We do what we do because of who we are.
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Simply put, "The Kindly Ones" is a study of Morpheus' collapse, and, as such, follows the conventions of tragedy. And in true tragic fashion, Morpheus' downfall is precipitated from within: in this case, an unerring commitment to his office and the responsibilities contained therein, even when adhering to those principles ensures his inevitable demise. Clever as he is, Gaiman never truly indicates why Dream so resolutely marches towards this fate: is Morpheus punishing himself for the sins of his past; does he believe we all have predestined ends, and his particular position obligates him to make choices consistent with it, consequences be damned; is he simply not as insightful as he appears, and naively making choices that are destroying him? Although, by this point, he has appeared in nine volumes, Dream continues to elude facile generalizations of his character and remains deliciously enigmatic. Even the lot of Morpheus at the end of this volume is uncertain; death and life appearing to be rather fluid and interchangeable concepts, much like the ankh symbol worn by his adorable, and equally paradoxical, older sister, Death. As Mikal Gilmore notes in this insightful Introduction to "The Wake," the title not only points to those 'kindly' ladies, the Furies, but others whose acts of kindness (Hippolyta, Thessaly, even Morpheus) similarly precipitate Morpheus' fall, either purposely or not. It is remarkable Gaiman has constructed a character whose humanization and kindness eventually destroys him. You certainly won't find this level of psychological sophistication in your average run-of-the-mill comic title or novel. This volume gets my vote for the pick of the series; not an easy task when you consider the immense quality of its predecessors. But there's a sense of urgency in the unfolding of the plot, a self-awareness that things are coming to an end, leading to the inescapable conclusion that this title is the crescendo of the Sandman library. All the unresolved plotlines in the earlier volumes flourish here and result in the climactic conclusion. We learn that the fate of Morpheus is intertwined with the fate of the series itself, and I for one can't think of a more appropriate ending.
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Beginning of the end...
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This is probably one of the top three Sandman comics and the thickest. The 'Kindly Ones' is where is the climax of the Sandman series takes place and the break down of Morpheus's realm begins. It is also slightly more sassy and somewhat more complicated and plot-based then earlier works like 'Season of Mist' and ''Brief Lives.' This is quite possibly the worst Sandman to begin on, and is about the only Sandman work which really requires complete reading of earlier volumes. There is little in the way of character exploration itself, and background knowledge is certainly assumed. However, there is such beauty in the sheer magnificence of the artwork, the intensity of the plot and the wonderful way in which eight volumes worth of characters are brought back to life. 'The Kindly Ones' is an integral part in any Sandman library, and is both a superb read and a marvellous conclusion to an simply amazing series.
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Sandman's grand finale
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Although it is actually its second-to-last story arc, The Kindly Ones is, for all intents and purposes, the climax of Sandman, Neil Gaiman's acclaimed fantasy comic book starring Morpheus, a glum, superhuman entity who rules over the realm of dreams (The subsequent The Wake is like a long epilogue). While no previous Sandman story arc seemed like a continuation of a preceding one, The Kindly Ones is a meta-sequel of sorts that features characters and plot threads from Preludes and Nocturnes, The Doll's House, Season of Mists, A Game of You and Brief Lives. Likewise, new readers should best begin with one of the aforementioned volumes but those who have already devoured two of three of the preceding Sandman story arcs, will delight in this excellent conclusion. The Kindly Ones features sub plots galore. But the main story concerns the abduction of three-year old Daniel Hall. Daniel is the child of Lyta and the late Hector Hall, who as The Fury and The Silver Scarab, respectively, were part of the superhero team Infinity Inc. In a series of events too complicated to recount here (see The Doll's House), the Halls were swept-up into the Dream World for most of Lyta's pregnancy. Because of this, Morpheus considers Daniel "his" and when the child is kidnapped, Lyta believes the Dream King the culprit. After the real captors trick her into believing that Daniel has been killed, Lyta seeks out the Kindly Ones, avenging spirits who torment and slay those who have killed their kin. Because he committed the mercy killing of his own son (see Brief Lives), Morpheus has little defense against the Kindly Ones as they ravage through the dream world. Meanwhile, Nuala, a faerie princess who was made a "gift" to Morpheus (see Season of Mists) reluctantly returns to her homeland; Delirium, Morpheus' loopy kid sister who governs the realm of insanity, searches for her lost pet dog; Lucifer, who renounced the throne of Hell (also in Season of Mists), opens an LA nightclub and Rose Walker, the young American woman who was once a "dream vortex" (see The Doll's House) trots across the Atlantic. One can surely deduce from the above recap that The Kindly Ones is a sprawling and ambitious opus (at 13 issues it is the longest Sandman story arc). And it works. Gaiman masterfully weaves together each facet of the tale, leading to a conclusion that does not disappoint. Marc Hempel's super-cartoony art is controversial among Sandman fans, but he has won me over. His images are bright, alluring and strangely conducive to the matter-of-fact manor in which Gaiman tells of fantastic creatures and events. The Kindly Ones was obviously meant to be the grand finale that capstones the Sandman experience and it succeeds on every level.
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A Joyous, Tragic Masterpiece
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I believe in magic. I'm not talking about arcane forces controlled by wizards or anything of the sort. I'm talking about the magic of storytelling. So much of it has been lost in this age of technology, where quantity is more important than quality. Gaiman captures the essence of ancient myth and the grand beauty of the human experience in The Sandman series. From the first, I was entranced by this world of such profound depth and intricate simplicity. Yet I knew, in the end, what was to come. The Sandman is a tragedy. That is evident from the very beginning. Morpheus...I have never met his like in all the years of my literary odyssey. He is an unforgettable "point of view," so noble in his bearing yet so very close to humanity. The Kindly Ones is indeed a tragic tale. It is the eruption of the climax that has been building ever so slowly and inevitably. It is a revelation of the power of women. Lyta embraces her power as a woman, and it is a power older than time itself: a power even the Endless must acknowledge and bow to. In his usual flamboyance, Gaiman flawlessly melds Greek myth and a modern journey into the dreams and very psyche of Hippolyta Hall. This is the Sandman at its best: a revelation, an insight into the heart and soul of humanity. The Endless are ideas personified, but it is their interactions with mankind that makes this story so very powerful. I first read this book in a bookstore, and though I did not start bawling, I could not help but cry a few tears. It is that powerful, and the characters are that gripping. In The Wake, Gaiman reveals an overbearing theme that applies to the entire series: "Omnia mutantur, nihil interit." "Everything changes but nothing is truly lost." Apply it to The Kindly Ones, apply it to your life. Drink of this cup, for you will never find its equal in all the world that has gone before or is yet to come.
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Really the best
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You know, I enjoy reading both comics and more "conventional" forms of literature because of the ability of good writers(or in the case of Gaiman, GREAT writers) to make their fantasy real, and because of my freedom to invest myself emotionally in the characters and events of the story. That said, I surprised myself by the level to which I became emotionally involved in this story. The Climax of the Sandman series, which is wrapped up in the follow-up collection "The Wake", "The Kindly Ones" ties together almost all of the strands from Gaiman's masterpiece story of the Lord of Dream. Even having read the previous 8 collections, I at times found myself having to search through my memory for the relevance of certain characters. So thorough is Gaiman's storytelling that even characters you thought finished and forgotten make their return and somehow impact this story. While the artwork was not among my favorite from the series, it fit well with the bleak, tragic storyline. Harsh, simple, and angular, it cuts away the needless details and helps to focus all elements of the story on the central storyline. For those who have not read this collection or know what it contains, you may want to stop here, as spoilers are ahead: While the story deals with Morpheus' final stand against the Furies, or Kindly Ones as they prefer, his death is not as tragic as I had thought, as the child Daniel immediately steps into his place. I did find myself saddened by the loss of Morpheus, but even more so by the deaths of smaller characters in the storyline. The murder of Gryphon was so simple, and his final words so unimportant, but it was truly moving. It is the genius and skill of Gaiman that the reader becomes attached to even the smallest character. This is a must read.
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