In comics, even in hindsight, Peacemaker doesn’t seem the most …family friendly… of characters. He loves peace so much he’s willing to kill for it. James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and brilliant follow-up HBO Max series Peacemaker extended that a little. Though in both those live-action examples the character walks a fine line between hilarious and ultra-violent, it’s never chilling.
Comics writer Garth Ennis might disagree. Peacemaker: Disturbing the Peace, out this week from DC, is a grim horror story. Providing a new origin for the character originally created in 1966 by writer Joe Gill and artist Pat Boyette, it’s a far cry from how he appeared in Charlton Comics. But maybe not so much from the character he inspired — the Comedian in Watchmen.
When DC brought Peacemaker and his shiny helmet into continuity, writer Paul Kupperberg added that Christopher Smith was haunted — really or psychologically — by the ghost of his father, a Nazi death camp commander. That evolved into an added belief that his helmet absorbed the souls of those he killed. Grim, yes, but also in the realm of the fantastic.
Ennis and his collaborator Garry Brown bring Christopher Smith back down to earth, reflected in the color palette chosen for this one-shot. Forget any previous continuity, if you remembered any. Now as then Smith is a black ops genius. Confronted in a cemetery by a psychiatrist, he slowly allows her to peel away the secrets of his past. Emphasis on allows, because unlike his TV counterpart, here Peacemaker knows exactly what he’s doing at all times, completely in control.
Bounced around the foster care system after his birth family died in horrific circumstances, Smith’s experiences layer on top of each other in cascades of violence. He uses his abilities for good — but after reading this book, it’s even harder to call him a hero. Even if you agree with what he’s done.
Brown keeps the present day conversation between Smith and the psychiatrist almost serene, though his style keeps the atmosphere gritty. He lets loose in the flashbacks, bolder, brighter, and wild when needed. He’s a worthy match for Ennis’ plotting. And if there’s just a touch of John Cena in the portrayal, all the better.
But again, this isn’t the same Peacemaker. I’m not even sure it’s a version of the Peacemaker appearing in Suicide Squad comics right now. Releasing it as a Black Label book makes it likely its own thing. Though the book disturbed me — with a devastating punchline — Ennis and Brown’s take could be interesting if it continues.
