The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House, by Neil Gaiman
Book Review by Joshua Palmatier
Have you read this book?
I managed to finish off this second volume in the Sandman series a few weeks ago, but have been too busy to get to the review. But here it is!
OK, this volume was MUCH better than the first. There was an obvious shift away from trying to tie Sandman into the general comics universe and making it more about the Sandman himself. So there weren't any of the crossover appearances of other comic books legends and such. I like this new focus on the Sandman and his Dream world, and I liked the general plot line of this volume as well.
It basically picks up where the last volume left off, with the Sandman returning to his realm to pick up the pieces after his absence. He finds that some of his dreams have escaped to the real world and so he goes after them to collect them. In the meantime, a mysterious "vortex" has appeared in the form of the woman Rose. We aren't told exactly what a "vortex" is and what it can do until toward the end of the volume, but the story behind Rose and its connections to the first volume were interesting.
Of course I had a few issues. The first was that it isn't clear what the vortex is, and the Sandman's reaction to her isn't consistent. He saves her at one point, and then later on it seems that she represents a significant danger to his Dream world and he'll have to kill her. He knew of the danger she represented earlier on, so why did he save her then? So little inconsistencies like this crop up. They may be explained in later volumes, but by the end of this volume it wasn't clear.
Also, a few parts were confusing. When he shows up to capture two of the escaped creatures of Dream and blows open the door, the people that live in that house sort of just disappear. We don't know what's happened to them until a few chapters later. And it isn't clear what's happening with Jed (Rose's brother) here, or what the rules are for real people appearing in the Dream world. I'm assuming that the claim that the child Lyda is carrying can be claimed by the Sandman will be cleared up in a later volume, since that thread is left completely dandling. But Jed's part in the scene should have been clearer. He appears in some of the frames, but apparently leaves at some point, but it isn't clear when.
And then the collection of the Corinthian--certainly the most horrid of the escaped Dream creatures--was sort of anticlimactic. I was expecting something more here, especially since the Corinthian was made out to be such a horrid creature.
BUT, those quibbles aside, this was a much better volume than the first. A clear plot line, with a great prologue, an interesting little side issue in the middle about the Sandman needing friendship, and a great resolution to the vortex plot line (even if there were a few questions about that left open as well).
The artwork was much better in this volume as well. Not as crowded as in the first, much more focused on what was necessary for the panel and the scene. A few parts where things weren't clear (as I pointed out earlier), and a few panels where I thought a posture or pose was way off, but some really spectacular panels and pages as well, especially the vortex effects toward the end.
I like the direction the Sandman is taking in both plot and art, and have already started reading volume 3.
OK, this volume was MUCH better than the first. There was an obvious shift away from trying to tie Sandman into the general comics universe and making it more about the Sandman himself. So there weren't any of the crossover appearances of other comic books legends and such. I like this new focus on the Sandman and his Dream world, and I liked the general plot line of this volume as well.
It basically picks up where the last volume left off, with the Sandman returning to his realm to pick up the pieces after his absence. He finds that some of his dreams have escaped to the real world and so he goes after them to collect them. In the meantime, a mysterious "vortex" has appeared in the form of the woman Rose. We aren't told exactly what a "vortex" is and what it can do until toward the end of the volume, but the story behind Rose and its connections to the first volume were interesting.
Of course I had a few issues. The first was that it isn't clear what the vortex is, and the Sandman's reaction to her isn't consistent. He saves her at one point, and then later on it seems that she represents a significant danger to his Dream world and he'll have to kill her. He knew of the danger she represented earlier on, so why did he save her then? So little inconsistencies like this crop up. They may be explained in later volumes, but by the end of this volume it wasn't clear.
Also, a few parts were confusing. When he shows up to capture two of the escaped creatures of Dream and blows open the door, the people that live in that house sort of just disappear. We don't know what's happened to them until a few chapters later. And it isn't clear what's happening with Jed (Rose's brother) here, or what the rules are for real people appearing in the Dream world. I'm assuming that the claim that the child Lyda is carrying can be claimed by the Sandman will be cleared up in a later volume, since that thread is left completely dandling. But Jed's part in the scene should have been clearer. He appears in some of the frames, but apparently leaves at some point, but it isn't clear when.
And then the collection of the Corinthian--certainly the most horrid of the escaped Dream creatures--was sort of anticlimactic. I was expecting something more here, especially since the Corinthian was made out to be such a horrid creature.
BUT, those quibbles aside, this was a much better volume than the first. A clear plot line, with a great prologue, an interesting little side issue in the middle about the Sandman needing friendship, and a great resolution to the vortex plot line (even if there were a few questions about that left open as well).
The artwork was much better in this volume as well. Not as crowded as in the first, much more focused on what was necessary for the panel and the scene. A few parts where things weren't clear (as I pointed out earlier), and a few panels where I thought a posture or pose was way off, but some really spectacular panels and pages as well, especially the vortex effects toward the end.
I like the direction the Sandman is taking in both plot and art, and have already started reading volume 3.
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