Broken Frontier

Alex Carter reunites with childhood friends in a world he thought merely existed in his head. Could Dreamland be real?

As a child, Alexander Carter had a rich dream life populated by wondrous creatures and daring adventurers. But after one fateful night, Alex never dreamed again….until now. A sword pendant from his childhood has reawakened his memories of the bizarre and fanciful Dreamland he used to visit. There, Alex reunites with the tiny fairy Kiwi and the dancing rock giant Paddington Rumblebottom. How could such a place really exist and what is the significance of the pendant that helps him dream?

And thus the all-ages fantasy renaissance marches on. The Dreamland Chronicles was one of the titles that marked the resurgence of this suddenly ubiquitous genre but it’s been about a year since the first issue was released from Astonish Comics. Now, thanks to the folks at Alias, the dream can continue.

What immediately struck me about this series (aside from the absolutely jaw-dropping digital artwork) was the sense of innocence and wonder that the story engenders. Dreamland truly looks like a world conceived by a child’s imagination, complete with magical beings, teddy bear villages, and a great deal of whimsical humor. As with many all-ages books, the comic is occasionally in danger of being too cute for words and losing its older more jaded readers. But creator Scott Christian Sava deftly counters that with irony and down-to-earth slang-filled dialogue that basks in the silliness of it all. The real world tension between Alex and his brother as well as the skeptical med student Nicole also add some moments of human interest to the plot. Combined with the mystery of the necklace and subtle hints of a wider dream world, there is much to keep readers coming back for more.

Chief among the factors that will hold fans’ attention is the truly spectacular artwork. Sava produces The Dreamland Chronicles entirely on a computer, giving the art the richly textured look of CG animation. The colorful and insanely detailed images in this comic could easily be mistaken for stills from a Pixar or Dreamworks cartoon. Sava blends the realism of the art with an appealing stylization and the facial contortions and body language of the characters lend a great deal to the storytelling.

If you only like serious and realistic stories then this book probably isn’t for you. But those in touch with their inner child (and if you’re reading comics, there’s a fairly good chance you’ve got one in there somewhere) will find The Dreamland Chronicles to be a welcome addition to the industry.