It’s back to the world of ‘A Doll’s House’ with this new story arc, ‘A Game of You’ focusing on the character of Barbie.
Cover by Dave McKeanWritten by Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Daniel McManus
Colored by Daniel Vozzo
Lettered by Todd KleinThe lead characters from the “Doll’s House” storyline return for an all-new adventure exploring complex gender issues in part 1 of “A Game of You.” What mysterious creature has ventured from a land far away–and for which surprising character is it in search?
Cover by Dave McKeanWritten by Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Colleen Doran
Colored by Daniel Vozzo
Lettered by Todd KleinIn part 3 of “A Game of You,” Barbie’s life is far from dreamy as two realities vie for her attention. Plus, more is revealed about Thessaly, Barbie’s seemingly quiet and bookish young neighbor.
Throughout this series I’ve cautioned readers – – and myself – – to read this series carefully and not casually. Gaiman is building a world that is layered and interconnected, and this new arc is exemplar of that.
We’re brought back to the world of ‘A Doll’s House’ with a focus on Barbie, who you will remember lived in the same boarding house as Rose Walker when Rose was in Florida searching for her brother. Two years after those events, Barbie’s divorced from Ken and living in New York with in an apartment with different friends and neighbors: Wanda a pre-op transsexual, lesbian couple Hazel and Foxglove, and the mysterious Thessaly, who seems more librarian than party girl. (Hey, I am a librarian myself, I’m allowed to make the stereotypes.) But Barbie’s dreams from childhood of The Land – – a place where she wasn’t Barbie from Florida, but the deposed Princess Barbie – – start to cross over into real life when one of The Land’s inhabitants (the dog-like Martin Ten-Bones) finds itself in New York City, calling for Barbie’s help . . . which leads her into the world of her dreams. But the people in her sphere in New York City may not also be completely of this world, particularly the quiet Thessaly, who seems to hold the key to bring Barbie back to this world . . . if she wants to go there.
Taking lessons from other arcs, these three issues don’t waste any time with characterization and setting up the main conflict. The supporting cast of the apartment building residents – – particularly Wanda – – serve well as characters in their own right, along with Greek chorus to explain and comment on the events. This is particularly prevalent in issue #34, the midpoint of the series where Thessaly’s identity comes to the forefront. The commentary from Wanda in particular gives voice to what the reader is thinking, confirming suspicions and answering questions. I can think of many issues and arcs in this omnibus where this kind of tactic would have come in very handy, like the issues that brought in some of the deep cut DC canon.
Barbie herself also appears comfortable with the duality of her life, perhaps more so with her dream world. This goes against trope that we see in other similar stories where the protagonist’s journey is one of acceptance. Here, Barbie has accepted that she straddles these parallel lives – – it’s her friends that are in search of that acceptance, whether it is for themselves (Wanda’s acceptance of living as a woman, Hazel’s acceptance of an unplanned pregnancy) or of their friend’s situation. We see this in the tortuous dreams that each of them has at the hands of another mysterious neighbor, George, who seems to have a connection to Barbie’s dream world.
One thing that also struck me about the artwork in this set of issues is how similar it was as we crossed between worlds. There wasn’t a distinct shift in style as we moved from New York City to The Land. Could this be confusing? Yes. But what it does well is illustrate how easy Barbie can shift between her worlds, and even how much the two worlds could eventually blur. That isn’t to say there are moments where our artists break convention. Take a look at the use of black and white to build mystery in the opening pages of issue #32, or the moments when Thessaly communicates with the dream world in issue #34, panels that use the absence of line to build shape and form.
Continued belowAnd finally, consider the color Barbie dresses herself in after she returns to her apartment with the encounter with Martin Ten-Bones: pink. It’s also the color of the porpentine, the jewel that Martin Ten-Bones gives Barbie before he dies. Pink is a color most often associated with the female gender and femininity, of course. But it is also a color that is friendly and playful, making people feel accepted, filling them with joy and warmth. It’s certainly easy to take this interpretation of pink on its surface, and certainly that’s at play here: Barbie’s confidence in moving from New York City to the world of The Land, full of playful creatures that don’t fit in the harsh landscape of New York City. But remember that our artists subvert our expectations of color throughout this series, so don’t be surprised if that soothing pink of the porpentine turns malevolent later.
Gaiman has called this arc one of his “female” stories, one with women (and those who identify as such) at the core. But as we close issue #34, only those who were born as women get taken into the dream world, leaving Wanda – – not born as a woman but identifying as one – – behind in New York with the sleeping Barbie. No doubt there’s much to unpack about the role gender identification plays in this particular tale, and how those themes hold up 30 years after publication. Let’s see if we can explore some of those issues alongside resolving Barbie’s tale next week.
Next week we conclude ‘A Game of You,’ with issues #35-37.
If you want to read along with me this summer, single issues and trades are available through comiXology. As of this writing, the first eight issues of the comic are also available on DC Universe Infinite. You can also check your local library for trade and collected editions of the series.
