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Title: Dream Country (Sandman, Book 3) by Neil Gaiman, Malcolm Jones III, Colleen Doran, Kelley Jones, Charles Vess, Steve Erickson ISBN: 1-56389-016-X Publisher: DC Comics Pub. Date: 24 September, 1991 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.57 (23 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Art beyond art
Comment:
This book goes beyond art. It goes beyond mere imitation of life. It has a life all its own. The stories contained within this graphic novel will make you think. If you're satisfied with life and don't want your happy little world order upset, don't read this. This book is for the dreamer in all of us, the part of us that longs for the fantastic. My favorite Sandman issue, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," is contained within these pages. Shakespeare performing his play for the actual denizens of Fairie - what could be better? Gaiman's Puck is unbelievable, a creature of horror and humor. The creatures of fairie are vibrant, real people, despite their fantastic nature. Gaiman, however, does not leave the humans dully on the sidelines. Oh no, we also have a story of Shakespeare's son and his view of his famous father. This story is not about any one thing. It's about dreams and relationships, the nature of truth and the passing away of an older age. But this story is not all seriousness; it also has some wonderfully funny moments, such as a mortal actor's reaction to an audience straight out Fairie. This is the comic story that was so good it won a World Fantasy Award. This is the story that scared the comittee so much that they changed the rules so a comic could never win again. It is that good.
This was also my introduction to the art of Charles Vess, one of the best artists living, in my estimation. He is the consummate fairy tale artist. His delicate, elfin faces and wonderful depictions of facial expressions bring the world of Fairie to life, along with the mortal players in this drama. He handles both the uproarious humor and the sensitive moments of Gaiman's script superbly.
And that's only one of the four stories contained in this graphic novel. Read it. It'll open your heart and touch something deep inside your soul. You'll never be the same.
Rating: 5
Summary: Uneven, but worth it for the last two
Comment: "Dream Country" contains 4 unrelated stories about Dream and Death. The first story, "Dream of a Thousand Cats" is an amusing tale, but it does not deserve an entire issue to tell. It could have easily been one of the stories told to Rose by the old women in "Kindly Ones" and taken up only a few pages.
The second tale "Calliope" is much better, but is still missing that Gaiman magic. It does however, introduce us to one of Sandman's great loves and mother of his only child. It's a good story, but it's unoriginal.
The third tale is the real treat. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" takes off from a chapter in "Doll's House" where Dream tells William Shakespeare to write 2 plays for him. Shakespeare and his troop of actors perform Midsummer Night's Dream on a grassy hill in the English Countryside for the actual fairies that are represented in the play. It's a wonderful story and the art is just breathtaking.
The last one, "Facade", doesn't include Dream. Instead it focuses on an obscure super-heroine of the 60's and how she longs for a normal life which is granted by Death. It's a moving story, the kind of super-hero tale that only Neil could write. Super powers may be great, but being a normal person would be much more appealing sometimes.
All in all, Dream Country is not the best collection of Sandman stories, but "Midsummer Night's Dream" is the single best Sandman issue and actually won a slew of awards. It's worth checking out for that tale alone.
Rating: 5
Summary: More Stories from the Realms Beyond
Comment: In between the glorious and groundbreaking story-arcs of 'Doll's House' and 'Season of Mists', Mr. Gaiman took some time off with four individual one-issue long stories in the Sandman universe; these are collected in 'Dream Country'. Technically, it can probably be considered the least important of Sandman collections, and should take second priority to volumes 1, 2, 4 and 5. Still, 'Dream Country' is Gaiman at his best, and each of these stories is important and well worth the purchase. If you're a Gaiman fan, it's an essential part of your library.
The stories in 'Dream Country' are important in the development of the series because the Sandman himself, Morpheus, Lord of Dreams, plays in them only a background role. That was the foundation for one of the elements that made the series great - that it's not just the story of one hero; the hero can be himself, an active character, but just as often he is simply the essence of something bigger. That is precisely the role Morpheus plays in 'Calliope' and 'Dream of a Thousand Cats', both with splendid dark artwork by Kelley Jones. 'Calliope' is a splendid philosophical tale of urban mythology that shows Gaiman's unique and original attitude towards storytelling and inspiration.
'Dream of a Thousand Cats' Is my favorite in this collection and probably the most underrated story in the Sandman catalogue; though 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is the celebrated story that made history by being the first 'comic book' to win the World Fantasy Award (for best short story of the year), I personally find 'Dream of a Thousand Cats' to be superior by far. Though it tells a very small tale, and one that is without significance in the greater continuity of the Sandman saga, it's gorgeously written and has a great atmosphere about it. It also gets across Neil's ideas about the importance of dreams and stories better than any of the others. The artwork, to, is brilliant.
'Facade', finally, is probably the weakest story in the collection. It's important, if nothing else, for being the first story in the Sandman series in which Morpheus does not appear at all, even as a guest. Instead, it features his older sister, Death - one of the Endless and one of the most lovable characters in Gaiman's universe, as well as does a great job in resurrecting a forgotten character from DC's history, Element Girl; Neil does as amazingly in rasterizing her as he did with other old comics characters like Lyta Hall AKA The Fury, or the absurd Sandman character from the 60s.
Last but not least, there's a delicious bonus for those who buy 'Dream Country' - the complete, original script to 'Calliope'. It's rare indeed for a writer to reveal to his readers his work in progress, and this script is fascinating to both fans of Gaiman and aspiring writers of graphic literature, as it gives us a precious glimpse into Neil's precise and masterful scriptwriting process. All this and more reasons for buying 'Dream Country', especially if you're hoping for a complete Sandman collection. It's one of the best 'comic books' you can find.
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Title: Preludes and Nocturnes (Sandman, Book 1) by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, Michael Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III ISBN: 1563890119 Publisher: DC Comics Pub. Date: 07 December, 1993 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: A Game of You (Sandman, Book 5) by Neil Gaiman, Samuel R. Delany, Shawn MacManus, Colleen Doran, Bryan Talbot, George Pratt, Stan Woch, Dick Giordano ISBN: 1563890895 Publisher: DC Comics Pub. Date: 03 September, 1993 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Fables and Reflections (Sandman, Book 6) by Neil Gaiman ISBN: 1563891050 Publisher: DC Comics Pub. Date: 04 January, 1994 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Brief Lives (Sandman, Book 7) by Neil Gaiman, Jill Thompson, Vince Locke, Peter Straub ISBN: 1563891387 Publisher: DC Comics Pub. Date: 01 January, 1995 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Worlds' End (Sandman, Book 8) by Neil Gaiman, Stephen King ISBN: 1563891719 Publisher: DC Comics Pub. Date: 01 July, 1995 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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