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

When last seen, Scarecrow had been thrown through time and separated from his friends. Writer Steven Ahlquist and his partner in crime, the talented Terry Loh, fill in the blanks for longtime readers on how that came about and what happened during those few moments when he happened to be gone. Firstly, the Time Train would be introduced: a machine that would allow Dot, Ozma, and the rest of the companions to travel back through time to the court of Queen Ozlem so they might meet those who had created Tik Tok. Secondly, while they would indeed travel back in time, they would need to use the Wish Belt in order to do so and using it so extensively was not what the belt was made for. Such as it is, the Time Train starts to break down, and the crew is forced to bring it to a halt, though thanks to an inordinate amount of luck, they land almost where they need to be, aside from Scarecrow, who has disappeared. The time they find themselves in is a very different Oz. This Oz is ruled by Ozma’s father, and it is currently in the midst of a rebellion. There is no Emerald City, allies and friends in the future are not the same as those in the past and when they land, they run straight into a Kalidah, a creature they are not prepared to face. Ahlquist paints a very interesting picture with this issue. The history of Oz has not been explored within the pages of a comic book so much as its current incarnation, and while he is sure to take some liberties with it all, it is sure to make for just as good a read as the previous issues. What is hopeful is that he takes the time to give readers more than a glance. Just how bad of a tyrant is Ozma’s father and when does Ozlem come into her own? The Witches of Oz go to war with their current ruler, leading to an entirely different Oz afterward, as Ozma explains. One has to wonder whether Dot and her friends will go through that bit of history or get what they need so they can be on their way before war breaks out. Scarecrow returns, but even so, the companions have a habit of getting themselves into trouble, or trouble has a bad habit of finding them. By the end of this tale, they are worse off: Dorothy is feared dead. Unknown to her friends, she is back on Earth and in the past, with no way, seemingly, to get back to those who care for her. Fun stuff all around from Ahlquist and company.

3.5 out of 5