Peter Panzerfaust #1 and Thief of Thieves #1

Peter Panzerfaust
Story by Kurtis Wiebe and Art by Tyler Jenkins

“Tootles” is being interrogated quite thoroughly by a man sitting in shadow.  Vague childhood questions are asked as well as Tootles’ relationship with someone named Peter (presumably the Peter Panzerfaust the title refers to). Tootles regales him with how he first met Peter, the day the Germans bombed Calais, France where Peter led him and several orphans to safety. He is in awe of this boy, this big haired 11th Doctor looking young man, looking for a girl named Belle. As Germans invade the hiding spot of the boys, Peter sneaks up to shoot the soldiers in their heads when he sneezes. There wasn’t much dialogue and it’s thankfully not needed as everything is laid out in a very accessible way for all to enjoy.

That being said, I think a large part of the draw, for me, is Tyler Jenkin’s art. Peter is at once the boy next door, devilishly charming and probably just brave enough to entice the other boys to following him. Peter’s little smirks, and Tootles’ smile at remembering such a person are driven home by the slightly messy lines of Jenkins pencil.

I enjoyed this comic very much, so if you have a chance, pick it up!

Thief of Thieves
Story by Robert Kirkman & Nick Spencer and Art by Shawn Martinbrough

Won’t lie, I picked this up because Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead creator) was behind it. Did it live up to bar he’s set? Hmm. The issue was intriguingly titled “The thief and his apprentice” but who was what? A lovely Countess is aboard a ship when her prized pearl goes missing and she attempts to torture an apprehended man for the whereabouts of said pearl. When she is politely told Americans don’t torture people, she frowns and takes the thief to her home country where she can torture him in peace, buuuuuuuut she is in fact in cahoots with the thief! Who didn’t see that coming? Yeah, I did too.  We get the obligatory flashback to how Celia and the thief (Redmond) meet and it’s kind of generic. She is having a rough time in life and resorts to stealing cars where Redmond intervenes and shows her how it’s REALLY done and pretty much takes her under his wing, no questions asked and she too becomes a master thief. The story gets back to present times and their associates are throwing a party for Redmond to celebrate an idea he has for a job in Venice where he promptly decides he quits the business. End issue one.

I don’t care for Martinbrough’s art…he makes Celia look like a man, or a badly done drag queen. It’s just terrible. I don’t have much else to say about that.

This can stay at the comic shop in my opinion.