The Sandman, Vol. 5: A Game Of You

Not perfect, but damn this volume was good. It started off muddled. I didn't really understand what was going on. But that was part of the beauty. It was like being lost in Oz, or on an adventure like Alice in Wonderland. There were strange creatures and beings. Everything was up for grabs. Nothing made sense, yet it all made sense.

Volume 5 is so different I'm having to take a long moment to think about how to review it. This volume sees us zoom all the way in to just a small group of New Yorkers, from Volume 4's huge gathering of a myriad of supernatural, mythological, and religious figures. It's also a volume where Morpheus is actually mostly in the background. It nonetheless draws out the awe in me. This is another great volume from Neil Gaiman. I'm having trouble deciding which I like best now.

The group of New Yorkers this volume focuses on is primarily female, with a cast of characters that would have trouble fitting in. We have a face-painting girl named Barbie, lesbians, a transsexual, and a witch. And these are the “normal” ones; throw in the characters populating an old dream and you have a full set of interesting characters. The feminine definitely gives a different vibe from previous volumes; it's not just a story featuring females.

Barbie was actually a minor character from Volume 2. I had actually completely missed that and had to look it up. It's interesting that just 3 panels from that volume is actually a glimpse into this one. Rose Walker from the same volume is also mentioned here, as being the original creator of the Land of the dream. So there's your tidbit continuity.

A side theme that I actually found very intriguing (as the foreword pointed out) is that of “Who are you”. All the main characters in the book are not what they seem on the surface. As you read and watch their internal conflicts and background, you can feel there's a lot depth and a lot more unsaid. And this is what binds them together, particularly Barbie and Wanda, being able to look past what's just on the surface. The last chapter brings the whole story to a wonderful close, with Death sporting a cameo in the final touching scene. Does Barbie's story end here?

Another great read from Neil Gaiman!! I love how all these “minor” characters from past Sandman issues later become the main character. It's so cool and makes me pay extra close attention to each panel... IDK if it's just me, but this comic series is heavy. I seriously need to read them in doses. I'll binge on an entire story line before going to bed one night, and then I won't be able to pick up another volume for another two weeks or something.