A Review of Dream Master #1

Dream Master #1
Jonathan Hedrick words
Luigi Barricelli art
Rubin Curto colors
DC Hopkins letters
From Blackbox Comics

You get that sleep paralysis? Suffer from waking nightmares? Too much sugar before bed? Peep this solicit, friends:

There is a forgotten paladin who protects us from our nightmares while we sleep. Without him, we may never wake up again. He is the Dream Master. His curse is to guard our unconscious bodies from an evil entity who wishes to enter our reality, collapsing it for all eternity.

I’m sure Jonathan Hedrick is tired of hearing it, but after reading the Recount–a very stellar political thriller–I knew I’d be reading any comic with his name on the cover. This decision has yet to let me down, and I’m quite glad I followed him into this chaotic, albeit gorgeous, dream realm.

“It is a nightmare… and it is very real.”

In comics, it’s nice to know we have heroes looking after us in these fictional cities; however, we don’t have many heroes that look after our slumbering bodies. Thanks to Hedrick’s wild imagination, we now have a pearlescent masked hero ready to guide us through our most dangerous nightmares.

Hedrick’s nightmare realm is infinitely enhanced by Luigi Barricelli’s artwork. The fauna and creatures we briefly stumble across make the gears in my mind spin in excitement. It’s all very alien and intriguing, heightened by increasing tension from the dangers lurking in every turn of the page. 

I really dug how the narrative warns us to be weary of what we find beautiful. If we can’t trust our dreams, and we can’t believe our eyes, how do we proceed through this treacherous realm? These elements greatly amplify both pacing and tension as we thumb our way through Dream Master’s wonderful first issue.

Another great element to Dream Master is its colorist, Rubin Curto. Curto’s palette is wild and vibrant. It pastes a magical layer to every page and makes you want to explore the world even as the narrative begs you to stay on its beaten path. The Dream Master, himself, tends to alter his pigmentation. It’s very mystical and fresh, and I really dig the look it provides. The stark contrast to deep, scalding reds in the big bad reveal works too. Curto understands the assignment, and the audience’s mood, and instructs us to tread wearily as this story progresses. 

Speaking of understanding assignments, DC Hopkins is on lettering duty, and every letter is handled with care. The pages look great, and nothing hinders the in-panel craziness. 

Dream Master #1 is definitely worthy of a spot on your pull list. This introductory issue has so much going for it, and I’m BUZZING with anticipation to see where this creative team takes us in the issues to come. This is also a reminder to keep your eyes on Blackbox Comics. They’re pushing boundaries and producing great books. 

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