Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Peter Panzerfaust #1
Image Comics
Wiebe & Jenkins
Peter Panzerfaust is a basically a book where Peter Pan exists and finds his Lost Boys during the early stages of World War II in France. However, the opening issue proves that there is more to the book than simply a new twist on Peter Pan. The opening issue rolls out the cast of characters, introduces the main stage and, more importantly, establishes Peter and his character traits. It's a good first issue but leaves me on an odd note with the cliffhanger that I didn't quite understand.
The book opens with an older man seemingly getting interviewed about Peter. The man sets up everything you need to know in just a couple of panels. During World War II, a French town is about to be overtaken by Nazi forces. While the battle rages throughout the city, an orphanage gets hit with a bomb and kills a ton of young boys, but six survive.
As the young men spill into the street, they find Peter. Peter is confident, organized and one step ahead of the Germans. He's full of charisma and it saves the group of boys from getting killed throughout the book.
Peter reveals how an American, who appears to be a kid himself, finds himself in France during a war. However, he's having some trouble finding what he is looking for. It seems that the boys are eager to help and, really, what else are they going to do? The book ends with a cliffhanger that I simply didn't understand and it took away a little from the book from my perspective.
Jenkins does a terrific job on the art. The book moves fast and this is an attribute to how the book is drawn. I also really liked the color palette in this book as I felt that it represented the war-torn city very well. The boys appeared to be a little difficult to distinguish but that will change as they reveal their personalities a little bit more in future names. Overall I enjoyed the art in the comic.
Peter Panzerfaust is a war drama that happens to replicate the charismatic Peter Pan as its lead character. It works well in this issue and it will be interesting to see how this book takes shape over time. Will the war be the focus or will the characters take on different adventures where the war is the backdrop? Either way, I think this a good book that has energy that translates into instant fun on the pages. I recommend picking this book up.
3.5 out of 5 Geek Goggles
