Written by Dan Panosian
Art by Alessio Avalllone
Published by BOOM! Studios
I have been following the career of Dan Panosian for a really long time. I remember seeing his work on a Spider-Man book in the early 1990s and of course some of his early Image Comics work.
Yet, I don’t think anyone could have predicted the quality of artist and writer that Panosian has become. The only other creator that I can think of that has changed so much (and for the better) since his beginnings was Mike Mignola.
Panosian has definitely been doing a hell of a job with his artwork, especially in the last few years. However, this book showcases his skills as a writer. And his writing skills are pretty damn great as well.
This book also is a Peter Pan story, which I am a sucker for.
It shows that world maturing in a way that I would never have thought. It is also a little deeper than most comic book fare. This story starts out years after the classic story has ended. Everyone, including Wendy Darling, has left Neverland. The only one to still reside in Neverland is, of course, Peter Pan. The boy who wouldn’t grow up is now the last person there. He is lonely and wonders about the consequences he is facing of being who he is. He is also trying to find a solution to his current problems and predicament.
Meanwhile, in another part of the universe, Wendy Darling is thinking about Neverland. Wendy has grown up and now has responsibilities and worries. She misses the carefree days of her youth, a time where anything seemed possible.
Unfortunately with everything going on in her life, all of that seems like a long time ago in. It seems like Neverland is a place she is likely never to return to . She is fighting against adulthood and all of the expectations they come with it, in regards to her family and society.
One day, Peter had an encounter with the infamous Captain Hook.
Hook himself is aging and isn’t the man he used to be in the slightest. The encounter starts off being the same old thing but it ends in a crazy disaster that nobody saw coming. This makes Peter realize that Neverland is growing up without him. This sends Peter into a sort of existential crisis, the likes of which he has not been through before. Peter now has to face something that he has never faced before and it may be bigger than he thought to be able to tackle.
The encounter makes Peter realize something. It seems Captain Hook has also changed. Everyone around him is changing. The only one who hasn’t really changed is him. Well, Tinkerbell really hasn’t changed all that much either. She spends time whispering in his ear and trying to keep the status quo. There is a lot of things that happen because of this and the book does indeed go to some very dark places.
The parts that take place in Neverland are quite interesting and well developed and managed to keep me glued to the page. I loved watching Peter wrestle with his predicament and the inevitable. It was strong and even very endearing.
The parts that take place in England or “the real world” are a little less successful, and even are a bit boring. I get that Wendy Darling is engaged to be married and I get why Panosian wanted to juxtapose that against Peter’s situation. That storyline just didn’t quite land for me, as much as I wanted it to. There is nothing really too special about it that really makes it stand out.
Fortunately, the book does pick up, and Wendy and Peter’s stories eventually collide. They also have to deal with something that they have never faced before. By the end of the book, we get to see new sides of the characters and it all lands pretty spectacularly.
So, yes, I love Dan Panosian’s awesome writing in this book. However, the artwork by Alessio Avalllone is the real star here. It is gorgeous to look at and the storytelling is out of this world. I loved what they did here as a creative team, and it is certainly a book you can revisit and derive joy from each time you read it.
RATING: B+
