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Slumber, Volume 1
We all have nightmares. What if you could pay somebody to enter your dreams and shoot that nightmare in the goddamn face? That’s where Stetson comes in. She’s a nightmare hunter. A dream detective. She enters her clients’ dreams through a door, investigates their dreamscape, and kills their nightmares. Stetson’s past comes back to haunt her as she tracks down a nightmare serial killer responsible for the mysterious death of her daughter.
Collects SLUMBER # 1-6
Collects SLUMBER # 1-6
176 pages, Paperback
First published October 18, 2022
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129 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 12, 2024
Sleep Demon vs Nightmare Killer.
If you have a recurring nightmare you can come to this agency and their team (which includes a ghoul) will take care of it for you.
You go to sleep on the couch hooked up to wires and they open a science-y kind of magic door that allows them to go in and take out your nightmare.
Our main character is the woman who goes in there with the ghoul and kills the nightmares. She's looking for some specific demon that killed (?) her daughter.
Things start to happen when they find a trail to this nightmare creature in one of her client's dreams and spoilery stuff ensues.
The story wasn't bad, but it was somewhat scatty. And to be honest, there was something about the art style that irritated me when I looked at it. <--I can't explain it better than that, sorry.
I might continue with this one...but probably not.
If you have a recurring nightmare you can come to this agency and their team (which includes a ghoul) will take care of it for you.
You go to sleep on the couch hooked up to wires and they open a science-y kind of magic door that allows them to go in and take out your nightmare.
Our main character is the woman who goes in there with the ghoul and kills the nightmares. She's looking for some specific demon that killed (?) her daughter.
Things start to happen when they find a trail to this nightmare creature in one of her client's dreams and spoilery stuff ensues.
The story wasn't bad, but it was somewhat scatty. And to be honest, there was something about the art style that irritated me when I looked at it. <--I can't explain it better than that, sorry.
I might continue with this one...but probably not.
November 4, 2022
Aren't dreams weird, guys? Maybe, but never in the way entertainment tends to depict dreams, this book included. Dream logic is just weird logic, but still logic. They're not nearly as random as people tend to think.
Anyway, there's a bad entity thingy haunting people's dreams, forcing said people to murder loved ones, what those people then can't even remember happening.
And we have our heroes, who run a company through which they can enter people's dreams and then kill nightmares.
The bad entity thing looks like most comic monsters these days - black and scratchy, red eyes, not actually frightening at all.
But there's also some fun to be had, some snappy dialogue, a plot that tootles along, even if it isn't very gripping.
The art is.. messy? A bit too sketchy and scratchy for my tastes, but not bad either.
It all ends on cliffhangers for each of our heroes, which I'm not a fan of, but you might not mind it.
(Picked up an ARC through Edelweiss)
Anyway, there's a bad entity thingy haunting people's dreams, forcing said people to murder loved ones, what those people then can't even remember happening.
And we have our heroes, who run a company through which they can enter people's dreams and then kill nightmares.
The bad entity thing looks like most comic monsters these days - black and scratchy, red eyes, not actually frightening at all.
But there's also some fun to be had, some snappy dialogue, a plot that tootles along, even if it isn't very gripping.
The art is.. messy? A bit too sketchy and scratchy for my tastes, but not bad either.
It all ends on cliffhangers for each of our heroes, which I'm not a fan of, but you might not mind it.
(Picked up an ARC through Edelweiss)
October 18, 2022
I loved this collection of the first six volumes of Slumber. I thought it was an interesting concept and the illustrations are great. I plan on continuing reading this series.
October 24, 2022
The nightmares be real and they make you do horrible things.
It was an interesting consept, but all in all I wasn't feeling it.
It was an interesting consept, but all in all I wasn't feeling it.
Read
November 4, 2022One of the better junior graphic novels series of the past few years has been a spread focusing on children who are able to enter sleeping people's minds, eradicate causes of nightmares, and get out – with difficulty at times, and with an ulterior, big-arc, motive. Fingers are so crossed I see the final chunk of The Nightmare Brigade, however short of its potential it may sometimes fall. Before then, this adult version, which it has to be said plays fast and loose with the usual meaning of 'adult' at times. And what a disappointment it is – in fact, seeing as this was waaaay inferior to the kids' book, and a clear second, I found little motivation to finish the thing. All it proved was that by adding certain Skottie Young-isms to a fine kids book didn't make for a gripper the way it was intended.
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October 11, 2022From the writer of Kung Fury, which was obviously what grabbed my attention, though in places the plot is a whisker away from being one of those serious, anonymous Image books you forget as soon as you finish them, with normal people becoming murderous in their sleep versus a team who get rid of nightmares by going into your dreams and fucking that scary clown right up. Still, even if it can't always maintain the ludicrous tone for which I'd hoped, there are definitely moments:
"They say, 'If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.' That may be true in waking life, but in here we're the hand, and we just removed the lemon."
"Yeah, that doesn't make sense."
A bigger contribution to the mood, though, comes from Vanessa Cardinali's art. On the misfiring Golem Of Venice Beach she was lumbered with the meat and potatoes stretches of a story whose shortcomings were better obscured by the moodier looks of the artists on the flashbacks &c. Here she can cut loose, and turns out to have a real Kyle Starks, Skottie Young sort of madcap energy.
(Edelweiss ARC)
"They say, 'If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.' That may be true in waking life, but in here we're the hand, and we just removed the lemon."
"Yeah, that doesn't make sense."
A bigger contribution to the mood, though, comes from Vanessa Cardinali's art. On the misfiring Golem Of Venice Beach she was lumbered with the meat and potatoes stretches of a story whose shortcomings were better obscured by the moodier looks of the artists on the flashbacks &c. Here she can cut loose, and turns out to have a real Kyle Starks, Skottie Young sort of madcap energy.
(Edelweiss ARC)
August 14, 2024
molto molto caruccio
October 24, 2022
The story takes a tired trope (murders committed in a trance, hunting for a serial killer) and puts just enough of a twist on it to make it fresh. Four stars because as fun as it is, with a little more innovation it could transcend the genre it sits in. Right now it remains just an above par entry. I hope the keep writing more issues, it is fun and has tons of potential.
October 11, 2022
Stetson is a “dream eater.” She makes her living by entering the dreaming mind of clients and “killing” their nightmares. When a series of mysterious and highly irregular murders happen in the real world, the police develop a hunch that Stetson might be involved, or – at a minum – know something they don’t. And it soon becomes clear that it’s not just a job for her; there’s some sort of personal stakes or vendetta driving her.
I got hooked on this book. The art is colorful and fun and plays well with the imaginative and amusing surreality of the dream world. The story was well-crafted and offered a satisfying and pleasurable read. If you’re into surreal speculative fiction that deals in dreams and nightmares, it’s worth looking into this book.
I got hooked on this book. The art is colorful and fun and plays well with the imaginative and amusing surreality of the dream world. The story was well-crafted and offered a satisfying and pleasurable read. If you’re into surreal speculative fiction that deals in dreams and nightmares, it’s worth looking into this book.
October 3, 2022
Dream investigator Stetson and her team are on the hunt for a nightmare-dwelling serial killer - just a normal day at the office, right?
I can't even remember what made me check this one out - it could have been the off-kilter set-up, which is kind of like Inception on acid, or Vanessa Cardinali's spindly artwork that contrasted the real world sequences beautifully with the zanier dreamworld stuff, but those were definitely two of the big factors in my continuing to read it after the first issue.
It doesn't hurt that grumpy Stetson is a fun character to follow, with a big heart hidden under the gruff exterior (because of course). Her supporting cast are also fun, including a little goblin man that I wanted to hug, and a put-upon police officer who's trying to deal with everything in the real world without acknowledging any of this dream nonsense, because we all know that's how nonsense works.
Slumber's interesting premise and compelling characters keeps the enjoyment rolling through these first six issues before turning everything on its head in the final pages to keep us coming back for more. An impressive debut for all involved, and certainly not one to sleep on.
I can't even remember what made me check this one out - it could have been the off-kilter set-up, which is kind of like Inception on acid, or Vanessa Cardinali's spindly artwork that contrasted the real world sequences beautifully with the zanier dreamworld stuff, but those were definitely two of the big factors in my continuing to read it after the first issue.
It doesn't hurt that grumpy Stetson is a fun character to follow, with a big heart hidden under the gruff exterior (because of course). Her supporting cast are also fun, including a little goblin man that I wanted to hug, and a put-upon police officer who's trying to deal with everything in the real world without acknowledging any of this dream nonsense, because we all know that's how nonsense works.
Slumber's interesting premise and compelling characters keeps the enjoyment rolling through these first six issues before turning everything on its head in the final pages to keep us coming back for more. An impressive debut for all involved, and certainly not one to sleep on.
November 19, 2022
I dunno. The premise is sound, but the art is sketchy, and it's all quite chaotic.
ARC through Edelweiss
ARC through Edelweiss
October 23, 2022
trigger warning
When your dreams are full of neightmares and you can't rest at night, who you're gonna call?
This story is about a dream eater, a person who is out for the things that populate nightmares. But it's not about helping people, it's about revenge.
Took me a while to get into the weirdness of it all, and especially the illustration style that did not appeal to me at all in the beginning but that fits the narrative very well. It has the perfect length for the plot it contains, which is something I always admire - so many artists either drag things out or are pressured to cut it short, so the story feels rushed.
Expect lots of gore.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
When your dreams are full of neightmares and you can't rest at night, who you're gonna call?
This story is about a dream eater, a person who is out for the things that populate nightmares. But it's not about helping people, it's about revenge.
Took me a while to get into the weirdness of it all, and especially the illustration style that did not appeal to me at all in the beginning but that fits the narrative very well. It has the perfect length for the plot it contains, which is something I always admire - so many artists either drag things out or are pressured to cut it short, so the story feels rushed.
Expect lots of gore.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
April 6, 2024
Lo stile di disegno e’ molto liquido (soprattutto nelle anatomie) e il design dei diversi mondi onirici e’ accattivanti. Tutto il contrario e’ la storia, che vorrebbe essere sia divertente che una sentita riflessione sul dolore della perdita di una figlia ma alla fine risulta solo una collezione di personaggi, situazioni e battute trite e superficiali.
Numerose citazioni al mondo del cinema e della letteratura: la premessa ricorda Inception, l’uso della porta come collegamento ad altri mondi Monsters and Co, c’è una cit al mostro de Il Labirinto del Fauno e uno degli aiutanti della protagonista e’ palesemente plasmato sulle fattezze di Edgar Allan Poe.
Numerose citazioni al mondo del cinema e della letteratura: la premessa ricorda Inception, l’uso della porta come collegamento ad altri mondi Monsters and Co, c’è una cit al mostro de Il Labirinto del Fauno e uno degli aiutanti della protagonista e’ palesemente plasmato sulle fattezze di Edgar Allan Poe.
November 1, 2022
I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.
This was an interesting concept. It takes the idea of nightmares and the hidden corners of the mind and expands on how they can influence the waking world. I thought it was interesting how the two searches came together.
The color differences between the waking world and the dreaming world were very interesting. I thought it was interesting how even with the worst dreams, the colors were more bright and primary.
The way the story was left unresolved, left me waiting for what happens next.
This was an interesting concept. It takes the idea of nightmares and the hidden corners of the mind and expands on how they can influence the waking world. I thought it was interesting how the two searches came together.
The color differences between the waking world and the dreaming world were very interesting. I thought it was interesting how even with the worst dreams, the colors were more bright and primary.
The way the story was left unresolved, left me waiting for what happens next.
April 10, 2023
a woman who runs a nightmare removal business has the ability to enter into people's dreams and murder their nightmares - meanwhile the cops in the awake world are confounded by a rash of killings committed by people who claim to have been asleep. this was great! very fun and weird and delightfully violent, with grief and the desire for revenge driving the protag's existence. the nightmares themselves were wonderfully, charmingly bananas and visually gorgeous.. def recommend, I'm looking forward to the next volume. 5/5
March 24, 2024
OK horror comic series about nightmares and how to be rid of them - quite good.
Stetson's job is ridding people of the causes of their nightmares but she has a longer term plan. The series deals with her thirst for revenge and this involves quite a few characters. Not being a great fan of this type of comic series didn't help but the plot was reasonably interesting. I'm not much of a fan either of the cartoon nature of the artwork which was colourful but not particularly detailed and sometimes unclear. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Stetson's job is ridding people of the causes of their nightmares but she has a longer term plan. The series deals with her thirst for revenge and this involves quite a few characters. Not being a great fan of this type of comic series didn't help but the plot was reasonably interesting. I'm not much of a fan either of the cartoon nature of the artwork which was colourful but not particularly detailed and sometimes unclear. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 5, 2023
Borrowed and read through the #hoopla app via Carnegie Library's. The concept is simple, what if someone could kill your nightmares? Answer might be they start killing you back. A serial killer and supernatural thriller, I am sadly left waiting for volume 2 to find out what happens next. Recommended for true crime and vengeance fans.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2023
I really loved this, if you’re already a fan of the stuff Image comics does you’ll probably love this. Great colors and while the art style seems goofy it makes the horror elements that much more shocking. In the end it’s about how fears are created, and how we cope.
August 4, 2023
Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. Read the summary somewhere else. I'm not repeating it.
Loved the art and the very different style between real life and dream life. Story is interesting. Execution could be a bit tighter. Hoping it gets better with that in future volumes.
Loved the art and the very different style between real life and dream life. Story is interesting. Execution could be a bit tighter. Hoping it gets better with that in future volumes.
August 22, 2023
Le dessin est pas mal. C'est drôle. L'héroïne est loin des standards, ni trop belle, ni trop badass, assez sombre.
Un petit mélange entre Trese et Tony chu.
Je vais vite lire la suite, je suis prise dedans !
Un petit mélange entre Trese et Tony chu.
Je vais vite lire la suite, je suis prise dedans !
October 31, 2024
Folle e non così originale. Un po matrix un po inception e un po monsters and co. Una stella in più per i disegni ispirati, con splendido uso dei colori e i caratteri cartonoosi. Alcuni personaggi sono ben caratterizzati e risultano simpatici e profondi. Una spanna sotto a I Kill Giants
October 30, 2022
Very interested in reading the sequel...
Review submitted to Diamond Bookshelf for potential professional publication.
Review submitted to Diamond Bookshelf for potential professional publication.
April 7, 2023
Found this to be extremely visually interesting and quite funny in a way that comics don’t normally do for me! Will definitely check out volume 2.
Want to read
September 8, 2023We all have nightmares. What if you could pay somebody to enter your dreams and shoot that nightmare in the goddamn face?
hellllo
hellllo
April 12, 2024
This was simply fun. The art nor story are what I'd consider stunning. But I'm glad I read it.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews