On The Lab, Scott Christian Sava's detailed, three-dimensional computer artwork seemed a bit too much for the simpler cartoon characters. On Spider-Man: Quality of Life, it didn't capture a sense realism and agility required to make the story work. On The Dreamland Chronicles, Sava's art fits just perfectly with the story, both with the fantasy elements and the grounded scenes set in the real world. What's more important, though, is that the reader can really connect with the fantastic story. The Dreamland Chronicles is perfectly suited to appeal to readers of all ages. Sava -- always an inventive creator -- has really outdone himself here.
It's been years since Alex dreamt. He doesn't know why, and he's not really worried about it. His last dream was about his adventures with his magical friends in Dreamland, where they thwarted a giant's rampage and uncovered a secret of the kings of the dream realm. Alex left those fantasies back in his childhood, though. Today, he's living an average and satisfying life as a college student, even sharing a dorm room with his younger brother. Yep, Alex is a typical guy... until he falls asleep one night and begins dreaming again, returning him to Dreamland and reuniting him with an old friend.
Sava's usual soft and deep style is quite apparent here, but I don't think one can deny that there's a strong influence to be perceived here, the influence of other digital artists. The overall look of the characters reminds me a great deal of the house style for Mainframe Entertainment's Reboot. I love the everyguy quality Sava brings to Alex, and I appreciated how he captures a visual sense of maturity in the differences between the younger and older versions of the characters. The colors are appropriately rich, and the figures aren't nearly as stiff as they've been in some of Sava's past efforts.
One of the greatest strengths of Sava's script is how strongly he conveys the notion of the main character as a silled storyteller. One gets a real sense of how captivated the med student is with Alex's story of his last dream, and it's reinforced by Alex's brother's fawning over the notions he held so dear as a child.
Ultimately, this is a story about a guy who's grown up and almost a lost a piece of himself: his childhood. Sava celerates childhood and imagination here, so the book has a real sense of fun to it. There are more dramatic elements and hints that even Dreamland has lost some of its innocence, but Sava's script never threatens to make things too dark. A sense of maghic and wonder is at the heart of this story, and it makes for a delightful read.
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
