Slumber #1 shows readers their nightmares in a heady, psychedelic journey of murder and mayhem with a twist that will keep them reading.
Published by Image Comics, Slumber is a new tale of horror and suspense where nightmares become real. In a fast-moving world where an overflow of information keeps people perpetually immersed, dreams let the brain shuffle through memories and organize complicated thoughts. When people experience stress or anxiety, however, the dark thoughts festering in the corners of their minds become the nucleus of nightmares. What happens if these night terrors materialize into real threats? What if they can hurt people not only in the subconscious but also in the real world? The only person who stands in the way of these murderous nightmares is Stetson, a dream hunter protecting people from the clawing hands of these intrusive invaders in Slumber #1.
Slumber #1, written by Tyler Burton Smith with artwork from Vanessa Cardinali, follows Stetson, a dream detective specializing in hunting down nightmares. She runs the Dream Healer, a rundown back-alley service where she enters a client’s subconscious as they sleep and destroys the monstrosities from within. While Stetson is adept at her job, there is one nightmare that eludes her. An evil entity named Valkira manipulates people in their sleep to murder others. As Stetson tracks down this monster, the cops investigate a homicide scene in Queens. The perpetrator has left a message for the dream detective painted in the victim’s blood, and Stetson herself finds a clue to the killer.
Slumber #1 precisely encapsulates a nightmare’s feeling of unease, like a caged animal gnawing and scratching around at the edges of one’s mind. Writer Tyler Burton Smith, known for his work on the 2019 reboot of Child’s Play and the upcoming Kung Fury: The Movie, gives his wild imaginations a bloody, nightmarish outlet. The narrative splits into parallel storylines, one following Stetson and the other following police detective Finch. The exposition comes through naturally in Smith’s storytelling. The backstories and motivations of the characters are never exposed outright, which keeps up the suspense. As Stetson eliminates new threats in dreams, she finds contrasts in her real-life that give the book a melancholic tone.
Some may say that the colorful and caricature-esque artwork of Slumber #1 works in juxtaposition with the gruesome themes of the book. However, the simplicity of the wide-eyed expressions and liberal ink hatchings in this supernatural horror book are evocative in their own right. Artist Vanessa Cardinali takes the reader on a psychedelic journey through surreal art as the worlds of dreams and nightmares collide. The designs for the terrors draw inspiration from modern pop culture and zombie tropes, even making references to The Beatles and David Bowie’s Jareth the Goblin King. The execution of the action sequences and remarkable paneling infuse great energy into the artwork. Cardinali uses muted color tones to represent the dryness of the physical realm and bright shades of magenta and ochre to bring out the madness of the dreamworld.
Slumber #1 is a cocktail of steady-paced plot and end-to-end suspense that mixes genres of paranormal horror with crime drama to form a uniquely haunting tale. The issue progresses like a police procedural, with two detectives from different worlds approaching the cases from their respective points of view. Despite the intense storytelling, there are quiet moments of introspection and flashes of a dark past that add depth. Factoring in the wacky style of the artwork, the book delivers a sublime experience. Slumber #1 ends on a shocking plot twist that will not only shape the future of the series but will also ensure readers’ interest.
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