Mark Reads ‘The Sandman’: 9×07 – Part Seven

In the sixty-second issue of The Sandman, Hippolyta finds the Furies and sets her plan for revenge into motion. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read The Sandman.

“Part Seven”

Oh, this is just brilliant. I was initially struck by how jarring and confusing the narrative jumps were, but they soon created a frantic pace to the story, all leading to that final line that reveals just how fucked up this arc is going to be.

Thessaly is back. THESSALY IS BACK. WHAT THE HELL?!?!? Where has she been for the past few volumes? How does she even know who Hippolyta is? How did she know that Hippolyta needed help? I am so confused. She seems to have come out of nowhere right at the time that Hippolyta needed her. I don’t think this is sloppy writing, though. There has to be a reason she’s here. Why else would she hide her identity and call herself Larissa?

It’s the same reason I’m suspicious of Dream’s actions. When Odin comes to confront Dream (who is in the most fabulous jacket yet MY GOD), Dream acts rather nonchalant about the fact that he set Loki free. Odin is pretty damn clear about what a terrible thing this is, and Dream is more upset that he disappointed the Battle-King. So why the hell did he set Loki free? I was under the impression (and mistakenly so) that Dream kept Loki around, but by the end of this issue, it’s clear that Loki isn’t working in Dream’s favor. WHAT GIVES? Why do I understand nothing at all?

I mean, I totally missed out on the fact that the dog Delirium was speaking of was Barnabas. For real, what the hell happened to that dog? Why is he important to this story? Oh my god, WHAT THE HELL DOES EVERYTHING IN DESTINY’S GARDEN MEAN? Have I never noticed those statues of the Endless before??? I can tell that Destruction’s reversed statue means he left. But why does Dream look ashamed? Why is Desire looking at Dream? THERE IS SO MUCH INFORMATION REVEALED IN THIS ISSUE AND IT’S ALL MIND-BLOWING.

And yet I still don’t understand two key points in this story. (Yet, that is.) What is Thessaly’s goal here? Does she know who killed Daniel? Does she have a vendetta against Loki? Or is her problem with the Furies? It seems that Thessaly helped Hippolyta find them in the mirror, or perhaps that was just a coincidence.

And I don’t get why Dream confronts Fiddler’s Green in the way that he does. I agree with Fiddler’s Green here: I don’t think he and Dream are talking about the same thing. What responsibilities is Dream talking about? Why is he so interested in whether folks are disappointed in him? Ah, seriously, I am so frustrated reading this because I feel like I can’t put the pieces together yet. Why does Matthew feel so terrible that he sense that he needs to go home? Why did all the crows leave the Tower of London? OH GOD, I ALREADY KNOW I’M GOING TO BE EMBARRASSED WHEN I PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER.

But nothing hit me as hard as the reveal that Hippolyta couldn’t seek out revenge from the Furies because there was no blood debt in place. Because Dream didn’t kill his own son, they can’t do anything.

OH, EXCEPT THEN HIPPOLYTA, IN A MOMENT OF ANGER, CAUSES HERSELF TO BLEED AND ONE FURY VERIFIES THAT DANIEL IS DREAM’S SON AND OH MY GOD THIS IS GOING TO BE A DISASTER. It’s a trick from Loki, isn’t it? HE KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN, DIDN’T HE? The Furies are going to go after Dream, believing he killed his own son, and NO ONE IS GOING TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH, ARE THEY?

oh. my. god.

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