- "I walk by her side, and the darkness lifts from my soul. I walk with her, and I hear the gentle beating of mighty wings..."
- ―Dream
| "The Sound of Her Wings" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The Sandman | |
| Title: | "The Sound of Her Wings" |
| Volume: | 2 |
| Number: | 8 |
| Cover price: | $1.50 |
| Cover date: | August, 1989 |
| Publisher: | DC Comics |
| Credits | |
| Chief: | Jenette Kahn |
| Ex. Ed: | Dick Giordano |
| Writers: | Neil Gaiman |
| Pencilers: | Mike Dringenberg |
| Inkers: | Malcolm Jones, III |
| Cover artists: | Dave McKean |
| Cover inker: | Dave McKean |
| Cover colorist: | Dave McKean |
| Colorists: | Robbie Busch |
| Letterers: | Todd Klein |
| Associates: | Art Young |
| Editors: | Karen Berger |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: | The Sandman #7 |
| Next: | The Sandman #9 |
"The Sound of Her Wings" is the title to the eighth issue of the second Sandman ongoing comic book series published by DC Comics. The story was written by Neil Gaiman with artwork by Mike Dringenberg and inks by Malcolm Jones, III. 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 an August, 1989 cover date and carries a cover price of $1.50 per copy (US).
Synopsis[]
A mortal approaches Destiny in an unknown place and asks him questions about Dream. Destiny reads from his book of Dream's capture, his escape, and his trials to regain his symbols of office. Destiny closes his book and the mortal takes their leave.
Having finally collected his tools of office, Dream takes a moment of reflection in a public park, feeding pigeons. He watches a young teen named Franklin playing soccer with a friend. Dream's older sister Death appears and sits next to him. The two begin talking and Dream tells her about his decades of imprisonment, and how unsatisfying his revenge against his captors proved to be. Death grows angry with Dream and tells him that she was extremely worried about him, and he should have called her. After a time, she gets up, stating that she has business to attend to, and that Dream is welcome to accompany her. She has a short exchange with Franklin the soccer player and tells him that she will see him soon.
Dream accompanies her and watches silently as Death visits various people across the world. As the personification of Death, it is her duty to ferry their souls to the "sunless lands". She visits an old Jewish fiddle player named Harry, then an amateur comedienne named Esmé. Dream wonders why humans fear death more than dreams, knowing that death is as truly a fact of life as birth.
Later, Death receives the spirit of an infant who dies from crib death before returning to the park to visit Franklin. Franklin runs out into the street chasing his ball and is struck by a car. His spirit rises from his body and Death greets him. Dream looks on and reflects upon the differences between his sister and he.
Appearances[]
Featured characters
Supporting characters
Villains
Minor characters
Organizations
Races & Animals
Locations
Items
Vehicles
Powers
Miscellaneous
Notes & Trivia[]
- The character of Dream, also known as the Sandman, was created by English writer Neil Gaiman and artists Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg. He first appeared in The Sandman, Volume 2 #1 in January, 1989 in a story titled "Sleep of the Just".
- This series is suggested for mature readers.
- This issue includes a five-page text article called "In the Beginning..." by Neil Gaiman with spot illustrations by Mike Dringenberg.
- This issue is the first modern appearance of the personification of Death. Unlike previous incarnations, this version of Death is not represented as a ghastly, robed skeleton holding a scythe. Instead, Gaiman's Death appears in the form of a teenage girl who fashions herself after the modern day Goth subculture. Ironically, Death wears the sign of the Ankh about her chest. The Ankh is the Egyptian symbol for immortality. Death is introduced as one of a family of immortal cosmic beings known as the Endless. Although her physical representation is that of a teenager, she is actually Dream's older sister. As the reality of death existed on Earth before sentient beings harnessed the ability to dream, it stands to reason that she is actually significantly older than her sibling.
- The primary setting for this issue is never actually revealed, but the depiction of the arch on page one indicates that this is Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village, New York.
- In one scene, the words "No one here gets out alive!" can be seen scrawled on a wall behind Death and Dream. The quote is a line of dialogue from the 1968 song "Five To One" by The Doors. It appeared on the album Waiting for the Sun. The line was also used for the title to late lead singer Jim Morrison's biography, written by Jerry Hopkins.
- Death makes several allusions to Mary Poppins in this issue. Mary Poppins was the titular protagonist in Pamela Lynden Travers' children's story Mary Poppins. The version that Death discusses however, is the musical movie adaptation, produced by Walt Disney Productions in 1964 starring Julie Andrews in the title role of Mary Poppins. Death talks favorably about the role of Mary Poppins' friend Bert, as played by Dick van Dyke - specifically, his exaggerated cockney accent.
Reprints[]
The storyline from this issue is reprinted in the following volumes:
- Absolute Death 1
- Absolute Sandman 1
- Essential Vertigo: The Sandman 8
- Sandman 30th Anniversary Edition 1
- Sandman Omnibus 1
- Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes
- Sandman: The Doll's House