Writer – Steve Ahlquist
Artist – Andrew Murphy
Inker – Dan Schaefer
Letters – Mike Sagara

Gale Force, the team comprised of Dorothy, Lion, Scarecrow and Tin Man, as well as Hungry Tiger who came along for the ride, are trying to escape from the magical castle of Rebecca Eastwitch. Trying is the key word as they have been separated and now Dorothy faces off against a man that cannot be killed while the Tin Man faces off with Rebecca’s very own robot. Lion almost gets himself killed and together with Scarecrow, makes a break for it while looking for Hungry Tiger. Rebecca is playing for keeps but the team needs to keep the blueprints for Tik-Tok out of her hands. There is a ton of action in this book and the pace never lets up. Writer Steve Ahlquist and artist Andrew Murphy provide a thrill ride for readers and it is a lot of fun to see this now-experienced team of special agents do what they do best. Dorothy is no longer the little girl readers may remember, but an experienced soldier and she takes on Wo without any fear whatsoever, disabling him so that she might meet up with the rest of her team. Tin Man is one of the more formidable members of the team, and as he faces off against Rebecca’s robot, he proves it by beheading the mechanical menace. Even more crazy is when Tin Man transplants his head upon the robot’s body and makes himself even more indestructible and that is when Rebecca finally starts to get a little worried. Ahlquist gives Rebecca a little more of a challenge.  Other parties are interested in the plans for Tik-Tok, specifically the Lilliputians and Princess/Captain Dorothy Day. This gives Rebecca a bit of a headache.  Despite everything going on including Lion facing off against a Kalidah to save Hungry Tiger, the band makes it out of the castle and back to the Emerald City, just in the nick of time, nick being the operative word. The book does not end there though as Ozma has a little heart-to-heart with Dorothy and Jack Pumpkinhead checks in on his friend Tik-Tok. It is that ending that makes things memorable and gives readers something to think about before returning for the next issue. Jack asks Tik-Tok about Belinda’s chicks as a few might have gone missing and Tik-Tok, like a serial killer, pretends to know nothing about it while the book pans down to his feet where a chick has been crushed beneath his heel. It is a gruesome little bit that really drives home just how corrupted Tik-Tok has become, not to mention the fact that he then caves Jack’s head in. With interesting aspects of each character being revealed in this issue, a ton of action and even a bit of horror at the end, this title continues to be both interesting and captivating.

3.5 out of 5