Poet Anderson #2by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 7 Jonas and his brother enter the dream world again, immediately getting caught by Dream Walkers and then REM himself, who lashes out at the brothers in the waking world in hopes of gaining control of Jonas's Poet powers.Wow. Their dad wears a coat with tails and a bowler hat? Stylish, but it seems so out of place considering the real-world fashion we've seen on the boys. I love the twist regarding their mom's job. The order of things revealing that twist is very well done, keeping us in the dark till the last minute. I was pleasantly shocked by the twist and then dismayed at what that means given the current circumstances. It's a fairly common trope to have the kids orphaned in order to become saviors -- and this comic truly utilizes the nightmarish nature of that prospect to the fullest. The slap-in-the-face of it is appropriately harsh, but I can't help feeling like things were a bit rushed to this point and that more backstory (and more time in the dream world) would have been beneficial. I appreciate the visuals of the haloes / souls for the Dream Walkers and the dark counterparts for the Night Stalkers. I also appreciate that REM can use these. I'm still unclear on why they're visible, why Jonas and his brother don't visibly have them, and why REM doesn't use the haloes of Night Stalkers the way he uses those of the Dream Walkers. I'm also confused why REM seems surprised to capture a Dream Walker female. Are female Dream Walkers rare? If so, do Night Stalkers have more females to balance things out? I hope this comic isn't going to imply (indirectly or otherwise) that males are more likely to be dreamers (artists, thinkers, those with active imagination, creators, etc) than females; I mention this because the seeming rarity of a female, coupled with a male having the strongest power (Poet) looks to be leaning that way (and Ayo is not enough on her own to counter-balance that). I like the hints of history regarding who / what REM is (and has been to other cultures); however, having him as a campfire story seems odd. That, coupled with the dad's attire versus that of the boys, makes it hard to nail down a setting. It doesn't seem futurist or historical; perhaps it's an alternate reality? The art continues to be wonderful. It's not as visually stunning as the first issue, but we're not getting to see any "dream" aspects in this issue. This is a strong second issue that pushes the plot ahead almost forcefully, but I'm keenly interested in what happens next! There is also some information at the end of this issue about the animated movie. Written: July 31, 2015
|
|
|
Home |
Features |
Columns |
Culture Vultures |
Report Card
Indicia | Contact | Archives © Sequential Tart, 1998 – 2021 |
