The Last Boy completely upended what readers of Peter Pan expected in its debut issue, featuring a boy who refused to grow up struggling with a world that did. That continues to be the case in The Last Boy #2, as Peter inadvertendly causes the death of his old nemesis Captain Hook while Hook was actually attempting to turn over a new leaf! Shaken, Peter finds a chance for redemption in taking on the mysterious Phantom King. Meanwhile, Wendy Darling must deal with her father’s worsening health and her mother’s domineering grip.
Once again, the best part of the issue is how it flips between Peter and Wendy’s separate plights. Dan Panosian does an amazing job of depicting how they are both facing different issues of adulthood – for Peter, it’s the fact that most of his friends (and a few enemies) are starting new lives; for Wendy, it’s losing a father and struggling to complete her written work before her marriage. Panosian’s thesis seems to be that whether you like it or not, life will go on without you; the question is, how do you handle it?
Panosian also brings in more characters from the Peter Pan mythos, putting his own unique spin on them. Michael and John, Wendy’s brothers, have grown into a soldier and a doctor respectively; their conversations with Wendy are tense, lacking the sibling connection of the original text and highlighting how far apart they are. But the biggest change has to be the “Lost Boys”, who’ve grown up and gotten married – one of them even has a daughter! It’s a genuine surprise that also underlines the change that’s going on in Neverland.
BOOM!
Alessio Avallone has the chance to illustrate more of Neverland, including Neverspeak Mountain, the snowy peaks where the Lost Boys now reside. On top of said peaks lies an entire kingdom, complete with cobblestone streets and buildings. It’s a sharp contrast to the open seas, or the towering landscape of England. Avallone’s gift for facial expressions is also on display; in the space of two pages after Hook’s death, Peter goes from shocked to thoughtful to defiant.
The real secret weapon of this comic is Valentina Pinto, especially with her distinction between Neverland and England. The sections set in Neverland remain vibrant and bursting full of color, but the ones in England are still sepia-toned, feeling like they’ve been leeched of color. But that’s nothing compared to the Phantom King. True to his name, he is a walking void, seeming to suck out all the color around him. The only thing that distinguishes him as a “king” is his long flowing green robe and the crown floating above his head, which cuts an ominous figure.
The Last Boy #2 continues to remix Peter Pan lore, bringing a new villain to life in the process. While I still don’t know how Peter and Wendy’s stories will converge, the final pages make me want to pick up the newest issue as soon as it drops.
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