[.ca] Sandman, The: Dream Country - Book III (ISBN 156389016X)

From Amazon.com:
The third book of the Sandman collection is a series of four short comic book stories. What's remarkable here (considering the publisher and the time that this was originally published) is that the main character of the book--the Sandman, King of Dreams--serves only as a minor character in each of these otherwise unrelated stories. (Actually, he's not even in the last story.) This signaled a couple of important things in the development of what is considered one of the great comics of the second half of the century. First, it marked a distinct move away from the horror genre and into a more fantasy-rich, classical mythology-laden environment. And secondly, it solidly cemented Neil Gaiman as a storyteller. One of the stories here, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," took home the World Fantasy Award for best short story--the first time a comic was given that honor. But for my money, another story in Dream Country has it beat hands down. "A Dream of a Thousand Cats" has such hope, beauty, and good old-fashioned chills that rereading it becomes a welcome pleasure. --Jim Pascoe

Time to take a breather...:
Dream Country is a great little book. It feels good to take a break after surviving The Doll's House. If you are planning on reading the Sandman through and through, you should definately catch up on this volume before entering Season of Mists. None of the stories are essential--although some of them will heighten your enjoyment of future volumes if you have read them first. All in all, a little book with big meaning, that is both engrossing and greatly enjoyable. Not to be skipped.

More Stories from the Realms Beyond:
In between the glorious and groundbreaking story-arcs of 'Doll's House' and 'Season of Mists', Mr. Gaiman took some time off with four individual one-issue long stories in the Sandman universe; these are collected in 'Dream Country'. Technically, it can probably be considered the least important of Sandman collections, and should take second priority to volumes 1, 2, 4 and 5. Still, 'Dream Country' is Gaiman at his best, and each of these stories is important and well worth the purchase. If you're a Gaiman fan, it's an essential part of your library. The stories in 'Dream Country' are important in the development of the series because the Sandman himself, Morpheus, Lord of Dreams, plays in them only a background role. That was the foundation for one of the elements that made the series great - that it's not just the story of one hero; the hero can be himself, an active character, but just as often he is simply the essence of something bigger. That is precisely the role Morpheus plays in 'Calliope' and 'Dream of a Thousand Cats', both with splendid dark artwork by Kelley Jones. 'Calliope' is a splendid philosophical tale of urban mythology that shows Gaiman's unique and original attitude towards storytelling and inspiration. 'Dream of a Thousand Cats' Is my favorite in this collection and probably the most underrated story in the Sandman catalogue; though 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is the celebrated story that made history by being the first 'comic book' to win the World Fantasy Award (for best short story of the year), I personally find 'Dream of a Thousand Cats' to be superior by far. Though it tells a very small tale, and one that is without significance in the greater continuity of the Sandman saga, it's gorgeously written and has a great atmosphere about it. It also gets across Neil's ideas about the importance of dreams and stories better than any of the others. The artwork, to, is brilliant. 'Facade', finally, is probably the weakest story in the collection. It's important, if nothing else, for being the first story in the Sandman series in which Morpheus does not appear at all, even as a guest. Instead, it features his older sister, Death - one of the Endless and one of the most lovable characters in Gaiman's universe, as well as does a great job in resurrecting a forgotten character from DC's history, Element Girl; Neil does as amazingly in rasterizing her as he did with other old comics characters like Lyta Hall AKA The Fury, or the absurd Sandman character from the 60s. Last but not least, there's a delicious bonus for those who buy 'Dream Country' - the complete, original script to 'Calliope'. It's rare indeed for a writer to reveal to his readers his work in progress, and this script is fascinating to both fans of Gaiman and aspiring writers of graphic literature, as it gives us a precious glimpse into Neil's precise and masterful scriptwriting process. All this and more reasons for buying 'Dream Country', especially if you're hoping for a complete Sandman collection. It's one of the best 'comic books' you can find.

Must-read Sandman short stories:
The earliest two Sandman collections are good but the third, Dream Country, is great. The book features four single-issue stories in which the saga's title character, the mystical king of dreams, moves to the background (he is not even in one tale). His preeminence will not be missed, however because one cannot read stories this smart, imaginative, creepy and all around superb and feel that anything is lacking. The first story is "Calliope," in which a one-hit novelist enslaves an actual muse and becomes as productive and popular as Stephen King. The author is not a cruel person, but he cannot set her free if he wants his flow of ideas to continue. Gaiman provides a thoroughly creepy dissertation on the madness of writers and Kelly Jones' darkly astounding drawings of attics, faces and shadows perfectly complements the tale. The second is "Dream of a Thousand Cats," in which a feline prophetess shares her vision of a cat-ruled world; one that is open to her brethren if they only believe. Gaiman creates a religious outlook perfect for these slinky, self-satisfied animals and, just as in "Calliope," Jones' art is a major asset. Personality and mystique are translated wonderfully in his cat eyes and cat body language. This is Dream Country's best story and one of the best issues of a comic book series I have ever read. The third, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," famously won the World Fantasy Award for best short story, the first and only time a comic book has done so. In that tale, Shakespeare and his troupe perform the title play in front of the fairy creatures it is based upon. It is a wonderful parody/tribute to the renowned playwright. The fourth, "Facade," is one of two times the use of a superhero in a Sandman story works (The other is the story acrh The Kindly Ones, which practically stars Lyta Hall, formerly The Fury). The hero is Element Girl, a sidekick to Metamorpho who vanished in the late 1960s without much notice. "Facade" tells of how her super-powers turned on her, how she became a tormented agoraphobe and how she finally found release. Dream Country is Sandman at its best; an intelligent and unique series that not only represents comic books at their best, but speculative fiction in general. I cannot recommend this volume more highly.

Good, solid craft:
It's all I want in a comic. There is a loose connection from the un-named master of dreams, through a cat, a minor goddess, an elfin king, and an angst-ridden female Metamorpho. (That's a 60s comic character, one I had to look up.) Gaiman's stories are always good, and these are no exception. Vess' art is uniquely well-suited to the Midsummer Night's Dream - maybe not to the play, but certainly to the audience. His slender lines can be as fragile as hair or sharp as a razor's edge, all within one panel. The other artists, also good, follow their own visions in telling Gaiman's stories. It's a comic. I can't take it too seriously, even though I've been reading Vess since Star*Reach. It's good, though, and I'll be coming back for more - lots more.

"Mythologies Take Longer To Die Than People Believe.":
Although this volume of the Sandman series has technically nothing to do with the main Sandman story arc, and can therefore be ignored , I daresay anyone doing that would be missing a whole lot. For my money, this is the best instalment of the entire series. While containing 'merely' four issues, each instalment is so brilliant and original that only the very cantankerous would quibble with the relative thinness of the volume. It is perhaps because this collection is sequentially out of keeping with the Sandman arc that Gaiman can give himself free-reign to explore storylines and motifs. Enslaved muses, dreaming cats, Shakespeare, and depressed Metamorphs take centre stage and completely 'de-centre' the established characters and plots of the Sandman pantheon. The fascinating sidebar that is "Dream Country" demonstrates just how far Gaiman's imagination is able to take him. Altough Gaiman's take on Shakespeare's classic "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is what most pundits rave about (and deservedly so - it won a World Fantasy Award), I elect "A Night as a Thousand Cats" as Gaiman's masterpiece. Beautiful, sublime, moving. Cats frame the tale for us, and we sympathize with their lot in life. Dreams become the repository of their lost hopes; a repository that is consciously designed to actualize an old mythology that will help change their faded status as pets. The first story, "Calliope," has some particularly great art in it. I particularly enjoyed the last page, where a struggling writer attempts to hold onto his memory of Morpheus; Kelley Jones does a marvelous job of graphically representing a fading memory. "Facade" is a tongue-in-cheek attack on our obsession with physical appearances. It certainly puts a new spin on the expression "putting my face on." Each read reveals new layers; a true sign of great writing. There's no getting bored with this collection.