This summer I was fortunate enough to read and aquire some great graphic novels. Watchmen, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, Batman:Long Halloween and numerous others. I began to study the great comic writers like Frank Miller, Alan Moore, and Neil Gaiman. The Sandman Preludes & Nocturnes is a collection of the first 8 stories of Gaiman’s beloved character Dream of the Endless or Sandman. Gaiman infuses myth and the occult in his recreation of the DC character Morpheus. One of my favorite comics in the collection is titled 24 hours. Studying up on the comic, Gaiman wrote that it was a collection of essays on stories and writers. Truly a freigtning piece of work detailing the manical meeting in the All Nite Dinner(24 Hours). The opening box in the left hand corner displays the subtle message Hour 1: The Flies Walked Into the Web. It opens with Bette a waitress who aspires to become a writer. Bette and 5 other customers are forced to become puppets in control of the classic JLA nemesis Dr. Destiny. While imprisoned in Arkham Asylum Dr.D obtains the Sandman’s dreamstone allowing him to control people’s dreams and poison they’re minds. Dr. Destiny or Dee as he proclaims, only wants to drive the world mad and make him it’s leader. He starts off simply enough by making a children’s shows host explain the proper way to slit you’re wrist. Dee grants the customers in the restaurant they’re wildest dreams and worst nightmares. They proclaim him to be a god. He reverts them to they’re most basic animistic behavior. He makes them sing while taking advantage of the women. He murders one of them in the dark and he convinces one of them to gouge they’re eyes out. In one of the most gripping panels I have seen in a long time, he licks the blood from a man’s finger. He states he does not want to appear ungracious toward a sacrifice, but he derives no satisfaction from it.
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