Sandman Mystery Theatre
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Sandman Mystery Theatre is a comic book series published by Vertigo, the mature-readers imprint of DC Comics, which ran for 70 issues between 1993 and 1999. It retells the adventures of the Sandman, a vigilante whose main weapon is a gun that fires sleeping gas, originally created by DC in the Golden Age of Comic Books. Unlike most other superheroes, the Sandman possesses no superhuman powers and relies on his detective skills and gas gun.
In this film noir-like series by writers Matt Wagner and Steven T. Seagle, Wesley Dodds (the Sandman) and his girlfriend Dian Belmont (daughter of the District Attorney) encountered several, often grotesque, foes in multi-issue storylines. (The team of Dodds and Belmont were a nod to Nick and Nora Charles of The Thin Man novel and movies.)
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[edit] Art and controversy
The art was provided by a rotating series of artists, a new art team on each story arc. The first artist was Guy Davis, who defined the visual look of the character. Davis changed Dodds from the traditional portrayal as a tall, square-jawed figure, making him shorter, round-faced and slightly overweight. He also gave Dodds a pair of round spectacles, visually echoing the round eyepieces of the gas mask he wore as the Sandman.
Davis also redesigned the Sandman costume. In the original 1930s comics, the Sandman wore a green suit, purple cape, orange fedora and blue-and-yellow gas mask. For Sandman Mystery Theatre, the color palette was toned down to gray, olive green and brown. The super-heroic trappings were downplayed in favor of a "real-world" sensibility, such as a trench coat instead of the cape.
A minor controversy developed around the second storyline, "The Face." A coloring error resulted in Asian characters being portrayed with bright yellow skin. The editor apologized for the error in the letter column of a subsequent issue.
[edit] Themes and Guest Stars
Set during the late 1930's, before Dodds became a founding member of the Justice Society of America, this series dealt with mature themes such as abortion, racism, and antisemitism, as well as historical themes such as the rise of Nazism and international appeasement. As the series progressed Wesley encountered in his adventures other "mystery men" of the era, including the Crimson Avenger, Starman, Blackhawk and Hourman. A probable reference is made to Ted Grant, Wildcat, where the Sandman interrogates a boxer outside a gym and the man mentions the name Ted. A reference is made to Detective Jim Corrigan, later to be known as The Spectre. Dr. Mid-Nite, alias Dr. Charles McNider is also mentioned as the physician that treated Wesley in one issue.
Dodds and Belmont would themselves guest star in the popular comic Starman (set in the present day), appearing as older versions of themselves.
[edit] Differences
When the series was first introduced, some fans argued that it took place in an "alternate universe" - there are significant differences between the Wesley Dodds seen in this series and previous depictions of Dodds. In addition to his physical appearance, Dodds is much older than previously shown, and the character of "Sandy Hawkins", previously Dodds' sidekick, is nothing more than a fictional comic book character within this series. In fact, Dian Belmont acts as his sidekick "Sandy" on at least one occasion.
However, many elements introduced in Sandman Mystery Theatre (such as the costume) have been seen in the mainstream DC Universe, establishing the changes as retcons to the character's history.
[edit] Dream
The revival of the character was due in part to the success of a later, related, character, created by Neil Gaiman, whose adventures were then being published under the title of The Sandman (hence the need for a more elaborate title for the older character's adventures).
The two characters met briefly in a one-shot special, Sandman Midnight Theatre, co-written by Gaiman and Wagner.
[edit] New Series
DC has announced plans for a new five-issue limited series, Sandman Mystery Theatre: Sleep of Reason, set in 2007 and featuring a new character taking up the Sandman mantle.[1]
