War is a common theme in science fiction the world over. In the English-speaking world sci-fi wars tend to follow the War of the Worlds model: an alien force comes to Earth to colonize us (in the same way that we have colonized others). Naturally we overcome them through some combination of science and luck. Western civilization has always triumphed in the past, why shouldn't we expect the same of the future?
Japanese sci-fi wars are markedly different, however. These wars are unwinnable contests between forces that hate each other for no reason, using super-weapons that threaten to destroy the Earth and everyone on it (Tokyo is usually the first city levelled). There are no promises made that we are fighting on the right side or that we will win. Often we discover at some point that our side was the ultimate cause of the conflict. If this sounds to you like the Second World War from a Japanese perspective, you are not alone.
So what does any of this have to do with Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland or with the comic you are about to read? Not much, actually. It's a bit of a stretch, but give me a chance and I think I can make it work.
