Reviews of graphic novels and comic book collections every Tuesday and Thursday.


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The Sandman Vol. 3: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman
One of the shortest books in the series, The Sandman Vol. 3: Dream Country (1995, Vertigo/DC Comics, Amazon listing) is a collection of four short stories from the series which barely feature the title character at all. Yet each is a great read and indicative of Neil Gaiman's skill as a storyteller.

The World Fantasy Award winning "A Midsummer Night's Dream" tends to get all of the attention of short stories in the series, and deservedly so. It captures the many themes of the series, is a great read showcasing Gaiman's literary side while also showing his familiarity with genre fiction, and is beautifully illustrated by Charles Vess. But the other stories are no less deserving.

"Calliope" is a genuinely creepy story about the lengths a writer will go to get ideas, even imprisoning a muse. What seems to be a cute story about cats, "A Dream of a Thousand Cats," becomes a parable about the power of dreams and will have you looking at your feline in a different light. Finally, "Facade" features Death instead of Dream and looks at the life and fate of Element Girl, a forgotten DC Universe character.

For a good overview of the Sandman universe without getting caught up in all the mythos, this is a great collection. Show it to friends and family to get them hooked. For those interested in the process, also included is a annotated script for the story "Calliope."

The Sandman Vol. 3: Dream Country 4 stars (out of 5)
posted by Sean McGurr at 8:00 AM