Nightmares on Elm Street is a six-issue comic series by Innovation Publishing. It is an Interquel which bridges the gap between the fifth and sixth Elm Street films.
Freddy, who still gives nightmares to the citizens of Springwood, seeks to get back at those who have defeated him in the past and move past the barriers that limit him in the dream world. Biggest obstacle to his plans is Nancy, who has developed dream powers of her own and uses them to help people in their dreams.
The first two issues deal directly with Nancy, and Freddy attempting to get to her by targeting Neil and Nancy's college roommates. The next four issues are a direct sequel to Dream Child, with Alice and Jacob Johnson returning to Springwood for her father's funeral, all the while Krueger is using a disturbed woman named Devonne to kill people in the waking world for him.
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Nightmares on Elm Street provides examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Devonne's abusive dad drove her into murder and insanity. Specifically, he murdered her sister by accident. Pushed by how her dad was never punished and her mom never did anything about it, Devonne killed them by turning the gas on the kitchen stove on and leaving the house knowing her mom would light a match for her cigarette.
- Alice Allusion: Freddy traps Alice into an Alice in Wonderland -esque dreamscape, complete with the blue dress.Alice: Oh, cute, Freddy.
- Art Shift: Issues 1 and 2 were drawn by Tony Harris, using realistic character designs and pastel coloring. Issues 3-6 were drawn by Patrick Rolo and used the standard pen and ink look seen in most comics at the time.
- Auto Erotica: Devonne lures in a victim with a promise of it, and then bashes his head in with a hammer.
- Back from the Dead: Neil allows Dan to inhabit his body in the waking world so he can stay in the Beautiful Dream with Nancy.
- Batman Gambit: Devonne's murder attempt on her abusive parents relied on her mother striking a match after leaving the gas on in the kitchen and no one bothering to turn it off. It worked.
- Big "NO!": Uttered several times.
- Black Dude Dies First: Yvonne from the fifth film returns and survives again, averting this trope once more.
- Bludgeoned to Death: Devonne uses a hammer to do this to a victim. She later changes into an uzi.
- Bury Your Gays: As soon as lesbian pair Priscilla and Max are introduced, they are killed by Freddy. Max's death is more ambiguous, as it's possible that was a figment in Priscilla's dream meant to scare her.
- Call-Back: Many characters appear from the past movies.
- Corrupt the Cutie: Freddy once again tries to enlist Alice's son Jacob's help to reach more victims. This time he's offering up his father Dan's captured soul in exchange.
- The Dragon: Devonne to Freddy, who works for him hoping that he will release her from the nightmares of her killing her parents.
- Evil Overlooker: Freddy in the cover of the first issue.
- Evil Plan: For Freddy, it's getting back at Nancy and Alice, and tricking Jacob to release him into the real world.
- Fingore: Freddy traps Priscilla in her nightmare by disguising himself as a sewing machine and catching her fingers with his needles.
- Good Counterpart: Nancy has become the good counterpart to Freddy in the dream world, to the point of being the Big Good who is able to save the souls trapped by Freddy.
- High-Heel–Face Turn: Devonne turns on Freddy after he betrays her, though she still dies.
- Hotter and Sexier: Taryn's outfit in the dream world is even skimpier than her badass leather outfit in the third movie.
- Jack the Ripper: Cybil is a ripperologistnote , and Freddy bases her nightmares around that theme.
- Man on Fire: Devonne witnesses her parents burning to death right in front of her eyes.
- The Reveal: The first issue ends with the reveal that Nancy's soul resides in "The Beautiful Dream".
- Scaled Up: Taking a note from Jabberwocky, Freddy appears as a dragon to Alice in the Wonderland dreamscape. He carries the form to the climactic confrontation.
- Self-Made Orphan: Devonne killed her parents in a gas explosion.
- Serial Killer: Devonne, who kills teenagers in the real world to provide souls to Freddy.
- Shout-Out: Fifth issue's title "Bang Bang Devonne's Silver Hammer", comes from The Beatles song "Maxwell's Silver Hammer".
- Straight Gay: Priscilla and Max.
- Television Portal: Due to the way she died in Dream Warriors, Jennifer is a walking television, who can transport people through herself.
- Time Skip: There's a three year time skip between issues two and three.
- When Trees Attack: After doused by hurtful water by Nancy, Freddy gives a tree sentience, which then grabs Cybil.
