The Sandman Presents: Love Street (1999)

Love Street (1999)

Author: Peter Hogan | Illustrator: Michael Zulli | Page Count: 75 (total)

'Life itself is a dream, so the mystics tell us. But what is life without dreams? Looking at Terry I saw a man who knew the answer...'

Set in London, Love Street occurs within two distinct time periods, thirty years apart, connected by people and consequence; the years are 1969 and 1999.

In the summer of '69 fourteen-year-old runaway Oliver meets Johnny, a slightly older youth whose interests lie in Tarot and free expression, among others. He nestles Oliver under his wing, and the story takes on momentum.

For those not familiar with the history or geography of London, Portobello Road is a long street in the Notting Hill district that's famous for its weekend markets and vibrant cultural happenings. It's therefore a fitting place for the characters in the book to come together.

There's seven of them, cohabiting in a three-story house in the famous location. They have differing backgrounds but each one has an open mind, able to appreciate and evaluate in their own way the fresh ideas and new ways of thinking that were permeating the culture of the day, from spiritual growth to the benefits of recreational drugs.

The polished characterisation and deft use of era-specific trappings mean the atmosphere in the house is excellent; it's filled with life, which adds to its believability. There's a looming feeling that change is on the horizon, and that it'll be brought about by the practitioners' own making.

There's a direct connection to The Sandman, specifically Vol I: Preludes & Nocturnes (1991), so it's advisable to have read it first. At the very least you'll need knowledge of Lord Morpheus' imprisonment and the role that Sandman's secondary characters played in keeping The Dreaming intact. If all of that sounds like gibberish to you, then parts of Love Street may be confusing.

As previously mentioned, the reverberations of an occurrence in 1969 are felt by some in 1999. Both time periods feature in all three issues of the limited series, meaning it's not a straight linear telling, but its plotting is simple to follow. It's not top-tier Sandman, but I very much enjoy how the layers of interrelation build as the separate aspects turn out to be not so separate after all, and it culminates in a satisfyingly emotional payoff that respects both its featured eras.

NOTE: as far as I know, at time of writing the three issues haven't been collected into a TPB. If that's correct, your only way to get them will be as individual issues.