POET ANDERSON: THE DREAM WALKER #3 (of 3)
“” (22 pages) [no ads]
Created by: Tom DeLonge
Written by: Tom DeLonge & Ben Kull
Illustrated by: Djet
Covers by: Bengal; Djet
Publisher: Magnetic Press/To the Stars Media
Cover Price: $3.99
[Disclaimer: this issue shipped Aug. 19, 2015. However, it did not ship to my local comic shop until this week (Sept. 9, 2015) for reasons unknown. That’s three weeks overdue but it caught my eye so much that I wanted to tackle it. That being said, I wasn’t able to retrieve the other two issues but no matter since it was easy enough to pick up on the premise.]
Enormous output has been done to promote this series. I will post the credits later but for those of you out to lunch, Tom DeLonge is the former frontman of pop punk act Blink-182 and the voice behind super-group Angels & Airwaves. He obviously has other interests than making music. His co-writer Ben Kull and French artist Djet have created a unique modern piece.
Hamlet posited in his famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy this phrase: “…what dreams may come.” This is the magical realm where imagination is indeed mightier than reality. As a result, Rem (perhaps REM?) wants to retain absolute control over this realm. One major obstacle stands in his way – the Dream Walker known as Jonas Anderson nicknamed Poet for his extraordinary powers. Jonas and his brother Alan are both targets due to their inherent ability (from their mother) to remain completely aware of the dreamscape. Unfortunately, the boogie man is winning since he possessed their mother and made them orphans as a result.
The two scribes effectively execute the downward spiral the teens are experiencing. Their ally Ayo holds her own until she shuffles off this mortal coil. The boys have been put through the wringer! Thus, it is surprising (or not) that they readily head off with their new foster father and accept him despite his creepiness. They should have followed their instincts. REM has taken over the body of the dirty old man and has brought them to his domain.
It’s Alan’s first visit but Jonas is a repeat visitor. The shocking reveal of their parentage comes to light dark. The nightmarish overlord makes his intentions clear: take Poet under his wing and hone his skills of traveling between worlds. The extra incentive is preventing bodily harm to his blond-haired brother. Jonas succeeds and disappears. Alan will be retrieved soon enough but Ayo kicks the bucket. REM has time on his side. He is confident that the Poet will enhance his powers and come to accept him.
The two sibs put their feet on the ground and hit the road: they refuse to be wards of the system. Jonas has taken a step back – he can’t remember any previous dreams nor does he believe he’ll be able to ever again implying insomnia.
I don’t want to place any one genre on this book but it appeals to youth fiction as well as fantasy. The entire issue has a manga feel (and not just for the art). Big battles, dramatic developments, emotional episodes. The series deliberately has no resolution. The saga carries on in a novel co-written by Mr. DeLonge and Suzanne Young. The adage of only seven story types applies but Mssrs. Kull and DeLonge manage to add their own interpretation.
Djet Stéphane is heavily inspired by Japanese animation. The colours are the highlight: strong and bold in the foreground; lightly brushed in the background. The best depiction of the manga/animé aesthetic is Alan’s astounded expression when Jonas is snatched. Ayo is a formidable fighter. I’m a sucker for butt-kicking no-nonsense take-charge females. Despite just meeting her, she really grew on me. It’s most unfortunate she had to pass away. REM is an eerie elongated version of Death’s Head.
Ben Kull is not a name I recognized but I have seen his CV on IMDB. He has dabbled on both the big and small screens. Imagine my surprise in learning that POET ANDERSON was an animated short film first (15 minutes) released last year with him delivering the scrip and Mr. DeLonge co-directing with Edgar Martins and Sergio Martins. I must view it!! Many times it is difficult to determine the creator’s contribution when it involves a joint effort. I will not make any false assumptions. Ben and Tom focus on a tight-knit group of characters: four maximum, downsized to three. That’s it, that’s all.
I am unsure as to who did the lettering but I will state this: all the sound effects are delivered with aplomb or finesse. I had to squint a few times to catch a few. Luckily, I re-read like crazy!!
To the Stars, Inc. is an impressive enterprise sporting a sizeable site with varied interests: music, movies, accessories, apparel, art, and books. “To the Stars, Inc. is an independent record label and intellectual property creation studio based in San Diego, California and founded by Tom DeLonge of blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves. To The Stars focuses its efforts on transmedia storytelling experiences that transcend traditional media platforms including music, comics, animations and film. In 2011 the company released LOVE, a double album and award winning feature film exploring the effects of isolation on human consciousness.”
POET ANDERSON has tees, artwork, animation cels, CDs, and hardcovers at its disposal!!
Magnetic Press is an entry point for those experiencing their big break or old pros wanting to swim in different waters. Awesome, blossom!!
The inner mind is the crux of the POET ANDERSON universe. Going back to Hamlet’s soliloquy, the full sentence is “For in that sleep of death…” He doesn’t just emote existential angst. The dreamworld has major symbolic significance. The two terms are synonymous. It takes up eight lines of the thirty-five long monologue.
Off to Dreamland I go! I hope not to encounter REM or any Night Stalkers nor Night Terrors. Acknowledging the sleep cycle most humans experience, I give this 4.5 out of 5 [90%].
This review was made possible by purchase of this book at my local comic shop:
