Sandman

This afternoon, I tried to figure out how to format this page so it looked cooler. Well, that didn't work, and now there is a lopsided picture of Philadelphia at the top of the blog that I can't figure out how to get rid of. But when I get that shit fixed, watch out, because it's gonna be hot fire.

Anyway, I spent most of the day at Border's have my mind torn to shreds what I think is the greatest comic book of all time (note that such a judgment does not include anything Star Wars related, because the galaxy far, far away occupies an entirely separate realm.)
Sandman, by Neil Gaiman. Dear sweet god. This is the greatest thing that DC Comics has ever done, and that portfolio includes Batman and Superman. This is the kind of thing that rules over the entire domain of fantasy literature. And I've only read two of the ten volumes so far.

One reviewer called it a "comic book for intellectuals." As much as I would like to argue that comic books are just as intellectual as whatever that smartass must be reading, it does accurately address the fact that Sandman is not just a series about some tall, dark male who is inherently good systematically destroying his evil adversaries; oftentimes, there are no adversaries for him (Morpheus, the king of the dreamworld, and the series' protagonist) to defeat at all, and he can seem quite evil himself. Through his role as a dream lord, the comic goes into some of the darker aspects of mankind, both physically and psychologically; a notable story arc involves a convention of serial killers whose keynote address is by a demon created to promote the existence of fear in the mortal realm- and, as the reader learns, was created by Morpheus himself, making his nature even less clear. However, this doesn't mean that the comic abandons all format; there are epic fights, and the theme good versus bad does make an appearance. Also, the demon mentioned above has empty, toothed eye sockets.

On the subject of bizarre shit like eye-teeth, the visuals in Sandman are some of the most terrifying and creative pieces of imagery I have ever seen in any genre. Gaiman's artists, whose names are beyond me right now, create ridiculous monsters, reshape long-standardized images and characters (Death, for example, is a beautiful young woman, rather than some Skelator dude in a hoodie) and make these endless plains of existence (such as Morpheus' dreamworld) that just make my fucking head spin. One example I found notable was how Hell was illustrated; rather than a big pit of fire and lava, artists created a number of vast, hopeless-looking spaces, such as the Forest of Suicides, where the dead become trees and talk endlessly of their misery. The castle of Hell, from where Satan, Azazel, and Beelzebub rule, looks like it is built of human flesh rather than stone. Things like these are what shape the universe of the series in a way that is "unique and original," to quote my film professor. Also notable are the mixed-media whole-page artworks at the beginning of each issue, which are suitably dark and haunting and give the entire comic a more diverse texture.

What is most amazing, to me at least, is the fact that it has re-inspired me to write fantasy. I haven't written fiction in months, and to be suddenly jolted out of that slump by a high-grade comic is so goddamn refreshing. I'm currently brainstorming a crossover between all the different worlds I've thought up. If I feel brave and actually do some writing, maybe I'll post some of it on here later on.

Spending hours in Borders can be so refreshing.