REVIEW: Peek-A-Boo #4

Some of you reading this right now have probably never heard of Zenescope Entertainment, the creative company behind Victoria Rau and Marcelo Basile“s stellar mini-series, Peek-A-Boo. But do not be at all surprised if this title isn“t the next comic book property to win the film-option lottery. Peek-A-Boo number 4 (of 5) already feels like a cinematic masterpiece. Readers should get a hold of the full series, but issue four is so complete in its explication of this chapter of the story that it stands alone as well as any single-issue story in comics can.

Peek-A-Boo is the story of a Mom and her three children ”“ the Colters, who turn to nature (hiking and camping) in the aftermath of a family tragedy. The Colters join the Park family, the Silk family, (a rich newlywed couple), a couple of “bros”“ and their guide, Duncan. By the opening of Peek-A-Boo #4 things have gone horribly wrong. *Spoiler Alert* Duncan, Ron Park Sr., and the Bros are all dead. The group is being hunted by a relentless tribe of mutant predators; and their casualties are starting to add up.

The comics gate crew might moan and groan but Peek-A-Boo is also a story about privilege ”“ male privilege and class privilege. Nothing is more easily exposed in horror stories than varying forms of privilege and Peek-A-Boo is both subtle and explicit in this regard. The running sidebar narrative of the story simultaneously provides important character updates and the witty contextual cues necessary for the overall tone of the story. Think of this issue (and this series) as another example of the “smart”“ horror genre. There“s terror, panic, and gore here for sure, but the story also covets a smart reader/viewer who can appreciate why the “Bros”“ (and the guide) die early and that the natural leader in a horrifying crisis is a widowed mother of three.

One of the reasons why Peek-A-Boo is such a satisfying read is that the creative team wields an adept grasp of the comic book form, showcasing an uncanny ability to exploit the form for horrific effect. Each panel and every splash page is positioned for maximum effect. And maximum here doesn“t necessarily mean big and bloody. Sometimes the best effects in horror rely on what you can see and what you cannot or when you can see something and/or from what perspective you can actually see it. This is the triumph of Peek-A-Boo. It“s a visual hide-and-seek horror story, deftly executed in comic book form. 4.5/5.

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(W) Victoria Rau (CA) Renato Rei