Darkseid (illustrated by Max Rugers)

Darkseid is a major villain within the DC Universe. His history is expansive and complex.

He is the ruler of the planet Apokolips and is one of the most power beings in the universe. He has tried many times to conquer the universe, but ultimately has been defeated by various super heroes and super hero teams.

His first appearance was Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen # 134.

He appears only one in the Sandman universe. He is in attendance at the wake for Morpheus. He is sitting next to Jed and Rose Walker.

Darkseid appears in Sandman # 72, on page 7, in panel 4.

This is another wonderful portrait from Max. I really like how he managed to create the ominous personality of the character and retain his authority. I also like that the background and the silver spots really stand out.

Masquerading Woman # 7 (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

On the night of Alain’s masked ball, a flotilla of boats arrived in the bay and dispatched several masquerading women.

The identity of these women is unknown. Some of the citizens of Alain’s court suspected they might be noblewomen, while others whispered that they were courtesans. A third speculation is that they were nuns from the convent of San Michele Di Murano who arrived in defiance of their vows.

This woman is one of the masquerading women who arrived for Alain’s masked ball.

She appears in Endless Nights, in “Death In Venice” on page 12, in panel 7. >P> Anna did a lovely job with this portrait. The vibrant colors she used adds to the festive atmosphere of the character and the party. The purples and blues really complement each other. I really like the use of feathers in the background.

Here is Masquerading Woman # 7…

Ghost Boy # 48 (illustrated by Mike DeCarlo)

In Season Of Mists, Lucifer leaves Hell and sends all of the residents away, locking the doors behind him.

These dead souls, free from the confines of Hell, return to places familiar to them. Some of them returned to where they died, others went to visit their living relatives, and some simply wander.

This Ghost Boy returned to St. Hilarion’s School For Boys where he lived for a crucial and influential part of his life.

He is lying on the bed that once belonged to him in the dormitory.

The Ghost Boy appears in Sandman # 25, page 7, panel 6.

This is a wonderful portrait from Mike. I really like that he used blues to contrast the whiteness in order to capture the insubstantial quality of this ghost boy. I also really like that he gave his boy a hat that is not commonly worn by boys these days. It adds a historical perspective to this character.

Citizen of Barbie’s World # 38 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

After Barbie smashes the Porpentine against the Heirogram on the Isle Of Thorns, Dream is summoned to uncreate her world and welcomed the citizens of Barbie’s world back into the dark folds of his cloak.

This character is one of the many citizens of Barbie’s world.

He appears in Sandman # 36, page 34, panel 2.

This is one of the many characters that are seen as barely more than shapes entering Dream’s cloak. Due to the lack of details, Max was able to envision what this character may have looked like based on the shape of the character’s body. I like Max’s approach to this character. A lot of the characters we see are a bit comical and toy-like, particularly when Barbie is marched through town on the way to see the Cuckoo. Max’s interpretation fits in perfectly with the other characters we have seen within Barbie’s world.

Ice Cream Seller (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

In The Kindly Ones, Lyta, Carla and Daniel get out of the house for a walk to the ice cream shop.

Carla ordered Chocolate-Chocolate Chip for herself, “Pink Yogurt Shit” for Lyta and Vanilla ice cream for Daniel. This ice cream seller took her order.

She appears in Sandman # 57, on page 6, in panel 6.

This character appears in one panel in the first chapter of The Kindly Ones. She is barely a noticeable character, but Anna brought her to life with this fantastic portrait. I like that the character seems cheery and ready to help customers.

Faery # 88 (illustrated by Nicole Ingram)

This Faery is one of the many faeries that is in attendance for the first performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (written by William Shakespeare, as part of an agreement he has with Morpheus). The performance takes place on June 23, 1593 in Wilmington, England near The Long Man of Wilmington.

This Faery appears in Sandman # 19, on page 9, in panel 6.

This is a wonderful portrait from Nicole. I love his mischievous expression and the way that she used color to define the Faery’s muscles and body. I like the backgrounds and that he is sitting in a tree. He seems like he is right at home with nature.

Archeologist # 2 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

Rachel is invited to join an exciting archeological dig where a 2019 penny was discovered in a mound on San Raphael. This penny appears to be from the future. Stanley, Rachel and a group of archeologists are hoping to discover what the future holds from excavating this site.

This man is one of the archeologists working on San Raphael.

He appears in the Destruction story in Endless Nights on page 5 and in panel 4.

This is a lovely portrait from Max. I like the brown paper used for the background. This really gives the character a more earthy feel, which is appropriate given this man’s profession. Max drew this character as a man older than I was expecting from the published comic, but it’s, realistically, probably a more accurate interpretation of the character than what I was imaginging.

Here is Archeologist # 2…