Review: DREAMLANDS #1: Lives and Epics
Reading time: 2 minutes
Dreamlands #1: Lives and Epics was funded on Kickstarter in 2020 and recently had issue two successfully funded as well. Created by the LoudMouse Crew (Thanos Kyratzis and Stelios Pliatsikas), a creative team originally from Greece and Scotland, this is the first of seven planned issues, featuring black-and-white art and the last remaining Human in the world.
The story follows Pernathoris, in the dead world of Dreamlands. He's the only Human survivor, along with all the stories that are left behind in a dead world. In a world of Dragons, Giants, and Dwarves, Pernathoris becomes a historian and a wizard. He spends his time collecting all the stories of the world in one book, the Ars Minastorum.
As always, we'll start with the art, and Stelios Pliatsikas provides us with a black-and-white delight. The style can come off as a bit rough at times which fits in well with the story being told. The environment shots are my favourite, with ruins and some displaced items that add a nice extra touch. This allows for some really creative pages (my favourite page spread below). There's a nice mixture of texture and shading to bring the pages to life, which I'd miss if this were in colour.
Story-wise, Thanos Kyratzis has created an interesting story that leaves a lot of intrigue and thought. With just one character in this story, Pernathoris has no one to talk to, no one to bounce ideas off or have any kind of banter. There's a talking crow at the beginning, but that feels like it's just his loneliness getting to him. Pernathoris is a character with deep thoughts and a desire to tell the stories of the world. We get his observations as he travels through the lands. He gets what's needed of him as he chronicles even trivial things, as he meets the dead and everything they were and what they could be. It's a fascinating way to tell a story that will only get wilder.
Dreamlands #1: Lives and Epics is something different, and I like different. It's like a eulogy for a dead world. Adding some fantasy elements like dragons and magic will allow for some incredible visuals. Using one character allows for a deep dive into who he is and how he thinks. It all makes for a good comic that demands a second read to really appreciate just what is going on and soak in the mystical journey through one man's eyes.
Rating: 4/5
Stelios Pliatsikas (w), Thanos Kyratzis (a) - LoudMouse Crew Gumroad
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