5/9

5/9 Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass fills in the stretch between Johnny being sent through the mirror and his return as the Hatter. That makes it a prequel within his story, even though it was published after the original trilogy. Adina is central to that period. She is another person trapped in Wonderland, and Johnny rescues her. Their companionship gives the story room to show him responding to someone with something other than immediate cruelty. There is a possible human connection there, even while the realm is pushing him toward a much darker identity. The Queen of Spades, the Jabberwocky, and Keres are all involved in steering that descent. Johnny's development into the Hatter is being encouraged and manipulated by forces with their own interests. That makes the prequel useful beyond filling in a missing adventure. It lets the reader see the struggle before the role hardens around him. Knowing where he ends up does not make the earlier moments of resistance meaningless.