Review: The Dream Merchant #6
Well I have been a fan of this comic, and I always pictured the ending in my mind as something different. I am not quite sure how I feel about the ending either. If there is one thing I can rave about this series right off the bat though, it is the art. I love Anthony Hope-Smith’s art. The whole book is very whimsical, so I enjoy unfolding the madness each and every issue with these illusions. Everything just seems to flow together. I almost want the comic to unfold into one long story because the transitions between panels and pages fall into each other. Then Stefano Simeone brings it all together with the colors. Bring in the pops of pink with the dark blacks and blues of the human world really creates a contrast between the two worlds. So again the pages interlock nicely. This is especially true for Winslow’s scenes. As we know, Winslow has entered the dream world. I can’t help but feel stressed every time we see him though. It really captures you into dreams, so I feel Winslow getting weak or not being able to accomplish what he wants just like what happens in our dreams. And just like our dreams, Hope-Smith does a great job of showing every force fighting against Winslow. Even the cover has Winslow fighting with The Regulators. But his ultimate goal is to take the Gatekeeper. If he can do this, he can block them from entering the human world but it is a long battle to completely stop the Gatekeeper all together.
Anne is still fighting the FBI and trying to explain everything that is going on. I find her story a tad weird and rushed. At first, the FBI will do anything to stop Anne and Winslow. Then they just listen to her rant about Winslow and his dreams. All of a sudden they are very lax about the whole situation. In the long run, it is clear to see that the having the FBI be involved only watered down the story. I would have loved more time to see Winslow and the Gatekeeper or even Anne jump into the dreams as well.
Again, I felt a little cheated out of what could have been a well-rounded ending. What I did enjoy was the return of a character that I had missed. But you can read the issue to find out who that is. And my favorite part was the battle between Winslow and the Gatekeeper. I love the dialogue in between hits. I have always loved when the action has some sort of narration or dialogue. So it was more interesting to see the Gatekeeper beat him up physically and mentally. So all in all, if you have started this series, then end it. And enjoy the layout more than the actual ending. I enjoyed the series as a whole and would love to see it revisited with a better focus on Winslow in the dream world.
Score: 3/5
Writer: Nathan Edmondson Artist: Anthony Hope-Smith Publisher: Image Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 11/19/14 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital