The Dreaming: Waking Hours #1: Trading Places

I am already loving The Dreaming: Waking Hours #1. Simon Spurrier gave the series such a magical start, and it already seems that G. Willow Wilson is keeping that magic. The series already has a unique story: Lindy, a Ph.D. student, working on a dissertation on Shakespeare switches realms with a nightmare who was trying to escape Dreaming. This alone is enough to pick up an issue, but it is Wilson’s writing that sells it. Lindy is incredibly well-written and relatable. I know the struggles of working on a graduate degree, not quite a Ph.D., but still enough to turn your hair white. The stuff about being underpaid teaching undergrads and it not being too late to change careers hit TOO close to home… and I applaud Wilson for that. The Dreaming, or Sandman for that matter, has always been about storytelling, and it is safe to say English majors know a thing or two about that (we are useful!). When Lindy wakes up in the Dreaming, she finds herself in a room with William Shakespeare, literally, a dream come true for her. Even better, one of the biggest questions surrounding Shakespeare is answered. I am not sure if this interferes with Shakespeare’s appearances in Gaiman’s original run, but this appearance is too interesting to worry about that.

I really like the art style, Lindy looks like she could have been in my grad classes. It is nice to have a character grounded to reality outside of the comic feels like now, especially when dealing with the Dreaming, where everything is possible.  It is great to see Mat Lopes still on coloring duty. I am a HUGE fan of his work with Bilquis Evely, and I am already a fan of Nick Robles. Lopes’ colors are a nice bridge between Spurrier’s run to Wilson’s. The issue is soaked in gorgeous yellows, oranges, blacks, and purples, which might be a recurring theme. Lindy is surrounded by lighter and warmer colors while the nightmare is surrounded by the dark. From a quick glance, you might conclude that light equals good, and dark equals evil. You might even immediately think that a nightmare is evil. From the looks of it, this isn’t the case, and for now, I’m enjoying these gorgeous colors. The Dreaming: Waking Hours #1 feels fresh and unique and right at home in the Sandman Universe.