Review – The Dreaming #16: Dark Tech

The Dreaming #16 – Simon Spurrier, Writer; Marguerite Sauvage, Artist

Ratings:

Ray – 8.5/10

Ray: DC Bombshells artist Marguerite Sauvage jumps onto the Sandman Universe line for The Dreaming #16, an issue much darker than her usual fare that focuses on the mysterious Dora.

Dora has been exploring (hehe) various dimensions in search of the key to her origin, and she finds it not in any of them but in the oily world of big tech. Her hunt leads her to the mansion of a mysterious tech executive who has been obsessed with dreams. He’s been visited repeatedly by a mysterious woman who visits him in his dreams and turns into a monster at random intervals.

Sauvage’s art, usually dreamlike and gorgeous, turns monstrous with surprising ease. But as the issue goes on, we discover just how entwined Dora is with this man and how his obsession with the world of dreams led him to open a door that no human should open. It’s the least supernatural issue of the series, and yet the one that holds all the keys to what’s been happening in the Dreaming.

Once we get to the second half of The Dreaming #16, the reveals come fast and furious as Dora finds out that she’s been a pawn in a much larger game since the beginning. Elements that were dropped on us in the first issue suddenly become clear, and a major player is revealed to be a pawn of this mysterious tech executive rather than the savior they appeared to be. And a villain we thought was gone is in fact very much back in this and maybe the mastermind of everything that’s happened.

There’s probably a bit too much monologuing in the voice of a rather insufferable tech executive, but Dora’s storyarc has been one of the most compelling parts of this series and it’s great to see an issue spotlighting her again. Spurrier is moving on after only a few issues, making way for G. Willow Wilson, but he’s clearly setting up a lot that she’ll be able to continue to build on.

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Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.