Peter, Wendy, John, Michael and the Lost Boys are finally in Neverland.  Except in this version, Neverland happens to be a farm in France.

The official description from Image:

“THE GREAT ESCAPE,” Part Four The road to Paris proves highly dangerous for Peter and the boys and with three new recruits it becomes impossible to hide from the German army. With the city in sight, they must overcome the biggest obstacle to their freedom yet.

The tale of the World War II reinterpretation of Peter Pan continues as Kurtis Wiebe and Tyler Jenkins allow real human emotion with fantastical elements to exist in unison.  Peter and his cohorts come upon a farm and after some discussion they elect to stay there.  With all the chaos that took place in the first three issues, the orphans finally have a moment to relax and be themselves.  Everything they build though begins to fade, as the destruction engulfing the world in war comes crashing down on their doorstep.

This was by far the most powerful issue in this series, as Kurtis Wiebe weaves a tale that shows children at play, children preparing for war and children surviving together in some of the darkest times in our world’s history.  What makes this issue truly powerful though is the extended downtime that comes with a feeling of dread.  The solid character development in the series and natural free flowing dialogue allow the emotional climax to happen, as readers experience a moment that sets the stage for next month’s final issue.

The art matches the tone of the script as Tyler Jenkins nails a look that both evokes the fairy tale elements of the story while extenuating the past in a way that doesn’t detract from either sides of this complicated balancing act.  The thing that makes it work is the story looks like a World War II tale complete with characters that look like they belong there.  The style of the world gives the book a solid footing that allows fantastical elements and references to exist but not feel forced.

Peter Panzerfaust is not going to be for every comic book reader out there, but it should be.  It offers a strong compelling narrative that takes an old story and recreates it in a way that makes it feel fresh again.  With a strong script and very solid art, this comic comes highly recommended.

4.5/5