The Looking Glass Wars: Hatter M #1 (of 4)
Published by: Image
Writer: Frank Beddor & Liz Cavalier
Artist: Ben Templesmith
Letterer: Jason Hanley
Editor: C.J. Wrobel

Rating: 4 out of 5

The main reason I picked this book up was because the art was done by Ben Templesmith. In fact, he’s credited first in the book.

I enjoyed the story here. I feel as though I need to go pick up the first book of the accompanying novel trilogy to get some background, but everything we need should be here - the trilogy isn’t complete, and the book came out less than a month ago. We’re introduced to Hatter, and follow him through Paris on his quest for Alyss, exiled queen of Wonderland. Hatter is a certified bad-ass with blades aplenty, and runs roughshod over Paris in his quest to find the queen.

Templesmith’s art is brilliant in this situation. I acknowledge that the style he continues to use is suited for a narrow range of applications, but darn it if I don’t just love everything he’s done, and thought it couldn’t get any more perfect than that particular instance.

I can’t decide if the whole Looking Glass Wars marketing scheme is ingenious or inept. There is this comic mini-series, the novel trilogy, a soundtrack, a website with movie-style teasers and trailers, and an online card game. I suppose that when all is said and done, it will either suck or rule, and that will go further than analyzing the marketing aspect.