Publisher: Image Comics
Writer: Kurtis J. Wiebe
Artist: Tyler Jenkins
Release Date: 9th April 2014

Peter Panzerfaust’s hunt for his nemesis Kapitan Haken takes a back seat in this issue as he finds himself kept in captivity at the hands of Haken’s old war buddy Emmerich Koch. In between attempted escapes and games of chess, Peter and Emmerich (a veteran of the Great War) discuss the nature of conflict and how quickly and easily people will begin to romanticise its horrors.

Largely a two hander between captive and captor this issue may be light on incident but is a great example of character development. As prisoner and keeper spend more time together their relationship grows in depth and complexity; Emmerich displays an almost paternal affection for Peter the wilful child, who lashes out in teenage defiance.

The art by Tyler Jenkins is great, he really knows how to lay out a page to keep the action flowing while also drawing the reader into the story. One page in particular of Peter and Emmerich fishing on a lake is both serene and tense; the waters may be calm but sitting atop them a battle of wills is taking place, while below the water fish circle menacing fishing lines in smaller panels. It’s a great visual metaphor for the battle of wits going on above the water, and these parallels and connections recur, flashbacks to Emmerich’s experiences in the trenches of World War I are intercut with chess pieces being moved around the board by unthinking hands.

Light on action but filled with insight into the character of Peter to make up for it, Peter Panzerfaust #18 builds some strong thematic work into its pages. This fresh take on the myth of Peter Pan will never get old.

Rating: 4/5.

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The writer of this piece was: Joe Morrison
Joe is Freelance film journalist based in Glasgow.
You can also find Joe on Twitter.