Review – My Date With Monsters #1

Review – My Date With Monsters #1

Writer: Paul Tobin

Artist: Andy MacDonald

Publisher: Aftershock Comics

Release Date: November 10, 2021

Variant Cover Artist: James Harren

1. Monsters And True Love

Seven years ago, an attempt to weaponize dreams resulted in holes being punched through the world we know and into the world of dreams. Nightmarish creatures now stalk the land, sprouting from (and killing) anyone unlucky enough to dream. The only way to save the world is for certain people to have their dreams come true. 

This is how Risa Harumi finds herself not only fighting monsters but forced into finding true love. Monsters and modern dating? It feels like a nightmare either way, and the only help Risa has is a friendly-ish monster named Croak and her pre-teen daughter, Machi. 

From Paul Tobin (BUNNY MASK) and Andy MacDonald (I BREATHED A BODY, Multiple Man), comes a unique story of one woman’s quest to save the world if only she could learn the difference between love and monsters.

Writer: Paul Tobin

The story starts with a rushed date with Risa but within a page, she’s in a bathroom with a monster called Croak and this take a walk on the wild side. Seven years ago she worked with her husband on a new technology to weaponize dreams, but after it actually created a portal for monsters to come through she’s lost her husband, had to design a new drug to suppress dreams and start dating again.

Croak is her BFF, who helps her by devouring the monsters that still bleed through the world. To make matters worse her daughter Machi is a nexus for the monsters and if she doesn’t start relaxing she could open a permanent way into this world. To complicate matters even further a shadowy government department is training an elite group of soldiers to date Risa which is probably the strangest thing they’ve ever had to do.

Tobin’s world is a little chaotic in this issue as it’s throwing horror, dating and army training into the mix, but there’s more than enough in this first issue to hook you as a reader.

Artist: Andy MacDonald

MacDonald’s creatures are both alien and familiar at the same time from the troll-like Croak to the horrific Hello Children monster that comes out of a young boy’s dream. His strongest work though is Masha’s dream pages where a small group of grotesque monsters surround her bed and scare the stoned babysitter.

Overall Thoughts

With weird hints of Ghostbusters, Labyrinth, Nightmare on Elm Street and Sleepless in Seatle this is a strange but compelling read. There’s something about soldiers on a treadmill learning wine pairings that bring a smile to my face.

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