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Fables and Reflections Buy from tfaw.com

Fables and Reflections has no right to be as good as it is.

I remembered it being somewhat of an afterthought, a mishmash collection of single-issue stories that didn’t really belong anywhere else (some of them came before A Game of You, some of them immediately after. One even follows the next storyline).

The first time I read it, I actually read it after Brief Lives. I felt like they were fun little stories but ultimately useless. They added some texture to The Sandman but didn’t advance the plot.

I don’t know what was different this time — maybe it’s maturity or reading it in the “right” order — but now I think Fables and Reflections is probably the closest to expressing the bigger concept of The Sandman, which is that it is, in the end, a story about stories.

Fables and Reflections is nothing if not full of stories about stories – the stories we tell ourselves, the world. The stories we tell to revise the past or the future. It’s about how stories – about how dreams – shape the world.

The collection begins and ends with leaders and their cities. “Three Septembers and a January” is as much as about Emperor Norton I as it is about San Francisco (which is honestly the only place someone could declare himself emperor of the United States and get away with it). It’s a beautiful tribute to someone who’s not much more than a humorous footnote in history. “Ramadan” is about Caliph Haroun al-Raschid and the fantastic Baghdad. Al-Raschid’s choice to turn his city over to Dream to preserve it is still haunting and powerful (and sadly, it’s probably moreso today than it was in 1993).

The stories in between are a wild ride of new characters and old, historical and mythological figures. I don’t think we ever got to see enough of Johanna Constantine in The Sandman and Jill Thompson’s depiction of the “Lil Endless” in “The Parliament of Rooks” is so wonderfully ridiculous. There are so much in these stories that is delightful and surprising I don’t know how I ever thought this book was mostly a throwaway.

The only story that doesn’t work for me is “The Song of Orpheus.” I like Bryan Talbot as an artist but his work feels to modern for the setting of the ancient Greece of myth. While I’m happy to accept Orpheus as the son of Dream, I don’t feel like Neil Gaiman adds much of anything to the myth. I know why Gaiman told this story – it is important and necessary in the larger story of The Sandman — but it doesn’t go anywhere. (And as far as Greek myths go, I would’ve rather seen the story of Alcyone retold.)

But really, that’s a tiny complaint. Reading Fables and Reflections reminds me of why I spent many years obsessed with Neil Gaiman (and even now, admittedly, I still have my weaker moments). He’s an incredible storyteller. I don’t want to call these “comic books” or “graphic novels” or anything else. They are just wonderful stories.

Junko Mizuno is doing work for Marvel?

The Sandman post may be pushed to later in the evening tomorrow (er, today). I’ll see what I get done before I have to go to work, but I get the feeling that the way this week has been going, it won’t quite be finished. There will be one, however. I promise.

A Game of You Buy from tfaw.com

Poor unloved A Game of You.

Well, at least that was always the consensus (of, perhaps, a vocal group of men on the Internet). Before rereading it, it was my impression I didn’t really like this volume of The Sandman all that much.

Maybe it’s just that I’m older now. Maybe my sensibilities have changed. But despite its flaws, I really like now. It’s the more straightforward and simple than Season of Mists so I can understand why people were thrown off by it (and I think that’s why I was too) but it’s a lovely story that resonates with me for reasons I can’t quite articulate.

My main complaint with A Game of You is that I don’t find Barbie all that interesting. I know that was kind of the point when we met her in A Doll’s House, in a way, that she’s this normal woman who has a rich fantasy land in her dreams, but it doesn’t necessarily mean I care about her. I like her more now but she’s still a weak point for me in the book. I like her journey but I don’t really like her.

But there’s enough going on around her that Barbie’s character isn’t the absolute focus. We have an amazing assemblage of women – we have lesbian couple Hazel and Foxglove, the transsexual Wanda, and the ancient witch Thessaly.

Oh, Thessaly. I said that even if Neil Gaiman didn’t intend her to be, Rose Walker was pretty much pandering to a female audience. And without a doubt, Thessaly is too. Certainly, it’s great fun for this kind of geeky, meek-looking woman to turn out to be powerful and ruthless. But for every girl reading The Sandman who felt like the world viewed them much like Foxglove viewed Thessaly (“Like a bimbo, but with brains instead of looks”), this was awesome revenge. Gaiman knows how to play to his audience.

Overall, I think the book is more a way for Gaiman to discuss some thoughts on fantasy and further develop his ideas about women’s stories and men’s stories. There weren’t too many new ideas in there for me this time around (I was an English major) but I still like the discussion of how boys want to be superheroes and girls want to be princesses. I think it’s something that isn’t verbalized enough.

(I am angry that Gaiman never told the story of Alianora and Dream.)

And the most controversial comic book store scene … yes, comic book stores are like that. Or rather, they can be like that. (Gaiman made some comments where he said he thinks those sorts of stores are now in the minority, which makes me think he really only goes to big-city stores.) Just so we’re clear.

A Game of You is maybe a little messy, maybe too unambiguous in the points its trying to make, but it’s the one that’s surprised me the most so far this time around. Along with Dream Country, it would be one of the first I’d recommend to new readers (with some explanation of who is who and such), especially females ones.

Although, I suppose it doesn’t quite count if it’s from my good friend Timothy Lantz, but I am charmed all the same.

I realize that I am quite behind on this, but that’s how it goes. And actually, I only finished reading everything today (some of that was that I didn’t realize I hadn’t read everything). But here we go, in no particular order.

Voids 1-3 – Shayna Marchese
This is a lovely black and white series about leaving behind crappy jobs and crappy boyfriends for a new start. The territory is not new, but Marchese’s tone is meditative and her bold lines and dramatic layouts give it a fresh feel. I’m going to watch for more of her work in the future.

The Sidestory of Mei Lan – Jeanette An
I’m guessing this connects to something else, but An’s cartoon-inspired are is fast and hilarious. It’s short but fun.

Pirates Take Manhattan – Bill Roundy
Obviously, some 24-hour comics are executed with a plan – or at least a plot – and end up being somewhat coherent. This, on the other hand, is none of those things and is all the more hilarious because of it. There are trolls, pirates, ninjas, robots, monkeys, golden apples, disco dancing and goats. What more do you want?

(Bill Roundy was also one of the nicest people at MoCCA – cheerful despite the heat [which isn't to say everyone else was mean, of course, but just tired]. He signed my book and gave me a sticker. Very charming.)

With Love – Yali Lin
Lin’s shoujo-inspired art is lovely and carries these five quiet tales about love. This is a simple book but heartfelt and probably one of my favorite things I bought at MoCCA.

Yume & Ever – Alitha E. Martinez
This is awesome. Martinez takes her background in mainstream superhero comics and does something amazing with it, crafting a silent and action-packed example of sequential storytelling. The plot is a little hard to piece together at this point, but the title characters end up as the only survivors from a super-team after a devastating attack on New York City. I need more of this. I’m excited to see where this goes.

There You Were – Diana Tamblyn
This is a calm little comic about the inner life of an over-looked office worker and about the connections between people. The comic mostly focuses on the faces of the characters and Tamblyn’s expressions are lovely.

The Trouble Is #1 – Shelli Paroline and Wednesday
I like the edgy, animation-inspired art of this quite a bit. The story seems to have potential, but just from this one issue, it’s hard for me to tell if it’s going anywhere. I’ll probably seek it out, though.

Dolltopia 1-2, Passing Notes – Abby Denson
Dolltopia is cute and fun, as fashion dolls and action figures escape their manufactured lives to live underground. Her simple art is expressive and bold. I liked Passing Notes, about two gay teenagers in a band, a bit more though, and I’ll have to pick up the rest of it.

Satisfactory Comics #7 – Isaac Cates and Mike Wenthe
A 24-hour comic (well, 30, but who’s counting) that works better as an experiment than it does as entertainment. Certainly, I admire the craft here, but it’s (understandably) uneven at best. I can tell it was fun for Cates and Wenthe, however, and it’s enjoyable because of that.

Tear-Stained Makeup #1 – Marcos Perez
I’m not completely sure where this is going — it does leave readers hanging — but Perez’s art is pleasingly rough and he has a flare for dialogue. I’m intrigued.

Not exactly a mini-comic, but …

“Morph” story poster – Mark Gonyea
Well, you can go look at it. It’s cool. Gonyea was selling his story posters for $5 a piece and I think everyone at MoCCA should’ve bought one. They were a steal.