#CBR6 Review #01: The Sandman, vol. 10 - The Wake by Neil Gaiman
I’m not sure why it took me so long to finish Neil Gaiman’s
Sandman series, after the first volume grabbed my attention and imagination so
thoroughly. But slowly, as I read through more installments, I saw that the
series was scattered with highs and lows. The tenth and final volume, The Wake, is a somber affair, regarding
the events immediately following the “death,” of Morpheus, the Lord of
Dreaming. But just like Despair before him, his death is more of a
regeneration, if you will, as you cannot kill a concept or the personification
of a concept. And yet, people are affected, as are their dreams, and we see
characters from all of the past volumes come forth and take part in mourning
the death of the Dream King.
There are three issues within the
volume itself, which contain the events within the dream world, entitled: Chapter One,
Which Occurs in the Wake of What Has Gone Before", "Chapter Two, In
Which a Wake is Held", and "Chapter Three, In Which We Wake”. These
three chapters include the wake and funeral of Morpheus, who died at the end of
the previous volume, The Kindly Ones.
Different characters pay their respects and reflect on the life of the Dream
Lord, though the eulogies of his family of the Endless take precedence, truly
capturing their character’s iconic personas. During this mourning event, we see
glimpses of the new King of Dreaming, who appears to be similar, though not
exactly the same as his predecessor: kind of like when The Doctor regenerates
into a new actor.
After this wake and funeral, we experience an epilogue of
sorts, with three different stories being told of different characters who have
been influenced by the Dream Lord in one way or another. The first features the
immortal, Hob Gadling, who had met with Morpheus for a drink and a chat once
every 100 years. He learns from Dream’s sister, Death, that Dream has died, and
is offered a break from his immortality as well. The second story deals with an
advisor to the Emperor of China, who has been exiled and then becomes lost on
the desert. While in the desert, he comes upon one of “soft places” that bridge
between the waking and dreaming worlds. He meets Morpheus there, and converses
with him, about both the past and the future events to come. Finally, we see
the story of William Shakespeare writing, The
Tempest, which is to be one of the two plays he writes for the Dream Lord,
and also his final play, marking the ending of the words and Dreaming, but also
marking some new beginnings. .
Some of the characters and
stories from previous volumes I remembered, but others I didn’t, as it’s been a
while since I first began and read through this series. That is no fault but my
own, and maybe if I had streamlined it a bit more, I would have enjoyed The Wake more than I did, or understood
the significance of certain stories and characters more. But as it is, while I
loved the mood and slow progression of this volume, I was left feeling unsatisfied
by the ending. Maybe the point was to leave it kind of open, to insinuate that
nothing ever ends, especially not our dreams, but I don’t know if that really
worked for me. The artwork of this volume was incredibly beautiful, and almost
sketch-like in quality. I’m not sure if that is really my favourite style of
graphic novel design, but that is more of a matter of personal taste. On it’s
own, however, I can appreciate the style and detail put into it.
At the end of the day, I enjoyed the Sandman series for its imaginative
and original quality, though some aspects I liked far more than others. I can
see why it wouldn’t be for everyone, but for those who don’t mind things that
are a little odd every now and again, I would suggest giving it at least a try
(if you haven’t already).
Comments
Post a Comment