SANDMAN, THE (GAIMAN) 541
McKean. Th e series was initially conceived as a horror comic, existing on the more magi-
cal end of the DC Comics mainstream. Over time, this gave way to a more mythologi-
cal and meta-textual story, as well as a decreased interaction with the main DC universe.
While there is an overall story arc, described by Gaiman as “the king of dreams must learn
to change or die,” a number of side stories lend a mythic depth to the series. All in all,
however, the plot may be less important than are the quirky characters, bizarre twists, and
occasional chilling or surprising moments that punctuate the series.
Th e main plot arc of Th e Sandman focuses on the character of Dream, also called
Morpheus, who is one of the seven “Endless.” Th ese are personifi cations of fundamental
forces in the universe: Destiny, a representation of historical process, is the eldest; Death
is next, followed by Dream; then comes Destruction; the twins Desire and Despair;
and, fi nally, the youngest, Delirium, who eons ago was Delight. Th ese forces are behind
all that sentient life experiences in the universe. As the story begins, Dream, returning
to his kingdom after a long journey, is captured, in 1916, by the magician Roderick
Burgess, who was hoping instead to capture Death and so gain immortality. Th e impris-
onment of Dream has a number of immediate consequences for the 20th century: some
people fall into a deep sleep while others remain awake; the land of dreams dissolves;
and several people try to fi ll the “vacuum” left by Dream. Eventually, in 1987, Dream
escapes, recovering his power and restoring his kingdom. He faces many challenges at
fi rst. Some nightmares escaped from Dream and he must regain control of them; in the
process of doing so, Dream angers Hyppolita Hall, and sets in motion the seeds of his
own destruction. Shortly afterward, Lucifer abandons Hell, turning out the demons
and giving the Key of Hell to Dream, who must decide who among several competing
divinities and powers may rightfully receive it. Later, Dream, at Delirium’s request, sets
out to fi nd their brother Destruction, who abandoned his duties in the late 17th cen-
tury; to succeed, he must kill his son Orpheus. For this action, and because of the threat
that Hyppolita Hall feels he represents, Dream must face the Furies, and eventually
choose between the complete dissolution of dreams and his own passing; he chooses
the latter, and a new Dream—Hall’s son Daniel, a child gestated in dreams—arises to
take his place.
Alongside this main story arc are a number of tangential stories, many of which
weave in and out of the main arc. A retelling of the Orpheus myth sets the stage for
Dream’s death, for example, while the story “A Game of You” expands the universe of
dreams while commenting on the lack of female voices in comics storytelling. Some
tales, such as his pursuit of the ancient queen Nada, elaborate on Dream’s personality.
Other stories illustrate the importance of dreams: they are the only thing to sustain
the life of “Emperor” Joshua Norton of San Francisco, while their careful cultivation
can end the Roman Empire or prolong its life by a thousand years. Some of these
stories involve Dream as a primary character, while others relegate him to the back-
ground. Taken together with the main plotline, the overall point of the series seems to
be that dreams, as a metaphor for the imagination or hope, are fundamental to human
existence. Alisa Kwitney commented on the tale’s multiple layers including “themes
