone an incapacitating gash with one, but it is good for dramatic effect. She still must get past Theodore though.

Edith and Earl sneak in. They find Alice’s room, but empty and with the signs of a struggle including a puddle of blood. Edith finds her letter. Thomas, leg bandaged, arrives with a club. Earl attacks him and takes him down. Theodore barges in and hits Earl, knocking him down. Edith clubs Theodore. They continue their search through the many corridors, only to run into Mistress Hulda. They are too late. Alice is recovering from her procedure. But they can visit her, she tells them magnanimously.

There is an epilogue with a little more to the story and some loose ends to tie up. Does everyone get a happy ending? That may depend on your viewpoint.

MONEY TALKS WITH A LOUD AND EXPEDITIOUS VOICE

One of the things I like about the art of Alice Ever After #5 is the way the color palette is used to reflect separate locations, especially since the timing of actions is important in this issue. Any panel related to Mistress Hulda is heavy in her signature pink and red color scheme. The Lutwidge home has a distinct warm, golden tone. The sanatorium quite cleverly is depicted in a color once known as institutional green.

That greenish tinge carries over to Dr. Madsen. Even though his features are not all that exaggerated, he is creepy to the core. The coloring gives him a washed-out look as though he lives in the basement and rarely goes out into the light of day. His eyes are sunken, and his forehead is broad and tall, once thought to be a sign of intelligence. It is as though we see him through Alice’s eyes, and he becomes terrifying.

BOTTOM LINE: FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND FANTASY

Alice Ever After #5 does bring together the threads that formed the plot. The Wonderland framing does return and takes on a different meaning than at the beginning. This is not a happy book, but it does make one think. While it does not match my take on Wonderland, it is an interesting variation of the concept which makes a surprisingly strong vehicle for a creepy tale.

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