Geek Syndicate
pre-pubescent perspective, in imagery, language and inference – laying down the psychological tracks that lead to Peter’s perpetual childhood in Neverland. This is not a world for children. Although he chooses to root the story in reality, the bulk of the adventure takes place in Neverland - though I don’t recall actually seeing it named in the text. If there is one thing that Peter Pan represents, it’s the joy of unfettered imagination, and Neverland fits him like a glove. I was surprised by how much I dreaded this flight to the fanciful after the revelations of the opening volume – and the tonal shift is pretty sudden – but it doesn’t take Loisel long to find his balance. His artwork is always of the very highest quality, but the flames of his creativity burn brightest in Neverland. The island is brought vividly to life, in all its contradictions: blending Greek mythology, fairy tale, stories of the blood-red waves and the wild west; and I fell in love with it again for the first time since my own childhood. The character design is fabulous throughout: from Hook’s haggard and be-stubbled face to Peter’s gap-toothed grin, while the Lost Boys have never looked wilder. The pirates’ attempts to steal the fairy treasure (and latterly exact revenge on poor Peter) are perhaps the weak point of the story. These plots suffer from the same malaise as Barrie’s original, with outlandish ploys and schoolboy tactics. That said, Hook is a formidable bully when roused, representing (as he does) all Adults in his grasping nature and cruel injustices. If this is a “story for children”, then it’s the kind they tell each other when there are no grown-ups around: one full of brutality and bloody excess. Loisel builds ambiguity into the tale from the ground level up, with parallels and analogues connecting London to that blissful island paradise: not least of which are the fantastical tales told to Peter by Mr. Kundal, his mentor and closest friend. The tension between reality and the imagination is the very backbone of the story, and is personified in the Peter/Pan dichotomy. Pan exists already, you see: a separate being, plucked from the world’s imagination and leading the fairy folk. It is only in the second half of the book that Peter and he become one and, in doing so, cement Peter’s position with the Neverlanders. The constant gravitational pull towards the adult world (most obviously embodied by the saucy sirens of both worlds but, more subtly, with chains of guilt and responsibility) sets up an internal conflict which lends Peter a real pathos in the midst of his cocky charm. Of course, it is in the denial of the “dirty” Adult that Peter Pan derives his greatest power: the boy who never grew up. It comes with a price, and that price is forgetfulness – allowing some particularly chilling events to occur. What many readers will find astonishing is Loisel’s inclusion of a Jack-The-Ripper sub-plot back in London. It is akin to the Tales Of The Black Freighter sections of Watchmen in its mix of apparent irrelevance and essential thematic link. I have theories about the psychological depths of this book that I could just go on and on about, but that’s a conversation for another day. This is one of those rare books that gives more and more each time you read it, whether it’s in the spectacular detail of the artwork, g&W6???6?v?G2??F?F?R7F?'??F?V?R?"?V???r?bF?R&????F?R'Gv?&??27V?GV?W2?F?RG&???FV?6R?BF?RV??F????V?6?W2&R?V"?7&???r???r???6??72FV?fR??F?v?r??V6??R?7F??W72??R??WFR?B??fR??RF?FV'2F?R?W?C?&V6??W2&?????rfWr??BF?N( ?2f7B?( ???7FFR?B6?V&???R??&RF??RF??Vv?( 2F??2&????2??Bf?"6???G&V????f?'7Bf?6?F?&?Vv??F??Vv?B?Bv2?( ?GV?N( ?F?F?R&V6W6R?bF?R6???W2??V?B?b&??'2??F?7???'WBF?N( ?2&V????BF?R66R?v???RF?R6?&V?2?&VB?W&??G2??fR6W?V??GW&RF?F?V??F?W&R?2??F???rF?BF?W?7GV??F?v??6??2?fW'BV??Vv?F?&RV?7V?F&?Rf?"6???G&V???B?2F?RV??F????G&V??bWFW.( ?2'W6?fR??F?W"F?B?v?V?B&?FV7B?FVv?FW"g&??F?R6?G???wVvRW6VB'?GV?G2?B6???G&V???S?F?R?G2?vWGF??rFW'&?'2?b??v?GF??R???F????BF?R??'&?&?R?V?wF?2F?v??6?F???W&&V??v?W2???W"?V??W7???F&R6?F?RF?6??F?6?7&?2v?V?Bv?fR?W"??v?F?&W2F???'WB?F??( ?Bv?BF?WB??R?fbF???V6???W7B&R6&VgV?v?W&R??R?VfR?B?V???2?BW&fV7B&??????BV?FR??&?wV?G???W2f?"??&R??FW&W7F??r?B??FW&7F?fR&VB?'WB?B?6?7F?2?Bg&??WfW"&V??rv????6F?6g???r?7&?F?6?VW7F???2?b??B?B??&?6?&7FW"&RF?76VB??F?R?"v?F??WBWfW"V?FR??F??r??B&V???6?????GFW"??r?V6???Rw&7??7W?6RF?N( ?2WFW"????fW"F??Vv??7&?v??r?v??&??W2?&???GF??'7G??GF?R&7F&C???fW&??r?W7B?WB?b&V6?( 2F?&?V?F??rF?Rw&?v??W>(
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