Jim Hoke is burning everything else in his life to track down his daughter Wendy after her abduction by the mysterious Floating Man. But Wendy’s not waiting. She may be captive in a dark, surreal wonderland…but she doesn’t plan on staying. As Jim hunts for the Floating Man, he finds an ally—Casey Smith, whose son Rufus was also abducted by the Floating Man. As Wendy tries to outwit the Floating Man, Jim and Casey track the cryptid’s history to the infamous Lighthouse Orphanage…where long ago, a lost boy was failed—and became something tragic. Land of Never #2 keeps investigating the mystery of the first issue as to who the Floating Man is and begins to tease answers.
Written by Steve Orlando, Land of Never #2 is a welcome entry in the twisting of classic stories. In this case Peter Pan and instead of bringing kids to a magical land, it’s a twisted derelict theme park where they’re more prisoners than anything else. But, the series feels like it really answers the question as to how the parents would react when their kids disappear.
Land of Never isn’t about Peter and his odd world, instead it’s focused on one father searching for his daughter. While he witnessed someone take her, the cops don’t believe him and others who have experienced the same thing don’t want to cooperate. Hoke has one recent ally, who seems to be a little off himself, but it’s help leading to clues as to who the Floating Man might be and help them get their kids back.
Land of Never #2 adds small details to the story that really elevates its. We get teases of what Peter is up to and why he’s kidnapping kids. There’s also a pretty big clue in a door camera that might have captured a glimpse of the Floating Man. It’s an issue I had with the first issue, how in this connected world no one has anything that teases the truth.
The art by Miguel Mora is moody and really good. With color by Fares Maese and lettering by Micah Myers Peter’s world is scary and unnerving. For those familiar with the classic story, it has that same ominous feel that some times creeped into the Disney classic, but it’s dialed up to the point that’s all there is. But what also stands out is the fathers. Jim and Casey feel frazzled and broken. There’s an air of desperation in the art depiction in their body language, clothes, and facial expressions. It works and works really well.
Land of Never #2 is a solid second issue that plays off of the fear of Wendy and the desperation of a father trying to find his daughter. It’s a twisted take on a classic and well worth checking out.
Story: Steve Orlando Art: Miguel Mora
Color: Fares Maese Letterer: Micah Myers
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy
Mad Cave Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
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