R.E.M.
What if you could live 23 hours a day? What would you do with your extra time? There is so much more to life that could get done if all you needed was one hour of sleep. It should be a dream come true, but when there’s no more time to dream, it becomes a nightmare.
Michael Letto has done something that seems impossible, he’s made sleep obsolete. He’s invented the Soma, a chair that gives anyone a perfect, well-rested night’s sleep in an hour. You’re not jacked like you’ve taken drugs nor is there a crash like an energy drink. Unfortunately, he has done nothing with this discovery but use it to his own advantage. The sad, lonely man is trying to find his deceased love. He believes the chair can unlock potential to somehow get even just another moment with her. Or more. As always, when there is something this incredible, and no one is sharing, others will come calling. Or rather, demanding, bribing, and threatening. When word gets out on something as incredible as a machine that replaces sleep there is going to be many interested parties. Nothing like a lack of sleep and people coming after you to keep you watching over your shoulder.
I had the privilege of meeting the creators of “R.E.M.” at c2e2 this year and they sold me on this book instantly. Ryan Colucci has crafted this story that has a beautiful ethereal feel. He’s written it in a way that feels like a dream. You feel like your sliding between the panels. It draws you to what’s next. His collaboration with Zsombor Huszka takes the book right where it needs to be. Huszka line work is sharp and distinct. His eye on how to frame a panel is wonderful. He understands his own art and the strengths of how it looks. He has a noir-shadow like quality that, when combined with Colucci’s words, make the dream-like quality of the story even more succinct. I am drawn in by Huszka’s art because of how it looks like a sketch book but every piece drawn is clear and easily identifiable. Colucci and Huszak are a phenomenal team.
They are professionals already. “R.E.M.” is a great introduction to these creators. It’s a dark tale of paranoia and personal heartbreak. A tale that will keep any reader wanting to know more. The noir feel makes “R.E.M.” a perfect book to get sucked in to. I can’t wait for more from these creators.
Jo Schmidt