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Sunday, September 10, 2006 The Sandman The Sandman is widely considered one of the most original, sophisticated and artistically ambitious comic book series of the modern age. It is unusual because it exists outside of the superhero genre. It is horror, fantasy, mythology rolled into one. I read it during my j1 year and if i can find any of the series i would read it again. The ideas found in The Sandman are always outlandish and sometimes extremely funny.(but then again, it isn't a funny kind of comics series. some friends find its graphic images disturbing haha.) Some of the story arcs really make you pause and reflect, "What if?" Abel: You, uh, p-promise it isn't going to, hmmmm, explode? Promise? Cain: Now, why would I give you an exploding present? What kind of brother would I be if I did that? Abel: My kind of b-brother. "What power would hell have if those imprisoned there could not dream of heaven?" The series is actually about Dream(also known as the Sandman, albeit rarely) who is part  of the Endless, each of whom personifies an aspect of reality. They are Destiny, Death, Dream, Desire, Despair, Destruction and Delirium(who was once Delight). Death is probably the most memorable character in the whole family. Instead of the Grim Reaper with the signature scythe, Death is instead a young, eternally cheerful Goth girl punk. Death accompanies each mortal twice in life. At birth, she speaks to them, but since no one remembers what she says, it is not known why. When they die, she guides them to what lies beyond their mortal years. She was so popular that she appeared in 2 of her own series. "I'm not blessed or merciful. I'm just me. I've got a job to do and I do it. Listen: even as we're talking, I'm there for old and young, innocent and guilty, those who die together and those who die alone. I'm in cars and boats and planes, in hospitals and forests and abattoirs. For some folks death is a release and for others death is an abomination, a terrible thing. But in the end, I'm there for all of them. When the first living thing existed, I was there, waiting. When the last living thing dies, my job is finished. I'll put the chairs on tables, turn out the lights and lock the universe behind me when I leave. Who am I? Just a friend. Sometimes. Maybe. Sorry I couldn't help any. Be seeing you... " - Death One of the most fascinating plotlines is found in A Season Of Mists . Dream travels to Hell to free a former lover, Nada who he condemned to torment thousands of years ago. There, Dream learns that Lucifer, tired of his duties has abandoned his domain. When Lucifer gives the Hell's key (and therefore, the ownership of Hell) to the Sandman, Morpheus himself becomes trapped in a tangled network of threats, promises, and lies as gods and demons from various pantheons seek ownership of Hell. This is the first time I have ever thought of the possibility of the Devil actually not wanting to be the King of Hell. In the comic, Lucifer has simply decided to go off for his much needed rest and since Dream was around, he just passed him the key to Hell. :) "They talk of me going around buying souls, like a fishwife come market day, never stopping to ask themselves why. I need no souls. And how can anyone own a soul? No. They belong to themselves...they just hate to face up to it." - Lucifer One plus point for the Sandman is that it has an ending. There have been so many storylines that start strong and ended up losing steam as the plot dragged on. The Sandman series spanned a total of 10 trade paperbacks and traced a part of Dream's existence until his death in The Kindly Ones. And yet Dream did not really die because how can a personification die? A replacement Dream took his place instead. The last book, The Wake, serves as the epilogue to the entire series, its mood being reflective and restrained, tying up all the loose ends. The dead King is mourned and the new King steps up. There are seven beings that are not Gods,that existed before humanity dreamed of Gods,that will exist after the last God is dead. There are seven beings that exist because,deep in our hearts, we know that they exist. There are seven beings that are called the Endless.They are, in order of age, Destiny, Death, Dream,Destruction, Desire and Despair, and Delirium,who was once Delight.
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