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THE SANDMAN PRESENTS: THE THESSALIAD #3
"Part 3: Necromancer or What Ever Made You Think Ghosts Carry Money?"
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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DC Comics/Vertigo imprint
Writer: Bill Willingham
Pencils: Shawn McManus
Inks: Andrew Pepoy
Colors: Danny Vozzo & Jamison
Letters: John Costanza
Editor: Shelly Bond
Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN |
The Thessaliad has been completely different than what I expected, a fun, even borderline goofy, run through the realms of myth that made up Neil Gaiman's Sandman mythos. Willingham has taken the usually dour settings of Sandman, and one of the most dire characters therein, and crafted around her a tale that has me laughing more than once and really rooting for a not terribly nice lead character. The Thessaliad is a strange sort of hero
quest/romantic comedy/blood feud story, and though those elements don't sound
like they belong together, Willingham, McManus, Pepoy and the rest definitely
make it feel alright.
What drew folks to Neil Gaiman's Sandman, beyond simply the skill of the
writing and art, was the idea of a wide open world full of magic. Willingham and
McManus capture that feeling in this series and in this issue, with mythical
creatures and journeys. The villain that Thessaly faces is a clever twist on an
old beast of myth, and seeing random magical elements like a fire elemental, a
cafe for dead people or a variety of death gods in amongst what is basically a
guy and a girl taking a trip makes for some very interesting reading.
Willingham and McManus have
both been inserting jokes and homages into the background of this series, as
well. Last issue there were references aplenty to the Sandman series, and this
issue, in addition to the variety of mythical dead heroes at the cafe,
sharp-eyed super-hero fans will spot a familiar dead guy who is certain that his
name was something normal, like Barry... or Alan. These clues are revealed to be
more than just throwaway gags, however, in a sequence that serves the dual
purpose of showing off Thessaly's intellect and revealing the villains of the
piece.
The irreverent approach is
what makes the series work for me, though. McManus's art works very well for
comedy, and his designs for the death gods makes them all look mostly normal,
while conveying a certain haughty arrogance at the same time. I also love little
bits of dialogue or background business like Icarus plummeting to the cafe, or
Fetch's light-hearted commentary about Death.
On top of high comedy and an imaginative premise, Willingham has planted a story that keeps me guessing. Though I don't really believe Thessaly is in any permanent danger, that doesn't mean I'm not on pins and needles awaiting the final issue, revealing her fate after the twist ending of this issue. The Thessaliad is another in a line of successful Sandman Presents
series, once again surpassing my expectations of a spinoff.
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