The Sandman Returns! (No Not That One)
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- Опубліковано 9 вер 2024
- The original golden age Sandman returns. Wesley Dodds has joined the Dawn Of DC lineup at DC Comics. This comic serves as an introduction or reintroduction to the 1940s Sandman as he enters into a pulpish style mystery surrounding the theft of his notes on how to create his sleep gas. Robert Venditti and Riley Rossmo take a stab at this long lived member of the JSA and more. Does this classic mystery man pass muster in the modern age. Find out here on Casually Comics!
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*Fun fact:* Believe it or not, Sandman also had his own sidekik, Sandy the Golden Boy, who would even become Sandman during Geoff Johns's run of JSA. It's shame Sandy was forgotten, as he would have been an awesome Teen Titan member
I actually literally just found out about Sandy's stint as Sandman like within the week that blew my mind because I barely knew of him. I knew a lot about Dodds I just didn't know his sidekick replaced him and one of my favorite writers did it 😂
@@samhighvoltageyes he was in the best jsa series in the 00s I'm really loving this sandman I hope sandy hawkins returns in current run
He was meant to be in the first incarnation of Infinity, Inc but was cut for whatever reason (along with a gay male Harlequin)
@@tinymxnticore yes another good 80s series but before the 00s my last memory of him was in a 100 page jla as the creature in the velvet cage
Yep. And he had comic back hijinx that made him silicone-based which was a big, "well, okay". I dig Sandy-less Wesley where if he had any sidekick (or partner) it was Dian.
Wesley and Dian had a pretty tragic romance, actually. As Dian reached an advanced age, she was diagnosed with terminal illness, so she and Wesley decided to spend their final moments together traveling the world. When Dian finally died in Tibet, Weskey took his own life shortly after, following his beloved to the Afterlife. All JSA members attended his funeral, and Sandy read his eulogy. Years later, he was briefly resurrected as a black lantern
😮
He did take his own life, but as part of a plan to defeat Mordru. He did remark he was ready for a final sleep and that he'd see Dian again. He also sent a message to his former sidekick, Sandy, to tell him it was his turn to dream now.
Comic and issue please?
@@dbzking02 JSA Secret Files & Origins #1 for Wesley's death, JSA #1 for the funeral.
Also, got resurrected in knight terrors
The relationship between the Sandman and Dian Belmont was inspired by the Shadow and Margo Lane, in the Shadow radio show, where Margo knew his identity as Lamont Cranston and helped in his cases. Margo first appeared in 1937.
It was one year after Dian appeared in the comics (1940) that Margo debuted in the Shadow magazine print stories (1941 ).
Reading the Golden Age Sandman is fascinating to me because it reveals so much about the history of comics itself.
First of all, Sandman was the first hero to use a grappling gun - his 'wirepoon.' Something he started using in his gas mask & fedora days. Although it took the Simon & Kirby run to show the gadget's full potential.
Second, it illustrates the evolution of the superhero comic itself. The early issues not only show the pulp roots of the Mystery Man - but also how the artwork was approached. The concept of the superhero was brand new. And artists working on comic books for the first time came from a formal art background. So their drawings tended to be very stiff and straightforward. Then jump to the Simon & Kirby run: dynamic and colorful. It seems like almost two completely different strips - not only with the costumes but in the whole style and approach. Just how we normally picture superhero comics now.
Lastly, the Golden Age Sandman played a big influence on Simon & Kirby. By the time they had taken over the strip it had become a Batman clone, with no association with sleeping gas anymore. They wanted to make a connection to the Sandman name, so their idea was to base it around dreams. They began to include dream sequences and started to experiment around with surrealistic images. This led directly to the publishing of their "Strange World of Your Dreams" series. Which is a much overlooked masterpiece.
Guy Davis' artwork on "Sandman Mystery Theatre" is wonderful. I love how Davis drew Dodds and Belmont as ordinary, slightly baggy, people.
Wes Dodds Sandman is probably my favorite JSA member. He's got the look, him having strange prophetic dreams of crimes he has to solve is a great gimmick and I like the concept that he is just essentially a talented amateur detective with a few gadgets.
The strange and prophetic dreams can be used to connect him to the Dreaming and you know, Daniel Hall, current Dream lord
"Organized crime is a profitable business for you...but justice is the business of THE SANDMAN!"
That's a fantastic quote to draw people in. Very old school, very cool. I'm goona pick up the comic on that alone.
One thing few people noticed: in the original 1940s stories, Wesley Dodds is very much the typical two-fisted adventurer, diving off cliffs, crashing through windows and beating up thugs if need be. In modern times, they have retconned him into this dreamy introvert who doesn't like violence and just uses it reluctantly.
My favorite Wesley Dodds story is the “Sand and Stars” arc from Starman which deservedly won an Eisner. I really liked this first issue!
So here's the deal: Wesley has captivated me since my first encounter with his golden age appearances in those 100-page specials from the early 70s, the ones with all the reprint stories. He stood out among the "Suit and Tie Brigade," donning a distinctive ensemble of a cape, a gas gun, and an intriguing, albeit peculiar, mask (which I later learned was meant to resemble a gas mask). Character development was somewhat limited for many figures until after "the Crisis", and this was especially true for Wesley, whose true depth was unveiled in Sandman Mystery Theatre, where he truly shone. While it's been noted elsewhere that Wes and Dian drew inspiration from the Shadow and Margo Lane, who were also somewhat one-dimensional in terms of personality, I argue that in SMT, Wesley and Dian underwent a transformation, gaining much more nuanced personas. Rather than being akin to Lamont and Margo, they resembled Lord Peter and Harriet from Dorothy Sayers' mystery novels.
Lord Peter, never depicted as a conventional square-jawed hero, was a character characterized by his monocle, nerviness, hidden brilliance, and a public facade resembling a nattering Jeeves and Wooster sort. Underneath it all, he grappled with PTSD from being buried in a trench during the Great War, akin to Wesley's own experiences. Lord Peter possessed a disarming perceptiveness, often surprising those who had written him off as a mere idle rich gadfly. He was socially conscious, much like Wesley. Harriet, while described as "striking," didn't conform to traditional beauty standards. She was a talented writer, facing societal constraints on her gender, much like Dian. Peter appreciated and respected her for everything she was, embodying a profound intelligence and love for her. If you even want to get into the superhero part, in a particular story, Lord Peter even donned a harlequin costume to pursue a criminal. So indeed, envisioning Lord Peter and Harriet transplanted to New York during the same era seemed apt.
I particularly enjoyed Guy Davis' art in the series, having been first introduced to his work through "Baker Street," a tale set in a WWII-less present day, where a towering female Holmes navigates the punk community, aided by an American med student, Watson. Davis had a rare talent for illustrating characters with perfect imperfections.
Anyways, those are my two cents on the matter.
Rossmo’s art in this nearly made me want to take back my remarks about their Tim Drake. Then I went back to look at it and it just made me more mad that they could do this the whole time and still made Tim look like a wimp.
This is one of the coolest looking characters, and in an era (15 years) were we have gotten 50 films with almost every single one being about invasions of some kind, a film for a character like this would be a breath of fresh air.
I agree,I'd love to see a dark detective type noir movie with perhaps a touch of the paranormal weaved in ? It could be just what comic movies need right now to freshen up the genre,cool idea man
Yes, and it needs to be a period piece. I feel this is a character that only really works in his own time.
@@Mechazaurus definitely,no doubt we won't be that lucky though,lol
Yay! I love The Golden Age Sandman. I was so sad that it’s been this long for his return.
Agreed golden age is the best and just in time too, l just finished making my cosplay for his original costume
And his cool original costume too, not the really generic one he had later in his run.
I like that you went with Metallica "Enter Sandman" rather than "Mr Sandman... bring me a dream..." I loved Wagner's Sandman Mystery Theater and I loved this first issue. I really liked Dodd's storyline of him wanting to use his science to help people rather than just fight crime. It immediately makes him more interesting that he has a life and ambitions beyond what his dreams compel him to do.
3:17
Robert Vendetti is one of the best modern writers DC has. His mini-series "Superman'78" is the Superman III we deserved instead of that god-awful Richard Pryor's movie!
Absolutely loved his Hawkman run.
wild to think that the golden age characters were initially active only 20 years before the present day. If they moved forward in time like the regular characters they would've been active in the 2000s
It sounds like the creators are fans of the Sandman Mystery Theater, so I'm all in!!! While that type of art isn't what I always like, it fits him. It's funny you never see him with Batman, because they share so much on many levels, especially being detectives and more cerebral than most.
Batman's just intimidated by his drip.
I mean I’m pretty sure they did just costar in a comic event together a few months ago. But yeah I get your point lol.
I'll admit it. DC is tempting me back into comics with all this Golden Age Hero stuff.
Bones, the studio that animated Fullmetal Alchemist does actually quite a few shows like these, like Kurau Phantom Memory, Daughter of 20 Faces and Skull Man. Obviously off the heels of Android 009 and I could presume even Ougon Batto.
Ougon Batto or The Golden Bat, is also very likely an intentional reference in Satoshi Kon's series Paranoia Agent, a very dark story for very similar kinds of themes, about sleeping and escapism and the morals of an industry.
I always loved the cross-section of authors taking back directorial authority over concepts that they're otherwise very much working for as day laborers, such as Big O coming off the heels of Batman animators, and Frank Miller creating Big Guy and Rusty, later getting the Fil Barlow treatment. His is the credited name that I prioritize, anyway.
@fishin4bass2002Yeah, but it works for modern Dodds, seeing that Mystery Theatre-onwards tends to be quite dark.
Also, with Jay...I really can't picture Jeremy Adams doing deconstruction, that's about as far from his vibe as you can get.
I kinda like the idea of doing retro stories as a way to seed future plots on the current heroes. Always love the idea of showing those sort of inexorable plots, where you might slow them down, but once the wheels are in motion it's just a matter of time.
Hope DC takes this opportunity to use some of that.
I'm so excited for this series, Sandman is such an awesome character that I've been meaning to get into so I'll definitely check out this 1st issue along with the Mystery Theater compendium also Ngl I've never really taken to Rossmo's art much outside of a few solo pieces but the work he's doing on this series IS PHENOMENAL!!
As a youngster leafing through an issue of JLA in the dentist's office, I was fascinated by this character who didn't have even an inch of exposed flesh, but did have a suit and tie. He could have been anyone, or even anything! I was always glad when he turned up, and as I eventually learned more about golden age history I really enjoyed the simplicity of that look ( though I often got the feeling no one in the 70s or 80s understood how to draw that mask)! I was thrilled with Sandman Mystery Theatre, and also taken aback by some of its dark grittiness. But I knew there was a point and I stayed with it, and was greatly rewarded by the depth of characterization in Wesley and Dian. I was sad to see him go at the beginning of John's JSA, but it was a hero's death, telling Mordru to shove it. And opened the door to Sandy getting some of that good Mystery Man juju to go with the powers he got back in one of those JLA/JSA crossovers. Was delighted to see Wesley in Knight Terrors (had zero interest until I saw Boston resurrect him!), and have been looking forward to this. So glad you seem to love Wesley as I do, Sasha! Hoping this does well and leads to more.
The OG is back! Also part of his '90s revival, a character called Nightshade appeared on some episodes of the '90s Flash TV series, who was sort of a mix of OG Sandman and The Green Hornet.
Never underestimate the power of a good costume design. I honestly think that the main reason Sandman keeps popping back up, and writers are inspired to develop and add depth to him, is just because that 3-piece-suit-plus-gas-mask outfit is so darn cool. The later Golden Age stories with the yellow-and-purple jumpsuit are not bad at all (especially the Simon & Kirby ones), but that version just doesn't have the same mojo, the same mystique.
I'm glad the new version is maintaining the tradition of Wesley leaving little poems behind. I still remember the first one I saw, in an old JLA/JSA team-up:
"There is no land beyond the law / Where tyrants rule with unshakeable power / 'Tis but a dream from which the evil wake / To face their fate, their terrifying hour!" - Classic.
I loved that Dodds'power of prophetic dream was passed on and so central to Kingdom Come.
I only knew the Sandman from his cool design, and that was about it. I'm so hype to keep reading this series and become a true fan of the guy. Fingers crossed the writing and artstyle keep being this great the whole way through!
I absolutely adored this. Venditti is a great writer and I'm a huge Rossmo fan.
I actually just back from a signing at my LCS! It was a treat to see this video immediately after.
I really hope people give this mini a chance. He's putting his all into this one. It's obvious (and admitted).
Keep up the great work!
He should have had 3 sidekicks, all junior detectives with colour coded gas masks, and the codenames: Wynken, Blynken and Nod. Nod would be the girl.
I'm halfway kidding here.
The exaggerated, stylized art really works for a throwback story like this. My own modern understanding of the pulp era is already an exaggerated, stylized version of what it “really” was
THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!! I always remembered him as a member of the JSA. But with the popularity of Sandman show, I thought I was tripping and thought everyone forgot this one!
Pulps could get very dark. The Spider being the most common example. Also the most bizarre. His love interest would replace him when he was injured, and she assumed his personality and mannerisms.
Ooh, a Golden Age review. Has Sasha done a reread of James Robinson's The Golden Age? Fantastic underread book.
I think there was a reference to this guy in one of the other Sandman comics? When Dream’s lost his objects of power, some guy finds either his mask, the bag of magic sand, or both(?) and becomes a vigilante using them.
Great quote about "which one..." regarding The Sandman Mystery Theatre stories - very hard R.
I hope the second compendium comes out soon!
This is my favorite sandman. I think i still have a drawing of him I made when I was like 10.
I'm excited, but Sandy needs an art change. Rossmo....yeah
I loved sandman mystery theatre,it's been a long time since I read those tales and this has given me a hankering to revisit them ? Also enjoyed the way Geoff Johns let Wesley pass on the prophetic dreams to his old sidekick "sandy the golden boy ? Lol,at least they let him be known as sand,I was ok with him getting the powers as it tied into the time he spent as a er..monster ? Imprisoned in a glass bottle like cage ( that also let him stay younger as he didn't age much in that form) and a few years later he even got the fedora and gas mask ? Looking forward to this story continuing( I hope ) for a long run !? Welcome back. Wesley dodds
One of my biggest regret was passing by on Sandman Mystery Theatre. I must track down this collection.
I loved Matt Wagner's Sandman Mystery Theatre comics in the 1990s. Great stuff. Well worth finding and digging into. I miss old school Vertigo....
Im definitely getting this new issue sandman was a character that could return as his link with dream could bring him into the current day
Yep I remember it was an old timing to me, but now I am the goal guy
So happy to see the JSA back. Enjoyed this book because it stayed true to the Sandman Mystery Theatre vibe. Thanks for covering it.
I love the Justice Society every time they come back its so full of joy
Fascinating history for Wes, Diane, and Sandy! Discovered them in the JSA book, and then became interested again during COVID. The gasmask was SO much cooler than the silly surgical stuff people wore, and I started wearing one whenever I had to enter official buildings that required them. Heads turned...
How does Sasha manages to know sooooo many comics/characters? It´s amazing.
And yes, I agree that DC should make use of plenty of his characters. They can make Maxi-Series of so many characters. And, if they are well received, bring them back again....in the same style or as open series.
I can appreciate others dislike of Rossmo's style, though I really enjoy it. Their style is pretty unique and the "artistic license" in some depictions can be considered inconsistent by some, whereas I generally find it's done to emphasise emotion or other aspects, a parallel I can see in Bachalo or Sienkiewicz's work, both of whom I adore.
After the muddy colours of the Wagner era, I'm surprised by the colour in the shots you showed but they work well and still have a dark pulpy feel despite being definitively modern in style. I loved the variant cover shot with Dodds surrounded by gas... I might have to pick some of this series up before it hits the paperbacks.
À few months out, something I appreciate about this new miniseries is that even though it *looks* lighter than the Mystery Theater it is still very brutal at times. We see corpses get examined, men forced to vomit, catatonic fugue states of nightmare that last for days, strangling. It is more approachable, that's for certain, but it is still that same gritty world that birthed the Tarantula or the Face
kid sidekicks, it was like Oprah was handing them out. You get a sidekick, you get a sidekick.
I'm so happy you got a chance to discuss the sandman mystery science theatre. I agree that it's really well written but it can be hard to even suggest it to any of my friends with the intense atmosphere and subject
I'm sorry, the forewarning didn't work, I still only have two arms.
That era where we got Mystery Theater and LotDK was so good. A lot of good material came out of the early 90's.
This comic basically cemented a feeling I've had for a bit now.
Comics are so *freaking good these days*. Seriously. Most comics (save, honestly, our friendly neighbourhood gobbo) out these days are either enjoyable or GREAT, at least to me, and the fact that this comic (of my favorite, lesser known mystery man) is already doing so well its just a cherry on top. And then that Alan Scott is finally getting his own series again, if mini, is just... Aaaaa im so happy!
Now I've got the song playing in my head.
Sandman Mystery Theatre was my favorite Vertigo title, thank you for this even-handed review.
Dodds as Sandman is my favorite DC hero! So glad to see him back in action
I feel this title should have been "The Sandman Returns!" (No not that one... or that one!) because I associate The Sandman with Neil Gaiman (Morpheus) before Marvel's Sandman (Flint Marko). I did know that DC also had a Sandman, but not one I was familiar with.
He was a fine tuning rip of the Crimson Avenger, and both were copies of the Green Hornet.
This first issue was great. It really channels some of the feel of Sandman Mystery Theater.
I know the Sandman from a few old JSA stories I've read, and one from Jack Kirby in which he wore the hideous purple and gold--ugh! In his classic gas mask, cape, and fedora, he has a mysterious, menacing look that still works for me. I don't know the character well, but I'd like some more, please (insert Oliver Twist meme here).
I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE!!!
I will be getting this book immediately.
I've always loved Wesley and never thought he got the spotlight he deserved and this art style is perfect for his story.
I rlly love what I’m reading or have read in dawn(Superman, Wonder Woman, Penguin, Brave and the Bold, Knight Terrors). It feels like comics are better than ever nowadays!
Thanks for doing this video. I always wanted a video learning more about the golden age Sandman
Thanks 🙂
I'm so glad to hear that Wesley Dodds is back as the Sandman, he's my favorite fedora mystery man.
I remember reading him in like 7th grade during the late 90s cause my friend Shane had his comics. It is crazy to think that was over 20 years ago.
I know Golden Age and JSA Sandman but not the Mystery Theatre incarnation. Good to know it's worth checking out!
Thank you for this one. Was introduced to Mr. Dodds in a JSA/JLA Crisis-crossover. I have owned both the Sandman DC Archive edition and the complete Mystery Theater series, great pulp style adventure. Great show, once again, thanks!
P.S. a quick recommend...If you can find it, the death of the Crimson Avenger short story. It is a great comic book heart tugger that caps an heroic career. Thanks.
I'm starting to really like Dawn of DC. It's feels simple and fun and not tooooo serious. Shazam!, Birds of Prey, Action Comics, Harley Quinn, World's Finest Teen Titans, etc.
Literally most stuff outside of the Batman related comic
When I read more of the Earth 2 (pre-Crisis of Infinite Earths), the more I appreciated having seeing characters I grew up (Silver/Bronze Age) in a different time reference.
Having JSA set in 1940's is great. I just hope they'll have that era's version of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. They were a lot differences with how those characters were at the dawn of DC superheroes compared to today that should be showcased.
I really enjoyed this book. I have a soft spot for Golden Age characters.
I always loved this character. I really like what you said here about pulp conventions and how they differ from superhero tropes as well and I think the artwork really exemplifies this. With superheroes, because they tend to be flashier and more outlandish, I feel like the artwork needs to be reined in and kept somewhat realistic to suspend disbelief. With pulp heroes, depending on which ones of course, I think because they originate in a mostly textual literary medium as opposed to superheroes who really originate with graphic literature, you can play more with stylisation and caricature and almost expressionistic compositions and figures.
Wow! I was not even aware of this. I loved the 90s run at the time, so I will definitely check it out!
Sasha if I didn’t love you already I’d have to love you for profiling the (original) Sandman. Thank you. A great character who deserves more attention.
Wesley Dodds is one of my favourites. Thanks for this post Sasha
I think the style of that comic book is beautiful, it really plays with a lot of really cool looking stuff
Ok, this panel at 6:57 just sold me on this comic
So glad to see Wes & Dian, again. Wagner & Seagle's Sandman Mystery Theatre remains possibly my favorite comic, ever. I've always been drawn to that noirish/pulp mysteries. But what I especially enjoy about Wes & Dian is how much more hopeful they are than more typical noir protagonists. They face horror and corruption without naivety nor jaded bitterness. I'd love to see this Sandman's struggle with prophetic dreams extended into the World War Two years. Just as nightmares drew Wes across New York to gruesome murders, I can imagine an undercover Sandman irresistibly drawn to rescue people from the looming horrors of the Holocaust and the Holodomor, and to bring war criminals to justice.
As an old fart born in '57 and growing up in the Silver Age of Comics (yes, I'm a FOOM), the art in Sandman Mystery Theatre was, to me at that time, weird. But I stuck with it and came to love it. The figures are not all bulging thews, rock jaws, bikini super models, they're closer to life. It was written with that early 1900's morality where 'good girls' didn't, men took truth and justice as things to be admired and they actually had intelligence. His meeting with other Mystery Men from the era as well as Tarantula - which riffed nicely on the 1940's set All Star Squadron meeting up (Ah, Roy Thomas, a man who really knows his golden age stuff) and how, for a time, they both used the same costume was a treat.
This version appears to be catching a lot of the same vibe, so I'll go with it.
(As an aside, in Gaiman's Sandman, I enjoyed how Neil nodded at all the Mystery / Super men who had used Dream's 'Sandman' name during his years of imprisonment.)
Going to be a fun time when those earliest Sandman stories enter the Public Domain.
4:43 I love it when they give Martian Manhunter a bulbous head and big eyes like a grey alien. 👽 Although I do prefer the teal (sea-green) skin tone from the Justice League cartoon.
Wesley Dodds has a book!? I loved all the legacy golden age stuff from the 2000s JSA.
I hope they do the same with, The Question.
It's interesting in how it all ties into Morpheus who people will know from the recent live action TV series.
I started reading Kingdom Come because of your channel!
Thanks for all the great content! 🤩👍
Sasha: “Forewarned is four armed”
Me: But… (looks at self) i only have two!?
Big fan of Wesley from the Sandman Mystery Theatre series, glad the golden age characters getting some love again
What I wonder is what happens with Sand from the JSA books?
Golden Age stories, especially from Natonal/All-American. Sandman in his original costume is one of my Cabot heroes.
I wonder if they'll leverage any of the connection to Dream of the Endless down the line, given the popularity of the show (and that comic in general). If they do hopefully it's just a minor footnote and isn't something that overshadows the rest of the comic
You sold on that Sandman graphic novel as a Christmas gift!
Yes, to more Wesley Dodds! Love the original Sandman.
I love that pulpy stuff. If I can find this anywhere I'm definitely interested in checking it out.
The art reminds me of Frank Robbins.
The prophetic dreams (I think) were first used in Kingdom Come.
Ive been loving this new sandman series and am always excited for any book drawn by Riley Rossmo after his amazing work on martian manhunter. Great review
Shout out of to the lock of Sasha's hair that clearly wanted to headline this production 😂
Came here for the Sandman; stayed for your hair. That is a fantastic 'do!
I like Riley Rossmo. He was great on Batman/Shadow.
We need Sandman vs Scarecrow someday
Wow, That is a big compendium. !!
He was also the catalyst of Kingdom Come.
Indeed! Wesley Dodds passes away at the beginning of Kingdom Come and passes on his prophetic dreams to his friend, Norman McCay, the narrator of the story.
@@davidsharpe1611 According to the novelization, Norman met him at a gym where Wesley was in his 90's and doing exercises that guys in their 20's do.
I may have been for warned, but I still have only the two arms.
"The yawn of DC" dang that burn is white hot 🤣. As for Sandman i never knew of this version (only the other one) so it was an interesting watch. I should check out those books at some point.