Marco and his father travelled to Asia in 1269 and returned to Italy after 24 years abroad. When they returned Venice was at war with Genoa and Marco was captured and imprisoned. While in prison he told his exploits to his cell mate. These adventures are recounted Il Milione (the Million, in Italian) or The Travels Of Marco Polo.
Within the Sandman Universe, Marco Polo, while travelling to the Empire of Kubilai Khan is lost in the desert and encounters a Soft Place, which is an area where the borders between Reality and The Dreaming have eroded or are not fully formed. In Soft Places, time loops around itself and dream geographies intrude on reality.
It is in this Soft Place that Marco Polo meets Rustichello of Pisa, who is his cell mate in prison 24 years in the future, and a nice gentleman named Fiddler’s Green. They sit around a camp fire and drink wine and Marco tells the story of his travels and how he became stranded in the desert.
As the night passes Fiddler’s Green leaves and Marco Polo discuss dreams briefly. It is brought to Marco’s attention that while he is in the Soft Place he is simply someone’s dream. Perhaps he is only the dream of Rustichello, or perhaps someone else entirely is dreaming of their visit together. Rustichello leaves Marco Polo in the desert alone.
Marco Polo encounters a tall stranger dressed in black who has just escaped from captivity. He tells Marco that his name is Dream. Dream is tired and thirsty and Marco offers Dream his remaining sips of water.
For his kindness, Dream helps Marco Polo escape the Soft Place and he is later found, lying face down in the desert by his father and their caravan, having just awoken from the strangest dream.
This was one of the first portraits that Lars did. I think he did a great job with the character.
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