Review – The Last Boy #1 (BOOM! Studios)

March 21, 2025

2–4 minutes

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Dan Panosian
Artist: Alessio Avallone
Colourist: Valentina Pinto
Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
Release Date: 19th March 2025

On sale this week from BOOM! Studios, Last Boy sees Dan Panosian (Alice Ever/Never After) turning his attention to another classic tale as he provides his own, slightly darker take, on “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up.” The story of Peter Pan has been adapted, interpreted and subverted in various media for decades, but I absolutely love the approach Panosian has gone for here, having Peter completely oblivious to the fact that everyone else in Neverland has grown up, leaving him to try and engage in his usual swashbuckling hijinks with a cast of characters who have, to be blunt, moved on.

Joining Panosian on this journey is artist Alessio Avallone who does a fantastic job of conveying the main thrust of the story – namely, the fact that all these well-established characters such as Captain Hook, Tiger Lilly and First Mate Smee have aged significantly since we last saw them. The character designs are absolutely spot-on, and the juxtaposition between the fantastical Neverland and the bleary, smog-covered London works rather well, with colourist Valentina Pinto doing a lot of the heavy lifting to help differentiate between these two settings.

For me, the London-based part of the story is slightly less interesting, at least for the time being, and sees Wendy Darling navigating the transition from childhood to adulthood with her impending wedding plans serving as an inconvenient distraction from her (hopefully) blossoming career as an author. It’s clear that there’s going to be a lot of intense emotional beats on this particular storyline thread as the story continues though, particularly when it comes to Wendy’s ailing father.

One of the interesting question marks about the first issue is the role of Tinkerbell, serving as something of a silent antagonist to the whole Neverland situation as she repeatedly whispers in Peter’s ear, spurring him onwards to his ill-fated course of action. It’s unsure whether this is malicious on Tink’s part, or whether she’s just living the same ‘good old days’ fantasy that Peter is, and I can’t wait to hopefully see that explored as the series unfolds.

The final pages feature a “wait, did that just happen?” moment that promises to change the Neverland status quo rather significantly moving forwards, and it’s this uncertainty that is going to drive the series heading into the second issue. Is this going to be a wake up call for Peter, or is he going to continue to double down on an outlook that no longer fits the world he inhabits? There’s some interesting subtext about needing to grow and adapt or risk being left behind by the rest of the world at play here, but Panosian never lays it on too thick, landing right in the sweety spot between interesting and preachy.

This is a strong opening issue that lays out of the groundwork for what promises to be one heck of a new series. Panosian and Avallone are taking this well-worn story in some new and exciting directions, and if you like your children’s tales tinged with a little darkness, this is most definitely the book for you.

Rating: 4/5.

[PREVIEW ARTWORK – CLICK TO ENLARGE]