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Vertigo Resurrected
Vertigo Resurrected: The Sandman Presents: Petrefax #1
Petrefax, the young undertaker from THE SANDMAN: WORLDS' END, strikes out from the Necropolis in search of work — only to find just staying alive is a full-time job! A new story for a new age from VERTIGO RESURRECTED
136 pages, Trade Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
81 people want to read
About the author
Mike Carey
1,284 books2,979 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 8, 2018
I get why there is such a wide gap in rating this comic book, as the "Sandman Presents" series and Vertigo in general tend to create a particular set of expectations for the edgy, gritty etc. The story of Petrefax is more in a traditional folktale vein, albeit with a Burton-esque twist, years in advance of Burton's Corpse Bride and even a year before Neil Gaiman's Laura Moon in American Gods.
In Petrefax, however, the focus being a mortician, Mike Carey manages to elevate him to an adventuring hero akin to those of classical fables, with a skill set and challenges that mirror the charming absurdity of "learning how to shiver" or "teaching oneself the tongue of birds".
On the other hand, it must be said, although quite versatile, there is a reason Steve Leialoha is best known as an inker. There are quite big variations in the quality of his art in this series, although on the whole, the world he illustrates is visually engaging and does draw the reader in, lending a storybook feel to the whole.
In the end, I quite enjoyed this series, although I admit I had to reflect on it before coming to that conclusion.
In Petrefax, however, the focus being a mortician, Mike Carey manages to elevate him to an adventuring hero akin to those of classical fables, with a skill set and challenges that mirror the charming absurdity of "learning how to shiver" or "teaching oneself the tongue of birds".
On the other hand, it must be said, although quite versatile, there is a reason Steve Leialoha is best known as an inker. There are quite big variations in the quality of his art in this series, although on the whole, the world he illustrates is visually engaging and does draw the reader in, lending a storybook feel to the whole.
In the end, I quite enjoyed this series, although I admit I had to reflect on it before coming to that conclusion.
May 7, 2019
Disappointing. The artwork was atrocious, particularly in contrast to the original Petrefax artwork from the original Sandman stories of the 90s. That artist, though I have yet to bother to look up the name, is one of my favorites from my childhood. Whoever this was? Doesn't hold a candle.
The storyline was a fairly standard high fantasy story with withcraft and gypsies and betrothals. In the original Sandman stories Petrefax at least had the single power of universal translation of languages. Here, even if he possesses the ability, he didn't even mention it. Where in the original stories he had gray skin and white hair, here he is a fairly typical blond Caucasian most of the time.
Petrefax was the viewpoint character, and he participated in the plot somewhat, but he was not super necessary to the plot. The undead, spellcasting female lead was arguably the true protagonist, even though she was not the POV character.
Here, Petrefax was just... an undertaker. In a high fantasy story. That had nothing whatsoever to do with the rest of the Sandman or the DC universe in general.
Just, disappointing.
The storyline was a fairly standard high fantasy story with withcraft and gypsies and betrothals. In the original Sandman stories Petrefax at least had the single power of universal translation of languages. Here, even if he possesses the ability, he didn't even mention it. Where in the original stories he had gray skin and white hair, here he is a fairly typical blond Caucasian most of the time.
Petrefax was the viewpoint character, and he participated in the plot somewhat, but he was not super necessary to the plot. The undead, spellcasting female lead was arguably the true protagonist, even though she was not the POV character.
Here, Petrefax was just... an undertaker. In a high fantasy story. That had nothing whatsoever to do with the rest of the Sandman or the DC universe in general.
Just, disappointing.
October 20, 2019
A great idea with a poor execution. The characters are not likeable and the plot is not very consistent at times. The lettering in the comic didn't help either - it was barely readable. I really wanted to like this, but I can't give it a better rating. A frustrating read all in all.
October 10, 2020
"My dear Master Kalproth, it is said that a journeyman undertaker's road is fraught with many perils. Perils of the flesh, of the spirit and of the heart. And, in Malegrise, I appear to stepped in them all ..."
We were first introduced to Petrefax, the apprentice Necromancer, in The Sandman #55: Cerements. An intriguing character, in this series he is journeying through the land of Malegrise where every child born alive is a sorceror. However only 1 in 100 are trained, most are too poor and some are female. Calcinia, a girl with the gift of magic, has been forcibly betrothed to Lord Bulgus by her father. She hatches upon a plan to expose Lord Bulgus for suspected murder, and ends up in a semi undead state because of it.
As a very beautiful young lady, Calcinia soon has Petrefax AND Raven (a gypsy) embroiled in her plot. Both men are shallow and do everything in their power to help her not because her cause is just (it is) but due to them falling in love with her beauty. The story has enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested, but the art is sub par. It really detracts from the story and negatively impacts the rating. The ending panels of each issue have pretty good introspective exposition, not at the Gaiman level but at least I could recognize the writer was TRYING to give it a Gaiman-esque feel.
Overall, okay, but had the potential to be so much better. Also, it has loose to no relation to the Sandman Universe.
We were first introduced to Petrefax, the apprentice Necromancer, in The Sandman #55: Cerements. An intriguing character, in this series he is journeying through the land of Malegrise where every child born alive is a sorceror. However only 1 in 100 are trained, most are too poor and some are female. Calcinia, a girl with the gift of magic, has been forcibly betrothed to Lord Bulgus by her father. She hatches upon a plan to expose Lord Bulgus for suspected murder, and ends up in a semi undead state because of it.
As a very beautiful young lady, Calcinia soon has Petrefax AND Raven (a gypsy) embroiled in her plot. Both men are shallow and do everything in their power to help her not because her cause is just (it is) but due to them falling in love with her beauty. The story has enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested, but the art is sub par. It really detracts from the story and negatively impacts the rating. The ending panels of each issue have pretty good introspective exposition, not at the Gaiman level but at least I could recognize the writer was TRYING to give it a Gaiman-esque feel.
Overall, okay, but had the potential to be so much better. Also, it has loose to no relation to the Sandman Universe.
January 24, 2024
This was actually very enjoyable. Petrefax is a character from the Worlds' End storyline in the main Sandman series. At the end of that story, he leaves his mentor and goes adventuring - this obviously must have been something that came next for him. I've rated it 3 stars, because the story did start off a bit slow (probably could have been 3 issues instead of 4). There are very good, exciting hooks at the end of each issue, however, and the way Carey tied together the various plotlines at the end of the story was actually very clever and satisfying.
Several commentators have mentioned Steve Leialoha's artwork, and I have to agree that it is not his best work unfortunately. I have really enjoyed his artwork in the past - in particular, some work he did on the 80s Dr. Strange and New Mutants series. Here, it seems like the inking and/or coloring didn't match the more experimental style he generally uses. It didn't distract me very much (but I could see how it could for others), but it also did not enhance the story (and is one factor leading to the middling rating).
If you're a fan of the Worlds' End arc of Sandman, I'd recommend checking this out (with the appropriate expectations going in that this is a fine story, but pales in comparison to the original).
Several commentators have mentioned Steve Leialoha's artwork, and I have to agree that it is not his best work unfortunately. I have really enjoyed his artwork in the past - in particular, some work he did on the 80s Dr. Strange and New Mutants series. Here, it seems like the inking and/or coloring didn't match the more experimental style he generally uses. It didn't distract me very much (but I could see how it could for others), but it also did not enhance the story (and is one factor leading to the middling rating).
If you're a fan of the Worlds' End arc of Sandman, I'd recommend checking this out (with the appropriate expectations going in that this is a fine story, but pales in comparison to the original).
May 5, 2025
Sus giros argumentales correctos y buen pulso narrativo hacen de esta miniserie una distracción amena para el lector inclinado a la fantasía, independiente de si enganche o no con el universo Sandman que la engloba.
September 30, 2017
Better than Bast but still, meh
February 7, 2024
Satisfying ending & a fitting addition to the extended Sandman universe.
January 24, 2014
very bad. The character of the title, Petrefax is given really no personality at all nor is any sort of back story presented beyond the one given in the original sandman series. this is basically a terribly one-dimensional story equivalent to that of a short children's tale,about a bunch of characters with no defining characteristics.
January 7, 2015
The whole 4 issue set was rather dull. I couldn't care less about these characters and I couldn't even remember the main character from the main Sandman storyline. Also, the art was terrible and this was completely forgettable.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews