Dream Police #1by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 9 Joe Thursday and his partner are Dream Police in the Dreamscape, making sure the rules are followed. Tonight includes a changeling trying to spice things up, and a lucid dreamer that can only be subdued back to a waking state by nightmares.The title sounded interesting, and, flipping through it, it looked like a good read. I am so glad I gave it a try. The Dreamscape is the world where all our dreams, good and bad, take place. There are beings there that play the characters that interact with us, build the sets, and enforce the rules. There are also beings called nightmares, which have an obvious job. I really like the dichotomy of the beings that only exist in the dreamscape and the dreamers that visit it when asleep. It makes for a unique read! I'm especially curious about Joe's partner, both because he doesn't seem to remember things and because he changes at the end (a point which Joe either takes in stride or doesn't notice because of being in the Dreamscape). I love the discussion (with a dragon) about dragons in dreams. The cat playing up his role is awesome. The cat incident, and Joe's way of handling it, tells us so much about this world, its rules, and its characters. The lucid dreamer also reveals much about this world and about death dreams. While the cat incident provides humor, the lucid dreamer provides danger and action, so this issue has a nice mix. One of my favorite aspects are the nightmares. Their design is simple yet creepy, and I love the black word balloons with white text and borders. I also like that the fear they create is amplified for the reader by not seeing what the lucid dreamer sees. I appreciate the difference in reaction to them from Joe, his partner, the changeling (cat), and the lucid dreamer. These are obviously very powerful beings, and it's interesting how they seem to both work within the rules and be above them. The restaurant scene is another favorite. The range of changes it undergoes seems fun and weird; I love the last change and how the police are used to it rather than grossed out. Dream Police was an unexpectedly fun comic! It's got a bit of the feel of older cop shows (the writer indicates a love for cop shows from the 1960s in his notes at the end), and mix of dark and whimsical natures. I like the use of different fonts for different characters. The art and coloring are excellent, capturing unique yet realistic designs and the fantasy of dreams.The only drawback is that I don't have a feel for the overarching plot from this first issue. However, even without that, I enjoyed it enough to want issue #2. Written: June 14, 2014
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