Vertigo, $6.95
Short Review: More Theatre than Sandman.
Plotted by Matt Wagner, Written by Neil Gaiman. That about says it all, really. If, like me, Neil Gaiman's conversations have been keeping you buying Sandman during the slow periods, then you'll love each individual page. If, also like me, you simply don't care about the average mystery-based plot, and you find the characterisation of the leads in Sandman Mystery Theatre to be hideously archetypal, then you'll not be impressed by the story told. The story, set in 1939, involves a series of invitations to important figures in Britain to a get-together in Fawney Rig, where, unbeknownst to them, Dream of the Endless is being held. They common factor in all the party goes is that they are being blackmailed by someone present. Wesley Dodds follows a lead there, and finds Dian Belmont, now estranged from him, there for a similar reason.
The plot is wafer-thin (that was at least two thirds of it there), and the characterisation is restricted to Dian, Wesley and a few others. It is interesting to note that Wagner is finally writing Dian as more than just the usual one-note "strong woman", and veers close to an actual individual character at times. The conversations are great to read, and the art, by Teddy Kristiansen, is well suited to the various levels of murk shown.
Warning note for Dream fans: Two pages, total.
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Andrew These reviews are copyright the authors