Scott's Take: Wesley Dodds: The Sandman by Robert Venditti, Illustrator Riley Rossmo

Wesley Dodds: The Sandman by Robert Venditti, illustrated by Riley Rossmo, is a miniseries whose main character is the original Sandman (there are several Sandman). This read is set back in the 1940s in the DC Universe. The original Sandman is just starting out and has not joined the Justice Society Of America. The JSA was one of the original super teams before the Justice League. They protected their world until the red scare forced them to disband. The United States government turned on them.

 

The original Sandman was a gas mask wearing vigilante who used sleep gas to fight crime. He had the ability to see the future in nightmares which showed him horrible fates awaiting people. He would attempt to intervene. I am using the past tense since he is currently dead in the DC Universe, but was alive during this miniseries flashback.  

 

In this graphic novel, someone has stolen his chemical formulas for chemicals weapons that he accidently created in the process of creating his sleep gas. Thus, the hunt is on to find out who plans to use them in WW2 which is currently raging outside the USA. While this read also explores his origin, it also deals with his relationship with his father. A man who was shaped by the horrors of WW1 and warped a young Wesley Dodds by intimately discussing the horrors of war with him.

 

This is an action-packed mystery with a character I am not very familiar with but found myself enjoying. The artist is talented, but I found the cartoony art style not fitting for this tale. While some really good splash pages were created, the use of bioweapons and the horrors that arose from them, was diminished by the art choice.  This is an interesting miniseries with some twists and turns. Overall, I enjoyed this hoopla read.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4fwpGi2

 

 

My reading copy came by way of the Hoopla App through the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2024