Kurtis J. Wiebe & Tyler Jenkins’ “Peter Panzerfaust” remains one of creator-owned comics most exciting titles by exhibiting the best traits of longform storytelling and increasingly ratcheting up the tension with its visual pacing.
Written by Kurtis J. Wiebe
Illustrated by Tyler Jenkins“CRY OF THE WOLF,” Part Four A terrifying double cross leads Felix, once again, into the hands of the enemy. A traitor is revealed and the fate of the Braves and the entire Sticks operation hangs by a thread. Time is running out and death waits in the hands of a clock…tick…tock…
Issue #14 begins pretty much smack dab in the middle of a firefight. By now, these characters have been so well established and the book has become so assured with itself that it can indulge in a little bit of shit hitting the fan. You may or may not bring some of your own knowledge of these characters from the original Peter Pan stories to this WWII homage of them, but it’s not required and it’s not as overt as you’d think. Wiebe ensures that every member of Peter’s gang has a personality, so much so that you can point to specific words and, even more importantly, actions and define characters by them despite the fact that this issue is very action heavy. On the other hand, these characters are so well-established and Wiebe is so confident in his longform storytelling, that he doesn’t rely on exposition. This is one essential story being played out over the course of a series. Every issue is essential.
“Peter Panzerfaust” has almost a mystical aura about it. Without being a fantasy story, there’s still a light air of mystery to Peter and the gang he’s gathered. There’s the ever-present feeling that these guys can pull magic out of their hats if they really need to. When the “lost boys” of this comic fire their rifles, it’s visually reminiscent of the lost boys of “Peter Pan” darting about and firing slingshots at their enemies. Though it’s a war title that takes war seriously, there’s an innocence to the fight in this issue. It feels intimate. There’s a massive war going on, but there’s an small scale battle going on here that still means everything. And even though you can see the twist of the issue coming like a double-decker bus, there’s still an immediacy and a doom that it brings to our heroes that is palpable.
Much of the character and the immediacy of the series has to do with the energy and expressionism of Tyler Jenkins’ wispy art. The firefight that comprises most of the issue is among Jenkins’ most impressive work yet. The action is kinetic, but also has an appropriate level of scrappiness to it, given the ramshackle nature of the groups’ coming together and the materials available to them. Jenkins’ art captures the unlikely nature of our heroes by being scrappy itself – in all the good ways, of course. That our heroes are going to have to overcome desperate odds to gain ground at every challenge comes across beautifully in the uninhibited, fluid nature of the art.
The final pages are such a keen exercise in tension from both Wiebe and Jenkins that you’ll immediately want to read the next issue. Jenkins pulls the tension rope slowly with a deliberate pace and an increasing sense of oncoming danger. Wiebe smartly gives no hint as to what’s coming, aside from some key “sound effects” related to Peter Pan lore. Even with the specific reference, we still can’t be sure exactly what’s coming around the corner – “Peter Panzerfaust” has never been an exactly one-to-one retelling, and the the mystery and the unease is still very much there. There’s no guessing what exactly lies ahead.
At this juncture, you’re either in “Peter Panzerfaust” or you’re not. Jumping on would be tough, because Wiebe and Jenkins so quickly crafted this fully realized world and are confident about plowing forward in it. If you’re not on-board at this point, I would emplore you to go back, check the early issues out, and get caught up. If you are on-board, then you already now how well “Peter Panzerfaust” is rewarding you for your time and money with great storytelling that builds on itself.
Final Verdict: 8.8 – Buy
