Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland #2 – Review

A few times on this site, I’ve described a series as fun or playful, and someone will comment enthusiastically that he can’t wait to show it to his kid, or something to that effect. To which my response is invariably, “Oh, good Lord, no.” I get it; you’re eager to share the things you love with the people you love, maybe start a lifelong passion early on, but you’re not hot on the idea of reading the likes of Uncle Scrooge all the time. I don’t blame you.

But where can the true all-ages title be found? Tiny Titans comes only once a month, and wonderful as it is, it’s not exactly the most broadening reading. This is not to say that Little Nemo is about to win a Newberry or Caledecott medal anytime soon, but it’s a perfect gateway comic for kids in that it tells a good story while showing off the medium’s appeal.*

In all honesty, Gabriel Rodriguez’s art may be the biggest pull factor for the series, especially if we’re talking about getting younger readers on board. You can list as well as I can any number of comic book artists with great style, but in pure imagination, Rodriguez is second to none. You never     question Nemo’s—actually, let’s say Jimmy’s interest in exploring Slumberland because it’s so visually spectacular that you want to dive into the issue and start wandering about yourself.

Daniel’s candy-coated colors play a large role, of course, but they’re just the lovely icing on an out-of-this-world cake. When an artist gives a unique design to every character, even the extras in the crowd, you know he’s loving what he’s doing. A single panel yields whole minutes of delighted inspection, whether it’s the parade of stilt-walkers, flower girls, imps, clowns, and other assorted creatures who greet Jimmy’s arrival in Slumberland, or the princess’ tour of the gardens, with flowers that play music or spout milk and honey. I could fill this whole review with a list of arresting imagery, but I’ll spare you.

As for Shanower’s story, it’s straightforward enough for even very young kids to follow (with a little help from Mommy or Daddy), but with just the right amount of substance to keep older kids and grown-ups happily intrigued. And it’s really remarkable how many of Shanower’s gags play to all ages: the long wall bearing the copious “Meeting Royalty List of Rules,” the string of people sliding and falling on the freshly polished palace floors (including the doctor who rushes in to attend to them), the crowd of citizenry who follow and raptly watch Jimmy on every step of his journey through the kingdom.

As far as plots go, the conflict of Jimmy’s refusal to play with a girl quickly becomes a non-issue as she charms him with Slumberland’s many wonders. Once the threat of all of it melting away arises, Jimmy becomes more sympathetic to her distress, not even protesting when she anxiously takes his hand. The cause of this disaster is the title’s true villain, the mischievous Flip Flap, “nephew of the Dawn Guard” who heralds the sun that melts Slumberland away. Flip’s motives are simple—he “likes to wake up the princess’ playmates”—but they have just as much potential for entertainment as all the different ways Jimmy gets transported to Slumberland.

-Minhquan Nguyen