Dream Thief #1 Review

Story: Jai Nitz
Art & Lettering: Greg Smallwood
Cover: Alex Ross
Editor: Patrick Thorpe
Asst. Editor: Everett Patterson
Designer: Adam Grano
Production: Allyson Haller

Publisher: Dark Horse
Cover Date: May 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

“What would you do if you woke up in a strange room and didn’t know where you were, or what you’d done the night before to get there?”

So begins the first issue of a 5 part mini series by Jai Nitz & Greg Smallwood.

Things seem to be falling apart in John Lincoln’s life; being in between jobs and a recent burglary at his girlfriend’s place have left things unstable between them. Things only get stranger after he steals an Aboriginal mask from a museum.

What follows is a very well written crime story woven with a supernatural edge. Whenever John Lincoln falls asleep, he becomes a vessel for revenge from a recently deceased spirit – becoming a dream-state superhero of sorts.  He also retains the memories and abilities of the person by whom he was possessed. Which makes for an interesting twist in the story.

Jai Nitz really creates a compelling story in this first issue. The characterization of John Lincoln at the start is one of an unfocused individual, but by the time the first chapter comes to a close, you’d be hard pressed not to think of him as a highly trained killer. Even though he never was before.

Greg Smallwood does a fantastic job with his art of setting the mood for the issue, sometimes incorporating the lettering as part of the artwork – something that John Workman does alongside Walt Simonson’s art. His panel layouts are varied and don’t repeat themselves throughout the narrative. It works perfectly within the story and his art style is uniquely tied in with his layouts & colors.

The first issue clearly doesn’t give away much of the story, but we get enough from the author to be engrossed by it. Once you reach the last page, you’ll definitely want to come back for a second issue.

– The Comic Book Critic