'Till next time!
The INCspotlight (7 Year Anniversary Special): The Sandman #19 - A Midsummer Night's Dream10/30/2020 The Sandman (Vol. 2) #19 (September, 1990) - "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Neil Gaiman (writer), Charles Vess (pencils & inks) William Shakespeare's newest masterpiece premieres for a most unusual audience in this award-winning comic from Neil Gaiman. Even though I usually open my blogs with a tushie-load of background information, I'm not going to get too in the weeds about Shakespeare or A Midsummer Night's Dream, which is among his most popular works. It's also one of his earlier ones, possibly the first he wrote specifically for his theatrical troupe, the Lord Chamberlain's Men - later the King's Men, when they were patroned by King James I starting in 1603. (Some claim that Shakespeare was also briefly associated with an earlier troupe, Lord Strange's Men.) The play was supposedly first staged in either 1595 or 1596, as part of a noble family's wedding festivities, although it's hard to say for sure. Although Shakespeare pays homage to classic literature and poetry in A Midsummer Night's Dream and references a number of their tropes, the plot is considered to be his own, and among his most imaginative. (If anyone's wondering, I'm firmly in the "Shakespeare wrote his own work" camp, and if you want to see an effective takedown of the anti-Stratfordian conspiracy theory, I recommend this installment of the web series Brows Held High.) Scene From A Midsummer Night's Dream, Titania and Bottom by Edwin Henry Landseer (1848) There's assuredly more I could probably go into about A Midsummer Night's Dream, but it's time I actually got around to discussing The Sandman - which is no easy task, and one I admittedly find rather daunting, on account of both its complex storyline and huge popularity. It's one reason it took me so long to get around to this particular review, even though it's one of the first INCspotlights I ever thought about doing. So enough stalling - here goes... Numerous DC Comics characters have called themselves the Sandman over the years. The first was wealthy playboy Wesley Dodds, a gas-mask-wearing Green Hornet pastiche in a suit, cape, and gas mask (later given purple and gold tights) who subdued criminals with a gas gun. One of DC's earliest characters, he first appeared in New York World's Fair Comics #1 (July 1939), which hit newsstands just a couple of weeks before his intended debut in Adventure Comics #40. The Sandman was a founding member of the Justice Society of America, the first superhero team in comic book history, and some of his later Golden Age adventures were written and drawn by none other than the dynamic duo of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. The Dodds version of the character would get his own series in the 1990s, Sandman Mystery Theater, under DC's Vertigo imprint, which published darker, more mature stories. New York World's Fair Comics #1 (July, 1939) - Untitled Sandman Story. Gardner Fox (writer), Bert Christman (pencils & inks) In 1974, Simon and Kirby collaborated on a new version of the Sandman for DC - the actual Sandman of lore and legend, charged with protecting children from nightmares. This series only lasted for a few issues, and a new Sandman came along in the 1980s, although it incorporated some elements of the previous incarnation. This new Sandman was Hector Hall, son of Carter and Shiera Hall, the Golden Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl. I haven't read either of these versions of the Sandman, but they're on the list. Brief as the 1970s incarnation of the Sandman was, it got the attention of Neil Gaiman back when he was just starting to break into writing comic books in the 1980s. A fan of Batman comics as well as a voracious reader of fantasy novels throughout his childhood, Gaiman began his writing career as a journalist and book reviewer, partially as a way to network with other writers. His first published fiction was the short story "Featherquest" for the May 1984 issue of Imagine Magazine, which he'd also written film reviews for. It was in that same year that Gaiman had a fateful encounter with an issue of Swamp Thing, written by Alan Moore during his much-acclaimed run on the character, while waiting for a train at Victoria Station. Gaiman was so impressed by Moore's writing that it launched him not only into comic book fandom, but wanting to write them as well. Gaiman and Moore became friends, to the point where Moore personally selected him to take over as writer for Eclipse Comics's Miracleman, and Gaiman later served as Moore's research assistant on his magnum opus Watchmen. Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore As part of what is now referred to as the British Invasion, which helped move DC Comics beyond superhero stories and into more mature, literary territory, DC reached out to Gaiman in 1987. As all their top-tier characters were in the hands of other writers at the time, he took the opportunity to explore some of the company's less-familiar characters. His first work for DC, a Black Orchid limited series, was a commercial and critical success, earning Gaiman clout in the comics industry. He then pitched a revival of the 1970s incarnation of The Sandman - he'd wanted to use characters from that in Black Orchid, but they were in use at the time. DC publisher Jenette Kahn countered with an offer for Gaiman to write his own Sandman title, which he'd have full control over, but she asked for a brand-new incarnation of the character. Somewhere around this time, Gaiman also wrote the story "Pavane" for Secret Origins #36 (January, 1989) that reworked Batman villain Poison Ivy's backstory to what we know it as today. Promotional ad for The Sandman Gaiman's The Sandman was a 75-issue horror fantasy, published from January, 1989 through March, 1996. Originally labeled for mature readers, the series migrated to DC's Vertigo imprint as of #47 - and even before that, its interactions with the rest of the DC Universe proper had been minimal after the first storyline. Since its publication, The Sandman has earned itself a massive fan following, numerous awards, and strong critical and commercial success. There's been talk of film and TV adaptations for decades, and an audio adaptation was recently released, narrated by Gaiman himself, to much acclaim. The only reason I haven't snagged it is my lack of an Audible account - hopefully other options will be available one day. The protagonist of The Sandman is Dream, one of the Endless, a family of seven ancient and powerful entities that represent certain aspects of the universe. Dream, also known as Morpheus, The Sandman, and countless other names, is responsible for governing the Dreaming, the realm of dreams, nightmares, and stories. (My personal favorite aspect of the Dreaming is a library with a whole section of books dreamed up by authors that they never ended up writing.) Neither noble nor malevolent, Dream operates above and beyond human notions of morality, and like the gods of ancient myth, at times he can be cruel and petty. For instance, when a mortal woman, Nada, would not return his love and took her own life, he banished her to Hell. However, the series opened with a mystic cult capturing Dream in 1916, stripping him of his articles of power, and keeping him captive for decades until he was finally able to escape. This humbling experience changed him fundamentally and led him to try and rectify past mistakes over the course of The Sandman, including Nada's damnation. However, there were still dramatic consequences for his past actions that couldn't be avoided. The Sandman (Vol. 2) #22 (January, 1991) - "Season of Mists: Part 1" Neil Gaiman (writer), Kelley Jones (pencils), Malcolm Jones III (inks) Approximately half of the series is dedicated to telling an overarching story about the fallout of Dream's captivity, with numerous stand-alone stories interwoven in between, although they build on prior stories and subtly weave themselves into the mythology arc, including this one. In a brief scene in issue #13, "Men of Good Fortune," Dream made a bargain with Shakespeare, in which Dream would give him inspiration for plays that would resonate through the ages. In exchange, Shakespeare would write two plays that celebrated dreams - one early in his career, one toward the end. Today's story deals with the first part of the bargain. (The final issue of The Sandman would focus on the second half, but that's a story for another day.) The Sandman #13 (February, 1990) - "Men of Good Fortune." Neil Gaiman (writer), Michael Zulli (pencils), Steve Parkhouse (inks) Alrighty, I think that's finally enough background material. (You can understand, I hope, why I wanted to keep certain sections short.) Let's get into the comic itself, and see why this got picked for my seven year anniversary review. WARNING: Here be MAJOR spoilers! Read further at your own risk! The year is 1593, and William Shakespeare is traveling with Lord Strange's Men, whose crew includes his young son Hamnet, across the fields of Sussex to perform his new comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream. To the company's surprise, the first performance will be on the greens of Sussex itself per the request of a mysterious dark stranger (Dream, obviously), Shakespeare's enigmatic patron. However, like true professionals, they go about their business - the show, after all, must go on. The biggest surprise is yet to come, though, when Dream summons their true audience for the evening - King Auberon and Lady Titania, along with their full retinue. In other words, the very same faerie Shakespeare wrote of in his play. As the performance commences, the faerie marvel both at the story itself and seeing themselves performed by human actors - and are utterly delighted by it, for the most part. (At one point, Puck even secretly renders the actor playing him unconscious and takes his place on stage, just for fun.) Near the end of the performance, Dream broods to Lady Titania broods over the inevitable price Shakespeare will have to pay as part of the bargain, a setup for the aforementioned final issue of the series. He also reveals to her and Auberon his true motives for commissioning this particular play. The faerie are leaving Earth behind, never to return, and Dream wanted to make sure that through Shakespeare's work, they would never be forgotten. When the performance is ended, Shakespeare and his players wonder if they merely dreamed the whole encounter, but a final faerie trick proves it truly happened. As they continue on the road, the story ends with a final note about Hamnet's death three years later...and Puck's whereabouts remaining unknown, after he decides to remain on Earth. This comic was the first work by Neil Gaiman I ever knowingly read - prior to this, I only knew him by reputation. (Years before, I'd read the issue of Spawn he'd written, in which he introduced Angela and Cogliostro, as well as Marvel 1602, but it wasn't until later that I actually had my "wait, that was HIM?" moment.) A friend I met in grad school was a huge fan of his, and thanks to them, I finally decided to check out some of his work. While reading up on him and his bibliography, this story in particular caught my attention, and I decided to track it down - and I was so charmed by it, I instantly became a fan. While the friendship didn't last, sadly, it fortunately didn't impact my enjoyment and admiration for Gaiman's work, and he remains one of my favorite writers, for his prose novels as well as comic books. Between sentimental value, my fondness for Shakespeare and theater in general, and the quality of the comic itself, there's a lot to love here. The premise on its own is a neat idea, and the execution just completely knocks it out of the park. Part of the reason it succeeds is Gaiman's ability as a writer to convey a true sense of otherworldliness about his settings and fantastical characters. Whether in his comics or prose fiction, there's a sense of grandeur and majesty to the way he writes gods, godlike beings, and so on. It's not easy to pull off - I've tried it in some of my attempts at fantasy. On a similar note, his dialogue somehow manages to sound grandiose and poetic but also completely natural at the same time, which I am both impressed by and jealous of. However, there's no sense of pompous self-importance here, and Gaiman's clearly having fun with his story weaving bits of humor into it. These are contrasted with darker moments, such as Hamnet venting to one of the actors that his father values his plays more than his family. While there are hints this may be the price Shakespeare has to pay for his bargain with Dream, Hamnet doesn't remember him behaving any other way. However, I don't get the feeling this is meant as a slur of Shakespeare's character, but rather Gaiman's attempts to humanize him, giving him a tragic flaw. (Depicting mythological figures as less idealized and more realistic is a trademark of his work - as well as an accurate depiction of how they were in the original tales.) And speaking of Shakespeare, fans of his writing will surely enjoy how much of his original text is given a chance to shine, but it will also be accessible to readers who aren't familiar with the original play. I've done a lot of talking about the writing for this comic, but the artist, Charles Vess, deserves equal credit here for why it works. That same grandeur and majesty Gaiman gave his characters with his writing, Vess conveys the same in his artwork. None of his characters look like ordinary yutzes in fancy costume or makeup (except for the in-story actors who are ordinary yutzes in fancy costumes or makeup - at least when they're not performing). He also effectively uses lighting, shadow, and camera angles to convey emotion and tone, and the edge he gives to Puck's closing "If we shadows have offended" monologue is deliciously sinister. (Again, more in line with how the faerie were originally depicted in folklore rather than cutesy tricksters.) This might seem like a no-brainer for a comic book artist to be able to pull off, but I've been watching Atop the Fourth Wall for long enough to know not to take it for granted. It's not surprising that in 1997, Vess was the illustrator for Gaiman's Stardust, another story of the faerie being separated from our own realm. (The 2007 movie adaptation came out right when I was really starting to get into Gaiman's work, and it's among my favorite films.) To this day, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is considered one of the best stories in an already much-admired series. In 1991, it won the World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story, the first comic book to ever win a WFA award (and the last, as of when I'm writing this). As for myself, this story had a huge impact on me at just the right time when I needed it to. Dream's musings about stories enduring long after truth fades (see the screencap below) is among my favorite literary quotes of all time, and one that I've taken to heart in a variety of ways, including my approach to the Asian film class that I've been teaching since 2006. In recent years, I've also come to see it as a warning about the dangers of a fictional narrative supplanting truth and deceiving the uninformed. I'm not sure if that was intentional or not on Gaiman's part, but I wouldn't put it past him, and somehow I doubt he'd disapprove of that perspective. In fact, another direct impact this comic had on me was the idea for the INCspotlight itself. When I first had the ambition to blog for Channel Awesome and I was trying to figure out what I wanted my distinctive niche to be, it was this story that gave me the idea to focus on less familiar stuff - older movies, comic books, video games, that sort of thing - that would hopefully find a new audience and be remembered. As much as I was tempted to engage in the comedically angry reviewer shtick that was so prevalent, taking an "I liked this and you might like it too if you give it a chance" approach was a way to stand out from the rest of Channel Awesome's content. Of course, if I'd known what the people who managed the site were really like and how they treated their talent, I would have looked for another venue, or hosted it on my own site from the start. Still, what's done is done, and the INCspotlight has been trucking along ever since I submitted my first two reviews to Channel Awesome seven years ago to this day, not having any idea when (or if) they'd ever get posted. There have been times since then that I've considered quitting, especially recently - the review you just read came pretty close to being the last I'd ever write. For a sizable chunk of the year, I just didn't think the blog was worth bothering with. 2020 has been a God-awful year for so many people, making me question the value of this blog in the midst of all that. Also, there were more revelations about authors, artists, and filmmakers I once admired being toxic human beings, and more troublesome tropes being called out in older media - and deservedly so. Even before that, most of my more recent reviews before August's Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro were of films I thought were "meh with merits," at best. If I couldn't muster up much enthusiasm for them, why should I expect readers to? Maybe that's why I thought it was finally the time to review "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which again, I've wanted to review since day one - a reminder of why I started the INCspotlight in the first place, what I hoped to get out of it, and why I want to keep doing it - and in all honesty, I still do. There are plenty of reviews I want to get around to, and more interviews with fellow indie creators in mind. Plus, I still enjoy finding more things to appreciate about older movies I've grown up with during my research into what went into making them. Also, recently there's been an uptick in people engaging with the INCspotlight, leaving comments and feedback, which I very much appreciate. Either way, there's lots more to come. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" has a lot to offer, no matter your familiarity with Shakespeare, the Sandman mythology (although hopefully this blog will fill in some blanks), or even comic books in general. Snagging it as a single issue at an affordable might be a problem, depending on how deep your pockets go, but it's part of the Dream Country collection, which also includes some other stories, one of which features Dream's big sister Death, a favorite character of many fans of the series, myself included. (She's depicted in this series as a cheerful teenage Goth girl who can talk sense into her brother when he needs it.) And, of course, there's always the option to buy it digitally. Whatever you decide, be kind to yourself and give this a read - I hope you're as charmed by it as I was. And so we close out another year of the INCspotlight! To all my readers old and new, and everyone who's helped make this blog happen one way or another, my sincerest thanks for all your support! I hope you enjoy all of what's to come!
'Till next time!
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