“Sometimes a different point of view can give you a whole new perspective on life.” – Cheshire Cat
Alice Ever After #3 is BOOM! Studios’ most recent release by Dan Panosian and Giorgio Spalletta. As we move through this issue, it marks the midway point for the reimagined sequel to Alice in Wonderland. This review contains spoilers for the issue so tread carefully. The story begins where we left off (Alice Ever After #2 review) with the real-life equivalents of Tweedledum and Tweedledee catching Alice in the medicine storage unit.
After a bit of to and fro conversation with their catch, the twins decide to dose her up on liquid heroin—with not one, but six syringes worth. This does two things: 1) sends her to the emergency room once they’re caught by Headmistress Hulda; and 2) sends Alice on a drug-fueled trip to Wonderland. While there, the Cheshire Cat provides Alice with an assortment of cakes that shrinks her and then increases her size. The cake spurs an allegory for not fitting in as she grows and shrinks, and Alice describes only feeling content when her mother was alive.
Alice and the cat have a brief discussion about fitting in, which folds into this issue’s theme of finding where you fit in life. Leading into the next piece of exposition. Alice’s father, a dentist, did not have enough teeth to satiate the Victorian era’s request for new dentures so instead of using porcelain he decided to dig up the dead. Yes, that’s right. Absolutely love the sordid thought processes of Panosian. And so, after the passing of his wife (Alice’s mother), he uses her teeth for his dentist requirements and low and behold, Alice witnesses the event.
Her father then uses liquid heroin—linking the current events—to make her calm down. The rest of the issue evolves with Hulda informing her doctor—who has weird Batman villain vibes—she may have come across more money (I assume it will come from blackmailing Alice’s father). This month’s issue started slow but really came through with the shock value and story exposition in the end. My particular favorite scene was Alice walking in on her father performing tooth removal on her dead mother. The full-page spread of an open-mouthed corpse being sighted by the daughter was astonishingly breathtaking.
Leaving you wondering if the statement “creative is a nice word for getting messy” is an accurate depiction of exhumation. In the next two issues, I would love to see Alice take on a bit more character. At the moment, it seems everything is happening to her and I am just waiting to see Alice jump into action and show a bit of oomph. In saying that, the original is very similar as she plods along in Wonderland. The story is interesting and I’m still unsure how it will play out in the remaining issues.
Speaking of Wonderland, I didn’t know that Panosian draws the Wonderland component while Spalletta illustrates the London section. This is a touch of brilliance to have both settings drawn not only differently but with different artists in order to create a distinct feel which definitely does! The artwork is gothic and humorous all at once.
I loved seeing Alice’s eyes roll back into focus as she landed in Wonderland and how comical it looked as she tried to squeeze into a kitchen that was too small. Still absolutely love the series and am keen to see where it ends up. The parallels between the original and this series are still very on point.
Alice Ever After #3 is out now!
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