This weekend was pretty productive when it came to reading. I’m working on some Indigenous fantasy as well as a few different longer fantasy books. I also managed to get some studying done and get ahead on reviews.
Summary
Strange Bedfellows is an engaging comic about the nature of reality and fantasy. The main conflict that our protagonist Oberon has is whether or not he wants to take the easy way out and live in a fantasy or face up to the real world after having a mental breakdown and help himself and possibly others.
On the planet Meridian, where humanity resides in the not-so-distant future. Nearly everyone is born with superpowers. However, unlike his sibling, Oberon hasn’t had any occurrence of a superpower. That is, until recently, he suddenly developed the ability to conjure his dreams in real life.
One would think that wouldn’t be a problem. Except it seems that his mind is conjuring up the facsimile of the boy that got away. Now he must navigate his new powers, questions about his health, and try to get his life back to how he wants it.
Kon, Oberon’s high school crush, dropped off the face of the planet almost three years ago. But now he’s back and more infuriating (and hot) than Oberon remembers. But Kon is just another thing his mind made up, right? Right?
It is Kon’s mission to turn Oberon’s life around. However, even with his help, Oberon is struggling both with his powers and his disastrous personal life. Oberon also has to deal with the appearance of strange nightmare creatures.
Kon might not be just something his mind made up, though, and as time goes on, Oberon learns that this version of Kon is hiding his own potentially dangerous secrets. Will Oberon be able to help them both? Or will his powers get the best of him?
Review
Strange Bedfellows is an interesting meditation on the perks of fantasy vs reality. If you could make your dreams come true, would you? And what effects would that have on your ‘real’ life? Oberon is struggling both personally and professionally.
But his new ability to make his dreams a reality might be hurting more than it is helping, as it drives him to avoid reality. The strange appearance of his former crush, Kon, is another mystery.
This fragment of his imagination seems to want to help him set things right. But can fantasy and reality mess or will Oberon have to choose one or the other? I enjoyed the relationship between Kon and Oberon; they complemented each other very well. They also pushed one another, which is important, I think. I liked the final reveal about Kon as well.
I’d give this book four stars for its beautiful artwork and its take on the themes of reality vs. fantasy.
Ariel Slamet Ries is a comic artist and illustrator residing in Australia on unceded Boonwurrung and Wurundjeri lands. After studying animation in Denmark for 4 years, they lost their degree in the post and unceremoniously bumbled into making comics for a living.
Their first two major publications Witchy and Cry Wolf Girl are multi-award nominated, most notably receiving the 2020 Ignatz Awards for Outstanding Online Comic and Outstanding Comic, respectively.
Ariel is passionate about creating speculative fiction centering marginalised folks, and is currently working on Strange Bedfellows, the self-indulgent sci-fi romance they’ve had on the backburner for thirteen years.
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