Monday, August 12, 2013
Groove's Faves: "Panic in the Dream Stream" by Fleisher and Kirby
Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Man, they don't make comics like this anymore--but I wish they would! Silly, fun, outrageous, imaginative, whimsical, original, and not one iota of self-consciousness or pretentiousness. Writer Michael Fleisher (notice the misspelling on page one? Sheesh!) set out to make Sandman the polar opposite of his better known assignments, the moody and violent Spectre and the anti-social Jonah Hex. In fact, in the letters page of this particular ish, Fleisher describes Sandman as showing is "friendly, loving side" and calls the characters "zany" and "loveable". That attitude, plus the artistic return of Sandman's co-creator, Jack "King" Kirby truly makes "Panic in the Dream Stream" from Sandman #4 (May 1975) a fave!
That's some great Kirby art. Welcome back Groovy one!
ReplyDeleteThank you,Mr Groove!
ReplyDeleteWhat a comeback!
Cheers!
/Mr Anonymous
This wasn't the same Sandman as the one Kirby created in the Golden Age, but rather a different one entirely, and one of his last DC creations. I acquired this issue second or third hand in the secondary market a number of years back, and it just didn't entertain me.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid I absolutely loved this comic. Something about a hero who could monitor dreams and enter them at will. A great concept. And the art is tops, of course.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love these Kirby Sandman stories. If you can, I hope to see the rest in this short lived series. It's because of this web site, I ran out and purchased on Amazon.com: The complete four volumes of Kirby's New Gods,The Demon,O.M.A.C., Kamandi and the Captain America 70's Kirby Omnibus. I never ever saw Kamandi, Demon and O.M.A.C. I knew of their existence,but couldn't afford to buy them at the time.
ReplyDeleteBut I digress, as Peter David would say.....The Sandman was very under rated and deserved more exposure. I liked the zany characters and the fact anything could happen in dream sequences in the books. It was an experimental title that was sadly stuck down before it's time.