Writer – Steven Ahlquist
Artist – Terry Loh
Letters – Mike Sagara

Ozma is holding a party for Dorothy as it is her one hundredth birthday, a day that comes once in a century for those lucky enough. Things are aflutter at the palace with planning, decorating and getting everything in order. Everybody is in a tizzy trying to make things just right, and while they are doing so, Dot has been summoned by Glinda to an oasis in the Deadly Desert. Taking Scarecrow with her, she runs into Mombi and the two have a little tussle before Rebecca Eastwitch and Glinda arrive. Unsure of what is happening, Glinda informs Dot that they are to have a Council of Witches, though just why Dot is here is on everyone’s mind. That information soon comes to light as Glinda reveals that the council has been convened because Endora, the North Witch, has been dead for many years, and now a replacement is needed to maintain the balance. How all of these factors into Dot’s presence is unknown, and she wonders why she is here if she is not a witch.

Suffice it to say, Glinda has a plan and an offer which offends the other witches, but matters not, as a witch is needed to maintain the status quo, and so it is that Dot, if accepted, shall become the new Witch of the North. Begrudgingly, Dot accepts, but she will put Oz and Ozma first before all, no matter what duties befall her in her new role. Glinda accepts, and a new era in Oz begins. This was a fun and interesting story by author Steven Ahlquist and artist Terry Loh. The book would cut back and forth between the frantic party organizers and the more serious Council of Witches, creating a balance that would mix the whimsical with the heavier drama. The Council itself provides some interesting dynamics and characterization as both good and bad sit together, fairly civil, as there is something higher that commands them to do so, not merely the imposing presence of Glinda. With this issue, Ahlquist has given readers a break from the darker moments that have been present in previous issues of the series, and one has to assume he has not forgotten the ongoing threads he has started, such as that involving TikTok. The artwork is clean and looks quite good, Loh providing some solid pencils. One question that readers might have is how Dorothy could have lived to a hundred, and part of the answer lies in the relationship between her and Glinda, where Dot called her mother at one point in the story. Factoring in the drama that takes place with Scarecrow, who still remains somewhat broken, this issue was an all-around good read.

3.5 out of 5