Sleepless #1 Features Historical Fantasy, Romance, Intrigue, & a Princess with a Headwrap

Writer: Sarah Vaughn / Artists: Leila Del Duca & Alissa Sallah / Image Comics Fans of renaissance-themed fantasy and historical romance, I’ve got a new comic for you. Issue #1 of Sleepless hit the shop yesterday and it is off to a promising start. The set up? First there’s Princess Pyppenia, Poppy to her friends and family, a princess in name, but not in line for the throne.

Oh, I didn’t mention that she’s brown-skinned? BECAUSE SHE IS AND SHE’S LOVELY! Poppy is well-drawn, with big expressive eyes and a dress I would wear to renaissance faire this summer in a heartbeat. Second, there’s her bodyguard, Cyrenic.

He’s not just a bodyguard, he’s part of a special order of The Sleepless, who literally don’t sleep. I don’t know what that does to his mental health, but whatever. He’s sworn to protect her. From what? We don’t know yet. We do know that her father has died and her uncle has been installed as the new king. We also know that there will be intrigue, backstabbing, and a little bit of magic, all hinted at in these first 30 pages. The other major characters are introduced too, Poppy’s mother, her “step mother”, the new king, all hinting that all is not well in the kingdom. Artistically, Sleepless had me at the cover. That dress?

I appreciate any artist who takes the time to give me an authentically Early Italian Renaissance inspired dress, complete with an appropriate pattern! (Am I geeking out too much? I’m geeking out too much.) But there’s more, and this goes to a hug…