Dead Boy Detectives: Vols 01 and 02 (2014-15)

DBD: Vol 01: Schoolboy Terrors (2014)

Author: Toby Litt | Illustrators: Mark Buckingham / Gary Erskine | Page Count: 160

'He always treats us like royalty, it's just... sometimes it's the red carpet... and sometimes it's the guillotine.'

Of all The Sandman secondary characters that could've been revived for an ongoing series, Dead Boy Detectives wasn't high on my list, but Toby Litt changed that.

The previous incarnation (2001) is acknowledged and respected, but Litt has taken a different approach to the storytelling. He doesn't reinvent what's already in existence - he rejuvenates it, making everything feel more vital and a lot more entertaining.

The two boys, Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine, were born decades apart but share a passion for solving mysteries. And where there's a mystery, it follows that there's often danger; doubly so if the occult is involved.

The Sandman Presents: Thessaly - Witch for Hire (2005)

Thessaly - Witch for Hire (2005)

Author: Bill Willingham | Illustrator: Shawn McManus | Page Count: 96

"Anything that exits can be destroyed in some way. It's just a matter of finding the right sprig of mistletoe."

Witch for Hire picks up the story of the last of the Thessalian witches two years after the end of The Thessaliad (2002), a four-issue miniseries that you can also find collected in the Taller Tales (2003) TPB.

If you haven't read the previous adventure, there's some catch-up text at the beginning to get you up to speed.

If you have read it, you'll maybe remember the big unanswered question surrounding the main supporting character. Bill Willingham expands upon that aspect.

Fetch is back, like a bad smell carried by an ill-wind, with a complement of ideas above his station (his station being that he's dead - that's not a spoiler).

The Sandman Presents: Taller Tales (2003)

The Sandman Presents: Taller Tales (2003)

Author: Bill Willingham | Illustrators: Mark Buckingham / Peter Gross / Paul Pope / Michael Kaluta / Phil Jimenez / Adam Hughes / Linda Medley / Marc Laming / Zander Cannon / Albert Monteys / Daniel Torres / Shawn McManus / Duncan Fegredo / Kevin Nowlan / Jason Little / Niko Henrichon | Page Count: 224

'A bestial song of Darwinian law in six-part harmony. A celebration of the never-ending, inescapable gospel of tooth and claw.'

Taller Tales gathers into one book a small collection of the many post-Sandman stories. There's some one-shots, a complete mini-series, and a single issue of the long-running but now defunct monthly The Dreaming.

Each of the individual publications may still lurk in specialist comic shops, but why spend more than the cover price when you can have them in an advert-free TPB? In the order presented:

01. Merv Pumpkinhead, Agent of D.R.E.A.M. (2000) is a one-shot in which Merv recounts an unlikely story of derring-do in which he's the one daring and doing. I like Merv, but a James Bond parody isn't something that stays in my memory long. Most of the actual Bond movies are like parodies of themselves, so besides the hero having a pumpkin for a head, there really isn't much difference.

The Sandman Presents: Bast: Eternity Game (2003)

Bast: Eternity Game (2003)

Author: Caitlin R. Kiernan | Illustrator: Joe Bennett | Page Count: 66 (total)

'Sleep, child. Sleep and follow me.'

Gods aren't flesh and blood. Gods don't die. They simply fade away when no one remembers their name or what they represented. Bast, the Egyptian cat goddess, isn't willing to go quietly into the neglected nothingness, so she attempts a comeback. What she craves — namely, sincere belief and a sustained worship in the waking world — is still possible, but in her diminished state reaching out across the realms for a second chance will take every last reserve of power that she has left.

Who better to latch onto than another female who is herself on the fringes, who doesn't fit comfortably in her environment? Lucy McCuller's troubles make her susceptible to Bast's influences, but Lucy's problems are bigger than her. What's more is that ambition — in any form — has a tendency to take on a life of its own.

The Sandman Presents: The Furies (2002)

The Furies (2002)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrator: John Bolton | Page Count: 96

"[T]he immortality resides in the role, not in the being that enacts it."

Events in The Furies take place a few years after the end of Neil Gaiman's lengthy Sandman saga (1989-96).

It continues the story of a secondary character named Lyta Hall, so if you've not read all 75 issues (collected as 10 volumes, previously reviewed on the blog), then you'll be missing a huge chunk of backstory. In truth, it would be best to not read The Furies if you lack that Sandman knowledge, because it's largely reliant on it.

Carey's words build an atmosphere that's thick and oppressive. Bolton's painted art complements it.

Bolton is a superb artist, so it's hard to say for sure, but there may be some actual photography blended into the backgrounds. Either way, it manages to be more emotionally affecting than the text; it almost feels as if the brush strokes have actual pain and a unique kind of anguish captured within them.

The Sandman Presents: The Dead Boy Detectives (2001)

The Dead Boy Detectives (2001)

Author: Ed Brubaker | Illustrator: Bryan Talbot | Page Count: 96

"At that moment, Edwin Paine remembered exactly why he used to be afraid of the dark."

The DBD miniseries features Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine, characters first introduced in The Sandman: Volume IV: Season of Mists (1992). Some other supporting characters from the Sandman universe pop up and will leave new readers confused because the book offers no explanation as to who they are.

It's set in England. The dialogue is supposed to reflect that, but it doesn't quite hit the mark. It's more like an outsider's view of how they think English people sound.

It can be overlooked when you consider that the characters existed before author Ed Brubaker was given the reins, so he was tied to them having a different geographical origin (and dialect) than himself.

The Sandman Presents: Petrefax (2000)

Petrefax (2000)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrator: Steve Leialoha | Page Count: 88 (22 x 4)

"I had fallen in love with a dead woman. I asked myself if this was irony or merely an occupational hazard..."

A four-issue limited series that follows the titular Petrefax, an apprentice undertaker from the necropolis Litharge, who first appeared in The Sandman: Volume VIII: Worlds' End (1994). He's now a journeyman, seeking life experience in the wider, weirder world.

His travels take him to the bustling Malegrise, a place that brings to mind England of centuries gone by; the biggest difference being that 18th Century England wasn't home to sorcerers and demons (as far as I know).

I'm glad it was Mike Carey that was given the job of writing the miniseries. It suits his talents perfectly.

He was sole author of the ongoing Lucifer series at the time Petrefax was being published, but there's no evidence that he was stretching himself too thin. In fact, the reverse seems to be the case. He must've been on a creative high - both works are excellent.

The Sandman Presents: The Corinthian (2001-02)

The Corinthian: Death in Venice (2001-02)

Author: Darko Macan | Illustrator: Danijel Zezelj | Page Count: 74 (total)

"What a curse the self is."

Another three-issue 'limited series' released under The Sandman Presents banner, this time featuring 'the dark mirror to humanity' himself, The Corinthian, recognisable in the white suit and dark glasses ensemble that he so favours, making him reminiscent of Andrew Eldritch in a Floodland (1987) era Sisters of Mercy music video.

The walking nightmare is in Venice, city of canals, bridges, and honeymooners, among other things. He's not the only wicked thing walking the famous city's streets, but he has a singular goal that is unique to him, and he's no qualms about using others in pursuit of it.

Prior knowledge of the character's origins will be helpful; for that you'll need to have read The Sandman: Volume II: The Doll's House (1991), at the very least.

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.

WitchCraft: La Terreur (1998)

WitchCraft: La Terreur (1998)

Author: James Robinson  |  Illustrator: Michael Zulli  |  Page Count: 72 (24 x 3)

"[N]othing is for nothing."

'La Terreur' translates to 'The Terror', referencing a period in France's past (also known as The Reign of Terror) in which a bloody revolution took place as a percentage of the populace tried to turn the political climate from a Monarchy into a Republic. Wikipedia has more details if you want to brush up on the cultural and political happenings around which the story is set.

It's a sequel to WitchCraft (1994), but you don't need to have read the previous book because the only returning characters are The Hecate, three witches previously seen in the Sandman universe, and it doesn't continue the same story. It's a new adventure with them taking less of an active role. Instead, they're more of a catalyst. It's also a lot less enjoyable than the previous outing.

WitchCraft (1996)

WitchCraft (1996)

Author: James Robinson | Illustrators: Peter Snejbjerg / Michael Zulli / Steve Yeowell | Page Count: 135

"The fires of madness burn at a gentle heat, stoked by grandiose delusion."

The Hecate, also known as Maid, Mother, and Crone are three aspects of the same ancient Greek deity. Likewise, the three individual issues collected in the book represent three different eras, each one more aged than the last, structurally mimicking a part of the content.

The individual chapters tell their own story while also being a part of the same larger story. Each has its own prologue wherein we’re privy to the Hecate's thoughts and hopes for what eventually follows.

It begins with a brutal act of violence against a young priestess whom the Hecate show favour to. Her aspect and that of her tormentor are reincarnated over and over throughout the ages so that she can meet him again and again, until she’s able to sate the Hecate's need for bloody revenge. The witches aren't going anywhere; their longevity means that they can play the waiting game for as long as it takes.

Lucifer: Volume 11 (2007)

Evensong (2007)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / Dean Ormston / John J. Muth / Zander Cannon / Aaron Alexovich | Page Count: 216

"If mercy's your aim, be relentless in your mercy. Be absolute. Be yourself, until you bleed."

The final volume. It's time for Lucifer to put his affairs in order before taking what he feels is the best course of action. Carey wraps up the series with some single issue stories that pick up the pieces and suggest potential futures of many of the main characters and a few of the more memorable secondary ones.

In many ways the women of the series made the toughest choices and underwent the greatest change. Their growth is explored beautifully. In a perfect world that story would never end. It's a bitter-sweet experience; particularly for my favourite character.

On first reading it surprised me to find that I'd miss the Lucifer cast just as much (and in some cases even more) than I had missed the Sandman cast, but having gone through both series more than once now, I think I favour Lucifer, even if it's not as ground-breaking as its predecessor, objectively speaking.

Lucifer: Volume 10 (2006)

Morningstar (2006)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / Colleen Doran / Michael Kaluta | Page Count: 192

"Fight. Win, or be defeated. Die. Make your own arrangements. I'm not your keeper."

Volume 10 of 11 in the Lucifer series. After an emotional opening, picking up a thread that may have seemed done and dusted in one of the earlier books, the apocalyptic conclusion to the shit-storm that has built around the Lightbringer for the past few books gets underway. What follows is conflict on a grand scale - chaos unleashed in a place unprepared for it... again.

While some fight for victory, some for honour, and some simply for the joy of fighting, Lucifer knows that to craft the New he must first destroy the Old, and not just in the physical sense. The victor may win the battle but it's not just Above and Below any longer; the whole of Creation itself is at stake. So what if the collateral damage is a few billion souls? In such a crusade, his rules are the only rules that matter.

Lucifer: Volume 09 (2006)

Crux (2006)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / Marc Hempel / Ronald Wimberly | Page Count: 168

"I walked on into chaos, and the earth beat like a heart beneath my feet."

Volume 09 of 11 in the Lucifer series. The dictionary definition of a 'crux' is 'a vital or decisive stage, point, etc. / a baffling problem or difficulty'. The Lucifer book embodies both of those things, for sure.

The first story kicks off with the politics of Hell once again in disarray. The current Duke of Gly plays a pivotal role in what direction it'll take. I didn't think Marc Hempel's art on the work was a good match for Mike Carey's words. The illustrator's cartoon styling lessens the severity of the situation. I liked his version of Gaudium, though, but I'd probably like Gaudium even if he was drawn by a five-year-old wearing a blindfold.

After that single issue the regular team of Gross and Kelly take over for the titular tale. Carey's ability to drop little things into the plot, things that through causality will escalate into giant things if left unchecked, makes the book more than exciting. While it's true that characters should be left to grow at their own pace, sometimes they need a little push.

Lucifer: Volume 08 (2005)

The Wolf Beneath the Tree (2005)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / P. Craig Russell / Ted Naifeh | Page Count: 160

"To read aloud from the book makes the book an element in the story it tells."

Volume 08 of 11 in the Lucifer series opens with the 50th issue, pencilled by P. Craig Russell. He did The Sandman 50th issue, so it's pleasing that he got to do Lucifer, too. The art is of his usual high standard, full of open splendour or intimate moments when needed.

It's titled Lilith. If you've followed the series from the beginning, you may be able to guess how that ties in with events thus far and what it means for one or more of the supporting characters. But what we weren't told previously is how large a part it played in other events.

A gathering puts the Lightbringer face to face with the embodiment of the thing that he despises most.

Readers who've been paying attention to what they've been reading up to now will notice that it's the very thing that the former ruler of Hell has spent the previous seven books trying to escape.

Lucifer: Volume 07 (2005)

 Exodus (2005)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly | Page Count: 168

"I served our Father faithfully, and my reward was to be chastised for not being you."

Volume 07 of 11 in the Lucifer series. The Morningstar is forced to take preventative measures to ensure the safety of his property. After the effort expelled to create and then to keep it, to leave it open to God's whim now would be folly. The duty forces him into a position with the Heavenly Host that he'd rather avoid, but sometimes circumstance force the hand of even angels.

Elsewhere, the secondary characters are given more to do, in a more thought-out and interesting storyline than last time. And while that leaves Lucifer absent a lot of the time, it really didn't matter because the parallel storylines kept my attention diverted.

There's a lot of humour in Exodus. It was unexpected but not unwelcome after the drawn-out nature of the previous book. The fugly little fallen Cherub Gaudium gets a chance to shine. He and his sister could sustain an off-shoot of their own, about the domestic problems of two incompetent siblings. I’d buy it.

Lucifer: Volume 06 (2004)

Mansions of the Silence (2004)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / Dean Ormston / David Hahn | Page Count: 144

"You are the King of contrivance and manipulation, my Samael. But in that, as in all things, you learned from your Father."

Volume 06 of 11 in the Lucifer series. Seeing as how it's clearly visible on the cover, I can say without crossing into spoiler territory that the Morningstar has got himself a medium sized ship, but why or where he intends to sail it will be revealed if you read the book.

Sadly, the story is formulaic. After an intro that can leave a reader wondering what happened between the previous book's ending and the beginning of this one, something that Carey has been careful to address up until now, the premise gets underway.

In the tradition of Jason and the Argonauts, all manner of mythical creatures that exist merely to interfere and harm are encountered during the long and arduous voyage. Such a setting is a workable literary device to show how characters react when in permanent proximity to others; e,g. the crew bicker and fight amongst themselves and against the nasties, but that's basically all there is to it.

Lucifer: Volume 05 (2004)

Inferno (2004)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / Dean Ormston / Craig Hamilton | Page Count: 166

"It was an irony very much to his taste, that he could no longer live without her."

Volume 05 of 11 in the Lucifer series. The four-part storyline that opens proceedings closes a deal that was made in Volume 02: Children and Monsters (2001); Lucifer and Amanadiel meet at the arranged place and time in an attempt to resolve their differences.

Some secondary characters find the event fortuitous, believing it the perfect opportunity to gain favour with one side or the other. It gives writer Mike Carey a chance to further develop threads from previous books and once more stress that Lucifer can rely just as well on his wits as on his powers; for power is useless without the knowledge of when to best use it.

Lucifer: Volume 04 (2003)

The Divine Comedy (2003)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / Dean Ormston | Page Count: 190

"Grace and perfection and eternity were her heritage. […] And a soul so bright it could be seen from Hell."

Volume 04 of 11 in the Lucifer series. The many consequences of things unseen would be a simple way to describe the book. To elaborate on that will be hard to do without giving anything away because almost everyone of any significance in the previous books is gathered in Carey's playground (nestled still within a fractured part of Gaiman's wider Sandman universe).

It's a five pointed star with all the points pointing inwards. No one is safe when everyone wants the same thing and most of them are prepared to do anything to obtain it. It's as powerful as a series finale, and yet it's not even close to the end. Nevertheless, not everyone is lucky enough to make it out unscathed.

Lucifer: Volume 03 (2002)

A Dalliance With the Damned (2002)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / Dean Ormston | Page Count: 160

"I think you should stop talking to the snake. These things he tells you are making you unhappy."

Volume 03 of 11 in the Eisner award winning Lucifer series. Things unfold at a more leisurely pace this time as writer Mike Carey shifts the focus away from the charismatic anti-hero. Instead, he explores the virtues and vices of some of the other inhabitants of the realm.

In the first half of the book are three shorter episodes that have a self-contained beginning / middle / end structure but are themselves interconnected and still manage to tie in with the series arc.

Story number one offers readers a chance to sympathise with Mazikeen as she embarks on a personal mission that'll have consequences for more than just herself.