The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 1128: Sandman Mystery Theatre #8, November 1993

The killer pays for his crimes, his conspirator revealed, but really it's the last panel, where Wesley asks Dian to dinner that is the important moment in today's issue.

And I hope you'll forgive me, but that's all I've got for today. Very tired, looking forward to relaxing long weekend.

More to come...

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 1127: Sandman Mystery Theatre #7, October 1993

Where the last couple of issues have simmered, this one started to boil, threatening in tomorrow's issue to boil over.
(I'm cooking dinner tonight - got kitchen on the brain!)

I know at some point in the future, Dian finds out that Wesley Dodds is the Sandman. The two spend their lives together, so I know that there is romance in the offing, and revelations. I just don't know when it's going to happen. And as I get deeper into the comic (I know, I know, it's three issues, but it's really good), I know I'm going to want to track down all the issues I'm missing. If only to see their romance blossom.

Which is a lot of comics.

This brings me to a conundrum. Do I splurge and get the trade collections of the series, even though I have just under half of the series scattered throughout the entire run, or do I track down the individual issues, which can sometimes be found for quite cheap?

That said, I've just had a very quick browse for the trades, and they seem to be out of print already. Back to the dollar bins I go!

The Sandman faces off against the killer, and so does Jimmy.

Oh, and right there at the top of the letters page? An apology for the colouring in issue #5. It was blamed on a particular colour drying very differently than what they thought it would (I think), and there was much apologizing. 2 issues later! That's a pretty great response time, really, given the point in production today's issue must have been when #5 came out. There's a reason Karen Berger is revered in comics - an editor who understood the fan base to whom she catered, and treated them like intelligent human beings, rather than dollar signs. I'm sure I'm romanticizing her, but I don't really care. So many of my favourite comics came out of her Vertigo.

More to come...

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 1126: Sandman Mystery Theatre #6, September 1993

I'm guessing that had the series been called The Dian Belmont Mysteries, it would likely have not sold as well in the comic shop. Perhaps on BBC, but not the comic shop. This is not a criticism, though. I love the fact that we're in a lot of ways experiencing this story from Dian's perspective, and only catching fitting glimpses of Wesley Dodds in costume. I think it's best to remember that Dodds isn't actually what we might call a superhero at this point in his career, but more of a Mystery Man. And, as a Mystery Man, it's suitable that we're mystified by him as well.

My qualms with the colouring of Chinese characters is somewhat assuaged in today's issue where they seem to have realized the error from the last issue and have actually coloured the characters with something closer to a skin tone. As I read through many of these series, I do actually keep an eye on the letters pages, so I'm curious to see if a) Sandman Mystery Theatre ever actually has a letters page and b) if anyone says anything about the Chinese colouring in issue 5.

The era within which these stories are taking place is kind of fascinating. I haven't seen it yet, but I wonder how much the Great Depression will be dealt with, or the amazing culture coming out of Harlem during this time. There's a wealth of setting and culture to explore, both good and bad. A series like this, published 60 years after the era within which it's set gives a writer the chance to really deal with some of the regressive social attitudes of the time. A similar thing happened in the criminally short-lived Agent Carter series. To see a feminist show set in a decidedly unfeminist era reminds us that there have always been people fighting for equality. Hopefully Mr. Wagner will take advantage of that distance of time to look at some of these moments.

More to come...

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 1125: Sandman Mystery Theatre #5, August 1993

I couldn't do it anymore. I had to take a break from Supreme. I needed something thoughtful.

I'm amazed that this comic was coming out around the same time as the Supreme stuff I've been reading. They really couldn't be more different.

I've had my eye on this series for a long time, ever since I read the crossover between this and Neil Gaiman's Sandman. Wesley Dodd's is a very significant character in the DCU, and this Vertigo series does him the justice he deserves. Add to the the jewel that is Dian Belmont, and I'm now asking myself why it's taken so long to read this. Perhaps I'll pull out the trade of the first arc and read that for my graphic novel.

Anyway, a killer appears to be stalking the streets of New York's China Town. In the late 30s I'm sure this would have been a very mysterious place. I am concerned about the colouring of the Chinese characters in this issue. They're very yellow. I get that the palate for the series is very monotone, but I think a little more realism to the skin tone would have been less...crass? Especially for a comic being published in the 90s. We weren't that backward back then!

I'll have much more to say about Dian and Wesley as I get stuck into the series (kinda excited for this one!) - I'm curious to see how the series deals with the inherent sexism of the time, especially through the lens of such a strong female character.

More to come...