In NEVERLAND ANNUAL: DARK ALLIANCE, available from Zenescope Entertainment on June 9th, 2021, Nathan Cross returns to Neverland to find the magical Fairy Heart as the last hope for saving Dr. Harlow.
The Details
- Written By: Jay Sandlin
- Art By: Hakan Aydin, Alessio Mariani, Cem Dayioglu
- Colors By: Leonardo Paciarotti
- Letters By: Carlos M. Mangual
- Cover Art By: Igor Vitorino, Ivan Nunes
- Cover Price: $8.99
- Release Date: June 9, 2021
Was It Good?
It was mildly exhausting, but in a good way.
This is an annual, so you’re definitely getting your money’s worth in 64-pages worth of content. The story is a race-against-the-clock quest, and there’s a big wow or plot twist happening every few pages to keep the pace and tension up.
That said, there are so many exciting twists and turns happening over so many pages, you feel like you need a Power Bar and a jug of Gatorade to catch your breath by the end.
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Sandlin does a great job of crafting a story that puts you on the edge of your seat, practically shouting to yourself “MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!” every few pages. The dialog feels organic for the main character under extreme pressure, and the plot twist past the mid-point was a well-constructed surprise.
The art is typical Zenescope house style and quality. Excellent lines/inks, excellent coloring, and excellent lettering.
See for yourself in our NEVERLAND ANNUAL: DARK ALLIANCE preview.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Nathan Cross aka Captain Hook can’t stand by and let his mentor, Dr. Harlow die from a magical attack by the evil Pan. The doctors of Earth can’t save Dr. Harlow, so Nathan uses his connections with the realm Knights to find a solution.
The only chance Nathan has is to find the Fairy Heart amulet back in Neverland. The magical jewel is safe within the belly of a giant croc in the Neverland swamps.
Nathan becomes obsessed with finding a cure, at the expense of his relationship with Wendy. He leaves Earth for Neverland, finds the giant croc, and kills it to retrieve the Fairy Heart.
But no race-against-the-clock quest would be complete without several obstacles to get in the way. The Croc Queen and her soldiers capture Nathan to get the Fairy Heart. She’s formed an alliance with Princess Tiger Lily and Tinkerbelle to protect Neverland from Pan and his zombie horde of Lost Boys.
Nathan resists the offer to help but changes his mind when Belle explains the healing powers of the Fairy Heart only work on fairies. With no other options, Nathan joins their cause to capture Pan and force him to restore Dr. Harlow.
With the clock ticking, Nathan strikes out on his own to find Pan when his allies insist he rest (and bathe) before coming up with a sensible plan of attack. In the middle of the jungle, Nathan approaches Pan’s likely spot when he’s surprised by… Wendy. She knocks him around and tosses him through a portal into a river full of hungry crocs. Before he can become a midnight croc snack, Nathan is rescued by none other than Pan.
As we move into the finale of the annual, Nathan and Pan form a dark alliance against Wendy to stop her from taking over Neverland using the power of the Fairy Heart.
If that doesn’t seem to make sense, that’s because we’re leaving out a key plot twist that puts all the pieces together. The story is worth finding out what happens next.
How Does It End?
You can’t trust Pan. Wendy hasn’t been acting like her old self for a long time. The Fairy Heart has more than one power.
Final Thoughts
NEVERLAND ANNUAL: DARK ALLIANCE is an extra-sized annual that puts your foot on the gas and doesn’t let up until the very end. The writing will keep your heart rate up with action and pacing, and the art is great from cover to cover.
Score: 8.5/10
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