Mark Reads ‘The Sandman’: 9×13 – Part Thirteen

In the sixty-ninth issue of The Sandman, Dream faces his destiny. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read The Sandman.

“Part Thirteen”

I am very happy that of all issues of this series, this is going to be the very first one that gets a live reading. The wonderful Jane Humphreys bought this video way back in June, when I first started selling Mark Reads videos, and she has dedicated it to her friend Johanna! This was a total blast to do, especially since it was a challenge to read a comic book aloud. I FELT LIKE I WAS TELLING THE INTERNET A BEDTIME STORY.

Anyway, here’s the video:

I don’t want this video to be the only thing I say about this monumental issue. It’s just so impressive that Gaiman managed to bring together so many characters from earlier in the series in a way that gives a powerful thematic ending to the story of Dream. This might be some of the slowest character building I’ve ever seen of a protagonist, and I’m just so impressed with how this all comes together. I don’t know if Gaiman planned to end the series this way the whole time, but I suppose I don’t really care. He could have made this all up as he went along, or he could have planned it from the beginning. Neither really matters to me, because all I care about is the story that came from this process. (Which isn’t to say that I’m not fascinated with behind-the-scenes info regarding how something is written; I’m just saying I don’t need it to appreciate the story as it is.)

It’s weird to say that I’m satisfied by this ending. I mean, I know I have one final volume left, as well as the extra material. (Check the Master Schedule! Surprises are there!) But this is really the climax of The Sandman, and I can’t imagine a better ending than this. Dream had to die, and he had to pass on his realm to someone else. Delirium was right; his existence had warped the universe, and this was his chance to do something to rectify that. Is it sad? Hell yes. I didn’t cry, but I was hit with this immense wave of wistful longing when I got to that sequence of panels where Dream took Death’s hand.

Ugh, there’s another volume. HOW. HOW.

About Mark Oshiro

Perpetually unprepared since '09.
This entry was posted in The Sandman and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.