THE DREAMING #6 by Simon Spurrier - Comic Book Review

From the publisher: Finally determined to solve the riddle of herself, Dora is out for blood. But Judge Gallows, the usurper, has taken precautions to protect himself. As the whole of the Dreaming trembles with the sick new power he wields, the oldest brotherly feud in existence takes a wretched turn...a blood sacrifice is made...the chrysalis cracks...and a new thing, an impossible thing, an indomitable thing, is born at last...

With The Dreaming #6, Simon Spurrier brings the first arc of this series to a close. There is some closure, but the ending definitely opens up a whole bunch of story-telling options. Without further ado, a summary...

This issue focuses on Dora, Judge Gallows, and the incoming new Endless (maybe?). And while we were led to believe that Dora would figure just who and what she is, we don't really discover that. It's more of a realization about what she is not, I suppose. In the meantime, Judge Gallows is out to confront and kill the new Endless (or whatever it is) that is growing and preparing to be born in the Dreaming. With and assist from Merv Pumpkinhead, Cain, and Abel, this brings about a final confrontation with the Judge. And then Spurrier introduces the new Endless/god/I don't know what it is, and it looks like things might be changing once again in the Dreaming.

I like this issue, and I like this series. I felt like Spurrier did a good job with his first arc, capturing some of what Gaiman had in Sandman. To me, much of the Sandman universe is about the feel and the voices of the characters, and Spurrier is on his way to really getting that. And while I realize this was an introductory arc of sorts, I really would like more in the next arc. Readers still don't know much about Dora, nor what is going on with Daniel/Dream. These are major stories that need to be told, and I'm hopeful that Spurrier will address them sooner rather than later. In the meantime, I'm planning on sticking around to see what happens next.

I highly recommend The Dreaming #6 by Simon Spurrier. Fans of Sandman will enjoy this book. But, at this point, it's better to read the first six issues together, or wait for the collected edition, as this is not a good starting point.

I received a preview copy of this book from DC Comics and Vertigo in exchange for an honest review.