I had an interesting experience today, as I got to the print edition of Warlord of Oz #3 (previously reviewed here, when Zenescope sent me the electronic preview version), then followed it up with issue #4, which was again kindly provided in an electronic preview edition. There's not a lot to add in #4: Dorothy and Smynth are still heading towards the Emerlad City, Scarecrow and Thorne (AKA the Lion) are involved in their own investigation, and the Warlord is making further progress in his conquest of Oz. But now we see that some of the Warlord's allies may be trying to play him to accomplish their own goals, and the Tin Woodman may also have his own agenda.
What struck me this time is that this series is, basically, The Empire Strikes Back. Dorothy is Luke, learning more about her own past and powers from a new ally, Smynth, who is very much in the Yoda mode. (I guess that would make Glinda Obi-Wan Kenobi, since her death has been a catalyst for a lot of subsequent events.) The Warlord is Darth Vader, of course, and (to stretch things a bit) the Scarecrow and Thorne are Han and Leia, off having their own adventures that will likely cross with Dorothy's later. I doubt Scarecrow and Thorne are going to fall in love, however! (I said I was stretching the analogy a bit.) I don't believe for a moment that the writers of Warlord of Oz are doing this deliberately, of course, it's just one of those storytelling tropes that crops up a lot. Also, if the Oz: Age of Darkness special is any indication, this one is going to end a lot differently.
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