Review: Dream Police #3
Previous issue: “Dream Police #2”
In its third month, the fantasy land grounded in real-world police work Dream Police-from J. Michael Straczynski, Sid Kotian, and Hi-Fi-delivers its best issue to-date; that’s saying something, as the previous two issues were great. In this rather color-centric issue, the series holds its steadiest footing yet on either side of the line between psychedelic and procedural.
Joe Thursday continues his overarching storyline of figuring out what the hell is wrong with himself, with this trusty partner Kate Black by his side. What I love about this series is that, at least in all three issues so far, it keeps turning back on itself; each issue begins with Joe introducing the reader to the Dreamscape and revealing just a bit more information than last time. After now reading three issues, Dream Police is beginning to feel like a mobius strip of a comic series in my mind, where I can’t tell where the memory of one issue begins and ends. I absolutely love that, because I feel like I’m becoming Joe Thursday and I’ll soon just feel as though there’s always been Dream Police, and it will continue to just cycle through my mind forever.
Beyond the engrossing plot from Straczynski, this issue also offers Sid Kotian and Hi-Fi to stretch some very unique muscles. Not only does this issue’s story deal with and introduce “code reds”, “black files”, and an area referred to as “the Darkness”, but a very clever-minor plot point-results in the entire Dreamscape being given a purple tint, so much of this issue is what I’d imagine Prince’s dreams look like.
The series’ first issue was heavy on the police work, the second issue was heavy on the fantastical elements of the Dreamscape, and now this third issue marries the two together brilliantly to deliver a chimeric police procedural to rival anything on television and an ongoing mystery that should keep anyone coming back month-after-month to see just where exactly the Escheresque world of Dream Police can possibly take us next. My guess? Right back where we started, just to fall back down the rabbit hole a little farther next time.
