I wouldn't call it feel-good, but it's pretty self-assured and on the whole — not exactly upbeat, but grounded in a faith in the human condition (and more important, in the divine).

@avclub-83de02c3cfc3634de1279cbc17a8fbae:disqus: Pretty sure Gaiman was drawing on Robert Graves's fairly well-known idea of the Triple Goddess, but more playing with the notion that all these different mythological figures were aspects of the same entity than making sure the metaphors all locked precisely into place.

@avclub-83de02c3cfc3634de1279cbc17a8fbae:disqus: Pretty sure Gaiman was drawing on Robert Graves's fairly well-known idea of the Triple Goddess, but more playing with the notion that all these different mythological figures were aspects of the same entity than making sure the metaphors all locked precisely into place.

I always thought the Fun Land/Disney thing was an extrapolation of the old urban legend.

I always thought the Fun Land/Disney thing was an extrapolation of the old urban legend.

SPOILERS

SPOILERS

Oh, wow — I didn't even realize that was a real epidemic. But that would be it. (And then it was 70 years because Gaiman wanted to set the bulk of the story in his present day.)

Oh, wow — I didn't even realize that was a real epidemic. But that would be it. (And then it was 70 years because Gaiman wanted to set the bulk of the story in his present day.)

Maybe, but I wonder if that isn't just coincidence. Because I think the primary reason for choosing Doctor Destiny was because of the Materioptikon, already part of DC canon and established as a way of using dreams as a weapon.

Maybe, but I wonder if that isn't just coincidence. Because I think the primary reason for choosing Doctor Destiny was because of the Materioptikon, already part of DC canon and established as a way of using dreams as a weapon.

Lucifer in this case is a known unknown — Dream has dealt with him before — whereas the idea of superhumans is arguably new to him (as they came into their full powers during the time he was imprisoned). Still, agreed it's more about narrative convenience for Gaiman than an organic progression.

Lucifer in this case is a known unknown — Dream has dealt with him before — whereas the idea of superhumans is arguably new to him (as they came into their full powers during the time he was imprisoned). Still, agreed it's more about narrative convenience for Gaiman than an organic progression.

Well, sure — but there always seemed to me to be an emphasis on the characters from Moore's Swamp Thing, who end up showing up again and again throughout the series.

Well, sure — but there always seemed to me to be an emphasis on the characters from Moore's Swamp Thing, who end up showing up again and again throughout the series.

Yeah, didn't mean to suggest Moore created Etrigan. (He didn't create Matthew, either.)

Yeah, didn't mean to suggest Moore created Etrigan. (He didn't create Matthew, either.)

Ah, yeah — I forgot Vertigo didn't come into being till later. Thanks.

Ah, yeah — I forgot Vertigo didn't come into being till later. Thanks.

Does anybody have any backstory on why Gaiman included so many characters from Moore's Swamp Thing run — John Constantine, Etrigan, Matthew? Was it just because they were friends? Because he was calling back to Vertigo's previous landmark series? I'm guessing it was both of those things, but wondering if he's ever…