Only he's a Charlie Brown for whom the cruelty and jeers over the years have planted the seeds for revenge against those who have wronged him. This serves him well in a postapocalyptic world in which he now has a cybernetic arm, a big gun and an attitude that's a cross between the Terminator and a primary character in "Sin City."
No longer a blockhead, Weapon Brown thinks nothing of punching a defenseless bum, roughing up someone for information, slapping a whore, cursing like a sailor or threatening to feed someone's fingers to his dog Snoopy and giving him their tongue for desert.
In this world, Lucy is known as the diabolical "Dr. Van Pelt"; Peppermint Patty runs a whorehouse and puts on a show with Marcy in front of Weapon Brown to show how much she cares for him; Schroeder is a broken-down piano player; and Linus is the man behind a cult that makes Jim Jones' Jonestown look like a family picnic.
What about Sally and the Little Red-Headed Girl? Ah, that would be telling.
Despite the adult themes and violence, Yungbluth keeps the book witty. Perhaps the funniest commentary on a character's stature - or lack thereof - is when Weapon asks who the "muscle" is outside of Patty's office and she responds, "Franklin? He's a 'Negro.' Don't ask. I've never seen another one around here."
"Peanuts" fans should also enjoy warped takes on Linus' blanket, Charlie Brown kicking the football, the kite-eating tree and the "Great Pumpkin."
As jarring as these takes may be, there is something familiar and fitting in their portrayals. Whether it's a bisexual Peppermint Patty, Lucy as a mad psychiatrist or Linus as a silver-tongued cult leader, Yungbluth makes these characters recognizable not just for their physical appearance but for the paths they have taken in life.
