Sandman Mystery Theatre: The Tarantula - Softcover

Wagner, Matt

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1563891956 ISBN 13: 9781563891953

Publisher: Vertigo, 1995

Synopsis

In this noir detective tale of intrigue, bigotry and incest, millionaire Wesley Dodds takes on the costumed persona of the Sandman to catch a sadistic killer in 1930s New York. Donning a gas mask, fedora, business suit and cape, Dodds goes after the Tarantula, a brutal kidnapper who is mercilessly preying upon the women of high society. But as the Sandman walks through a world of corruption and deceit, he uncovers the true secret of the murders and their implausible connection to the city's most prominent family. SUGGESTED FOR MATURE READERS.

About this title

About the Author:

Matt Wagner has enjoyed a career in comics for over twenty years. Born and educated in Pennsylvania, his first published work was a short story that would introduce one of comicdom's most respected creator-owned characters—the mastermind assassin Grendel. Best known for this epic creation and his other, more personal allegory, Mage, Matt has also worked on a variety of established characters. These include his groundbreaking work on the character Batman villain Two-Face in the graphic novel Faces, as well as a five-year stint developing and generating stories for the fan-favorite Vertigo title, Sandman Mystery Theatre. He also wrote the Doctor Mid-Nite miniseries for DC Comics and served as the regular cover artist on the Kevin Smith-penned relaunch of Green Arrow.

From Booklist:

The hero of Sandman Mystery Theatre shares little more than a moniker with Neil Gaiman's Sandman, star of one of the most successful graphic novel series ever, but those who prefer the down and dirty to the airy and fantastic may also prefer SMT, which features the comics' original Sandman, millionaire Wesley Dodds, who, clad in trench coat and gas mask and armed with sleep-inducing gas, fought criminals in the 1940s. Wagner backtracks Dodds to pre-World War II New York City and models Dodds' adventures less on superhero comics than on 1930s pulp magazines. He and cowriter Steven T. Seagle create twisted crime stories--the arc this volume collects involves a series of grisly murders--that Guy Davis illustrates by expertly evoking the period looks of the pulps. SMT story lines are far franker than their 1930s inspirations. This one depicts, besides the killings, a circle of lesbian lovers, and the dialogue is R-rated. Although it hasn't matched the popularity of Gaiman's creation, SMT is one of the most successful revivals of a vintage costumed crime fighter. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: Vertigo
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 1563891956
• ISBN 13: 9781563891953
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 112