Sandman Mystery Theatre
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Sandman Mystery Theatre | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Vertigo Comics |
Schedule | Monthly |
Format | Ongoing series |
Genre | |
Publication date | April 1993 – February 1999 |
No. of issues | 70 Annual #1 |
Main character(s) | Wesley Dodds Dian Belmont |
Creative team | |
Written by | Matt Wagner Steven T. Seagle |
Artist(s) | List |
Penciller(s) | Michael Lark |
Inker(s) | Richard Case |
Letterer(s) | John Costanza Gaspar Saladino Clem Robins |
Colorist(s) | David Hornung |
Editor(s) | Karen Berger List
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Sandman Mystery Theatre was an ongoing comic book series published by Vertigo Comics, the mature-readers imprint of DC Comics. It ran for 70 issues, one annual, and a cross-over special between 1993 and 1999 and retells the adventures of the Sandman, a vigilante whose main weapon is a gun that fires sleeping gas, originally created by DC in the Golden Age of Comic Books. In a similar vein to Batman, the Sandman possesses little to no superhuman powers, though he has minor precognitive abilities through his prophetic dreams, and relies on his detective skills and inventions.
In this
Art
The first artist was Guy Davis, who defined the visual look of the character. Davis changed Dodds from the traditional portrayal as a tall, square-jawed figure, making him shorter, round-faced and slightly overweight. He also gave Dodds a pair of round spectacles, visually echoing the round eyepieces of the gas mask he wore as the Sandman.
Davis also redesigned the Sandman costume. In the original 1930s comics, the Sandman wore a green suit, purple cape, orange
For the second and third story arcs, "The Face" and "The Brute", art was provided by John Watkiss and R. G. Taylor respectively.
A minor controversy developed around the second storyline, "The Face". A coloring error resulted in Asian characters being portrayed with bright yellow skin. The editor apologized for the error in the letter column of a subsequent issue.
Guy Davis returned for the fourth arc and the remainder of the series with occasional additional work from Vince Locke and Warren Pleece.
Themes and guest stars
Set during the late 1930s, before Dodds became a founding member of the Justice Society of America, this series dealt with mature themes such as abortion, racism, and anti-Semitism, as well as historical themes such as the rise of Nazism and international appeasement. As the series progressed Wesley encountered in his adventures other "mystery men" of the era, including the Crimson Avenger, Starman, Blackhawk and the Hourman. In issue #23 the Sandman interrogates a boxer outside Grant's Gym, and the man mentions the name "Ted", a reference to Ted Grant, the original Wildcat. A reference is made to Detective Jim Corrigan, later to be known as the Spectre. Doctor Mid-Nite, alias Dr. Charles McNider is also mentioned as the physician that treated Wesley in issue #27.
Dodds and Belmont would themselves guest star in the popular comic Starman (set in the present day), appearing as older versions of themselves, and in flashbacks done by Davis himself in the same art-style as Sandman Mystery Theatre.[1] They also guest-starred in the "Exodus Noir" storyline of Madame Xanadu, set during the 1940s.
Differences
This section is written like a encyclopedic style . (April 2016) |
The series introduced many changes to previous representations of Sandman's early years; however, as the title is under the Vertigo imprint it is not bound by standard
Dream
The revival of the character was due in part to the success of a later, related character created by
The two characters met briefly in a one-shot special, Sandman Midnight Theatre, co-written by Gaiman and Wagner.
Reception
In their review of Sandman Mystery Theatre #41–48, Wizard gave the series a 5 on a scale of 1 to 6, particularly praising the historical authenticity of the lingo and cultural norms, as well as the intricately developed characters, "horrific" villains, and unique atmosphere. Their one major criticism was that it is too difficult for new readers to follow what is going on if they begin reading the series in the middle of a story arc.[4]
2007 revival series
DC published a new five-issue limited series, Sandman Mystery Theatre: Sleep of Reason,[5] set in 2007 and featuring a new character taking up the Sandman mantle.
Collected editions
The comics have been collected in a number of trade paperbacks:
- Sandman Mystery Theatre:
- The Tarantula (by ISBN 1-56389-195-6)[6]
- The Face and The Brute (by ISBN 1-4012-0345-0)[7]
- The Vamp (by ISBN 1-4012-0718-9)[8]
- The Scorpion (by ISBN 1-4012-1040-6)[9]
- Dr. Death and The Night of the Butcher (by ISBN 1-4012-1237-9)[10]
- The Hourman and The Python (by ISBN 1-4012-1677-3)[11]
- The Mist and The Phantom of the Fair (by ISBN 1-4012-2139-4)
- The Blackhawk and The Return of the Scarlet Ghost (by Matt Wagner and Steven T. Seagle, with art by Matthew Smith and Guy Davis, collects #45–52, 224 pages, April 2010, ISBN 978-1-4012-2583-4)
- Book One (collects #1–12, 328 pages, June 2016, ISBN 978-1-4012-6327-0)
- Book Two (collects #13–24 and Annual #1, 384 pages, January 2017, ISBN 978-1-4012-6569-4)
- Compendium One (collects #1–36 and Annual #1, 981 pages, May 2023, ISBN 978-1-7795-2153-8)
- The Tarantula (by
References
- Trish Mulvihill, David Hornung (col), Bill Oakley (let). "Sand and Stars, Part Three" Starman, vol. 2, no. 22, p. 10 (September 1996). DC Comics.
- Detective Comics, Inc..
- ^ Geoff Johns (w), Dale Eaglesham (p), Ruy Jose (i), Jeromy Cox (col), Rob Leigh (let). "The Next Age, Chapter 3" Justice Society of America, vol. 3, no. 3 (April 2007). DC Comics.
- ^ "Sandman Mystery Theatre: It's No Mystery Why this Book's a Must-Read". Wizard. No. 72. August 1997. p. 109.
- ^ DC Comics
- ^ Vertigo
- ^ Vertigo
- ^ Vertigo
- ^ Vertigo
- ^ Vertigo
- ^ Amazon.com: Sandman Mystery Theater: the Hourman and the Python – Volume 6 (Sandman Mystery Theater (Graphic Novels)): Books: Matt Wagner, Steven T. Seagle, Guy Davis, Warren Pleece