The Sandman #30 Distant Mirrors: August

In 1989 DC gave UK writer Neil Gaimen his own book.  What began as an attempt to revive the 1970s Jack Kirby Sandman became something very different.  DC originally billed it as a horror book but that wasn't true.  Nor was it traditional fantasy.  It was a mythology.  A mythology of those who were gods to the gods, the Endless.  And like all mythologies it dealt with their petty squabbles, their foibles,  and how they dealt with humanity.  The Sandman was a sensation at the time and holds up very well today.  The story-arc Distant Mirrors deals with the past, leaders, and what power really means.

The book begins by reminding us that no matter how hard we try to forget, Armageddon 2001 really happened.

Ok, the story really begins with the juxtaposition of two images, a child fighting back the tears and the seemingly happy Lycius.  Lycius' story is told in the form of his memoirs which is a literary device I often like.

Lycius goes to the emperor's palace where no one seems glad to seem him save Caesar Augustus himself.

Augustus and Lycuis get disguised as beggars and head out into town.

The two settle into their begging routine and talk about Augustus' dislike of actors and why Augustus is doing this.

It's then we get a hint of the real issue, Augustus' relationship with Julius Caesar. 

Augustus then lets Lycuis in on a secret.  He's seen the future.

In fact he's not only seen the future.  He's actually picked which one of the two possible futures should become real.

Then Augustus has an encounter with Dream.

Dream has come to warn Augustus that the Crossover Event of 1991 is about to begin.

Instead, Dream on behalf of Terminus the God of Borders brings Augustus a message on how to hide his plans from the Roman Gods.  As Terminus is the God of Borders and one of Augustus' futures showed a Rome without borders, it's kind of easy to guess his plan.

The two then part never to meet or speak of that day again and we finally get to find out why the boy was crying.

We then see an aged Lycuis writing his journal and describing an empire already in decline.

And that's that.  Is it the best Sandman story?  No.  But it's still very good.  In fact I enjoyed the Distant Mirrors arc, perhaps because of my penchant for history.  The Sandman was very, very, good and it was successful too.  I think it's hard to imagine a book like Fables without the success of the Sandman.

Bonus: Letters and Hawkworld.  Also props to letter writer TEO 900 Gilman Street Ruston LA who seems overly concerned with if Destiny has a shadow.

Hawkworld: DC's way of saying it's been six years since Crisis and we still don't know what to do with Hawkman.

Double Bonus: Double Van Damme!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next time: Super fun as Major Maple Leaf squares off against the X-Men.