Alice has been brought home by her sister Edith and family friend Earl. Her body is healthy, but is her mind now locked in Wonderland forever? Find out in Alice Never After #1 from BOOM! Studios.

ALICE NEVER AFTER #1

Writer: Dan Panosian
Artist: Dan Panosian and Giorgio Spalletta
Colorist: Francesco Segala
Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
Editor: Kathleen Wisneski and Bryce Carlson
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: July 26, 2023

Previously in Alice Never After: Alice Lutwidge had issues with childhood trauma and an addiction to narcotics, especially since they allow her to spend time in Wonderland. Her family places her in an asylum run by Madame Hulda, a sort of reimagining of the Queen of Hearts. But instead of receiving anything we would recognize as treatment, she becomes an experimental subject of brain surgery. Her sister Edith and a close family friend arrange for her release, just a little too late.

MORE THAN ONE FOOT IN WONDERLAND

Alice Never After #1 picks up the story some time after Alice’s rescue (as depicted in Alice Ever After). Her sister, Edith, politely offers her breakfast. A smiling Alice merely says hello and then throws up. Is she just ill with a stomach bug, or is there something else going on? Edith has plans to visit a doctor, but Earl is not sure that anyone can help Alice’s mental condition. But Edith is certain there must be a way to help her.

The scene shifts to Wonderland, where the White Rabbit runs up to the castle, late again for Alice’s tea. She announces that there is a touchy subject to discuss, namely, their croquet matches. There are accusations of cheating. If there is any cheating, she says, it must be stopped or at least concealed better. While the rest of the party attendees have some surreal discussion, the White Rabbit votes yes and dashes off. Alice decides to follow him.

Edith and Doctor Lutwidge meet at the gates. He asks her if she is going to see another doctor. She does not ask her father where he is going. We learn what she does not – that he is headed for Wormwood Scrubs, a London prison, where he claims to be going to provide dental treatment for the unfortunates there. Ironically, Edith herself is headed for Newgate Prison. Edith is going to visit Dr. Madsen, while her father has an appointment with Mistress Hulda.

Alice wanders deep into the woods and in a clearing, finds the Caterpillar. She asks him if he has seen the White Rabbit. He counters by asking her why she is following him. She is concerned that the White Rabbit is habitually late for things. The Caterpillar wonders why she does not simply ask him. It is an interesting conversation that, on the one hand, sounds disjointed enough to belong in Wonderland, but on the other hand, sounds like a therapist trying to encourage Alice to reframe her thinking. She leaves and soon becomes lost and meets the Dodo, who tells her there are rumors that a shadowy figure has been lurking around – a shadowy figure that some believe is the Cheshire Cat.

Alice and the Dodo continue to walk through the woods and eventually come back to the castle. Alice has an upset stomach here as well. Her friends claim it is because she has not eaten, and they give her a cupcake. She wonders if it will make her grow or shrink. She takes a bit and turns into a baby. Another cake is the remedy, turning her back to normal. But babies and an upset stomach are an interesting juxtaposition.

TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS ENTWINED
TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS ENTWINED

Alice Never After #1 continues to have different artists portraying London and Wonderland, which is an effective way to set them apart. In London, Alice is beautiful, but her expressions are blank, disconnected from life around her. Edith is depicted as calm but troubled. She seems so rational that seeing her visit Dr. Madsen comes as a shock – even if he could help, can he be trusted? And pairing this with the visit of Dr. Lutwidge to Madam Hulda is brilliant. Those two were the main villains in the first series. They may be safely locked up, but they can certainly influence the other characters.

Wonderland departs from the seriousness of London and presents a whimsical world where Alice seems to be more present and less disconnected. The animal characters around her are broadly cheerful, a stark contrast to the real world. The scene looks like a child’s fantasy up until the point where Alice crosses over a chessboard bridge and enters the forest. Several of the Wonderland panels are framed with decorative, organic shapes which contribute to the magical sensation. But in the woods, that magic has darker overtones.

BOTTOM LINE: PREPARE TO DIG DEEPLY

Alice Never After #1 has an entirely new direction for this arc of the story. It will be interesting to see how the undercurrents of Wonderland fit into the twisted machinations of the real world.

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