Sandman Presents Thessaly, Witch For Hire #4

May 4, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: The Last Full Measure (or What Are All These Dead Guys Doing in My Living Room?)

The Tharmic Null is getting closer, and Thessaly’s only chance for survival is the lovelorn ghost named Fetch.

Writer: Bill Willingham
Art: Shawn McManus
Colors: Pamela Rambo
Letters: Phil Balsman
Editor: Mariah Huehner
Cover Art: Tara McPherson
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo

As much as the third issue in this miniseries was a tour of Thessaly’s world, we still have new things to explore in this final chapter. She goes off to set free various creatures in her captivity or servitude in anticipation of her battle with the unstoppable Tharmic Null, then enters a battle armed with nothing but a clever twist on some pre-existing information. Surprisingly, there’s almost no action in this issue – the battle with the Null is pretty well glossed over, but there’s no sense of dissatisfaction either. Every character does exactly what you would expect him or her (or it) to do, even while throwing some surprises at you.

Having Thessaly release the monsters she’s captured, for example, is a brilliant piece of characterization on Willingham’s part. Believing she could die, this supposedly cold, stoic witch has a big enough heart not to want to leave these creatures to starvation, and at the same time, is sensible enough to protect the world from them once they’re loose. Fetch continues to be a charming scoundrel with a fair amount of courage as well, all fueled by his inexplicable love for Thessaly (if you were a composite ghost made up of the souls of hundreds of people all killed by the same woman, would you fall in love with her?). Willingham also uses a unique device to show the effects of the Null’s passing, how each world he touches on his path is beset by some tragedy.

The ending of the miniseries is somewhat bittersweet – bitter because it’s over and sweet because there’s a clear set-up for a third miniseries starring this character, one you can bet I’ll pull for because nobody has done as good a job with these Sandman spin-offs as Willingham has.

Shawn McManus has been with Thessaly since her introduction in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series, and he continues to do fine work here. Riding the border between a horror comic and a cartoonish comedy, his art style compliments the story perfectly, and the cover painting of Tara McPherson is a perfect example of what a comic book cover should be. It gives us a glimpse of the story without giving too much away, and once you’re done reading you can look at it and think, “Ah, so that’s what she was getting at.”

I genuinely hate to see this miniseries come to a close, although at least I can still get a double dose of Willingham with Fables and Robin every month. In the meantime, I think I’m going to read this from the beginning and wait for the third series to be announced.

Rating: 8/10

Sandman Presents Thessaly: Witch For Hire #3

April 11, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Something the Cat Dragged In (or An Even Bigger Quest Than in the Last Story)

A Tharmic Null has been sent to kill Thessaly – so she’s out to find out how to kill it first.

Writer: Bill Willingham
Art: Shawn McManus
Colors: Pamela Rambo
Letters: Phil Balsman
Editor: Mariah Huehner
Cover Art: Tara McPherson
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo

Vertigo’s best writer continues the story of the eternal witch, the ghost who loves her, and the monster that wants to kill her. Thessaly sets forth on a quest to find out how to kill the supposedly indestructible monster that Fetch unwittingly sent out to destroy her. The result is more or less a tour of Thessaly’s world, giving us a real sense of how she operates and how powerful she really is. As an added bonus, we get a quick visit from some of our old pals from The Dreaming.

The story itself, surprisingly, isn’t advanced a whole lot in this issue. Instead, we have an issue that focuses more on character and world development, and that’s just fine. Every page drips with imagination and the characters are exciting and amusing, even the nasty ones. In a four-issue miniseries, it would usually be superfluous to have an issue where very little happens. This didn’t feel that way at all.

Shawn McManus is an artist I feel could do so much more than he does – and I mean that in terms of quantity, because his quality is great. He’s got a nice, clean style that I’m a big fan of, something that works great in this fantasy series, but that could be applied equally well to superheroes, to horror, to comedy, or to just about any genre the big, wild world of comics can encompass.

Of all the Sandman miniseries we’ve gotten since that epic ended, I think this as been one of my favorites. Willingham’s contributions to the world of the Sandman are second only to Gaiman himself, and he’s carved a very nice corner for himself in these series. I hope to see a lot more of Thessaly in the future.

Assuming the Tharmic Null doesn’t get her, of course. After all, it’s never failed yet.

Rating: 8/10

Sandman Presents Thessaly: Witch For Hire #2

February 28, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Ghostraker (or) The Importance of Well-Hidden Jars

Thessaly gets information about her situation from Fetch… the hard way.

Writer: Bill Willingham
Art: Shawn McManus
Colors: Pamela Rambo
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Mariah Huehner
Cover Art: Tara McPherson
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo

This issue is another solid installment of Thessaly’s tale by Bill Willingham, but it takes a darker turn this issue. It’s not quite as much fun as last issue was. Not to say I thought this comic book would be all rainbows and puppy dog tails, but the title takes a definite turn down a dark trail I didn’t see coming this issue, and that leaves the reader a little uncomfortable.

After disposing of the latest monster that Fetch has conscripted her to defeat, Thessaly takes the ghost to a secluded cabin somewhere so she can begin to rip information out of him a piece at a time. Thanks to him, Thessaly has spent the last two years of her life fighting monster after monster. Now that she knows he’s the cause, she wants to know what else he’s got up his sleeve.

Fetch makes an odd choice as narrator of this series – he’s got that roguish charm going for him, but considering what he’s put Thessaly through while claiming to be in love with her, he’s not an altogether sympathetic character. Of course, considering some of the things she has done in her long life, Thessaly isn’t all that sympathetic either. That just makes it all the more odd, really, how likeable and engaging both of these characters really are.

Shawn McManus, who first drew Thessaly back in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series, does a fine job in this issue. He’s never too realistic with his pencils, keeping something of a cartoonish edge that somehow suits the characters very well. This doesn’t stop him from drawing the nasty stuff when necessary though – he gives us hints of Thessaly-spawned violence at the beginning and a look of some of the horrors she’s really capable of towards the end of the book, and all of it fits in with the style used for Thessaly herself just fine. He doesn’t lose anything transitioning from one style to the other.

There have been several Sandman Presents specials and miniseries since the original book ended. Almost all of the best ones have come from the able keyboard of Bill Willingham. He’s one of the best assets DC Comics has right now, and it’s encouraging to see how much great work he’s getting to do these days.

Rating: 7/10

Spider-Man and Power Pack #3

January 4, 2007

Quick Rating: Great
Title: Project: Run Away (Fashion Sense Tingling Part 1)
Rating: All Ages

Even with Power Pack’s help, can Spider-Man beat four Venoms?

Writer: Marc Sumerak
Art: Gurihiru
Mini Marvels Art: Chris Giarrusso
Mini Marvels Colors: Jacob Chabot
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Nathan Cosby
Cover Art: Gurihiru
Publisher: Marvel Comics

As a thank-you to Power Pack for helping him beat the Sandman, Spider-Man gives them four tickets for the hottest fashion show in New York, where Mary Jane just happens to be modeling. What neither Spidey nor the kids realizes, though, is that the designer’s got a brand-new fabric he’s trying out… a little souvenir from an encounter with Venom.

As always, Marc Sumerak and Gurihiru have created a comic book that puts together a wonderful, perfectly accessible story that even the youngest comic book fan will easily be able to get into. As I read it, though, it seems more and more like the sort of comic book story that I used to read as a kid in the core Marvel Comics – the heroes interact the same way, the stories shake out the same way… it’s all got the elements I love about superheroes without all the angst and baggage. People bemoaning the loss of simple, fun superhero stories will find exactly what they’re looking for right here.

Following the main story is part three of the “Civil Wards” Mini-Marvels story, with art by Chris Giarrusso. Spidey, still babysitting the infant Power Pack, decides to take them over to Stark Park to have some fun… but in order to play, Iron Man is going to require them to put their signatures on the dotted line. Captain America, meanwhile, has put together his own coalition of heroes opposed to the “establishment” taking over the playground. This story is an absolutely hysterical, spot-on parody of Civil War. In fact, the two-panel exchange between Lil’ Reed and Lil’ Sue this issue is more entertaining than anything else I’ve read connected to this crossover.

This is a wonderful, entertaining issue with a spot-on, side-splitting back-up. I hope these Power Pack miniseries never end.

Rating: 9/10

Somebody’s First Comic-Sandman Mystery Theatre: Sleep of Reason #4

Wondering what Somebody’s First Comic Book is all about? The explanation is on this page!

TITLE: Sleep of Reason Chapter Four

CREDITS:
Writer: John Ney Rieber
Art: Eric Nguyen
Colors: Lee Loughridge
Letters: Rob Leigh
Cover Art: Tim Bradstreet
Editor: Jonathan Vankin
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE: The Sandman is the guy who puts you to sleep at night, right? But why’s the guy on this cover wearing a gas mask? Looks more like he could give you nightmares.

IMPRESSIONS: This comic book seems to be telling two different stories at the same time. One of them is in the present day (which I assume is 2007, when this book was published) and the other set in the year 1997. Both of them involve guys in gas masks fighting terrorism or something. To be honest, it’s a little confusing.

The present-day sequence works much better, I think. We quickly learn the hero’s name (Kieran Marshall) and the situation is obvious. His buddy Jake is strapped into a bomb that he can’t remove without killing him. Also, his face is really messed up by the same guy responsible for the bomb. Vengeance time.

The other sequence features a guy named Wesley Dodds, also fighting someone in the Middle East, but this one is a lot more muddled. I can’t really tell who the rest of the characters are or why they’re fighting, or for that matter, why Dodds looks so old when he takes the mask off.

The mask makes for another problem. Since the heroes of both stories are wearing the gas mask, it makes it really difficult sometimes to tell which time period we’re reading on any particular page. We bounce back and forth so much that it gets very confusing. The artwork isn’t clear enough here either.

The book has some good elements, but the time jumps and confusion in the plot make it too hard to recommend to somebody. I doubt I’ll look for more of this story.

GRADE: C-

Sandman Presents Thessaly: Witch For Hire #1

February 2, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: My Girl (or) Far Too Much About Snakes

Fetch the Ghost returns… with a new proposition for Thessaly.

Writer: Bill Willingham
Art: Shawn McManus
Colors: Pamela Rambo
Letters: Nick Napolitano
Editor: Mariah Huehner
Cover Art: Tara McPherson
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo

Back in those bygone days before Fables, Bill Willingham wrote a four-issue miniseries called Sandman Presents the Thessaliad, a story starring a minor character from Neil Gaiman’s epic. He made her a star, though, and for the first time showed up on my radar. It was that miniseries that made me give Fables a shot when it premiered a few months later, and I haven’t regretted it.

This miniseries takes up some two years after the first one, with the witch Thessaly traveling the world, plagued by a series of demons and monsters she has to combat. It makes for a good comedy/action story, with a tinge of a romantic comedy when Fetch, the ghost who loves her, arrives. Readers don’t need to be familiar with the previous miniseries, or even the epic Sandman series, to enjoy this book.

Thessaly is a great character, one I’ve enjoyed even more under Willingham’s guidance than Gaiman’s. She’s one strong woman, unafraid of anything, and even if she’s not technically human she’s a great change from weak females that exist to go after men or show cleavage in comic books.

McManus does a wonderful job with the artwork in this comic, The monsters are gross and the battle scenes are choreographed wonderfully, not to mention that Thessaly herself is simply beautiful. (Of course, I have a thing for women in glasses, so your opinion may vary).

There seems to be a movement in Vertigo these days to get darker and grimier with each new title. This book goes in the opposite direction, taking a very light approach both with the artwork and the story. There’s definitely a danger here, but not one that you ever feel is beyond Thessaly’s ability to handle (no matter how mad she gets at Fetch in the process).

People who have been a little disappointed in Willingham’s work on Robin so far can read this book and see for certain that he’s still got it. It’s as pleasant and enjoyable as any issue of Fables, and that makes it ahead of 99 percent of the comic books published.

Rating: 8/10

PS 238 #17

August 3, 2006

Quick Rating: Great

As the school mourns Ambriel, someone is kidnapping students!

Writer: Aaron Williams
Art: Aaron Williams
Cover Art: Aaron Williams
Publisher: Dork Storm Press/Henchman Publishing

Scott Kurtz has called PS 238 an idea so good that Disney has ripped it off twice. He’s right. Aaron Williams’ comic book about a school for superhero (or as they’re called here, “Metaprodigy”) children is one of the best takes on the idea you’ll ever read. What started with a series of short strips has evolved into a magnificent ongoing saga about children coming to grips with incredible power that manages to be smart, touching, realistic and very funny all at the same time.

Last issue, Public School 238 (hidden in an underground complex beneath Excelsior Elementary) suffered its first casualty, Ambriel Valentine, the girl called Guardian Angel. Although she’s dead, her ghost is still wandering the school, trying to figure out what’s happened to her, why she hasn’t moved on, and why she can seemingly talk through the people around her. As she roams the school, her fellow students are under a bizarre attack – someone is teleporting children out of the school and into the sky over a nearby lake. Although they aren’t being hurt by their falls into the water, the realization that someone is capable of doing such a thing brings with it fears of what else they may be capable of.

This really works as a great ensemble piece. The kids are superheroes, but still act like children – the way American Eagle decides it’s his duty to protect the (class) president even as he tries to oust him, for instance, feels like a kid playing superhero. Murphy (Williams’ blatant and hysterical Sandman parody) has a great scene this issue as the late Ambriel tries to figure out her fate, and the non-powered Tyler seems to have found a way to make himself a hero after all. We’ve also got some ominous portents of things to come, tidbits that make the wait for next issue seem an eternity.

Although I’d like to see them in color, Williams’ designs look great even in black and white. The only real problem with the art – or the book at all, for that matter – is that the faces all tend to look the same. Many of the characters, with a change of hairstyle or costume, would be indistinguishable from one another. Fortunately the designs are unique enough that this usually isn’t a problem when reading the comic.

This is perhaps one of the finest – and least-recognized – superhero comics on the market. It’s smart, it’s funny and it’s got a degree of heart and emotion that some titles put out by the big boys could only dream about. This is that superhero comic everybody should be reading.

Rating: 9/10

Death: At Death’s Door

November 12, 2003

Quick Review: Good

Writer/Artist: Jill Thompson
Editor: Shelly Bond
Cover Art: Jill Thompson
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo

This book is labeled as a “companion” volume to one of Neil Gaiman’s epic Sandman graphic novel, A Season of Mists. This is an accurate enough description as, while it is a very entertaining read, At Death’s Door doesn’t really stand up on its own without the backdrop of the Gaiman book.

In A Season of Mists, the Sandman (alias Morpheus, alias Dream of the Endless) decides to confront Lucifer to win back the soul of a woman the Dream-King once wronged, and banished to Hell. When he arrives there, he is stunned to find that Lucifer has determined he no longer wishes to rule his kingdom of the damned, turns out all denizens of Hell (both demon and tormented soul alike), gives the key to Morpheus and walks off. (I believe that this is also the launching point for Vertigo’s current popular Lucifer series, but as I’ve never read that, I’m not entirely certain.) The rest of the volume was split between two storylines – the efforts of gods and cosmic beings to try to persuade Morpheus to place them in control of Hell and the efforts of others, such as Dream’s older sister, Death, to contain the souls that were let loose.

At Death’s Door tells virtually the same story, but from Death’s viewpoint. Now if you’ve never read any of the Sandman graphic novels you should be aware that Vertigo’s Death is not the grim, hooded, scythe-bearing apparition of legend, but one of seven immortal beings who keep things running in the universe — Death, Dream, Destiny, Delirium, Desire, Despair and the long-absent Destruction. This version of Death usually appears in the form of a young woman with a sort of quiet humor about her, a sort of all-knowing Mona Lisa smile that is oddly comforting and beautiful. It is her job to shepherd the souls of the dead from their bodies. What happens to them after that is beyond her control.

This funny tale, drawn in a style and published in a format that mimics Japanese Manga, concerns Death’s efforts to continue harvesting souls that have no underworld to go to, even as billions of souls she has collected already begin roaming the cosmos. Her sisters, Delirium and Despair, try to help with this process, but prove why the Endless should deal with their own realms without delving too deeply into the responsibilities of their siblings.

Thompson’s artwork is wonderful and perfectly suits the bizarre comedic tone of the story (bizarre mostly because the subject matter is the undead and a conflict over Hell itself). She uses the conventions of the Manga form without surrendering to them entirely, making a rather fresh hybrid of Eastern and Western comics that you don’t get to see very often.

The problem, I’m afraid, comes in the story itself. Simply put, if you haven’t read A Season of Mists, it will be very difficult to follow the story. Thompson does re-create several scenes from the Gaiman volume and fills in gaps of other scenes, but new readers will feel like they are only reading selections from a larger work, whereas people familiar with A Season of Mists will find the technique a bit repetitive.

This is not to say that the repeated scenes never work – in Thompson’s defense, she does these scenes from a different viewpoint than Gaiman did, and sometimes uses that to her advantage. There is a scene in A Season of Mists, for instance, in which Dream addresses Death through his gallery (a gallery of mystical portraits through which any of the Endless can contact any of the others, almost like viewing a picture-phone). When we first saw this scene from Dream’s perspective, it told the story. When we see it again from Death’s perspective, it still tells the story, but adds in all the chaos raging around her that Dream was not privy to.

The strengths of this story are in its humor – particularly in the scenes where Death gets frustrated with the roaming dead or where Delirium and Despair try to placate the lost souls with a party. (The Edgar Allan Poe joke in particular had me chortling when I read it.) The weaknesses this story does have are by no means in Thompson’s writing, but rather in the constraints of the story she is telling.

The format of this book is unusual too, at least for an American comic from a mainstream publisher – it’s done in black and white and printed in a smaller, almost digest-sized volume not much bigger than a standard mass market paperback, the format used to reprint a lot of Japanese comics in America. Also borrowing from the Japanese style, in which a story can stretch across dozens of volumes, is a number “1” on the spine. This would seem to imply that DC hopes to continue this series. I sincerely hope they do – very few people have proven themselves proficient at handling the characters from the Sandman family after Gaiman left in the mid-90s, and Thompson is one of them. I only hope that if a second volume is in the offering, she is allowed to really let loose and tell a story of her own instead of adding to a story that has already been told, because that is when I think she will really be allowed to shine.

Rating: 7/10

Spider-Man and Power Pack #2

December 3, 2006

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Sands of Time (The New Kid Part 2)
Rating: All Ages

The newest member of Power Pack – Spider-Man?

Writer: Marc Sumerak
Art: Gurihiru
Mini-Marvels Art: Chris Giarrusso
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Nathan Cosby
Cover Art: Gurihiru
Publisher: Marvel Comics

I really love the fact that Marvel publishes books like this. There aren’t enough good comics out there that can appeal to young readers, and this is one of the best on the market. Last issue, Spider-Man and the Vulture got dunked in some sort of comic book-y goo that reduced their ages. In the Vulture’s case, he becomes a young man again, but Spider-Man is reduced to childhood. He turns to the only superheroes who can help him (without making fun of him) – the kid heroes of Power Pack.

It’s really a lot of fun to watch Spider-Man palling around with the kids, and the scene where Julie tries to redesign his costume is hysterical. The final battle, a beachfront slugfest with Sandman, is a real blast. Much of the time Sumerak tries to work in a moral to his stories, but this one is just pure fun. Gurihiru’s artwork is also exceptional. There’s a slight “Manga” flavor to it, but not so much as to be off-putting to readers who may be tired of its dominance.

Following up the main sort is part two of “Civil Wards,” a Mini-Marvels Event. As Spider-Man (the kid) is hired to babysite the Power Pack (as babies), he turns to a nearby park to keep them occupied – but danger is only a sandbox away. I absolutely love the Mini-Marvels, and I’m really happy that Marvel is giving them another shot here in the pages of Power Pack.

This book is pure fun, something that will be great for kids but also works as a nice treat for grown-up fans of the characters. Definitely recommended.

Rating: 8/10

Sandman: Endless Nights Original Graphic Novel

November 13, 2003

Quick Rating: Excellent

Seven tale of the Endless from the most imaginative voice in comic books.

Writer: Neil Gaiman
Art (Chapter 1): P. Craig Russell
Colors (Chapter 1): Lovern Kindzierski
Art (Chapter 2): Milo Manara
Art (Chapter 3): Miguelanxo Prado
Art (Chapter 4): Barron Storey & Dave McKean (Designer)
Art (Chapter 5): Bill Sienkiewicz
Art (Chapter 6): Glenn Fabry
Colors (Chapter 6): Chris Chuckry
Art (Chapter 7): Frank Quitely
Letters: Todd Klein
Editor: Shelly Bond
Cover Art: Dave McKean
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo

Neil Gaiman put his Sandman quill away after 75 issues about seven years ago. Since then, others have occasionally told stories of the Dreaming and the Endless, and some of them (especially Fables creator Bill Willingham) were rather good at it. But none of them had the same fantastic feel of Gaiman.

Now he’s back with seven new short stories about the Endless, all of which combine to make one incredible hardcover that is bound to be a favorite when people start handing out awards next year. In each of these he teamed up with a really fantastic artist, most of whom he never worked with before, and turned out a volume that any Sandman fan simply has to read.

Chapter 1, “Death and Venice,” is the Death story in this collection, and like so many of the best Sandman tales, the Endless play only a small role directly. An aristocrat has discovered a way to cheat time by reliving the same day over and over again (kind of a version of Groundhog Day by way of Gaiman instead of Bill Murray). The Count can die every day with no consequences, because he will wake up the next day and live the day all over again, so in cheating time, he is also cheating Death. And nobody can cheat Death forever.

Russell does a great job with this story, switching from a looser, more iconic style on the island to a much grittier style for the modern-day scenes. This is one of my favorite stories in the collection.

Chapter 2, “What I’ve Tasted of Desire,” is the tale of the androgynous member of the Endless who plies his/her talents for a farm girl in love with a Nordic warrior. This story, as short as it is, manages to keep an almost perfect three-act structure – the longing, the pursuit and the girl’s life thereafter. It was brilliant to have this story drawn by Milo Manara, famous in Europe for his exquisite adult-themed graphic novels. Manara creates some of the most striking, sensual women ever to grace a comic book page, and the marriage of his artwork to Gaiman’s words is flawless.

Chapter 3, “The Heart of a Star,” is the tale of the titular Sandman, but is also the only story in the collection to show all of the Endless together. Eons ago, long before life began on Earth, a gathering of the immortals was held, a gathering of the cosmic beings, the gods. Dream of the Endless was there with his lover, Killalla of the planet Oa. The tale is told mostly through Killalla’s eyes as she meets each of the Endless, including the earlier incarnation of Delirium, when she was still known as Delight. If ever there is any question of Sandman’s place in the DC Universe, this should dispel it. In this tale we see not only the groundwork for much of the Sandman epic, but also the beginning of ripples that would one day touch mainstream titles like Green Lantern and Superman.

Prado’s artwork is beautiful, with a elegant, fanciful quality that is perfect for this marriage of science fiction and fantasy storytelling. He is also good with expression, often telling as much of the story in facial features as Gaiman does through dialogue.

Chapter 4, “Fifteen Portraits of Despair,” is probably my least favorite of the seven tales, although that’s mostly because it just isn’t the sort of artwork I prefer. Rather than a coherent story, this is more like 15 assorted vignettes of the lost, the despondent, the hopeless, as different beings reach the point of ultimate agony in their own broken lives. Dark and disturbing, with harsh artwork both beautiful and terrible by Barron Storey, this chapter is difficult to read, but only because of how well it is done.

Chapter 5 is “Going Inside,” the story of Delirium. She has gone missing, and a group of people that belong to her realm – a homeless man, a delusional girl, several others, begin to feel a pull towards a place that may lead to her freedom. This is the first tale in the collection to take place, chronologically, after the run of the regular Sandman series, and is the only one to feature Daniel, the son of Dream. The a sequence that works very well. Bill Sienkiewicz was the perfect choice for this chapter – he has a scattered, almost mad style that matches the mindset of the main character and those that are called to her aid.

Chapter 6, “On the Peninsula,” is Destruction’s tale, and takes place right after Chapter 5. A group of archeologists have found a monolith off the coast of Sardinia, full of artifacts that could not have come from any culture on Earth – at least, not in Earth’s past. The scientists meet a tall, powerful man and his young, disturbed sister, who seem to know a great deal more about the monolith than they should. This is an interesting tale that delves into the member of the Endless we have seen least frequently over the years… and who ironically, often seems like the most human of them all. Fabry’s artwork is always good – strong, clean, and serving the story first and foremost.

Chapter 7, “Endless Nights,” is a quick portrait of Destiny that includes some of the greatest artwork of Frank Quietly’s career. The best way to describe this tale is as “A Day in the Life of Destiny.” There is no real conflict, nor any resolution… there is only the slow, plodding trek of a being whose own destiny is to follow the destiny of all.

People hoping to find, in this book, a new epic adventure or fantasy novel will be disappointed. What they will find instead is a series of short, wonderful tales, some better than others but all superior to many of the comics on the market today. This book is simply wonderful, and anyone who has ever found themselves wandering the paths of the Sandman will welcome this volume as a chance to briefly wander them again.

Rating: 10/10