Comic Title: Essential Vertigo:The Sandman #12
Publisher: DC (DC Comics Inc.)
Address: 1700 Broadway, New York, NY
Imprint: Vertigo
Cover Date: July 1997
On Sale Date: May 14, 1997 Direct Market Date May 14, 1997
Source: Previews, Vol. 7 #3 (#99)

Direct Market Date May 14, 1997
Source: ComicList, Diamond : New Comic Book Releases List for Wednesday, May 14, 1997

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $1.95
Page Count: 32
Editor: Bob Kahan

Notes:
Cover dated July 1997; Indicia dated June 1997

Title: "Playing House"
Pages: 24

Feature(s):
Sandman (Morpheus)

Writer: Neil Gaiman
Penciller: Chris Bachalo
Inker: Malcolm Jones III
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Robbie Busch

Reprinted From:
Sandman #12 (1990)

Feature Character(s)

• Dream (last appearance in Sandman #11; next appearance in Sandman #13)

Guest Star(s)

• Sandman (Hector Hall; corporeal body destroyed in this story; last appearance in Sandman #11; no further appearances)
• Lyta Hall (last appearance in Sandman #11; next appearance in Sandman #22)

Supporting Character(s)

• Rose Walker (last appearance in Sandman #11; next appearance in Sandman #14)
• Fiddler's Green (as Gilbert; last appearance in Sandman #11; next appearance in Sandman #14)

Villain(s)

• Brute and Glob (last appearance in Sandman #11; no further appearances)
• Corinthian (last appearance in Sandman #11; next appearance in Sandman #14)
• Barnaby (name revealed; dies in this story; last appearance in Sandman #11; no further appearances)
• Clarice (Jed's foster mother; dies in this story; no further appearances)
• Dougie and Joe-Bob (muggers; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Jed (last appearance in Sandman #11; next appearance in Sandman #14)
• A hotel manager (no further appearances)

Cameo Appearance(s)

• Merv Pumpkinhead (in an image in the dream dome)

Comments:
The Doll's House Part 3

This story is continued from Sandman #11.

Synopsis:
Dream invades the pseudo-dream world constructed by Brute and Glob inside the mind of Rose Walker's brother Jed. The dream things realize their master is coming for them, so they dispatch their Sandman, Hector Hall to fight him. Brute and Glob know that Hector is no match for the dream lord and discuss alternative means of escape. When Morpheus confronts Hector he is amused that such an insignificant ghost could have been constructed to take his place.

Dream destroyed the dream world forcing Brute, Glob, Hector, and Lyta to be explosively expelled from Jed's mind. He then banishes Brute and Glob to the darkness. Hector, who died long ago, is turned into a ghost and disappears. Lyta believes that Dream has killed her husband. She can not fight him, but he leaves her alone. He does tell her that her unborn child, which spent two years gestating in the dream world, will one day belong to him. Lyta declares that he will have her child over her dead body.

Meanwhile, the explosion which broke the dream world also freed Jed from his captivity in the basement of his foster parents. He runs away and hitches a ride from the Corinthian. The rogue dream is on his way to a convention held at a hotel. The same hotel which, not coincidentally, is where Rose Walker and Gilbert have chosen to spend the night following a breakdown of their vehicle.