Webtoons are gaining popularity and here, at Gothic Bite Magazine, we have an amazing reviewer, Kayla Krantz to let us know her thoughts!

Somnium Theatre

WRITTEN BY #1 BEST SELLING AUTHOR KAYLA KRANTZ

After an encounter with a masked stranger, Stephanie is set for a request to solve one mysterious case in a parallel universe! But there’s only one way she can reach it, by using a less known technique of lucid dreaming…

WEBTOON

Somnium Theatre’s genre is Crime, Mystery and Fantasy.

NOTE: This comic is also available at WEBTOON

Lucid Dreaming Anyone?

Lucid dreams can be a fun adventure when you know the ins and outs of how it works. Stephanie is a lucid dreamer who’s proud of her abilities. However, when she finds herself in a loop of strange nightmares, she finds out that there’s more to lucid dreaming than she could’ve imagined.

When the story begins, we’re introduced to Stephanie, who’s out to dinner with some friends, and tells them about her habit of performing “reality checks,” which is her way of testing whether or not she’s in a dream. During these checks, she pushes her fingers to her palm. If they go through, she is asleep, and if not, then she is awake.

A Lucid Key

One day, on her way through town, she sees an ad searching for a lucid dreamer. She is intrigued by the randomness of it and follows up to see what it’s about. She’s the only one who responds to the ad. 

When she is greeted by the man who wrote it, he gives her a special key to what he describes as an “amazing place.” He then tells her that it’s Stephanie’s job to go to that place and find out why he can longer travel there himself.

Right away, she sees that things in the strange new world are different. Every person she meets has their own reasons for being in this mysterious theatre, and it quickly becomes a blur between friends and foes. Before she knows it, Stephanie falls into a race against the clock to complete her mission before the dark forces can stop her.

It Reminds Me Of Coraline

First and foremost, I love the moody atmosphere of this comic. It’s got an incredible, Gothic feeling that matches the story so well. Reading this, I got the same spooky vibes that I do when watching movies like Coraline. 

The dream aspects of the story were fascinating. It is painted in a way that immerses the reader into the world of the Theatre of Dreams. The way the creator wove natural tips for lucid dreaming with some of their own ideas really led to compelling lore for Somnium Theatre. 

A Wonderful Female Main Character

Stephanie is a very likable MC. She’s optimistic, curious, and upbeat. Even in the face of the dangers that come to her, she is witty and quick on her feet. These traits make it very easy to root for her throughout the story. 

While she is very upfront about her lucid dreaming, she is still a bit mysterious of a character, and I love that about her. On the other side of that coin, the Lady in Black is all mysteries, and I love the dive into finding out exactly how she fits into the story.

An Artwork To Remember

The art of the comic is gorgeous and laid out in a way that really ups the dreamy atmosphere of the places that Stephanie visits. 

All in all, an absolutely fantastic comic that fans of fantasy, Gothic, and mystery genres will absolutely devour.

Review: 5/5 Stars

Kayla Krantz