Sandman Mystery Theatre #1

The Original Sandman
Pre-Neil Gaiman!

It was only natural with the popularity of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series that DC Comics would produce a few spin-off series and mini-series.

Sandman Mystery Theater was one such spin-off series.

Here’s what makes this first issue interesting.  It’s not about Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, but instead the original gas gun-totting Sandman from the Golden Age.

Just how did the Sandman come about-this tale delves into his origin.

The series is drawn and colored emulating a Golden Age comic book.  It gives the series an authentic feel.  The text is to the point, very descriptive and ripe with period vernacular.

The story takes place in the 1930s, barely 10 years after prohibition. Gangsters, the upper crust and the police intermingle in a steeped in mystery tale.  

When a wealthy businessman’s daughter is kidnapped and subsequently murdered both the police and a mysterious figure wearing a gas mask investigate.

What makes this book especially interesting is the time period in which it is taken place, the feeling of Film Noir and the effort to flesh out the characters.

The art style fits the story. It does not distract from the story and successfully captures the look and feel of 1930s America.

Period costumes, cars, locations and the heavy emphasis on shadow and light make it an intriguing read.

The dialogue is crisp and realistic, the characters multi-faceted and the settings authentic.

It’s a well-done series that is steeped in nostalgia and yet feels modern and relevant.

John 14:6 (NKJV) “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”