Memorial: Imaginary Fiends #1 Review

Can Jonathan tap into his childhood memories spent with a dragon in time to find out what’s going on with his daughter?

Official description from IDW:

The fantasies and fears that seem so real to children are often forgotten in adulthood. But after the events of the first Memorial miniseries, forgotten memories are being recovered all over the world. Can those lost fears and fantasies be far behind?

I didn’t get a chance to read the first miniseries so as a virgin Memorial reader I had to see if it was necessary to read the others. There was an opening paragraph discussing the woman, Em, who is the catalyst in all of these happenings but she’s not mentioned again until the very last page of the comic. This story focuses more on Jonathan, a young father, who has to delve back into his childhood fantasy world and once again open his mind to things he shut off as an adult. I’m not sure of the demographic but this issue is safe to be read to young children and yet I as an adult found it intriguing. I enjoyed this issue and didn’t have any trouble trying to piece together what was happening. I may get the earlier series to find out why it’s happening, though.

In this issue, Chris Roberson, writes about one man’s childhood adventures coming back for real. I wasn’t too sure that would work but Roberson does it beautifully. I absolutely loved the concept and the execution of it. My only complaint is that the issue is only 8 pages long.

Rich Ellis was the artist and I loved the detail he puts in all of his work. From the differences in the flashback scene to the scene where Jonathan remembers playing make believe, every feature is perfectly placed. My favorite character so far though is Nox. He’s huge and ferocious looking but drawn with a friendly demeanor.

As a whole, I liked this opening issue. It was well written, beautifully penciled and is for all ages. Recommended.

3.5/5