Parasomnia #1 Review

 Writer: Cullen Bunn

Artist: Andrea Mutti

Rating: 6 of 8

Parasomnia #1

What are dreams but hope and fear? The stranger at the heart of this tale has plenty of reason to be afraid. Living on the streets, he has little place to call home and when he finds somewhere to rest his head, one group of men harass him into leaving.

But he still dreams. He dreams of a whole other life, one where he's a fearsome, ruthless figure, hunted while he hunts for his lost son. Though he faces many foes in the search, he dispatches most of them with ease. But the true challenge doesn't lie in their blades - it's in his heart.

It's not fully clear whether these dreams are just that, or memories of a life gone by. While, in the real world, a woman cries as she sees him, while another tends to someone in a deep sleep of their own. In the dream world, Mutti delivers a number of fast and fluid action sequences, filled with blood, speed and ferocity.

The only criticism I have is the inconsistency of the colours. In the dream world, sometimes it's a lot more bright and vivid, while at others, it's a lot paler and I just don't understand why that is. I also think he could've done a better job of making the two worlds stand apart. As it is, there's not much of a visual contrast.

Other than that, though, it's a pretty good debut. Bunn has a lightness of touch that really helps it flow and perhaps because of that, it's very easy to follow.