Peter Pan fighting in World War II. The idea has so much potential and it would be hard to resist wanting to check this out. So don't resist, go out and find this comic.

The Good

Comic books are more than just about superheroes. Image Comics often allows creators to experiment and try something different. As a result, we get to see Kurtis J. Wiebe's PETER PANZERFAUST.

In some ways, you can almost say Peter Pan is like a superhero. He can fly, knows how to fight and doesn't shy away from threats bigger than he is. Over the years, there has been countless versions and retellings of the story of Peter Pan. Adding a twist to a character like Peter isn't new (we've seen many changes in these types of characters in Bill Willingham's FABLES), the main difference is the execution.

PETER PANZERFAUST begins with a grown up Tootles telling the story of how he met Peter. The meeting took place in France during WWII. Tootles was with other orphans who were lost in some way or another. As the battle got closer and closer, this was when they met Peter. Peter Pan with a rifle.

This clearly isn't the Peter Pan we've seen before. He does inspire confidence and has no qualms about shooting enemy soldiers. There is a mix of familiar elements to Peter along with some differences that play out nicely.

Tyler Jenkins' art fits the story nicely. Thankfully we don't just see generic cities in the streets of France. Peter and the others have a distinct look that goes along with who they're supposed to be.

The Bad

As you read, you wonder how does this fit in with the traditional story of Peter Pan. Did they ever have their grand adventures before all this or are we seeing a completely new world with the familiar characters? As the story unfolds, you get a good idea. We'll see how it plays out.

I like where this story is going but towards the end, there's a tiny bit of confusion and it felt like it just abruptly ended. In some ways it serves as a cliffhanger but it just felt like the story got cut. I'm definitely curious to see how the rest of this plays out.

The Verdict

Peter Pan fighting in World War II. It's a great idea and there's so much that could be done with this idea. We're introduced to the familiar characters but don't fully know how closely they relate to them. Did Peter really hang out in Kensington Gardens and live in Neverland or is this more of a twist on the characters with a more realistic touch? Kurtis J. Wiebe and Tyler Jenkins set up the characters and this world nicely. The only downside of the issue is it feels as if it ends abruptly. It could simply be that I wanted more. I didn't want the issue to end. But it didn't quit quite have the normal cliffhanger feel. Regardless, I will be coming back for the next issue to see how everything unfolds. This is a great take on the character but the sky's the limit as to where this could go.