Continuing to ride the wave of success from Warner Bros’s recent HBO Max show Peacemaker starring John Cena comes a new limited DC Black Label series from writer Garth Ennis and artist Garry Brown called Peacemaker: Disturbing the Peace.
SPOILERS AHEAD for Peacemaker: Disturbing the Peace #1!
The first issue sees Christopher Smith, aka Peacemaker, meeting up at a cemetery with therapist Dr. Sedgewick, who is there to evaluate Peacemaker’s psychological profile to determine if he’s fit to embark on another top-secret mission for the government. Unfortunately, Dr. Sedgwick and Peacemaker’s conversation gets off to a horrible start, with Peacemaker explaining how his parents were killed when he was eight years old. If you’ve been an avid fan of comics, though, the death of Peacemaker’s parents isn’t too shocking to hear — as we all know, it’s comics law that at least one of a hero’s parents, guardian or anyone close to them has to die. Interestingly enough, Garth Ennis and Garry Brown provide enough engaging and curiosity-driven moments to make this a Black Label series worth checking out.
What you’ll love most about reading Disturbing the Peace is how much depth the story adds to the overall character. In The Suicide Squad, directed by James Gunn, there is a line of dialogue that Peacemaker said that is emphasized throughout this book: He cherishes peace with all his heart, and he doesn’t care how many men, women, or children he has to kill to get it. As you continue to listen to his back and forth discussion with Dr. Sedgewick, you’ll start to realize more and more that Peacemaker is a calculated and strategic killing machine with very little empathy for people standing in his way of something he believes in. Ennis and Brown use Dr. Sedgwick as the device to convey to the reader just how malicious Peacemaker can be, and it is fleshed out well.
Cover artist Juan Ferreyra presents an insanely awesome image that captures the essence of what Peacemaker stands for: peace at any cost. Once you flip inside the book, that same message continues perfectly page to page by the gritty, raw, and detailed pencils of Garry Brown. Letterer Rob Steen keeps a consistent balance of captions that don’t take away from the story and that the reader can follow along with quickly. And last but certainly not least is the brilliant color work of Lee Loughridge, who adds a subdued look and feel when Peacemaker and Dr. Sedgewick are talking before transitioning that into some explosive, intense, and action-filled panels that bring out the heart and emotional connection that readers will love.
Peacemaker: Disturbing the Peace holds much potential and adds another new origin to the Peacemaker character. If you remember Garth Ennis’s Punisher: War Machine book, you know there are probably a lot of other memorable moments coming in the future to this new series. Although Peacemaker isn’t a character with many great stories like Batman or Superman, he is a badass like them. You don’t need prior knowledge of the character to enjoy this book. All you need is to give it a chance.
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