We're continuing our countdown of the top 25 DC comics of all time! Coming in at number 24 on our list, we've got Sandman Mystery Theatre by Matt Wagner, Steven T. Seagle, and Guy Davis! This mature-readers crime noir series set in the late 1930s is a grounded and realistic reimagining of a classic Golden Age superhero. It's more than just a gritty remix of an old character, though. This is a series that has it all: intriguing plots, complex and well-developed characters who grow and change, one of the most beautiful romances in all of comics, and compelling social commentary.

Tune in and find out why SMT is one of the best things DC Comics has ever published!

We previously discussed Steven T. Seagle in one of our honorable mentions - in episode 132 we covered It's a Bird...

We forgot to mention it during our recording, but Guy Davis had a book on our Marvel top 25 list, too. We talked about Fantastic Four: Unstable Molecules way, way back in episode 8.

Dru forgot to mention this in his recommendations at the end of the episode, but another comic to check out if you dig SMT is The Good Asian, by Pornsak Pichetshote and Alexandre Tefenkgi!

Like we did for our Marvel top 25 list, we applied a set of criteria and scored all the DC books we've read to create our list. Our criteria are as follows:

CRAFT. Is the comic technically sound? Is it well-written? Is it well-illustrated? Did the creators demonstrate mastery of the language and form of comics?

ORIGINALITY. Is the comic creative and imaginative? Does it have something meaningful to say?

IMPACT. What sort of lasting influence did the comic have? Did it leave a mark within the DC universe, on the industry, or on pop culture? Do fans remember it with affection?

WITHSTAND THE TEST OF TIME. Is the comic something that holds up today, outside of the context of its original publication? Is it something we could read over and over again in the future?

If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters

Check our Linktree for a handy Spotify playlist of all of our DC Top 25 episodes (including our honorable and dishonorable mentions)!

Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platforms here: linktr.ee/Coreyjbeats

Episode 194: Sandman Mystery Theatre by Matt Wagner, Steven T. Seagle, & Guy Davis (DC Top 25 - #24)

Albert and Dru are your hosts for Between the Gutters, a comic book podcast that talks about the stories within the panels. This is a free-flowing podcast by two big comics fans and we just like to shoot the breeze. Feel free to email us at betweenthegutterspodcast@gmail.com. If we get any fan mail, we may even respond on the show! Thanks for listening!
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