Sleep #1 is a new slow-burn, small-town horror series set in the 1990s written and drawn by Zander Cannon. Mild-mannered, church-going (But not annoyingly religious) barista Jonathan wakes up one Sunday to see blood, guts, and entrails strewn across his front lawn and is filled with unease as he goes about his day. With the exception of the beginning and end of the issue, Sleep is pretty standard issue slice of life stuff with Jonathan hanging out with potential love interest Tabby and his down and out friend Hipp, who has returned to town after his band didn’t pan out plus some quirky customers at his day job. This comic establishes that everyone knows everyone and their business in this small town so the horror and mystery hits even harder.

The greyscale that Zander Cannon uses in his art drives home the somnambulic nature of the setting of Sleep #1. The world of the comic drones on like the preacher’s sermon whose word bubbles are on the margins of the panel while the camera focuses on Jonathan and Tabby chit-chatting. But, at night, when the businesses close and most folks aren’t out and about, there are some strange occurrences that Cannon draws attention to with little spot lines, squiggles, and splashes of red. He uses a lot of silent and beat panels to build suspense and makes readers pause and drink in their surroundings instead of rushing to the next page. Cannon is also great with facial expressions, especially with Tabby, who is a bit of an outsider to the town’s dynamic and drinks in awkward moments like Hipp being upbraided by his former teacher turned coffee shop owner. Subtle shifts in lines and movements let you know a lot about how the characters carry each other from Hipp’s cocky ease to Jonathan’s 24/7 anxiety.

I love the eccentric nature of the town in Sleep #1 even without the horror elements. Zander Cannon sets up some out-of-pocket occurrences that you know have happened somewhere like an old man paying for a cup of coffee with a check. He makes the town seemed lived in with characters having backstories that often contrast with their current state in life. For example, the school pothead is a police officer, and of course, Hipp is the police chief’s son. No one seems to fit in their current role, especially the anti-corporate, yet blood-covered Jonathan. Jonathan’s comments about “selling out” definitely evoke a 1990s setting, and I love that Hipp and Tabby playfully roast him for his ultra ideological purity. But, he’s a likable character that’s easy to connect to act as an access point to the freak factor.

Sleep #1 has a well-crafted cast of characters from writer/artist Zander Cannon who conjures up a sleepy small town that’s the perfect venue for mysterious events. And more importantly, Cannon creates a memorable visual style for the book that puts you in a suburban haze until you’re seeing red.

Story/Art: Zander Cannon
Story: 8.4 Art: 9.2 Overall: 8.8 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle