It might seem like adaptations or variations on the J.M. Barrie Peter Pan story have been played out, but Steve Orlando‘s Land of Never is a fresh take on the age-old tale with a horrifying twist that had me hooked from the first page. With artwork by Miguel Mora, Land of Never is just the unique version of this story that I was hoping for.
Six months ago, Jim Hoke’s daughter Wendy disappeared from her room. All Jim caught was a glimpse of a hulking figure at the window—the kind of late night vision that’s easily written off as a hallucination. No one believes Jim’s story—and six months later, the retired pathologist is just looking for anyone who’ll still listen. And even if he finds someone, should they believe him? Jim already retired early for planting evidence against an alleged killer. His word doesn’t mean much—and it means even less with him as a suspect in Wendy’s disappearance. He can’t leave town, he can’t forget what he saw, and he get any sleep thanks to the nightmares.
With Wendy’s disappearance declared the coldest of cases, Jim believes he’s the only one who cares about finding his daughter. And he’s got a withered Father’s Day card in his pocket to remind him—all he can do is his best. So he better step it up. Jim goes into business for himself, tracking leads and harassing anyone who’s polite enough to listen to his story. He dives into rabbit hole after rabbit hole, until he meets someone else like him. Then another, then another, a whole community of people who’ve lost someone to a cryptid they call the Floating Man—just like the huge creature Jim saw take Wendy. Suddenly, Wendy’s abductor has a name—the Floating Man. And Jim’s obsession has direction—he’s got to track down the Floating Man, uncover his crimes and free not just his daughter Wendy, but everyone who’s been lost.
There is the animated version of Peter Pan that we all remember from our childhood and then there is Hook, which is an absolute classic, but there has also been many other takes on the classic story, some more terrifying than others. Land of Never finds a way to squeeze a fresh story out of the iconic character, one that pushes things to the breaking point, even going further than that breaking point.
Orlando crafts a story that starts off with a missing Wendy and the father who is attempting to find his daughter. A man who lost not only his daughter after her kidnapping, but lost everything following it. As a human, but also as a father, you can truly feel the pain Jim is feeling in this first issue and now knows the only way to find his daughter is by doing it himself.
Land of Never brings real life horrors, such as the kidnapping of your daughter, to the pages of this series, which only increased the unsettling nature of the story. People deal with unsolved kidnappings more than they should have to and Jim even sees the suspect in the act. This makes the story at hand even more captivating and gripping, not to mention the rest of Jim’s life falling apart around him.
Orlando’s story is even more sinister when paired with artwork by Mora. Each panel, on each page, oozes with an uneasy vibe that amplifies the story at hand. Mora brings this grittiness to the pages that sets a tone for what else is to come in future issues. It’s unsettling in just the right way.
Land of Never takes a familiar tale and twists it into something truly unsettling. Steve Orlando delivers a gripping mystery fueled by a desperate father, all while Miguel Mora illustrates atmospheric tension that jumps from the page. Land of Never is the version of an age-old classic that you never knew you needed, a blend of heart and horror. Cannot wait for what is coming next.
Land of Never #1 hits local comic shops on June 17, 2026 from Mad Cave Studios.
Land of Never #1 Preview
