Peter Panzerfaust

I love reading; however, there are times when I crave a different kind of storytelling, one which melds text and pictures to create a lush world. This combination of words and drawings brings a new layer to the reading experience, opening up avenues for subtext, side plots, and story lines which are not be possible with traditional, linear storytelling. Books are often read because of their authors, the same is true for comic books.  I’d like to share with you one of my favorite comic book artists available at the Peter White Public Library. Canadian team Kurtis J. Wiebe and Tyler Jenkins breathes fresh air into J.M. Barrie’s classic Peter Pan in their two-volume comic book Peter Panzerfaust. Self-proclaimed history buffs, Wiebe and Jenkins transport the Peter Pan story to Nazi occupied France where, along with a band of French orphans and the Darling children, teenaged Peter and the gang must work together to survive the darkest days of World War II. Jenkins’ art is subtle yet unique, the dark tones embrace the reader and remind them of how terrible the war was, yet never strays too far from the adventurous tone of the original story. The character’s expressions range from the sorrow of losing friends and family to the joy of a peaceful picnic.  The art from Panzerfaust has been transformed to a new media, the motion comic, which has been released in the UK through the BBC. where the original artwork is animated and the characters are voiced by Elijah Wood, Summer Glau, and Ron Pearlman. Collection librarians at Peter White will be keeping on eye on availability in this country for our DVD collection. In the meantime, Panzerfaust is a must read for those who love history and the original Peter Pan story. ~Tracy