Anghus Houvouras reviews The Dream Merchant #1…
Ahhhhh discovery. It’s always nice to stumble into a title. Maybe something that you hadn’t previously heard of or weren’t even aware of it’s existence. And then fortune turns you in the right direction and you find yourself reading a fantastic comic that you might not ever have picked up.
It was Free Comic Book Day and I went to my local comic shop (Memory Lane Comics, Wilmington NC). There was a great crowd and a lot of fun stuff going on. At the back of the shop were some comic creators including writer Nathan Edmonson and artist Mitch Gerard promoting their Image title The Activity. After talking comics for a few minutes Nathan asked me if I’d heard about his new title The Dream Merchant. And like the brutally honest, tactless bore I tend to be, I blurted out “Nope.”
After reading the first issue, I’m glad I stumbled onto The Dream Merchant.
This is great reading. The kind of comic that perfectly blends prose and pencils into a fantastic fable. The story centers on Winslow, a perplexed soul haunted by a recurring dream that has driven him to a mental institution. He has been plagued with a condition causing an inability to distinguish waking states from dream states. He has a problem with reality, one that has haunted him his entire life.
His institutional life is the kind of benign existence that no one apsires to. There are kindred spirits among him, and even a friendly employee named Anna who has taken an interest in his plight. But nothing changes the fact that Winslow cannot escape the prison of his dreams. During a regressive therapy session, Winslow delves deeper into his recurring dream and realizes he might not be the only on there. Three cloaked figures appear and follow him from his dream and into reality.
The Dream Merchant is wonderfully cinematic. A great fantasy story that makes an inspired use of every panel and page. Artist Konstantin Novosadov creates a colorful world and expressive characters. His work reminded me of Disney animatics. Still drawings strung together to make a moving image. The art perfectly connects to Edmonson’s well executed script.
This is a near perfect first issue. You get the set up, a healthy dose of characterization, and a fantastic cliffhanger leading you into the next issue. The Dream Merchant #1 (of 6) is easily my favorite surprise of 2013, and a highly entertaining read.
Anghus Houvouras is a North Carolina based writer and filmmaker. His latest work, the graphic novel EXE: Executable File, is available from Lulu.com.
Originally published May 14, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
