Mark Reads ‘The Sandman’: 6×02 – Three Septembers and a January

In the thirty-first issue of The Sandman, the Endless wrestle with the life of the first (and last) Emperor of the United States over who can get him to come into their realm. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read The Sandman.”

“Three Septembers and a January”

There was a plaque in the old Transbay Terminal that I got to see before the place was torn down in 2010. The years had greened it, but it proudly proclaimed: PAUSE, TRAVELER AND BE GRATEFUL TO NORTON 1ST, EMPEROR OF THE UNITED STATES AND PROTECTOR OF MEXICO, 1859-80, WHOSE PROPHETIC WISDOM CONCEIVED AND DECREED THE BRIDGING OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY. AUGUST 18, 1869. The first time I saw it, I was absolutely confused by the idea that there was an emperor of the United States. Was this a clever joke? Was it a prank install?

When I researched Emperor Norton, I found out that this was anything but a joke. The man was very, very real, and he most certainly declared himself the Emperor of the United States. Many years before it was ever a reality, he demanded a bridge between Oakland and San Francisco. THANK YOU FOR THAT. Oh god, I can’t even imagine what life would be like if I had to travel around the whole bay to get to San Francisco.

So you can imagine my EXTREME EXCITEMENT over an entire issue devoted to Emperor Norton. Faithful to his absurd weirdness, what I found most intriguing about “Three Septembers and a January” was the insight we got into the Endless. It’s not often that we see them interacting, and truthfully, we haven’t since the third volume. They move in and out of each other’s lives and realms, and I get the sense that they’re a deeply dysfunctional family of sorts. Where did they come from? Were they ever happy and together at some point? Plus, this issue in particular makes me wish I knew who that last brother was. Destitution? Deprivation? Hmm. Why did he leave? Why is it such a sore spot for the Endless? Wait, if this unnamed brother left, does that mean whatever he did in his realm doesn’t happen anymore?

I also couldn’t ignore that this competition between the Endless is kind of fucked up. Or perhaps it’s more than just fucked up. In a way, though, it exists to show us just how not human they are. To them, this single life is a challenge, a joke, a thing to be wagered and played with. It’s why I love Death’s appearance here. Repeatedly, she is the most sympathetic, empathetic, and caring character to grace the pages of this novel, and I love her so much. She’s not cruel, but she’s not afraid of being honest either. It’s so fantastic that she outright chastises Dream for falling for Despair’s provocation. “He’s a grown-up,” she says. “And I thought you were too. I may have been wrong.” Dream, you should apply the necessary bandage to that SWEET FUCKING BURN.

We also get a sequence between Dream and Delirium, who might be the most intriguing of the Endless. I figure that because she’s the youngest of the Endless, she’s portrayed that way. But the use of multicolored speech bubbles and irregular letter gives her a feel of chaotic youthfulness. It makes sense for her realm, too. But I like that if feels as if all the Endless not only tolerate her, but enjoy her presence. She’s the least invasive of them all, and she doesn’t confront the others much. Seriously, I’d like an entire issue devoted just to her and her story. How come she’s not Delight anymore?

I also must admit that Desire’s other manifestation in the Cobweb Palace creeps me the fuck out. (To be honest: I think I’ve gotten this wrong. Desire is a woman, and there’s that panel on page 41 where both Desire and this creepy dead dude exist at the same time. Who exactly is the King of Pain? I can’t remember if I’ve seen him before.) I couldn’t quite figure out which one of the Endless had shown up to tempt Emperor Norton with an empress until it was spelled out for me. (Are you at all surprised? I’m not.) What I did like about that whole section where he tempts Norton is the sweet touch that Gaiman gave the character. Norton truly believed he was the Emperor of the United States. How on earth could he want anything more than that?

Even if Gaiman twisted the Emperor’s real death a bit to it the story, my absolute favorite part of “Three Septembers and a January” is the very end. Of course, I love any appearance of Death, but this one is very special to me for this:

“I’ve met a lot of kings, and emperors and heads of state in my time, Joshua. I’ve met them all. And you know something? I think I liked you best.”

It’s a raw, touching moment from Death. She has no reason to lie, and she’s always been such a genuine character. Emperor Norton hurt no one, and he celebrated the very fact of being alive. There’s something gorgeous about a man getting the citizens of San Francisco to do what they did for him, and it’s just gorgeous to me that Gaiman plucked this obscure figure from San Francisco history to write a story about. When Norton was once arrested in 1867 to be committed to a mental institution, the police chief freed him, and his apology is a good indication of what a special person the Emperor of the United States was:

“[He] had shed no blood; robbed no one; and despoiled no country; which is more than can be said of his fellows in that line.”

I hope you found something wonderful beyond life, your Majesty, Emperor Norton I of the United States.