Sometimes you just want a break from the usual Marvel or DC superhero fare, and when those times come one looks toward the smaller publishers. This time I set my gazes on Dark Horse Comics and in its dark eyes I saw Dream Thief. With mysterious dead bodies, stolen Australian artifacts, and an Alex Ross cover, this looks like a recipe for success. Find out how it fares in this Major Spoilers review!
DREAM THIEF #1
Story: Jai Nitz
Art: Greg Smallwood
Cover: Alex Ross
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
AN UNEXPECTED DREAM
With a name like Dream Thief, I expected a book about the thieving of dreams, but instead we get one about a twenty-something degenerate who starts murdering people in his sleep then wakes up wearing an Australian mask he is pretty sure he stole from a museum while high. I was genuinely surprised with the story, I really could not predict what was going to happen next, and that is a rare thing for me that really pulls me into the story. The main character was completely unlikeable, just in every aspect he was a scumbag, which is a risky choice. If you make the character too much of an asshole then no one will care about him, or anything he does, and your story will ultimately fail. But Dream Thief strikes a really nice spot that makes him just enough of an asshole that I do not like him, but not that I am completely rooting against him. The little information we are given about the explanation for his mysterious murders is also pretty morally ambiguous, and as a result is really interesting. Also the information we are given is such a tease that I can’t help but feel enticed to learn more.
DREAMY
The art is just absolutely amazing in this series. Every panel is gorgeous, but the real genius lies in the layout and choices in how the art portrays information. There is a scene where the protagonist is hurt and the parts of him that are in pain are shown in x-ray with little red lightning bolts indicating pain. There is another scene that shows two different people performing murders and it keeps flipping between the two from panel to panel, and its just gorgeous, especially for a smaller title. This book also probably has the best use of sound effects I have ever seen in a comic, they do things I never even imagined being done with them.
BOTTOM LINE: CHECK IT OUT
Its different, it has an interesting story, and it has fantastic art. If you were looking for a new series to read, you cannot do much better than Dream Thief as far as first issues go.
[rating: 4/5]DID YOU READ THIS ISSUE? RATE IT!
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