This book’s rising star is incredible. Six issues in and people are already talking about making it a BBC series? That doesn’t happen to too many comic books, so you know something has been done right.
Written by Kurtis J Wiebe
Illustrated by Tyler Jenkins“PARIS,” Part One
Paris cowers in the shadow of the Third Reich and one of the Lost Boys has become their prisoner. There is no running. There is no hiding. There is only the mission: save Felix!
Pick up any Image series at least once. This policy has led me to some of my most favorite comic discoveries, including “Chew,” “Saga,” and “Witch Doctor.” It turns out “Peter Panzerfaust” is no different. Touted as the story of Peter Pan retold during the WWII, this is a wonderful break from the superhero genre, but the heroism is not absent. This tale follows the story of the French Resistance, whose soldiers are seriously some of the bravest, most heroic people to ever exist. Basically this comic is ‘Inglorious Basterds’ without the swearing or controversy. If you enjoy great storytelling, just skip the rest of this review and go buy a copy now. For the rest of you who might need a little convincing, read on.
This is actually the first issue of PP that I have gotten my hands on, so I can only address exactly what happens in this issue. So far, it seems that there are two plots going on. One takes place in the modern era, and the other during the grim times of World War II France. In the modern part of the story, we have Mr. Gringas, whose job is to educate the French youth about WWII. In flashback, we follow a much younger Gringas, and Peter who seems to be to these Lost Boys what Tony Stark is to The Avengers. Like in ‘Inglorious Basterds’ the plan is to infiltrate the Nazi’s and take down the war machine from the inside. Readers get a glimpse of the methods of the Resistance, and the characters go on about their spy-like business, until Gringas runs into a woman named ‘Tiger Lily.’ Oh snap! Looks like a cliff hanger until issue #7.
Wiebe is a writer to follow. While his body of work is not very prolific yet, if this issue is any indication, he will end up being one of the greats. This book has just about everything you would want from a historic fiction- romantic nostalgia, thorough background, and believable characters. Though most of the actual words in the issue seem to be narration, you get a total picture of the desperation and depth of character Mr. Gringas and his fellow freedom fighters possess. The core of the story is built around Gringas and company inflitrating the Nazi party, but theres a feeling that the reader isn’t getting the whole picture in this particular issue. The story skips around too quickly. We the reader are seeing only the results of past efforts by The Lost Boys, and as such, this epic task of inflitration is accomplished far too easily. Pretty much all we see is Gringas showing some officers a good time, gaining their trust by speaking German and stealing a few bottles of wine for them. There isn’t very much tension or fear of discovery for these resistance fighters. Aside from that, the writing in this issue is top notch, and at times readers almost like poetry.
The art in this book is stylized quite a bit. Everyone posseses a thinness, and all the features are angular. This is not the art of a square-jawed super-human story. The wispyness of the lines and the cartoonish features of the characters make this feel like a children’s book- which is appropriate, this being a retelling of Peter Pan and all. What makes this book’s appearance even more striking is the fact that this isn’t a childrens book at all, but a story set in one of the darkest times of human history.The artist does a great job of conveying a difference between the modern and the historic. The modern scenes look more soild and grounded, while the flashback scenes look thinner, more vibrant and dreamlike. One almost wonders if the story Gringas is telling is actually true, or more just the romanticized way he remembers those years. Tyler Jenkins’ art is also very impressionistic. Much of the action is only halfway glimpsed in small, short panels, but each generates enough feeling that these scenes don’t have to be totally spelled out for you. While this sort of storytelling does contribute to the overall ‘quickness’ of the issue, it is wonderful to see an artist who believes in their reader’s intelligence and doesn’t feel like everything has to be pointed out frame by frame.
Like just about everything Image puts out these days, “Peter Panzerfaust” is worth a shot. If you like war stories, this is a book for you. If you like fairy tales, this is also a book for you. It is an unusual combination, but hot damn, does it work like a charm. Kevin Smith once said “Preacher” was better than going to the movies. The same should be said about “Peter Panzerfaust.”
Final Verdict: 7.9
