I’m one to always cheer for the lesser known creators and books in an industry that seems to have an unlimited supply of both. There are always diamonds in the rough, so to speak, that could take on any title the big two could throw at it. With this said I regret to report “Dreams in Texture” is not one of those titles. But on top of that there is another layer I wish to share with you which should be a lesson to the creators of this book and others in the industry.
What bugs me greatly about a TV Show, or a Movie, and – yes – a comic book is the hype. Every movie that comes out from June to August is the movie of the summer. Every new TV show that comes out in the fall is the show of the season. Every comic book that comes out is a bold new direction. You can hype me all day long, but at the end of the day the product is what the product is. When you open the cover of Dreams in Texture the first page is filled with quotes from people who praise the creators of the anthology from people I have never heard of. Fine - Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Turn a couple more pages to the forward where you are told, “Anyone holding this book right now should feel privileged and honored to be gazing upon the beautifully illustrated pages” and it continues. Because I am not one to believe anyone’s hype there was already a strike against this book. Don’t tell me how good it is just show me.
With the previous paragraph in mind I would’ve forgiven the hype if it delivered. It didn’t. The stories attempt to appear deep, the dialogue attempts to be poetic, and the punch line to the stories profound. They weren’t.
“Desolate Castaway” – This could’ve been the first act of an X-File’s episode. There is nothing new here and the ending you can guess before even getting there.
“The Sewer” – This one I actually enjoyed. Again, there is nothing new story wise, but it did seem to be an interesting exercise in the written word.
“Lost Dreams” – Next!
“The Forgotten” – This is only a two page story that I literarily shook my head “why” at the end. It tries to make the point of people passing by a bum on a bench not offering a helping hand to his plight. The ending states, “Isn’t Jesus asking you for a helping hand?” So what happens if the bum represents Charles Manson?
Towards the middle of the book I was starting to get bored thinking back to being told in the forward how “privileged and honored” I should be. I wasn’t feeling privileged and honored at that point.
To add a positive note the entire book was not a bust. There is some fine poetry accompanied with some beautiful art, but not enough substance to justify picking this book up. The art as a whole ranged from good to impressive with no real critiques there. The lettering was a mixed bag in the case of “Desolate Castaway” taking away from the story.
So my advice to the creators of this book and creators as a whole is don’t tell me how great your book is before I even read it – show me. My review doesn’t reflect on what was written in front of the book, but it is most definitely harsher because of it.
