Second half of unrelated stories is a disappointing waste of time .
Recommend to potential buyers:
no
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It's practically unheard of for a popular, long-running comic series on a major label to be permitted to end when its original creators decide to call it a day, so it's with only a few extraneous issues that Neil Gaiman's saga of The Sandman came to a satisfactory close eight years after its first issue hit the shelves. This final paperback collects the three issues comprising 'The Wake' epilogue and three supplementary, independent stories tying up some of the more obscure loose ends before the series is finally put to rest... you know, aside from the other couple of Sandman books Gaiman has written since, and the numerous spin-off comics continuing the stories of the characters in varying degrees of readability.
The previous book 'The Kindly Ones' was a long and winding road to the Sandman's inevitable death, and 'The Wake' deals with its consequences while also providing a sentimental farewell for the comic series itself. Fortunately, this amounts to more than just a bittersweet parade of favourite characters saying their goodbyes (though it is partly that), with Gaiman and returning artist Michael Zulli working to create something original and distinctive to act as a parting gift for long-time fans. With only three twenty-five-page parts to concentrate on, this story is far more focused and tightly structured than some of its rambling precursors, and visually stands out for its tall, minimal panels and very attractive, painterly style achieved by forsaking the bold inks typically applied to comics, and present in every previous issue. Zulli's art is pretty incredible and vastly different to anything the series has attempted before on such a large scale, working perfectly for the sombre, mournful atmosphere of the first and third issues and surprisingly fitting equally to the merriment of the second. Long-time colour artist Daniel Vozzo also treats each panel with delicate, realistic paints in stark contrast to the often garish work he has previously churned out, making the whole thing seem more like an illustrated book than what would typically be expected of a comic as The Sandman continues to stretch the format in new and intriguing ways.
So it looks fantastic, but can a story about the funeral of a fairly irritating goth with supreme albeit confusing powers really maintain interest for three consecutive issues? Particularly when he has already been reincarnated in a way as the 'new' Dream? As I noted earlier, the Wake is equally about the end of the Sandman series itself, and the background of Dream's wake and subsequent funeral acts as essentially that; a convenient backdrop against which characters can be brought back and explored in various emotional states, and Gaiman can finally try to tackle some of the larger questions of the series concerning the extent of Dream's powers, leading to an influx of, apparently, every living, sleeping being from Earth and elsewhere being gathered for an unforgettable night that they will nevertheless fail to recall in the morning. The plot running concurrently to this gathering is the quieter domestic story of the new Dream's introduction, particularly in the exploration of his significant differences from his predecessor, which provides a nice final and significant role for Matthew, the raven familiar who has trouble accepting his master's death and who still acts as the questioning voice of reason on behalf of more confused readers. There are some quite touching scenes as Dream re-builds some of the Dreaming's deceased, though some such as Gilbert would prefer to stay dead, bringing to mind the old Biblical argument about Lazarus who would surely have to go through the agony of croaking again a few years later.
It's not all neat and pleasant however, as the story suffers from a few predictable problems associated with the funeral theme. Some goodbyes are overlong and overly sentimental, particularly those of Dream's notable lovers who spend two pages each explaining their feelings in far more detail than is strictly necessary, and somewhat gratuitous cameos from Wesley Dodds and Mad Hettie from way back at the beginning, whose presence here feels like Gaiman apologising for letting them slip through all the subsequent plots as the series plodded on. Other faces crop up for brief moments that will mean nothing at all to newcomers, but on the plus side there's an unexpected brief and brilliant cameo from Batman. Most annoying of all is the continuation of plot strands left over from 'The Kindly Ones' such as that of Rose's pregnancy and Cluracan's nemesis, which only feel like they're encroaching unfairly on this story, and as the whole thing draws to a close the dialogue does tend to become a bit too fluffy. This is no major cause for concern though, as the ethereal psychedelic scene of Dream's Viking-style funeral (extended from the original comic) can simply be enjoyed for the fine art it offers, ignoring the one or two captions of twee.
'The Wake' manages, perhaps against expectation, to be a fitting and satisfying finale for the Sandman series which is a wholly commendable feat, but unfortunately, unwisely and confusingly, the story doesn't end here. For reasons known only to Neil Gaiman (and perhaps an insistent publisher who demanded he churn out a little more before he was allowed to walk away, which is probably sadly accurate), the series continues for three comparatively unremarkable issues that end up saying pretty much nothing at all. 'Sunday Mourning' catches up unnecessarily with the immortal Hob Gadling as he accompanies his latest lover to a Renaissance fair and spends his time complaining about its historical inaccuracy that only he would know about. 'Exiles' is another attempt to mimic the folk tales and artistic style of another culture as has been done several times earlier in the series, and this tale of a travelling old man and his cat is the least riveting of the lot, even harking back specifically to an earlier story 'Soft Places' that has the distinction of being the Sandman issue I probably loathed the most. Finally, and most disappointingly of all due to its placing at the end and its companionship with a much earlier classic, 'The Tempest' returns to William Shakespeare living his twilight years in Stratford and writing his second and final play for the Dream King who inspired his creative ability. It's a longer issue at nearly forty pages, but even the return of Charles Vess who illustrated the award-winning 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' can't afford this dull and bland story the same credit as its predecessor.
The deteriorating quality of the Sandman series in general didn't allow me to raise my expectations too high for this final outing, and as such I was both pleasantly surprised and extremely disappointed in equal measure; this can be credited respectively to the first and second halves of the book. While 'The Wake' is very good, and just about the perfect epilogue, Neil Gaiman flogs the dead Dream Lord for a few more mediocre offerings and then it all just sort of ends. 'The Tempest' does attempt to make some relevant points on the nature of creativity, writing and the power of imagination, but applies them unremarkably to the series as a whole, and the return to the past feels more like a chance for a final farewell with the original Dream, who had become progressively more tedious to the point that the hints of his impending demise back in 'Worlds' End' made me excited and eager to see it unfold - a mistake, as I was again disappointed. There's no doubting that The Sandman began strongly, found its feet early and dazzled comic readers for a good few years before sliding down an increasingly tiresome slope in its final years, but to its credit 'The Wake' doesn't attempt to recapture that original spark (as 'The Kindly Ones' tried and failed), but offers a brand new and successful style in its place. Gaiman was right to call it quits before he lost the plot completely, and before the series was taken over by inferior imitators, but I still can't help feeling let down by the way 'The Wake' ended up turning out.
There have been subsequent Sandman publications outside of its original seventy-five issue monthly comic, and numerous spin-offs that are most likely continuing today, but for now I'm happy to let Neil Gaiman's intriguing, endless universe rest for a while. I would recommend earlier instalments of the series wholeheartedly to comic, fantasy or science fiction fans who tend to be turned away by the concept of comics, and each paperback collection manages to be vastly different to the rest. The Sandman concept was well conceived and despite the set-backs the series has suffered, I'm sure there's still a lot more to explore of the Dreaming and its new ruler. But for now, it's time to wake (oh, the title's a pun as well. I get it now).
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