Creative Staff:
Story: Jai Nitz
Art: Greg Smallwood
What They Say:
At the worst possible moment, John Lincoln gets possessed by another ghost! His daring prison-break plans take an unexpected detour as the Dream Thief and the spirit of his father take on a nasty drug dealer . . . and see a familiar face!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
There’s an old saying that Man plans and Gods laugh. It holds true more often than not, but when you’re a Dream Thief, it seems especially so.
John Lincoln is a Dream Thief, just like his father. Sometimes when he falls asleep a ghost possesses his body to use as a vehicle to enact his/her revenge. John can be out for days in this somnambulist state, which can be problematic enough, but it turns especially so when it occurs on the day when he needs to sign papers to get his father (whose spirit is currently possessing a different body) out of a maximum security penitentiary. Can John’s best friend stop the ghost from ruining John’s one chance to save his father and learn just what a Dream Thief actually is, or will his best laid plans go awry?
Dream Thief is a title that consistently fires on all cylinders: it takes a pretty standard possession trope and makes it new and mysterious; it presents nuanced, interesting characters; and it manages to move at top speed without ever slowing down or neglecting essential moments of exposition, or plot and character development.
In addition to that, this is a series where the writing and the art complement each other beautifully. Smallwood’s style brings a feverish, dreamlike quality to the story which matches, highlights, and enhances the story’s plot and tone. I’ve mentioned this before, but Dream Thief is one of those titles that I point to when I want to talk about comics as an art form, because it’s created by two people who know how to play to the medium’s strengths.
This issue presents a new perspective on the story, where we get to meet the ghost. Before, the ghost takes over and John wakes up once the vengeance has been enacted, but this time we get to see what happens when John is possessed, thanks to his best friend, Reggie, who has the unenviable task of stopping John and convincing the spirit to hold off his revenge long enough to get John’s father out of prison. One of the aspects that makes this sun a fun wrinkle is that it doesn’t play out like one would expect: with the ghost refusing, getting free, and Reggie having to race the clock to either help the ghost exact his revenge so he will leave, or forcing the ghost to follow him to the prison. Instead the ghost turns out to be pretty affable and helps him out of the goodness of his heart.
Not only does this break narrative expectations, but it does so in a way that feels organic to the plot and characters. It doesn’t stink of the “this would be so cool” impetus that ruins so many potentially good stories.
In Summary:
Dream Thief is a comic that never disappoints. The writing and the art work together beautifully to weave a hazy, feverish mystery full of ghosts, family secrets, and revenge. Highly recommended.
Grade: A+
Age Rating: N/A
Released By: Dark Horse
Release Date: August 27th, 2014
MSRP: $3.99
