In this episodic graphic novel, 14-year-old Esteban has lived with amnesia since former government employee Professor Albert Angus and his son Tristan found him in the forest three years prior. Now calling themselves the Nightmare Brigade, the youths enter Professor Angus-s patients- nightmares so they can identify and resolve the underlying trauma creating them. In the first episode, an exciting adventure turns dangerous as the two become stuck in a new patient-s chilling dreams, where adults with guns are capturing kids. In the second, another patient, who has Tristan-s mother trapped in his mind, escapes into a new patient-s nightmares. Interspersed flashbacks further contextualize Professor Angus-s work; school scenes involving Tristan, who uses a wheelchair except when visiting nightmares, hint at his frustrated relationship with his disability. Artist Dumont employs delicate linework to create an unsettling vibe and stylized, macabre character designs; primary characters are pale-skinned, and some secondary characters are portrayed with varying skin tones. Ages 7-12. (Feb.)

Gr 5 Up The Nightmare Brigade is on the case, ridding people of their bad dreams one fear at a time. Professor Angus is the head of the mysterious Sleep Clinic, where he leads two precocious 14-year-olds: son Tristan and foster son Esteban. In the dreamscapes, the teens possess special powers; Angus monitors them from the lab and offers guidance. While the teens explore the wasteland nightmare of a young girl named Sarah, Esteban gets the peculiar feeling that he's met her somewhere before, even though he has no memory of a time before Angus adopted him. There are more mysteries to be solved as Sarah joins the crew: Why does an intruder want to escape into a nightmare the team is trying to fix? What was Esteban's life like before meeting Angus and Tristan? And why does it seem like Angus knows a lot more than he's letting on? The story leaves room for many more thrilling questions to be answered. The artwork complements the story line seamlessly with its angular and spidery characters reminiscent of Tim Burton's depictions. There are some delightful artistic choices, like the meticulously detailed eyes mirrored throughout the story as well as the gremlin horror of specters and villains that populate each nightmare. Angus, Tristan, and Esteban are white; Tristan uses a wheelchair. VERDICT Wonderfully creepy, this tale will appeal to a wide range of readers. Michael Marie Jacobs