Cemetery Kids Don’t Die

The fantasy worlds of video games and the reality of life in the 21st century collide in this resonant tale of camaraderie and acceptance from Thompson (Hunt for the Skinwalker) and Irrizari (XINO). Dreamwave, a technology that allows users to game as they sleep, brings together a crew of misfit teens battling the monsters of horror game Nightmare Cemetery. But the central protagonist, Birdie, becomes concerned when Pik, her older brother and the eldest of their group, begins to change. He’s always avoided talking about the accident that left Birdie using a wheelchair—and now he’s spending more and more daytime hours asleep and inside the game. When Pik won’t wake up one day, and other friends follow suit, it’s up to Birdie and the remainder of the “cemetery kids” to hunt down the dreaded King of Sleep and heal past wounds, both virtually and in real life. Distinctive character design, particularly the fantastic, shifting dayglow colors, helps this stand out from other teen fantasy series. Younger comics fans will delight in this breezier update to David Cronenberg’s ExistenZ. (Dec.)