Sandman - The Dolls House

As I stated in my last review of the Sandman (Preludes & Nocturnes) , I believe that with "The Dolls House" Neil Gaiman found his voice. The "Sound of Her Wings" was, for me, the first true Sandman story -it dealt with deeper issues such as death and mortality, and how they can help shape our beliefs of life. That isn't to say that stories such as "24 Hours" and "Passengers" weren't well written -which they were, and they count amongst the scariest comics I've ever read (alongside Bruce Jones & Berni Wrightson's "Jennifer")- but the stories beforehand lacked depth. The "Sound of Her Wings" resonated.

And I think it was a great idea that DC & Titan saw fit to include it with their next tpb "The Dolls House". Even though the story stands on its own; and isn't part of the continuity, it helps set the tone for the stories that follow. The "Dolls House" follows of Rose Walker as she searches for her younger brother. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But throw in a talking raven called Matthew; an entertaining interlude with Will Shaxberd; a cautionary tale about falling in love with an immortal; a convention of serial killers (not to mention one creepy guy in particular with a penchant for eyes) AND the anthropomorphic personification of Desire, then you have classic Gaiman.

The Dolls House introduces us to Desire, Despair -and reintroduces us to Death and really helps to flesh out the world that surrounds Morpheus. It lays more of the groundwork that would be used to great effect in later issues -nothing is inconsequential in Gaiman's universe: even the smallest incident can have dire consequences or ramifications.

The writing is deep, but there are moments of levity. There's a short story-a single chapter devoted to the "life" of Hob Gadling- which is a delight to read. Hob will appear many times during the course of the Sandman and helps show a lighter side to Morpheus (and God knows, he needs one).

The art is exceptional throughout. Gaiman has said that he writes the stories according to who the artist is so he can play to their strengths, and Mike Dringenberg's scratchy and alert pencils really suit this dark tale .

The Dolls House is, in turns, humorous, comic and deeply moving and sows the seeds for future issues to come; and well worth reading!