Art by: Riley Rossmo
Colors by: Ivan Plascencia
Letters by: Tom Napolitano
Cover art by: Riley Rossmo (cover A)
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: December 12, 2023
Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #3 finds Wesley Dodds tracking down the accomplices of the man who dies while robbing the Dodds Mansion, but a deadly Fog awaits him.
Is Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #3 Good?
Robert Venditti's crime noir take on one of the JSA's classic heroes takes a gritty turn in Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #3. Firmly rooted in detective stories made popular in the period, Venditti shows Dodds could give Batman a run for his money.
When last we left Wesley Dodds, he worked his way through the criminal underworld to seek out the identity of the burned body left behind when the Dodds Mansion was ransacked for his chemical secrets. After interrupting a robbery and more than a few shady crimes in progress, Dodds came up with a name - Igor Kluge.
Now, Dodds visits the City Morgue, researches known accomplices, and leaves no stone unturned to find out who killed Kluge and stole Dodds's research. When Dodds goes back to the scene of the crime, he's met by the mastermind behind his research theft, appearing as the Sandman's newest arch-nemesis - The Fog.
Readers who like superhero comics with more action than talking get their fair share in this issue. The Fog is a formidable foe for Sandman since he's willing to use guns or whatever means of lethal force at his disposal. When the two engage in their first fight, Wesley escapes worse off from the experience.
What's great about Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #3? Venditti is crafting a methodical crime noir fiction with snappy dialog, smart yet believable detective work, and the introduction of a new villain that could be a worthy start to a Sandman Rogues Gallery. Fans of classic pulp adventures, such as the Green Hornet and the Shadow, will enjoy this issue. As a bonus, the issue ends on a dramatic cliffhanger.
What's not so great about Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #3? If you're not a fan of crime noir or the pulp serial adventures of the 30s and 40s, you may find this issue a little slow and lacking in big wow moments. In short, this series will likely only appeal to a specific kind of reader, so JSA fans may be bored.
How's the art? It's a mixed bag. Riley Rossmo's stylized art is more well-rounded in this issue by a long shot when compared to his work on Harley Quinn or Tim Drake. That said, the big moment in this issue is the introductory fight between Sandman and The Fog, and as we've seen in those prior series, Rossmo struggles with fight choreography. During the fight, some panels look fine. In other panels, characters switch places and switch facing directions in ways that don't make sense. Fight choreography is a dance, and Rossmo's art lacks rhythm.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces:
Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #3 leans into the crime noir aesthetic of pulp detective stories for a grounded, gritty mystery. Venditti's pacing, dialog, and mystery development are on-point, and Rossmo's art is notably better than any of his prior titles. However, some readers may be put off by the lack of big superhero energy and Rossmo's wonky fight choreography.
8/10
I'm enjoying this more than expected and I'm a pretty big fan of Sandman Mystery Theatre. Riley's art is better than a lot of arcs in that series. This is by far the best of Justice Society books
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