Pages and Panels

Penguin Random House released Neverlanders today. Written by Tom Taylor (Injustice, Superman: Son of Kal-El, Nightwing) with art from Harley Quinn‘s Jon Sommariva, this return to Neverland is nothing like I expected.

I love the idea of adapting modern kids to the world of Neverland. For me, Neverland tends to be associated with this very old-fashioned Victorian era with Lord of the Flies vibes. The Neverlanders flips that idea on its head by integrating a much more modern take on the characters rather than trying to adapt Wendy, Micheal, John, etcetera into modern day.

The hodge-podge, ragtag, and hilarious group of misfits that Taylor has written are visually designed to match and further develop the character’s personalities. They’re completely believable as lost boys (and girls!) but more importantly, they’re believable as children’s characters. None of their life on the streets is glamorized, but nor is it exaggerated or emphasized. They’re kids who want to take care of each other, and the compassion they show is heart-warming.

There’s a surprise twist to the tale towards the end of the Neverlanders’s battle with the pirates, and that came so neatly and unexpectedly, it was a welcome surprise that read as charming instead of contrived.

Obviously, this graphic novel is targeted at a much more middle grade reader than a middle-age reader, so I’m not quite the target audience. It was a little juvenile, but not so much I didn’t enjoy it. There were references to school violence, as well as censored language and blood, so I’m not sure I’d let a younger reader check it out. But for that 11-14 age range, Neverlanders seems to be a great fit.

_{Neverlanders is now available in stores and online. Find out more information and store locators for this title here.}