Cartoonist: Mariah Currey
WHAT IS IT?
Rainy Day Dreams is a supernatural drama with a heavy anime/manga influence. It seems to be part of not just a mini-series, but the first of several larger books (like most manga are.)
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
(Minor Spoilers)
Tristin is a 17-year-old girl who, after hearing the legend of an ancient artifact called the Orb of Ages, seeks out the legendary tree to uncover it. And she does!
There’s only one problem. A monster woman named Mara from another world intervenes, stopping her from claiming her prize. Now, Tristin’s been captured and taken to a different world for her crime.
Lost in a different world full of monsters and mysteries, Tristin must try to get ahold of the Orb and, most importantly, find a way home…if there is one.
WHAT WORKS?
Tristin is a believable teenager. The dialogue/her reaction to things, I bought in that she was a child. Sometimes, especially with stories like this, writers miss that.
I like the world-building going on. It isn’t too aggressive, but it is definitely ambitious. It’s a fascinating bit of lore established early on.
Mara makes for an interesting counter to Tristin. Mara is more quiet, reserved, while Tristin is a bit louder. I like the dynamic, even though it’s brief in this issue.
It’s funny. There’s definitely some good bits in here that got a strong reaction from me.
WHAT DOESN’T WORK?
The lettering is a weak spot. Lettering really is an art form all on its own, and I think that’s the biggest gap here.
The art gets really inconsistent the last five or so pages. It just looks like off compared to the rest of the book.
This book is very slowly paced. Here’s the thing about that, though: most manga is. That’s why manga is sold in fat books and western comics are sold in 20-24 page chapters. So, I think I’m just not the right audience for this, or maybe it would read better altogether than in just this chapter. I’m not sure!
WHY SHOULD I READ IT?
I think Tristin is an easily investable character. She’s got the feel of an innocent kid, and putting her into this vast new place with ambitious worldbuilding is a really exciting concept. I think the relationship with her and Mara has a lot of promise too, something that I think is going to only get more interesting as it rolls forward.
Secondly, I really think the book is pretty funny. From cat ninjas to accidentally winning fights, the book has a lot of lighthearted moments that made it a joy to read.
Basically, I think if you like manga, intensely character-driven dramas, and supernatural style plots, Rainy Day Dreams is for you. It’s got some really fascinating lore, some interesting characters, and the book is pretty ambitious. There’s a lot of promise here to take the leap and read.
HOW DO I BUY IT?
Click one of these:
The image(s) used in this article are from a comic strip, webcomic or the cover or interior of a comic book. The copyright for this image(s) is likely owned by either the publisher of the comic, the writer(s) and/or artist(s) who produced the comic. It is believed that the use of this image(s) qualifies as fair use under the United States copyright law. The image is used in a limited fashion in an educational manner in order to illustrate the points of the author and not for the purpose of entertainment or substituting the original work. It is believed the use of this image has had no impact on the market value of the original work.
All Mariah Currey’s characters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are trademarks of and copyright Mariah Currey or their respective owners. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED