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Caffeine Dreams
Issues #1 and #2
Book Released: 2007
Posted 01 Feb 2008
Writer: Dale Wilson, Geoffrey Thorne, Mark Allyn Stewart
Artist: Chris Sagovac
Artist: Nick Kunin, Mulele Jarvis
Todd (Brocasso) Harris
Letters: DWAP Productions
Publisher: DWAP Productions
3.00 out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by J. W. DeBolt Jr.
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Issue #2
“To Rule in Hell”
Writer: Mark Allyn Stewart
Art: Chris Sagovac
The people of earth have traded fertility for immortality. Those
who could bear children died off and only 250,000 immortals remain.
Now, however, their bodies are decaying beyond the capacity of the
machine to fix them. The protégé of the machine's
creator is unable to stop the decay, and knows that while her body
decays, her mind will stay alive, even when the body has become an
immobile puddle of flesh. She rebuilds the machine with another
purpose and waits for her judgment and punishment.
An intriguing story, though in the anti-science mode of classic
pop SF. An underlying theme is that mankind's hubris in becoming
the creator must be countered by the return of nature. Innovative
design of bordering and caption boxes.
“The Tradition”
Writer: Geoffrey Thorne
Art: Todd (Brocasso) Harris
A mythic parable about a rite of passage or simply mankind's
struggle to survive and overcome. Couple of good odd-angle
perspectives in the drawings. Good caption boxes, too. More of a dream
than a story, but given the book's title, perhaps that's
appropriate.
“The Assassination”
Writer: Dale Wilson
Art: Mulele Jarvis
While the first story is SF, and the second mythic, the third is
down to earth — crime, from the criminal's POV. Two hired
guns make small talk while carrying out their heinous deeds. It ends
with the expected twist, but it's still a refreshing story to read
after the first two heavy numbers. This story balances out the issue
into a fair anthology.
Issue #1
“Big Ships”
Writer: Dale Wilson
Art: Todd Harris
The art reminds me of Dick Dillin of the late 1960s. The story
touches on the conspiracy behind UFO cover-ups and carries us
along interestingly until the ending craps out. Perhaps a second
chapter will clear this up, because I would like to see what happens
after that last page. Unfortunately, it doesn't say “to be
continued. ” It doesn't say “the end” either, so
who knows ? Actually, some of the stories in each issue must
continue later, as the editor notes in the book, specifically,
“On Becoming a Monster. ”
“On Becoming a Monster”
Writer: Dale Wilson
Art: Chris Sagovac
This seems to be a metaphor of the eternal battle between good and
evil. Not much more to it. Or am I missing something? The
inclusion of an earlier draft of the story near the end of the book
with totally different images begs a mystery.
“Monarch Kingdom”
Writer: Dale Wilson
Art: Nick Kunin
In this brief tale, a video game relentlessy pulls in players
— to their own detriment. They turn into metaphoric monsters.
One can assume that the monsters represent a separation from accepted
society; once you're into the game, you're separate. But since
all the monsters are different, perhaps when you adopt your role as a
player, you take on an individual identity. This, however, also
distinguishes one from society in general. So the story seems to be
morally neutral and it leaves this reader feeling strongly neutral.
“A Page From the Sketchbook of Rand Edmond”
Writer: Mark Allyn Stewart
Art: Chris Sagovac
This is my favorite piece of the two issues. It is a facsimile of a
notebook page with notes by a person imprisoned in his house due to a
siege of creatures from outside. Stewart sounds like an H. P.
Lovecraft narrator describing the horrors outside with vivid,
scientific detail that marks up the terror the narrator must feel. If
the narrator survives, maybe there will be a second chapter, but the
upintheair ending maintains the tension after the
end and lets the piece stick with you like an embedded claw of the
very monster described.
All in all, a worthy effort by the creators. I recommend reading
with coffee or tea after just waking up. Then you can glide into
these Caffeine Dreams.
For more information on the producers of Caffeine Dreams, go
to www.myspace.com/dwapproductions.
—CCdC—
Cover image used with permission of the publisher.
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