- "Constantine... this place is not safe for you. Things are free in this house that should not be loose on Earth. You must not stay here."
- ―Morpheus
..."Dream a Little Dream of Me." | |
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The Sandman | |
Title: | ..."Dream a Little Dream of Me." |
Volume: | 2 |
Number: | 3 |
Cover price: | $1.50 |
Cover date: | March, 1989 |
Publisher: | DC Comics |
Credits | |
Chief: | Jenette Kahn |
Ex. Ed: | Dick Giordano |
Writers: | Neil Gaiman |
Pencilers: | Sam Kieth |
Inkers: | Mike Dringenberg |
Cover artists: | Dave McKean |
Cover inker: | Dave McKean |
Cover colorist: | Dave McKean |
Colorists: | Daniel Vozzo |
Letterers: | Todd Klein |
Assistants: | Art Young |
Editors: | Karen Berger |
Navigation | |
Previous: | The Sandman #2 |
Next: | The Sandman #4 |
"...Dream a Little Dream of Me." is the title to the third issue of the second Sandman ongoing comic book series published by DC Comics. The story was written by Neil Gaiman with artwork by Sam Kieth and inks by Mike Dringenberg. It was colored by Robbie Busch and lettered by Todd Klein. The story was edited by Karen Berger with Art Young as assistant editor. This issue shipped with a March, 1989 cover date and carries a cover price of $1.50 per copy (US).
Synopsis[]
A woman named Rachel lies in bed at her house. Her withered, bony hand reaches out from the blankets to the nightstand where it grasps at a partially opened bag of sand. This is Dream's sand pouch – a mystical item that was stolen from him decades ago.
In London, hedge mage John Constantine wakes up after suffering a terrible nightmare. He should be used to them by now, having suffered such visions ever since the 1978 debacle at Newcastle. He goes down to the Easy Diner for breakfast. The song on the jukebox is about dreams. When he leaves, he encounters a street woman named Mad Hettie. Hettie warns him that the Sandman has returned. John scoffs and tells her that the Sandman is just a fairy tale. Hettie warns him to heed her words for she is two-hundred and seventy-three years old.
When John returns home he discovers that the Sandman really does exist. Dream stands in his doorway and inquires about his missing bag of sand. John vaguely recalls finding the item at a garage sale many years ago, but doesn't know where it could be now. He tells Dream that they should check an old storage facility that he once leased. They stop at the place, and John finds a photograph of an ex-girlfriend – Rachel. He now recalls that Rachel stole a bunch of his stuff and sold it for drugs. She is the last one that would have known where the pouch is.
John calls his friend Chas Chandler, and Chas drives John and Dream over to Rachel's father's house in the Brambles. When they enter the house they find that her father has been transformed into a living nightmare – barely alive. Dream knows that this his pouch is definitely here. John enters Rachel's room. She is sitting up in bed and looks terrible. Years of substance abuse have wasted her and she is slowly dying. Dream notices that she has the sand pouch and cites that it is the only thing that has kept her alive until now. John asks him to put her out of her misery. Dream places Rachel into a happy dream where she is young and healthy again, living with John - the love of her life. Dream collects his pouch as Rachel dies peacefully.
The pair begin to part company, but John stops Dream to ask for a favor. He describes the nightmares that he has been having, and Dream tells him that his nightmares will now cease.
Appearances[]
Featured characters
Supporting characters
Villains
Minor characters
- Leigh
- Mad Hettie
- Rachel
- Superman (In a dream only)
Organizations
Races & Animals
Locations
Items
Vehicles
Powers
Miscellaneous
- Crucifixion (In a dream only)
- Dreams
- Female topless nudity
- Nightmares
- Smoking
Notes & Trivia[]
- This issue is chapter three of the "Master of Dreams" storyline.
- Although this is The Sandman series, Dream actually plays more of a supporting role, while John Constantine, the star of his own title Hellblazer, takes on the role of the main point-of-view character for this issue.
- The song that is playing on John Constantine's clock radio is "Mr. Sandman" by Pat Ballard, originally released on the B-side of "I Don't Wanna See You Cryin'" by The Chordettes in 1954.
- The song that John Constantine plays on the jukebox at Easy Diner is "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". The song was written in 1966 by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, but was popularized by Marvin Gaye in 1968, and later by the California Raisins in the 1980s. Constantine says he used to perform the song with his old punk band, Mucous Membrane.
- One of the songs playing in John's apartment is "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)", which is a British new wave song by the Eurythmics, released in 1983.
- Another song playing in John's apartment is "Dream Lover" by Bobby Darin, recorded in March, 1959, and released in April of that same year.
- John Constantine makes reference to David Livingstone, a Scottish missionary and physician from the 19th century.
- John Constantine makes reference to the "Big green bloke", which is Alec Holland, the Swamp Thing.
- Morpheus makes reference to Roderick Burgess, who is the man who had captured and imprisoned Morpheus in Sandman #1.
- John Constantine makes reference to the Silver Surfer comic book series. In the DC/Vertigo world, Marvel Comics exists as a comic book publisher.
- This issue makes reference to the Newcastle incident. This was a botched exorcism that John coordinated ten years earlier. The full details of this affair were chronicled in Hellblazer #11.
Reprints[]
The storyline from this issue is reprinted in the following volumes:
- Absolute Sandman 1
- Essential Vertigo: The Sandman 3
- Sandman 30th Anniversary Edition 1
- Sandman Omnibus 1
- Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes