The Sandman: A Game of You

The Sandman, vol. 5: A Game of You by Neil Gaiman, 185 pages

As I near the half-way point in Sandman, I'm beginning to realize that Morpheus, our titular character, is more of a cameo character in the series, particularly in this volume. While much of the story takes place in the dreams of Barbie, a confused woman attempting to regain a hold on life with the help of her rather interesting neighbors, Morpheus only shows up at the beginning and end. And that's a shame. Morpheus as a character intrigues me, and as interesting as Barbie's dreams and neighbors are (more about those neighbors in a minute), I really want to get to know the Sandman a bit better.

So, Barbie's neighbors... The lesbian couple, Hazel and Foxglove, are interesting enough, I guess. As is Thessaly, a mousy, bespectacled young woman who is much more than she seems. It is Wanda, the pre-op transsexual who is the standout in this story, however. Wanda is richly created by Gaiman, who presents a lot of opinions that, while more accepted now, probably weren't so commonplace when this was originally published more than 20 years ago. Neil Gaiman, breaking ground in comics across the board!

I look forward to the next installment, though I hope Morpheus takes on a larger role next time around.