In the eighteenth issue of The Sandman, I don’t even know how to describe what I just read. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read The Sandman.
“A Dream of a Thousand Cats”
Yeah, there’s no way in a million years I could have guessed that this issue was going to be a real thing. Ultimately, I’m actually not even sure how I feel about it. It’s good, but it’s so weird that I don’t know if it’s amazing quite yet? I am convinced, however, that one of my Siamese cats is absolutely plotting to overthrow my tyranny, so there’s that.
I think the seriousness of this issue is what I do like a great deal. It would have been easy to play this as a joke, but to have it all framed as a story of a world where cats once ruled the land and dreams were what changed the fate of the animals is kind of awesome. It’s fun to see all the new forms that Dream takes in the novel, and I don’t think I’ve ever had to rely solely on lettering to determine which character is speaking. That is pretty awesome as well.
I can’t say that I’ve ever once read a comic book or graphic novel that focused an entire issue on an unspoken meeting of cats. So what on earth can I say about this? I love cats; it was kind of fun to read; it’s further evidence that volume three is not going to be a continuation of the events of volume two, meaning all my predictions are wrong, and now I’m more embarrassed than ever before; now I know what animals are dreaming about all of the time. I suppose that’s a fun thought to entertain, and I don’t know that I’ll ever look at my sleeping cats the same again. It certainly explains why one of my Siamese cats only says hello when she wants to be fed, and then she’s a total asshole about it to me. Clearly, she despises the oppressive system I’ve brought her into. Does she make privilege checklists on Cat Tumblr.
I don’t know that I have much else to give y’all. What a weird story. I enjoy that it’s strange, though, so don’t think that that’s a criticism from me. This series is keeping me on my toes, and it’s a lot more fun that I can’t even expect this to act like a novel at all. It makes this experience all the more exciting.
Author’s Note: I wrote this on April 30th while on tour. Today is May 8th, and I can’t stop thinking about how brilliant this issue is. Oh my god, IT’S SO HILARIOUS AND RIDICULOUS AND AN ACCURATE DEPICTION OF EVERY CAT I HAVE EVER MET. And I have met a lot of cats on this tour. THAT’S ALL I WANTED TO SAY.
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This will probably make no sense, but my library has a cat. And I look at it funny every now and then, especially if I’ve just seen Dream Country in the library.
Have you found any resolution to the question you had before, about whether Dream took on that particular form for Nada? I really do like all the little hints and throwaway characters (I was left wondering if the man who went around convincing people to dream about the new world was a symbol for someone specific in our world, or motivational speakers altogether).
And that look into the Cat’s world sort of terrified me. Just saying.