The Sandman - Issue 34- Bad Moon Rising - Part Three of A Game of You

Issue 34 of The Sandman and Part 3 of A Game of You introduces us to the beautiful art of Colleen Doran. This is the first Gaiman work featuring the Eisner award-winning artist, and the collaboration would continue into the present day with the graphic novel version of Good Omens. Doran's debut is ideally suited for the emotional fallout experienced by all of Barbie's friends after the mean-spirited shenanigans of George and his ghost birds in the previous issue.

We open this recap titled Bad Moon Rising, with Foxglove struggling to wake up from her unexpected encounter with Judy in her dreams. Without explanation (at least for now), the ghost birds circling her and Hazel in their sleep vanish, allowing Foxglove to wake up. Like her, Hazel rises out of her sleep, similarly traumatised by images of demon babies and the like. Both women are shaken by the experience, comforting each other as they try to recover from their ordeal.

Neither of them are getting back to sleep.

Not that they could even if they wanted to because, amid Hazel's rather astute observation about dreams and their links to our subconscious, the couple get an unexpected visitor - Thessaly. Both women are naturally confused by Thessaly's visit. After all, it's still the middle of the night. However, their confusion is banished for good when Thessaly asks if either experienced any bad dreams. Their stunned surprise confirms Thessaly's suspicion that her late-night visitation was not an isolated incident.

Concluding that Barbie and Wanda might be in the same predicament, Thessaly resolves to go to their apartments and check on them, inviting Hazel or Foxglove to join her. Hazel, not wanting to leave Foxglove on her own, decides they'll both go. Still, when questioned about what's happening, Thessaly's answers are vague. The trio arrive at Wanda's first, and when Wanda does finally appear at the door, it's clear the lady's had a bad night. Without being asked, Wanda reveals she had a terrible dream. Thessaly offers what comfort she can but admits her fears for Barbie.

Like any true friend, Wanda shunts aside her worries at the thought of Barbie in trouble and immediately hurries to her best friend's door. Damn you, Neil! Why did you make us care so much about this friendship! Barbie's not answering her door, and with the television running inside her apartment, Wanda's fear for her escalates even further. Fortunately, Wanda has a set of spare keys to Barbie's apartment, and after Thessaly convinces her that Barbie is in real trouble, she opens the door to let everyone in.

Inside the room, everything is dark save the glare of the television. If Barbie is present, she isn't reacting to their arrival, which only adds to the ominous atmosphere of the situation. When Foxglove switches on the lights at Thessaly's behest, they finally find Barbie. Like Sleeping Beauty, Barbie is on her bed, lost to the dream world, clutching the Porpentine to her chest. Everyone except for Thessaly (naturally) has no idea what's happening but obeys when Thessaly orders them not to touch the Porpentine or attempt to take it from Barbie.

It's the only thing keeping her alive.

Thessaly asks Wanda to carry Barbie to George's room upstairs and adds cryptically his door is open. She'll meet them there, but she has to get a few things from her room. As Wanda, Foxglove and Hazel trek upstairs to George's room, they ruminate on Thessaly's transformation from dull architecture student to MVP. Hazel also reveals her naivete does not simply include outdated ideas about procreation but also her understanding of transexual anatomy. Wanda's reply to this is short and goddamn epic.

They arrive at George's room, discovering the huge poster George has of Barbie, further cementing his status as resident creep and Incel. Thessaly returns to the room with a bowl, a hammer and nails, instructing Wanda to put Barbie on the couch. When asked where George is, Thessaly doesn't mince words or pad the truth. George is in the bathtub, and he's in there because it was the best place for him after Thessaly killed him.

Naturally, they think she's joking.

However, they soon find that Thessaly was true to her word. George is indeed dead and lying in the tub, stabbed by the blade Thessaly concealed behind her back in the previous issue. The group is understandably horrified. Foxglove states her intention to call the police, but Thessaly tells her not to. Wanda speaks up, supporting Foxglove's plan to contact the authorities. While George was a creep, he didn't deserve to die.

At this point, Thessaly clarifies the situation. No one will call the police because they can't. She needs them to stay put for now, and even if they try to leave, they won't be able to. Thessaly wants the group to remain because she might need their help once she understands what's going on with Barbie. Only George has the answers. Wanda points out the obvious and tries to leave the apartment, only to learn she can't. Something is compelling her to stay.

Thessaly apologises for trapping the group, assuring them she means them no harm and may need their help before this is all done. She explains that George was responsible for their nightmares, having sent the birds, projections of some kind, to invade their sleep. Somehow, Barbie is at the centre of all this, but Thessaly doesn't yet know how. She needs George to explain himself and advises the others to get comfortable. What she's about to do won't be pretty.

With no choice but to wait, the others leave Thessaly to conduct her business in the bathroom. As they try to figure out what's happening with Barbie and how Thessaly is compelling them to stay (hypnosis and witchcraft being the popular theories), Thessaly is doing grisly work behind the door. In the proud tradition of Hannibal Lecter, Thessaly removes George's face from his skull, using a surgical blade, as well as his eyeballs, which she stores in the pocket of her robe. Emerging from the bathroom to hear the tail end of Hazel and Foxglove's speculations about new-age witchcraft, Thessaly clarifies nothing about her witchcraft is new. In fact, it's ancient.

Thessaly then proceeds to redecorate George's wall with his face, ratcheting up the horror until Wanda is near breaking point despite Foxglove's advice on how to stave off vomiting. Uttering words to a spell, Thessaly nails George's eyeballs to the eye holes of the flesh mask...whatever you want to call it and then goes to the bathroom to retrieve his tongue. I won't explain how this is done because some of you might never French kiss again. Suffice it to say, the end result is George's tongue being nailed to the mouth of the mask.

Oblivious to how unhinged Wanda is getting, Thessaly summons George from the Shore of the Silent River because she wants the truth about what he tried to do tonight. Otherwise, she'll command 'the hounds of hell to whip your shade through the world until the moon falls and the sun grows cold', which I assume is a long time.

While Wanda retreats to the bathroom to throw up, George returns to the land of the living and reveals that he is the servant of the Cuckoo. In return for his loyalty, the Cuckoo promised to give him Princess Barbara and furnished him with the ghost birds who became his brothers. They lived inside him, whispering promises while giving George the affection he so obviously craved. Thessaly learns that through the ghost birds, the Cuckoo intended to use them to destroy the Porpentine and fly free. Right now, the Cuckoo lives in Barbie's dream.

Getting all she needs from George, Thessaly finally explains the situation to Wanda, Foxglove and Hazel. The Cuckoo planned on using them through their dreams to kill Barbie and destroy the Porpentine. The Porpentine, as Thessaly understands it, is a dreamstone of some kind. While everything else seems outlandish, one thing is clear to Wanda. Barbie is in trouble, and they have to help her. Thessaly's more interested in giving the Cuckoo payback, but for the moment, both purposes align.

Once she's sure the rest of the group is on board, Thessaly performs a ritual that requires moon blood or, rather, menstrual blood from Foxglove while inadvertently revealing Hazel is pregnant. Foxglove scoffs at the idea until Hazel tells her they'll discuss this later. Thessaly explains to help Barbie, they have to covertly enter the Dreaming since the Dream King isn't a fan of her kind or women in general. After his treatment of Nada, it's hard to argue with Thessaly, but one assumes this is based on past experience and not on Morpheus's recent growth.

Leaving Wanda to guard Barbie, Thessaly performs a spell to draw down the moon and command the Three-Faced Woman - Gorgo, Mormo and Ereschigal. The goddess arrives, none too happy by the summons, and recognises Thessaly as Thessalian, who should be long dead by now. It is revealed at this point that Thessaly is not simply old but a witch possessing power significant enough to bend the goddess to her will.

After a somewhat acrimonious back and forth, Thessaly makes her demands. She needs a way into the Dreaming for herself and her friends to help Barbie and deal with the Cuckoo. Although the goddess has no wish to interfere with the Dream King's realm, Thessaly has given her little choice in the matter. The Three-Faced Woman will comply but is sharpening her knives for Thessaly's day of reckoning.

Outside, the homeless lady frightened by Martin Tenbones on the subway notices something strange in the night sky. The moon is gone. A passerby dismisses her fears, attributing the lack of moon to the New York smog or an eclipse. The lady knows better. Something is wrong.

The moon, or its aspect, is in George's room, creating a passage to the Dreaming. Thessaly tells Wanda to stay behind and protect Barbie. Wanda protests, wanting to join her, Foxglove and Hazel, but Thessaly explains Wanda cannot take this path with them. Staying behind to guard Barbie is just as important as what they intend to do in the Dreaming. Before Wanda can say anymore, all three disappear into the moonlight, before it too vanishes, returning the room to normal.

Only the crazy homeless lady notes the moon's return to the sky.

Wanda is left alone with Barbie, trying to process all that's happened tonight. She's understandably shellshocked (who wouldn't be) and sadly questions her worth as a woman because Foxglove and Hazel went so readily with Thessaly. Frankly, I don't think it's got anything to do with her worth as a woman. It's established that Hazel has some experience with witchcraft, and Foxglove wouldn't let Hazel go anywhere alone, especially after Thessaly's ill-timed bombshell. To say nothing about the spell Thessaly placed on them to keep them compliant with her wishes.

Nevertheless, no matter how insane Wanda might find the situation, keeping Barbie safe is all that matters. Even if George now wants to talk.

And that's it for this recap. I hope you tune in next week for Part Four!

NEXT - Issue 35 - Begining to See The Light

PREVIOUS - Issue 33 - Lullabies on Broadway