The Dreaming #11 – Simon Spurrier, Writer; Bilquis Evely, Artist; Mat Lopes, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: It’s a return visit to one of the most iconic locations in Sandman history this issue – the House of Mystery, where anything can be had for a story and the weirdest travelers from around the multiverse drop in for a spell. On her quest to discover the truth about Daniel’s disappearance from the Dreaming, Dora has found her way to this door and she and Matthew the Raven are about to fall down the bunny hole. Literally – there’s a sex-crazed bunny in the pub along with dozens of other strange inhabitants telling their tales. Like any good House of Mystery story, it doesn’t exactly follow a set narrative and instead weaves its way through different stories as we’re left to figure out how these play into the larger story and what’s relevant to Daniel’s vanishing act. The good news is, almost all these stories are highly compelling and beautifully drawn – especially since Bilquis Evely completely transforms her art style for each one.
An ancient man wearing an animal skull tells tales of the end of the world. A Jewish vigilante in the old mob days spins a yarn of just how many skels he beat up before his lifestyle caught up to him. A soldier in a post-apocalyptic world searches for the truth of her origins before the world collapses around her. And a rabbit seeks to get laid. They have nothing in common, but each of them reveal some outside influence, and Dora realize what’s missing from all their stories. In many ways, this issue is a whodunit, and the mystery isn’t a murder but something far more cosmic. Dora putting the pieces together and completing the stories to reveal the truth is entertaining, but it also sets us up for something really exciting now that Dream’s influence has been fully revealed. This is easily the most ambitious of the line and can be a bit confusing at times, but it delivers when the whole picture comes together.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
