‘Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland’ #1 Comic Book Review

Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland #1 is the first issue of a new all-ages series from IDW Publishing, written by Eric Shanower and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez. The new series continues the story of Winsor McCay’s Little Nemo in Slumberland, an iconic comic strip published in the early 1900’s. The original series dealt with the adventures of a little boy named Nemo in the dreamworld known as Slumberland. He is picked by King Morpheus to be a playmate for his daughter, the Princess, then transported to Slumberland in a myriad of ways. He engages in many wonderful adventures both with and without the Princess, and, along the way, he meets a great number of outlandish creatures while making many friends. All of Nemo’s dreams end with the young protagonist either falling out of his bed or being shaken awake by his parents.

IDW’s new series continues in the same vein but with a new protagonist, also named Nemo – James Nemo Summerton, to be precise. It’s been many decades since the original Nemo was a dear friend of the Princess, and she has had many playmates since then. Nemo was always her favorite, and she has yet to find another person like him. Now, the time has come to choose her a new friend, and King Morpheus and his wise men select another little boy named Nemo to be her new playmate. Unfortunately, this process doesn’t go very smoothly. He seems a bit hesitant about engaging in the new activity and definitely asserts he doesn’t want to play with a girl.

Little Nemo Comic 01 01

I’ve been a huge fan of the original Little Nemo comic strips since I was a kid and was fairly ecstatic (okay, I admit I danced around a LOT) when I learned that IDW was publishing an ongoing series that contained brand new adventures in the world of dreams. Then, I had a couple of reservations, chiefly about the new creative team being able to recapture the overall feel of the original comic strips. Winsor McCay had an uncanny knack for depicting the surreal nature of dreams. He was a highly innovative artist and perfected a number of techniques that are still unique to this very day.

Well, after reading through issue #1 of the new series, those reservations quickly disappeared. Eric, Gabriel, and Nelson Daniel (colorist extraordinaire), make up the perfect group of worthies to tackle an old favorite while adding new additions to this rich history. Sometimes, I love being wrong…

Let’s talk about the writing, shall we? It’s obvious that Eric Shanower is totally on board with the title, and he throws himself into the stories with a great amount of gusto. The idea behind Little Nemo isn’t too complicated (very whimsical, though, which is the point), but the execution of the idea is. How many different ways can we get the character to travel to Slumberland? Has it been done before? After reading the first issue, I have to say, I could care less. I began reading this release with those exact questions, front-and-center in my mind. But I totally lost myself in these adventures and didn’t bother trying to answer them. Shanower respects what came before while giving us his own take on things. Some of the events are homages and others are wholly his own. This wonderful sense of inventive discretion is exactly what I wished for.

Little Nemo Comic 01 02

What can I say about the art? To this day, there is only ONE Winsor McCay. Some artists have a bit of his technique, a smidgen of his execution – but never the whole that made Winsor so unique. Gabriel Rodriguez doesn’t let any of this bother him; he just starts illustrating and knocks it out of the park. He sticks to his style of art, and in so doing, totally wins me over. His art perfectly suits the new stories taking place in Slumberland. The whimsy and potential lapse into nightmare (this is, after all, a dream) contained within every panel is greatly appreciable. His character designs and visual storytelling are intricate and unique, and I’m totally happy that he’s on board as the artist. Just as there is only one Winsor McCay, there is also only one Gabriel Rodriguez; wish for more talented artists such as these, and I’ll be doing the same.

Let’s get down to the brass tacks, why don’t we? Should you be reading this? I will, and I definitely recommend you do the same. I’m not sure why anyone would have an issue with this release but if you do, find me on Facebook, and explain (or comment on this review). I’d dearly love to know your reasoning, and I’d love to know what you have to say in general. Out of all the reviews I’ve done, this is the one I feel most strongly about. So, any opinions are welcome. As for myself, I’ll be sticking around until this series ends, and I hope you do too. Those’re my thoughts on the matter, but read on a bit, if you will. My feelings about all-ages comics (and, for that matter, YA stories) follows.

So, earlier, I mentioned this is an all-ages title. Don’t let that turn you away; this Nemo (like the original) is pure, unadulterated FUN! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy yourselves. Read any of the Little Nemo adventures, and I defy you to keep a smile off your face. Actually, read what you like regardless of whatever genre it’s lumped into. Keep having fun. Just a suggestion, my friends…

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