Chapter 1: Entropy

Waking Life #1

by Ben Humeniuk

People leave their dreams behind all the time. But what if the dream is YOU? That's a fate The Princess of the Dream Realm wants to avoid. And to get her friend Robbie back, she's going to do something unprecedented -- enter the waking world. Unfortunately, that's exactly what an old enemy's been counting on... LITTLE NEMO IN SLUMBERLAND meets DEGRASSI, and fantasy worlds meet the halls of high school in this character-driven adventure comic, inspired by the vibrant life and work of Winsor McCay. Did you know that whenever we go to sleep, we have REAL adventures in a land of wonderful dreams? Robbie Boone does. He wears armor and fights monsters. His best friend is a Princess. And that's started to become--so sixth grade. Robbie might be starting to grow up. But his dreams aren't quite ready to be left behind.

18 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 28, 2016

Reviews

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I only read the first chapter, and it was… fine. The setup has potential: a dreamy, talented teen comic artist trying to balance scholarship ambitions, high-school pressures, and helping his single mom with his younger sister. His escape into a fantasy castle world—where he’s the companion of a princess—creates an interesting contrast between real-life responsibilities and dream-realm adventures.

I can see this appealing to YA readers who enjoy that intersection of everyday struggle and imaginative escapism. The world-building looks like it could grow into something fun over the course of the series, which appears to have eight or more “chapters” available on Hoopla.

The art is serviceable—clear enough to carry the story—though the strange creatures in the fantasy world were occasionally more distracting than delightful. Overall, an okay start with room to expand if you’re intrigued enough to keep going.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute. And kinda fun.

I thought it was a good homage to Winsor McCay. I enjoyed the style and story.

I think younger ages might enjoy this, too.

I would definitely be interested in further volumes! I want to know what happens!

Thanks to NetGalley and Comicker Press for a copy in return for an honest review.

[The_J · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pathetic use of Dreams and needy Princesses.

[M.i. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun story about imagination, imaginary friends and settings, and also growing up and questioning those beliefs.