Sandman Mystery Theater: Sleep of Reason [Paperback]

John Ney Rieber (Author), Eric Nguyen (Author), Tim Bradstreet (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up–On assignment in the Middle East, dispassionate photojournalist Keiren Marshall finds himself embroiled in a terrorist plot to detonate a series of suicide bombs in Jerusalem. After escaping a kidnapping attempt by the terrorist leader, he is left wounded and disfigured–and in a chance encounter, finds the abandoned weaponry and equipment of the storied crime fighter Sandman. Despite being tortured by hellish dreams (a product of both his consciousness and the sleeping gas), he must rely on the inherited gas-gun, his own fighting skills, and the help of two brave orphans to reverse the dastardly plot–and to deal with situations and people that he used to merely photograph. With a plot drawn from today's headlines, both the author and artist succeed in creating a taut, thrilling reinvention of DC's classic series that harks back to its hard-boiled origins while remaining accessible and modern. A unique element of this title is how the art changes as the plot progresses; starting off in a clean, precise pen-and-ink style, the art slowly becomes misty watercolors. It's an interesting parallel to the protagonist's psychological journey from cynical journalist to idealistic crime fighter, as well as indicative of his growing mental imbalance. A first choice for teens with an interest in action and current events.–Dave Inabnitt, Brooklyn Public Library, NY
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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Vertigo (September 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401214541
• ISBN-13: 978-1401214548
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.3 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,644,847 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Graphic SF Reader, May 1, 2008

By 

Blue Tyson "- Research Finished" (Legion clubhouse) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sandman Mystery Theater: Sleep of Reason (Paperback)

A new version of this, it seems, and rather different to the old, this particular story being set pretty much in current times, or at least from the late 90s onwards, anyway.

Wesley Dodds is actually one of the few heroes that has aged, so being active in the 30s now makes him an old man indeed, and one whose wife has a terminal illness.

However, he is mostly a guest star in this, as the story surrounds a war in the middle east, a journalist, a crazy man affected by war as a kid, and a conflict that is carried out in real life with bombs and guns and gas, but also in dreams.

The murky art may make it hard to follow who is hwo at times.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Sad attempt at a revamp., November 3, 2008

By 

E. Clemente (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sandman Mystery Theater: Sleep of Reason (Paperback)

A wordy story by John Ney Rieber, though half the time you're left wondering what the heck is going on. Art by Eric Nguyen, while not bad, doesn't help much as it's hard to identify characters, action sequences are muddled, and it's sometimes difficult to distinguish reality from dream sequences. But what really reeks in this book is setting it in war-torn, modern day Afghanistan. Elderly Wesley Dodds (the Golden-Age Sandman) and flame, Dian Belmont, are victimized by extremists, and the Sandman mantle is taken up by an unwitting photo-journalist. Adventure ensues. So, DC's attempt to modernize the Golden Age Sandman is for him to... um, fight terrorists in Afghanistan. I guess that tells you all you need to know about this book, and about how Vertigo has lost its way lately. If you need a Sandman Mystery Theater fix, just re-read the original series. Thankfully they have the sense to continue to re-print it. However, stay away from this sad revamping.