Reading this comic, it seems familiar. I keep getting the feeling I've read it before, then I realise - I have not only read it, but reviewed it for the then silverbulletcomicsbooks site. Perhaps, drawn in by the sucessfull webcomic, IDW have decided to republish This comic from the beginning,
Still, I liked it then and I still like it now. The enchanting story of a mans return to his childhood fantasy land has more than a hint of later Peter pan stuff about it, but it's carried off with such grace and panache that you quickly forget yourself and lose yourself in the unfolding adventure.
Essentually, on his return to "Dreamland", his childhood magic dream world (or so he thought), Alex starts to discover all is not well in the place. Initially treated as a stranger and then....ah but I've gotten carried away and am starting to reveal the plot.
But, it's a title to carry you away. With both a sense of innocence and darkness about it, the title's strength lies in it's abillity to maintain the balance between the two opposing feelings. It's this balance that keeps you captivated.
The art is...absent, what we have instead are beautifully rendered 3D images of well created models, with Photoshop effects to apply depth of field and so on.
It works well, and I can understand the point - artists are a pain in the arse. When not completing work on time and in some cases, at all, they keep expecting to be paid. That's marvellous if you're a publisher with a guarantee of some success and a bank balance to finance it, but what if you're a lone wolf writer in a job, struggling to get by and get your work out there? You can't get it published by any companies, because it lacks the art, yet you can't get it drawn, except by initially enthuisiastic amateurs (whose enthuisiam is limited in reality) because you can't afford to pay for it.
If you have a gift with 3D modelling, here's a solution. Model everything and render the comic in 3D. It works. Everything in Dreamland Chronicles look good. My one criticism is that it's been a few years since these renderings were originally done and 3d technology has come a long way since then, so it would've been worth updating some of the renders.
Still. That's minor, The Dreamland Chronicles is engaging and quality, especially if you're trying to reawake the kid inside.
10