Slumber #1 Review: A Delightfully Violent Start to a Dreamy Series

Slumber is the latest series to slink out from Image Comics, and it is as good as you'd expect. The nightmarish series creeps to a start with enough action to get even the most uninvolved reader interested. After all, there are few things more intriguing than murder, and Slumber #1 has the kind of bloodthirstiness that is bound to make it a sleeper hit.

The series' first issue sheds light on a mysterious serial killer, and the case comes complete with even more mysterious sigils and an abundance of blood. Things get even dicier when the murderer makes a plea for the Dream Hunter, and that is when fans are introduced to Stetson in all her brash glory.

As you might have already gathered, Stetson is the for-hire Dream Hunter who can enter dreams and kill nightmares at their core. Artist Vanessa Cardinali brings Stetson to life with a frantic sense of style. Disgruntled and a tad shabby, Stetson is just rough enough around the edges to endear fans, but their goal to track down the town's sleepy serial killer proves she has spunk.

Much of her character comes thanks to Tyler Burton Smith, the talented writer who is overseeing Slumber. This first issue paces readers just right as they swim through a seedy whodunnit with a twist. Stetson is immediately likable while her cast of cronies fills in her blind spots... even if one of them likes to eat human legs. Readers are even given a taste of what the comic's big villain is really like by the end. And as you can guess, well – they are really a piece of work.

Slumber #1 is a delightful starting point for what will surely become a hit at Image Comics. Its dark aesthetic and supernatural twists have are already combining into a force to be reckoned with. As Stetson's journey continues, fans can do little but watch with unease as her town's nightmares crowd her shadow. But at its core, Slumber's first issue is still a dream to read and a great dream at that.

Published by Image Comics

On March 16, 2022

Written by Tyler Burton Smith

Art by Vanessa Cardinali

Colors by Simon Robins

Letters by Steve Wands

Cover by Nathan Fox