You may assume by the title that this entry has something to do with Quentin Tarantino's 2009 release Inglorious Basterds, and while it is one of my favorite movies of all time, it's not our topic for today. No, today's topic is also last week's topic: revisionist fantasy!
Specifically, the newest entry into the genre, Peter Panzerfaust from Image Comics. Written by Kurtis J. Wiebe and drawn by Tyler Jenkins, the book takes the basic ideas and characters of J.M. Barrie's classic fairy tale Peter Pan and transposes them into 1940's era France. Weird idea, yes, but thanks to some good writing, good pacing, and good writing, it works fantastically.
Peter Pan is reimanged as the titular character, an American teenager who drops into Calais, France, as it is being taken by the Nazis. There he happens upon an orphanage and, with a grin on his face and a spring in his step, attempts to lead a group of forlorn male youths (or 'Lost Boys', if you will) to safety from the German Army.
The first issue is very sparce; Panzerfaust's motivation is given in two panels, while characterization for the boys is limited. However, I'm still interested; the nods to Panzerfaust's fairy tale counterpart are clever without being overt, and the art style is tight and kinetic and makes our hero and his compatriots look great.
Not the best review, I know, but this is a very promising start to what I'm sure will be a fun and interesting war story. The series has just started, so now's the time to get in on it, either in print or through digital devices. Go pick it up, and I'll see you next time!
No comments:
Post a Comment