The Sound of Her Wings

[InkatHeart]

Someone probably posted something about the Sandman already, but I don't care, i still have the drive to discuss it. I lost my Preludes and Nocturnes volume, but my friend gave me his series collection on CD and I was reading it again and my gawd if Neil Gaiman didn't find his voice in that one comic. Of all the characters I've read so far by him, Death is my favorite. Discussion much.

[DJ Kenobi]

Hi InkatHeart,

We're trying to keep opening posts in Comics Analysis to a full review to jumpstart discussion. Can you write up a more full review? What specifically about Gaiman's writing do you find works well? How does the art effect the storytelling? Do you find the depth of the world-building to be what draws you in? Or perhaps the dialogue? Pacing? Be specific.

Thanks for your interest and I look forward to a more full review,

DJ

[Bones Weep Tedium]

I seem to remember Gaiman himself said that it was in that strip he 'found his own voice'.

What do you think he meant by that, InkatHeart?

[Vivat_Rex]

Preludes and Nocturnes is a mixed lot of a hero's quest and recovery. The quest of course is Dream's quest for humanity and humility. He starts out a naked man trapped in a glass prison by a warlock, magician or what have you. The original intent was for said warlock to trap Death and not Dream, so that the warlock could bargain for immortality.
Dream is freed because he recovers sand from the dreams of one of his gaurds. There are some recurrent themes: desire, wanting what you once wanted and losing one's humanity. We see this when Dream imprisions his lover and then frees her. We see this when the warlock loses his life trying to live forever.

Does Neil Gaiman find his voice? Maybe. "The Sound of her Wings" tries to be cute. It is not sentimental but you feel the intent. If it were sentimental, it may have been a better story. The story is that a moping Dream accompanies his sister as she takes those who are at the moment of death.
None of it works. I find this to be at the point of being sophomoric and yet, there is some redeeming qualities. Some of the dialogue is ok. The frame story is not bad.