The Dreaming #11 by Simon Spurrier - Comic Book Review

From the publisher: The World’s End pub is a place where ales and tales flow freely. A place where the netherfolk gather to spin stories and mark time between realities. But a blight has come to the Worlds’ End pub, and as the search for Dream of the Endless nears its end, our plucky hunters must confront the saddest thing of all: a fable that can’t stop fading. Meanwhile, the new Lord of the Dreaming, chafing against its unwanted throne, gropes for answers—and endings...

The Dreaming #11 by Simon Spurrier continues the story of Dora and Matthew the Raven's quest to find Daniel aka Dream. After their stop in Hell last issue, they are transported to The World's End Pub, which should be familiar to fans of Sandman. Here, stories are currency, and Dora and Matthew stumble into the pub only to find the entire pub full of people captivated by the stories being told by three strangers. However, a fire is loose on the upper floor of the pub, and no one seems eager to put it out. Only Dora seems immune, and this leads to an interesting conversation with a rabbit whom no one remembers. The issue ends with a twist that I didn't see coming which sets up next issue (which promises to reveal where Dream is or what he wants) nicely.

I've really enjoyed this quest for Dream storyline, but because each issue is only a part of the story arc, I find them hard to review. I enjoyed revisiting The World's End, which is a cool location with many story possibilities. I also found the story-within-a-story to be interesting, reflecting some popular story themes. Spurrier uses this issue to reflect on the nature of stories, which has always been a part of the Sandman world. I also liked the development of Dora, who seems to be growing as a character with each issue. I have a little trepidation at how Spurrier is going to wrap up the search for Dream, because it seems like he is leaning towards creating a new Dream, which Gaiman already did (in fact, he did it extremely well, since that was a major part of the original series). However, I'm going to trust that Spurrier won't just be repeating previous stories with his own take on them.

The Dreaming #11 by Simon Spurrier is an excellent chapter in this series. I highly recommend it, particularly to fans of Sandman.

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