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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
There are many stories available to captivate, entertain, and inform, inclusive of those that have yet to be told in addition to those that have already been told, and storytellers of various iterations continue to convey them and the messages they carry throughout Fables & Reflections (The Sandman, Volume 6) by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Bryan Talbot, Stan Woch, P. Craig Russell, Shawn McManus, John Watkiss, Jill Thompson, Duncan Eagleson, and Kent Williams, and lettered by Todd Klein, with an introduction by Gene Wolfe; the stories presented offer further context about Dream’s past and family while incorporating legendary, familiar figures and their interactions with Dream.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Further emphasizing historic entities and those of legend or mythologies who were incorporated with greater frequency and relevance in the fifth volume, this volume of the series twines together disparate narrative threads with a thematic tie that highlights the value of storytellers and the tales they tell. With familiar characters who have been introduced and explored in previous volumes, it was interesting to see how their lives progressed, or more accurately how many of their lives built to the point where they had been initially introduced to readers, and how they connect with each other and Dream’s expansive life and world; new characters, but those who are familiar from historic tales, legends, or previous literature make appearances and have entertaining or otherwise interesting interactions with Dream, demonstrating the power and influence that dreams and/or subconscious musing have had on humanity’s progression through the ages, from Roman and Greek, to the French Revolution, to early days of the United States. There were many poignant turns of phrase throughout these stories but “his madness kept him sane” was a rather fitting and powerful line as the simplicity and sentiment presented persists to resonate amid the seemingly constant chaotic state of the world, regardless of when or to what exactly it might refer to. While it is helpful for the font styles to change to easily mark and differentiate the various characters thoughts and speeches and they help to convey a sense of time and setting in addition to the art, there were some choices that were more difficult to read (perhaps more so in a digital format), making the experience a bit less engrossing and enjoyable.
Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Further emphasizing historic entities and those of legend or mythologies who were incorporated with greater frequency and relevance in the fifth volume, this volume of the series twines together disparate narrative threads with a thematic tie that highlights the value of storytellers and the tales they tell. With familiar characters who have been introduced and explored in previous volumes, it was interesting to see how their lives progressed, or more accurately how many of their lives built to the point where they had been initially introduced to readers, and how they connect with each other and Dream’s expansive life and world; new characters, but those who are familiar from historic tales, legends, or previous literature make appearances and have entertaining or otherwise interesting interactions with Dream, demonstrating the power and influence that dreams and/or subconscious musing have had on humanity’s progression through the ages, from Roman and Greek, to the French Revolution, to early days of the United States. There were many poignant turns of phrase throughout these stories but “his madness kept him sane” was a rather fitting and powerful line as the simplicity and sentiment presented persists to resonate amid the seemingly constant chaotic state of the world, regardless of when or to what exactly it might refer to. While it is helpful for the font styles to change to easily mark and differentiate the various characters thoughts and speeches and they help to convey a sense of time and setting in addition to the art, there were some choices that were more difficult to read (perhaps more so in a digital format), making the experience a bit less engrossing and enjoyable.
Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was one set of stories I didn't remember much at all from my reading back when the comics were first published. I tend to prefer the contemporary tales to the historical/mythological ones collected here. These were spread out in the original run, and grouped together they made me anxious to return to the present. Still, they are very good, and I think I appreciate them more now that I'm older. "Ramadan," in particular, is exquisite.
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Pitch perfect. If art is a waking dream, this is that dream realized. Best comic book/graphic novel/piece of 'sequential art' I've read, and I've no expectation that I'll change that claim any time soon.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated