Childhood Classic Turned War Story: BOOM! Studios Releases 'THE O.Z.' in Prestige Format for the First Time

The Hurt Locker meets The Wizard of Oz in THE O.Z., a new comic book series by Ringo Award-winning creators David Pepose and Ruben Rojas. Now presented in a 56-page, perfect bound prestige format for the very first time, THE O.Z. #1 marks an action-packed transformation of a childhood classic into a war story for the ages!

“Equal parts Mad Max and The Wizard of Oz, THE O.Z. was a Kickstarter success story that was years in the making—and today, I couldn’t be prouder that our Ringo Award-winning series will reach a brand-new audience at BOOM! Studios,” says writer David Pepose.

“Inspired by the stories of real-life veterans from my days as a newspaper reporter, THE O.Z. is an adventure that I’ve been burning to tell for nearly a decade,” he adds, “and with the incredible creative team of Ruben Rojas, Whitney Cogar, and DC Hopkins, this series remains one of the most beautiful and heartfelt projects I’ve ever worked on.”

They say there’s no place like home—but for war veteran Dorothy Gale, home is just another place that doesn’t exist anymore. 

Decades ago, when a young girl said farewell to the magical land of Oz, she unwittingly plunged the country into civil war. A generation later, the name of Dorothy Gale lives on in her granddaughter, an Iraq war veteran grappling with PTSD. 

When a tornado strands her in the place her grandmother once tried to save, will she be able to navigate its turbulent, magical landscape to ultimately bring peace while finding a way back home?

Fans of Mad Max: Fury Road, The Old Guard, Fables, or Dan Panosian’s The Last Boy and Alice trilogy will resonate with this series from Ringo Award-winning writer David Pepose (Space Ghost, Speed Racer) and superstar artist Ruben Rojas (Barbarian King, Legendary Stratos League) that explores the echoes of post-traumatic stress disorder, the impossible decisions of war, and the true cost of violence somewhere over the rainbow. 

“Working on THE O.Z. has been an incredible journey,” artist Ruben Rojas notes with enthusiasm. “Getting to bring this dark, imaginative world to life and help shape its characters has been a truly rewarding experience. I'm incredibly proud of what we've created together, and thrilled that THE O.Z. is finding a new home at BOOM! Studios and reaching an even wider audience.”

Pepose adds, “You may think you know the story of Oz, but this is the story of what comes next—be sure to join our Yellow Brick Road Warriors this February, and tell your comics shop to order THE O.Z.!”

THE O.Z. #1 is available for pre-order from your local comic shop until December 21, 2026 and will hit shelves on February 3, 2027. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including iBooks, Google Play, and Kindle.

For continuing news on THE O.Z. and more BOOM! news, follow them on social media: @boom_studios (Instagram, Threads), @boomstudios (BlueSky, X, TikTok), and @BOOMStudiosComics (Facebook).