The overarching storyline of The Sandman ends with the "death" of Dream of the Eternals (but I thought he was a brother to Death herself?), even though he is still undeniably present as a white, ghostly figure. Various characters, Cain and Abel, Superman and Batman, mythological gods such as the cat-headed Bast, and Wesley Dodd, the original "Sandman" from the "Golden Age of Comix" all come forward to deliver eulogies. Even Dream's ex-lovers appear in this Dreaming, having been pulled in the beginning of the book.
As an epilogue, we have a man named Hob, who apparently is immortal but masquerading as a normal man, and his girlfriend Guenivere, at a Renaissance festival he finds to be cheap and tacky. He recounts the horrible fate of slaves chained together for the Middle Passage, who were often thrown overboard so chained if the captain decided he needed to dump his cargo. (The Reader is left with the horrifying image of men, women and children chained together, sinking to their watery grave below. And it is not an image you can soon shake.)
Death comes to pay him a visit, and so does Dream. As to what this particular epilogue is trying to convey, I'm not certain, as it has an incongruent and pasted-on feel to it; however, part of the pleasure of Sandman is the surrealistic and often puzzling nature of its plots and stories, that seem dreamlike in their surreality and inscrutable ultimate meanings.
The last story is the story of William Shakespeare, who is busily writing The Tempest, is the victim of the insulting, back-handed "friendship" offered by Ben Jonson, and whose daughter is marrying an unworthy lecher. The ghost of Dream also visits him, and it seems that Will has always been well-aware that Dream is behind the great success and genius of his immortal works.
On the whole, a curious end to the series (but does it ever really end? It is, after all, the saga of the "Endless"), but one that seems incredibly appropriate given that The Sandman is as much above the average comic series as a hawk is above a sparrow. Or some such.
If you have enjoyed all the previous collections of this classic, groundbreaking comic series (which dates from 1989), there is nothing here to disappoint. It's a quick, effortless read, and if you enjoyed the nine boos preceding it, you are most likely to enjoy this one as well.
Let the Sandman take you to realms beyond your wildest dreams. You'll begin to question the world around you, the one you perceive as "real." And you may never fall asleep easily again.
About the Creator
Tom Baker
Author of Haunted Indianapolis, Indiana Ghost Folklore, Midwest Maniacs, Midwest UFOs and Beyond, Scary Urban Legends, 50 Famous Fables and Folk Tales, and Notorious Crimes of the Upper Midwest.: http://tombakerbooks.weebly.com
Third Grade
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By Mark Graham4 days ago in Critique
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She stood near the cold fireplace, watching the second-hand tick down to the hour. In another minute, the clock's bird would emerge and warble the hour. She reached up and touched the clock, tracing the gentle slope of the farmhouse roof, then trailing down the lilac strewn side, to the white fence framed dooryard. She wished she was there, where the air would smell of lilacs rather than smoke.
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Comments (1)
Great synopsis & review. Haven't read them & I'm not sure when I'll ever find time, but very good review.