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Nobody is safe from their bad dreams in The Nightmare Brigade. This graphic novel series, written by Franck Thilliez and illustrated by Yomgui Dumon, quietly blew me away when I stumbled on it a few months ago. What begins as a story about battling nightmares quickly reveals a deeper question: Who has the right to mess with someone else’s dreams?
At the center is Professor Angus, the mastermind behind a secretive psy-ops program. His mission? Rescue kids from recurring nightmares and reshape the dream worlds where their fears live. Though Angus created the program, the story truly belongs to Estevan—a lost boy with no memory of where he came from. While those around him don’t seem troubled, readers are left in the dark—and that mystery lingers across all four volumes. It isn’t ignored, just… deferred. And the deeper you read, the more you wonder whether the truth is something even this hero can handle.
What grounds the story emotionally is Estevan’s growing bond with fellow dream-warrior Tristan (yes, I’m borrowing that term straight from Nightmare on Elm Street 3). When Sarah, a smart, kind girl, joins the team, I had to wonder: are we heading into Harry Potter territory? A lost boy searching for belonging, a loyal best friend whose mother plays a major role, and a trio dynamic—yeah, the parallels are there. Even Professor Angus has a dark past that mirrors Dumbledore’s baggage. But the author handles these familiar tropes with enough originality that they feel more like homage than imitation.
The series deepens both the mystery and emotional stakes with each volume. Volume one ends with Estevan questioning if he’s even real. Volume two has him dreaming of parents who might not exist. It’s unsettling—but in a good way. When he finally steps into the woods, things get even stranger, and I paused often to take notes. Leonard may appear to be the villain, but he’s no simple Draco Malfoy type—there’s real psychological depth there.
Leonard’s volatility isn’t just for show—it has roots, and volumes two and three take time to explore them. We learn the reasons behind his confinement, and the revelations are both disturbing and strangely sympathetic. We also see Tristan rescue his mother from the twisted dream realm Leonard helped shape. Her soul remains trapped, and the journey to reach her feels personal and intense.
In volume four, the tone shifts again. The team helps a classmate named Sofiane, haunted by nightmares of apes. She doesn’t know why—and neither do we, at first. After her rescue, Sarah finally has a friend. Meanwhile, we learn that Tristan’s mother, Alice, is actually the one who invented the dream-entry device. That reveal cracks the story wide open, adding emotional weight to everything that came before. In one standout sequence, the team enters a Wild West dream being filmed like a movie—raising unsettling questions about who’s watching. As for who will see it, and what it means, I won’t spoil.
Across all four volumes, the tone remains remarkably consistent—dark, surreal, and quietly gothic. It evokes less of The Addams Family’s comic-strip whimsy and more of the strange elegance of the live-action films: eerie, yet charming. Dumon’s art walks a fine line between nightmare and dream, often leaning into expressionism. His bold shadows, off-kilter angles, and careful color tones create a mood that’s unsettling in the best way—like a dream you can’t quite shake.
Thematically, The Nightmare Brigade follows the classic hero’s journey. Through Estevan’s eyes, we experience a coming-of-age tale wrapped in a dreamscape of shifting realities and hidden trauma. When the series ventures into deeper territory—whether symbols of the subconscious or glimpses into alternate realities—it keeps things grounded. Alternatively, it suggests the subconscious might truly be visiting another realm, an idea this graphic novel conveys beautifully. Personally, I believe in “story dreams”—where the dreamer watches like an audience member rather than participating in the chaos. This series taps into that feeling perfectly.
My advice: don’t rush through this read. I deliberately slowed down to reread the earlier volumes, tracking symbols, studying the artwork, and following important threads. Especially after discovering the series late, I knew it deserved full attention. To really understand what’s happening, you have to start from volume one.
If you’re wondering how this compares to other media, Fright Krewe is a solid tonal match. The dream mechanics and world-building might also remind some readers of LEGO DreamZzz. Clearly, the “exploring dreams” trend has staying power. And like both shows, The Nightmare Brigade rewards re-reading. Minor details you missed the first time gain new meaning. Like real dreams, the important moments slip away—unless you write them down.
Volume four peels back one more layer, hinting at even bigger secrets to come. I can’t wait to see what happens next. There’s a new dynamic now, but I won’t spoil it—this latest installment should be easy to find at your local bookstore.
If you’re new to the series—or just a fan of dream logic and young adult adventure—The Nightmare Brigade is worth your time. It’s the perfect bridge between entry-level psychological thrillers and more mature titles like Inception or Dreamscape. A layered, visually rich, emotionally intelligent ride—and one I’m happy to return to, volume after volume. And when the final pages deliver a chilling cliffhanger from the perspective of the force behind these nightmares (I’m being vague on purpose), you’ll realize this tale isn’t wrapping up soon. Like some of my story dreams, I wish I could jump into the next chapter the very next night. But in this series’ case, the next release might not arrive until next year.
The Nightmare Brigade Promo Reel
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