[Comic Review] “A Dream” from David Goei

It must be stated that A DREAM is not exactly a comic, but rather a book that is filled with poetry and imagery. This piece stands on its own two feet as a unique experience, something that does not come along very often and when it does it simply blows all expectations out of the water.

Bringing poetry to life with a visual story is no easy task, poems can take on many forms and meanings for each person who reads them. Taking on the works of Edgar Allan Poe and William Blake, David Goei certainly had his work cut out for him. But Goei did not tackle this alone, A DREAM features the art of Serene Lau and together they have created a waking dream filled with love, sadness and joy. Poetry in motion is certainly one way to describe this book, poetry for the eyes.

A DREAM is not something that can be given a synopsis, it is an experience you need to undertake and appreciate. This book is a beautiful work of art, one that conjures up an array of emotions through its text and pictures. How often is it that one can pick up such a book and find themselves with tears in their eyes and the need to go back and experience this again? When a piece can have that sort of affect on a person, you know that the creators have done something right.

From the opening panels there is a sense of mystery and wonder, and by the end there is a bittersweet feeling that falls upon it. Without giving anything away, this is a story of a child with the dream they experience. The dream at hand is not to be taken literally as this can be seen as a number of different things, and this is what works wonderfully about the piece. The dreamscape is vibrant and full of some of the most fantastical art that one dares to find out there in 2016. It is full of raw emotional, emotional that hits hard as soon as the eyes hit the page.

This is a very successful and beautiful book, A Graphic Poem that comes to life in the readers hands. Goei and Lau are two extremely talented individuals and the work that is present in A DREAM is incredible. The fact that these two came up with such a concept and such beautiful work is a testament to the strength of the human imagination. This book is one of the most amazing experiences a read can have, one that needs to be seen and felt by everyone.

A DREAM is a Ledger Award 2016 nominated book.

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