Plot Synopsis – The Dreamwave is the first gaming console played entirely while you sleep. It’s all fun and games until one of the players doesn’t wake-up. Now, the three other players must try to find their friend and pray that the secret lurking at its center doesn’t follow them home

Song in My Head – Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics

Publication Date – Dec. 03, 2024

Content Notes – This is a fairly violent story and there is gore and blood throughout.

Rating – ⭐⭐⭐out of 5

Review – This is not a fun little comic, but a deep dive into a horror video game that you play while you’re asleep and seems to exploit your deepest fears. Fun! The story really centers around a brother and sister who have survived the loss of their mother. They use the game to escape the trauma of what happened. I think there could have been more build up to this point. The comic jumps right in with the first issue focusing on the gameplay and relationships between the players. It felt like there should have been just a little more before jumping right in.

The book does a good job of laying out the sinisterness of the game and building up the characters, but it felt like there could have been more. I see how this can easily be turned into a longer run series, either continuing these characters stories or focusing on other players around the world. Even though there are easy storylines to follow, I would have liked this more if there were more concrete conclusions.

If you enjoy lit RPGs or horror video games, I think you’d enjoy this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.