As much as I adore both the cinematic masterpiece that is Steven Spielberg's film Hook and Charles Vess' work in the comic book genre, I couldn't help but be a touch disappointed in the graphic novel adaptation. Much of the film relies on comedic timing and stunning visual twists, so it was always going to be tricky for a comic book from the early 1990s to do the story justice. Maybe the burgeoning talent behind the then newly-created Vertigo could have pulled it off, but Marvel of the era (or even now, honestly) never really had a chance. That being said, it was an interesting concept to see how Vess pared down the story elements to fit within the confines of this small (4-issue) volume. We barely get to know Captian Hook (though we do get hints of his megalomaniac manic-depressive grandeur), and the ever-entertaining Rufio is essentially a footnote, but the melancholy, madness, and joy of the Pan still carries through. ( )