Parasomnia #2

Parasomnia #2

Dark Horse Comics 2021

Created & Written by Cullen Bunn

Created & Illustrated by Andrea Mutti

Lettered by Simon Bowland

In a twisted dream world, a nameless stranger battles nightmares in his hunt for his missing son—while in the waking world, the boy's parents find their lives falling apart under the onslaught of hopelessness and insidious cultists.

I am highly intrigued by this issue and what we learn here. With the man who cannot remember his name and in one world while being seen as a homeless bum in the real world it is almost understandable why he’s confused in both. There is something about the dichotomy of the two men that really resonates with me as a reader and while I cannot quite place my finger on why it most certainly is there. I also like the introduction of new characters such as Kahnawake who is to serve as his guide and confidant while on his otherworldly journey. I think it is pretty genius in how we see the world explained without a solid explanation but rather in these general almost cryptic terminology so that the interest and intrigue factors keep rising. That there is something inherently interesting about the way this is being told and how we see the dynamics across the board that captures and keeps hold of the readers own imagination and creativity.

I am very much enjoying the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. The character development we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react tot eh situations and circumstances which they encounter continues to flesh these characters out beautifully.

I am very impressed with the way that this is being structured and how we see the layers within the story continue to grow, evolve and strengthen as well as new ones emerge. The layers contain the characterisation, the new character introductions and the plot twists and whether these work with the main arc or simply swirl around it they all add this depth, dimension and complexity to the story in some beautiful ways. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is achieved exceptionally well.

I love the work Andrea does on the interiors here. The man is so uber talented and there are moments like when we see the head with the skull, Kahnawake, and how the shape of is so anatomically correct that it’s almost frightening but in a good way. The linework is exceptional and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised ot create the detail work is extraordinary. Add in how we see the colour work and how that adds depth and dimension to the characters and backgrounds and it’s just one of the most sensational and glorious things to behold. The various hues and tones we see in the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows such a great understanding of how colour works and how to maximise its effects. That we see backgrounds utilised as we do makes me a happy camper and how they work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is magnificently rendered. How we see the utilisation of the page layouts with their angles and perspective show a masters eye for storytelling.

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This is an odd one and I love that as it definitely is outside the box thinking when it comes to the concept here. How we are seeing all the coalesce into what it will become keeps the interest levels high and the intrigue factor on overdrive as it engages and entertains the reader. With such intelligent writing and characterisation alongside these utterly brilliant interiors its safe to say this another notch on the lipstick case for these creators.