Playing House is issue 12 of the Sandman comic series, created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith, and Mike Dringenberg. It was originally released on November 28, 1989.
Synopsis[]
The chilling secret behind two of the escaped dreams is revealed, and it's connected to a pair of lost DCU Super Heroes. Meanwhile, Jed escapes imprisonment, but lands in the hands of the third, murderous escaped dream. Rose is running out of time to save her brother's life...
Summary[]
An alarm sounds in the Sandman's (aka, Hector Hall's) Dream Dome, and Brute and Glob warn him of an approaching "Nightmare monster" (Morpheus). His wife Lyta sends him off to battle, asking Hector to be careful. Despite living in a trance-like state, she is beginning to question things about her reality that are very strange, like the fact that she's been 6 months pregnant for 2 years now. Alone in the dome, Lyta reminisces about her life in the shadow of her ghostly husband, wondering if this dream is truly all she's ever wanted.
In the waking world, Uncle Barnaby beats up Jed, reminding the boy to behave himself next week when social workers are due to come and check up on him. Curled up in the basement, Jed is starting to feel that something bad is happening in his mind.
Brute and Glob panic and assess their options while Morpheus comes through the barriers they have erected in Jed's mind. The Sandman/Hector Hall tries to fight the intruder in his superhero fashion, but Morpheus doesn't pay much attention to him until he hears Hector's claim that he is "the Sandman, guardian of the dreams." This prompts Morpheus to burst into laughter, saying "Oh, humanity, I love you. You never cease to amaze me." He destroys the dream and ejects all of its dwellers into reality, which ensuing blast bursts open the basement door, killing Barnabas and Clarice and freeing Jed.
Brute and Glob explain to their master that in his absence they tried to create a separate Dreaming with their own Sandman, and succeeded in Jed's mind. Morpheus banishes the two into "the darkness", and sends Hector's ghost back to the realm of the dead. When Lyta accuses him of killing Hector, Dream replies that her husband died a long time ago and that she should be grateful for the extra time she had with him. Before leaving, he mentions that one day he will claim her child, which has gestated the last couple of years in dreams and therefore belongs to him. Lyta vows she will never let it happen.
Meanwhile, in Dodge County, Georgia, Rose's rental car breaks down, so she and Gilbert decide to spend the night in a motel. The one they find turns out to be booked out due to hosting a "cereal convention", but they promise to be gone by morning and are given rooms. In the meantime, as the Corinthian is making his way to that very gathering, he is jumped by two thugs in an alley in Atlanta. The nightmare quickly disarms the two and proceeds to brutally murder them. He then chances upon a hitch-hiking Jed, who's trying to get away "anywhere." When the Corinthian learns who Jed is, he gladly offers the boy a ride.
Appearances[]
Featured Characters[]
Supporting Characters[]
Antagonists[]
Other Characters[]
- Dougie (thug)
- Joe-Bob (thug)
- Garrett Sanford (mentioned only)
Objects[]
Locations[]
- Dream Stream
- Barnaby's Farm
- Cereal Convention
Continuity Notes[]
- Forthcoming
Trivia[]
- Forthcoming