Writers – Stuart Kerr, Ralph Griffith
Artist – Bill Bryan
Letters – Susan Dorne

The Nome King wants to know what Peter knows, if there is an invasion coming from Earth, if there are more of his kind in Oz, just what it is he is doing here. He wants to know everything. Peter for his part, refuses to say anything. Deep below the earth in some spider-infested caverns, Amber Ombi and Jinjur as well as Mary have finally come to a giant door which requires a bit of ingenuity to open it. Thankfully Mary is up to the task and once open, Amber Ombi cannot believe his eyes. There before them is Ozma, in her chains and still as regal as ever despite having been locked up for ten long years. They are, if nothing else, incredibly thankful that they have finally found her. Even though Ozma is now among their number, they get lucky once more as Jack Pumpkinhead returns, a little worse for wear but doing alright nonetheless as it seems spiders do not really enjoy the taste of vegetables. Stuart Kerr and Ralph Griffith finally bring readers as well as the Freedom Fighters a bit bit of hope as the rebels are now one step closer to getting rid of the Nome King and reclaiming what is theirs. As some celebrate their good fortune, there are others who continue to fight and they do so without all the facts. The former Evil Kings, now no longer evil having been freed by Kevin and Peter and who now look to free Oz from the Nome King, are battling with the rest of the Freedom Fighters who have the same goal. What none of the Freedom Fighters know is that Lion, Scarecrow and Tin Man are no longer under the Nome King’s spell and so they fight on and they play for keeps. There comes a point when things could become fatal for one or more of the members when Amber Ombi, Ozma and the rest of the Freedom Fighters finally show up and it is then that time seems to halt, at least for a second, with the shock of seeing their queen. The writers of this book definitely know how to hook the reader whether it be through drama or action and this issue is no exception. The tension is high and tempers are frayed as time and circumstances have worn down everyone but Ozma is like that cool balm that everyone needed and her reappearance is a blessing. Bill Bryan does an outstanding job on the visuals of the book once more, the man’s unique style makes each page pop with every scene and it just gets better with every passing issue. With Ozma returned, it should be interesting to see what comes next and if they are successful in doing whatever that may be.

4 out of 5