Steve Orlando popped onto my radar when he started his run of Scarlet Witch back in 2023, and I’ve been a fan since. He’s consistently written her in such a way that I find it difficult to picture her being defeated. Not because she’s the most powerful being in existence (even if a debate can be made that she is). It’s because she continues to find new and creative ways to overcome adversity. It’s the big reason she’s the current Sorcerer Supreme.
The ingenuity Steve Orlando brings to Wanda Maximoff is a mark of a great writer, whose creations I will give a chance to. That brings us to his newest title, Land of Never. A series I knew nothing about, but I decided to give it a chance because he was the writer behind it. As predicted, the first issue of the Mad Cave Studios’ comic book didn’t disappoint.
From the beginning, it’s clear that the lead character (Jim Hoke) isn’t likeable, and it doesn't get any better as the issue continues. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t deserve to find his daughter, Wendy, or that she should have been kidnapped by "a hulking figure," as Comixology describes it. Sadly, the police have labeled her disappearance a cold case.
As things start to get worse, Hoke comes across a message board full of people who have been in his situation. Sadly, everyone he encountered has either moved on from their tragedy or believed that Jim did something awful to his daughter. I won’t lie, even I started to think that maybe he was drunk, and readers would later find out he did something to Wendy. But just as things started to look bleak, the admin of the message board reached out and dropped a bomb about who took Wendy.
It isn’t a spoiler that this is a modern-day and creepier version of Peter Pan (which was originally written in 1911). Jim Hoke is Captain James Hook, and the admin is named Casey Smith and is supposed to be Hook’s second in command, Mr. Smee. However, instead of Wendy being part of Peter Pan’s Lost Boys fighting James Hook, she’s actually his daughter. If that isn’t enough, the title, Land of Never, is just Neverland respelled.
And then there’s Peter Pan himself. A giant adult who refuses to grow up and kidnaps teenagers (and probably younger kids) to fulfill his need to never grow up. If that isn’t bad enough, the last page shows that he brings his victims to an abandoned amusement park. We can assume that this is his Land of Never/Neverland.
Lastly, it should be mentioned that the history that inspired the original Peter and Wendy is full of darkness. It’s so grim that even Disney (whose mukiness is hidden in bright colors and songs) won’t fully touch it. After reading Stever Orlando's Land of Never, readers may research the history of the tale and the creator (J. M. Barrie). It will certainly have people looking at Disney's Peter Pan differently. Maybe even other tales that are perceived as happy stories. That said, do yourself a favor and look into Grimms' Fairy Tales. You're welcome.
Thanks for reading. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow’s social media sites, Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter for more comic book, TV, and movie news, opinions, and rumors as they come out.
Add us as a preferred source on Google