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    The Sandman Special #1

    The Sandman Special » The Sandman Special #1 - The Song of Orpheus released by DC Comics on November 1991.

    Short summary describing this issue.

    The Song of Orpheus last edited by dingleberry96 on 04/18/21 03:42AM View full history

    Morpheus has done a lot of regrettable things in his existence, but this issue features one of his most remorseful as his son, Orpheus, comes to terms with his place in the Endless family--and his own limits--in a gruesome, standalone parable.

    In a retelling of the Greek myth, the Endless gather for the wedding of Dream's son, Orpheus. Tragedy strikes afterward, however, when the new bride, Eurydice, is bitten by a snake while avoiding the attentions of the drunken satyr Aristaeus and dies. Grief-stricken, Orpheus demands his aunt, Death, to return Eurydice to him. She tells him she cannot, but tells him of a gate to the underworld when he won't take no for an answer.

    Once there, Orpheus convinces Hades to let his deceased wife return, but there is a catch. He must walk back to the world above with Eurydice silently following him and mustn't look back the entire journey. He almost makes it, but just as he sees daylight ahead, his suspicion that he has been tricked by Hades and is walking alone becomes certainty. He looks back, and sees his wife for the last time.

    With no will to live after that, Orpheus ignores his mother Calliope's warning that the Bacchante, savage worshipers of the Greek god Dionysus, are headed his way. They tear him limb from limb, leaving nothing but his disembodied but still living head. Dream finds what's left of his son on a beach, and Orpheus asks his father to kill him. Dream refuses, pointing out that Orpheus had told him he was no longer his son when he wouldn't bring Eurydice back from the dead, and leaves him there to live the rest of his life as a decapitated head.

    *Note: Cover has glow-in-the-dark material to create a face.

    Gallery illustrations in back:

    • Destiny - Tom Canty
    • Death - Dave McKean
    • Dream - Barry Windsor-Smith
    • Desire - Craig Russell
    • Despair - Duncan Fegredo
    • Delirium - Simon Bisley
    • Matthew and Eve - Kent Williams
    • Cain and Abel - Sergio Aragonés
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    Average score of 2 user reviews

    All Greek to Me! Gaiman's Crafted Sandman! 0

    DC Comics' Vertigo label was a mature readers-only label.   Since the Comics Code was no longer a viable option, comic companies began to tailor their production to certain audiences, much as cable television and the Motion Picture Association of America does with their ratings systems.   Clearly marked "suggested for mature audiences", DC Comics was one forward-thinking company that shrugged off the stigma of "comics are just for kids" and presented great adult entertainment in graphic form....

    2 out of 2 found this review helpful.

    The Age Old Father -Son Stories Get A New Twist 0

    The Beautifully Crafted Sandman Universe gets even more interesting as it shows how Dream Deals in Relation to His Son Orpheus. On his wedding day Orpheus loses his wife to an old elf's jelous and a snake bite, he then seeks his fathers help to which he coldly refuses thus he renounces Dream as his father. The best thing about having the endless as your family many door are open to you. Destruction tells Orpheus to seek his aunt Death's help so he does and ventures into hades. To bring his love ...

    1 out of 2 found this review helpful.
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