Dream Country (1991)
Author: Neil Gaiman | Illustrators: Kelley Jones / Charles Vess / Colleen Doran |
Page Count: 152
"Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes…"
Volume III of X in the Sandman saga sets aside the multipart work in favour of some standalones. There are still references to things outside of each individual story, so they're still a part of the series story arc, but they can be removed from it and enjoyed separately.
The publisher claims that each collection 'can be read in order or as individual volumes', but that's just publisher bullshit to sell more copies. I would argue that it's best to read them in order, always, even the standalones.
The first story will likely appeal to anyone who's ever tried to pen a narrative (or even a blog review) of their own and found themselves staring in despair at a mocking blank page after half an hour of fruitless toil.
The second will appeal to cat lovers, and is perhaps Gaiman's most emotionally touching standalone; at least, it is for me. It's brought to life by the pencils of Kelley Jones, who likely either owns a cat himself or studied their mannerisms and habits at length.
The third is the highlight of the book and won Gaiman a World Fantasy Award, the only comic to ever do so (perhaps because comics weren't supposed to be eligible). It requires you to have read Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (c.1595-96) to get the most enjoyment from it. For artist fans, it marks the first time that Charles Vess worked on the series.
The closing story feels like the wildcard. It features a long forgotten super-heroine and examines what life might be like when the world no longer needs you and you don't have a 'normal' life to fall back on. What does one do when they can't do anything?
Because Volume III collects just four issues, the short length is padded out with a thirty-nine page script for the first story. Think of it like a DVD extra; do you watch them or not? If not, then you're asked to pay the same price for four issues that you paid for seven previously. It's a diverse mix, but luckily for me I'm a fan of all of those things, so I enjoyed each part of it.
The third is the highlight of the book and won Gaiman a World Fantasy Award, the only comic to ever do so (perhaps because comics weren't supposed to be eligible). It requires you to have read Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (c.1595-96) to get the most enjoyment from it. For artist fans, it marks the first time that Charles Vess worked on the series.
The closing story feels like the wildcard. It features a long forgotten super-heroine and examines what life might be like when the world no longer needs you and you don't have a 'normal' life to fall back on. What does one do when they can't do anything?
Because Volume III collects just four issues, the short length is padded out with a thirty-nine page script for the first story. Think of it like a DVD extra; do you watch them or not? If not, then you're asked to pay the same price for four issues that you paid for seven previously. It's a diverse mix, but luckily for me I'm a fan of all of those things, so I enjoyed each part of it.
The book collects together Sandman issues 17 - 20.
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