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Neverland #4
Publisher: Zenescope Entertainment
Writer: Joe Brusha
Art: Jean-Paul DeShong
Cover: Nei Ruffino
Variant Covers: Andrew Mangum (B), Caio Cacau (C – San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive)
Price: US $2.99
Release Date: July 21, 2010

***CAUTION: This Review Contains Spoilers!***

Being scratched and clawed, Nathan Cross is pulled lower and lower into the water by the three savage mermaids that surrounded him last issue. Nathan flips his hook-hand contraption around to convert it into some sort of spike, and stabs one in the shoulder and makes a swim for the surface.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Someone’s firing.  One mermaid is caught in the midsection.  The threat of the bullets are enough to ward off the third mermaid.  Just like that, Cross is saved.  Pulled from the water, he regains his wits and finds himself face to face with a band of pirates!  Pirates that seem to know him, but how?

Pan finds out that Wendy is in Neverland.  He also finds out about a supposed great warrior that is also with her, but has fallen.  Belle, on the other hand, is pissed!  Wendy is in Neverland, Princess Tiger Lilly is down in the dungeon, and it seems like Pan is just lining up all kinds of hot women to take her place.  Pan quickly reminds her that he has given her a good life since he came to Neverland and took over as ruler.  He also tells her that the thing she desires most from Pan, love, is just a folly of the humans.  Smooth, isn’t he?  Pan should have said something classy like, “Hey baby, can I buy you a fish sandwich?”

Back at the Indian’s camp, Doctor Harlow and Aunt Wendy are desperately pleading to their captors that they do not know who it is that the Indians are trying to say is their master.  They have nothing to do with the man that is holding the Princess prisoner.  Pan shows up at the camp with the pretty, pretty Princess.  The Indian Chief gets cocky, and demands that Pan release his daughter that very instant or he will slay his captives.  Well…that’s no way to talk to the ruler of Neverland.  Pan gets all sinister and magic-like and sucks the soul out of the Chief.  He then calls forth his Lost Boys.  It’s a take on these familiar characters so twisted and chilling that you’re going to just have to see it with your own eyes to believe.

Awesome!  I am absolutely loving this Neverland series!  It fits my dark and twisted needs.  On a tree of delicious, yet forbidden fruit, Neverland is the golden apple of Zenescope‘s orchard.  The only sad thing is that there are only two issues left after this one.  Joe Brusha is doing an unbelievable job of twisting this beloved children’s tale into something that will make you think twice about wishing you could be a kid again.  Jean-Paul DeShong’s interiors are once again top notch, and this issue has been filed away as further evidence to my claim that his art is the best I have ever found inside a Zenescope book.  Don’t believe me?  Pick this issue up and take a look for yourself.  It shouldn’t be a problem to find.  There are three eye-popping covers to choose from.

Be sure to set aside some travel time for next month so you can take another trip with me into Neverland!

Aron White
aron@comicattack.net