Reviews (8)

Simply Stunning
Sandman is such an obvious choice for reprinting in the Absolute format, I'm surprised DC took this long to think of it. Previous reviewers have hit all the right points: the full leather binding, the extra heftiness of the volume, the glorious new look to the color. Nothing seems held back. I'm already salivating over the future volumes. Here are some questions DC should consider answering: Will the final volume include the two Death series? Will any volume include the 7-page story that appeared in a DC Sampler, and was later reprinted in the Fables and Reflections HC?
Well worth your hard-earned cash!
Frankly, I've thought that most of the "Absolute" editions were overpriced and a little too self-aggrandizing. Sometimes a good comic book is just a good comic book. I think that's enough. It doesn't have to be a seminal moment in the history of Western literature.
Awesome!
I got mine in the mail yesterday and it was my first exposure to "Sandman".I loved it and will get the other volumes as well.
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Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fantasy    3. Graphic Novels    4. Graphic Novels - Fantasy    5. Graphic Novels - Superheroes   

Editorial Review

"Wake up, sir. We're here." It's a simple enough opening line--althoughnot many would have guessed back in 1991 thatthis would lead to one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comics of the second half of the century. Read more

Reviews (101)

Hour 5: The Flies Get Restless
Intermittently, between the films that I watch and the video games I shamelessly play, I do enjoy reading a good graphic novel here and there.Why not taste all the facets of pop culture when I have the opportunity?Neil Gaiman is the author that re-introduced me to the world of graphic novel.Through his fantastic novel (meaning a story that you could read more than one time) entitled "American Gods", I found this fantastical writer's ability to draw upon the strength of other pop culture ideas as well as nearly blend fantasy and fiction together with the greatest of ease.It was right after my reading of "American Gods" that I decided to pick up the first in his ever-popular "Sandman" series entitled Preludes & Nocturnes.From the opening frames of a miscalculated capture, through the inevitable adventures to recover lost/stolen items, to the hauntingly original final scenes where our main character, Sandman, introduces us to his family and builds a stronger, more poetic beginning to the next chapter, The Doll's House.
You know all about this
Any comic fan, avid or casual, knows the list of essential comic reading that proves that comics aren't just for kids.Of course there's Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, Maus, Preacher, and more, and of course also on that list is Neil Gaiman's celebrated Sandman series.Preludes and Nocturnes is the beginning of one of the most revered adult series in comics history, as Gaiman weaves a tale in which Dream of the Endless seeks to reclaim the realm he lost when he was imprisoned some seventy years before.He sets forth on a mission to regain the tools of his that were lost and seek revenge on those responsible, and on the way he comes across many of DC/Vertigo's icons, including John Constantine and the Martian Manhunter, and travels to the depths of Hell to face down Lucifer Morningstar himself.Frequently chilling and startlingly poignant, this first volume in the Sandman saga is essential reading, and believe it or not, it only gets better with each passing volume.

It Is What It Is
This is, for all intents and purposes, Neil Gaiman's first real piece of work.Granted, he'd been a journalist, and he'd written a couple of other graphic novels, but nothing on this scale, nothing with this distribution, and nothing as significant.
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Subjects:  1. Anthologies    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. Fantasy    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - Fantasy    6. Graphic Novels    7. Graphic Novels - Fantasy    8. Horror    9. Science Fiction And Fantasy    10. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Editorial Review

The immense popularity of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series is due in largepart to the development of his characters. In Read more

Reviews (42)

...nothing like a doll at all...
What I particularly enjoy about Neil Gaiman is his ability to build a story from the foundation going forward.So many times, we have authors or illustrators that take the campy way out by using flashbacks, amateurish jumps, or just plain forgetfulness as they attempt to keep the reader's attention by quickly arriving to the climax or resolution (or better yet the gasp of a twist ending).Gaiman does no such thing with his "Sandman" stories.While this second collection of his graphic novels doesn't quite match to the standard of "Preludes & Nocturnes", it is because it is a building block for future stories.What I especially love about Gaiman's writing and choice of stories is that he is not afraid to take us away from our comfortable characters and begin planting the seed for more interesting events going forward.It is like the television series "Lost", events happen for a reason, and Gaiman is very willing to dedicate just as much time to those smaller stories as he does our overall story because he knows the value of amazing (and concise) storytelling.I love this series, but this collection "A Doll's House" is a sampling of smaller stories that will obviously be used as bigger events in the future.
Finding His Place
Following a decent beginning Neil Gaiman truly shines in this second volume of his acclaimed series, The Sandman. Taking the second incarnation of the Sandman (who he completely reformed for the series), Gaiman spins a story seamlessly around his first volume and introduces elements that will affect the title the remainder of it's 75 issues. Even bringing in William Shakespeare in one issue, Gaiman uses elements of fact and fairy tale along with some of our worst fears to write an extraordinary story.

Something unique
Sandman even after being written 10+ years ago is still as clever and dark as it was then. Showcasing Neil Gaiman's fantastic writing and complex plot threads, scary and wonderous at the same time Vol. 2 is the first time we actually start to see what Gaiman is truly capable of. I highly recommend to anyone who loves horror and fantasy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fantasy - General    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Fantasy    5. Graphic Novels    6. Graphic Novels - Fantasy    7. Graphic Novels - General    8. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Editorial Review

You may have heard somewhere that Neil Gaiman's Sandman series consistedof cool, hip, edgy, smart comic books. And you may have thought, "What the helldoes that mean?" Enter Read more

Reviews (33)

I like it a lot, but I'm not sure I get it
I did like this book.I really have enjoyed all the Sandman books so far.But as much as it galls me to admit it, I'm not sure I understand quite what the big deal is.I keep hearing about and reading about how fabulous they are.And yeah, they're interesting.It's an interesting world that Gaiman has created and I think the character of the Sandman is intriguing/fascinating.And the Sandman is good-looking in some of the panels.But I don't understand what about these novels/comics draws people in so much.I don't understand why the Midsummer Night's Dream one won that prestigious award which ticked the other authors off so they had to change the rules to specifically exclude a graphic novel from being entered ever again.I don't understand why this series is supposed to grab women readers in a way that other comic/graphic novel offerings haven't.It's a bit like David Bowie music, to me.I like it a lot.But partly, that's because I Want to like it.I think it (the music, or the graphic novel) is really weird and I don't understand why everybody else, with no inner urging, likes it so much.And then I read the preface to this book and the guy talks about all these layers and all this depth that I guess I'm really just not getting at all.Which also bugs me because I like to think that I'm smart.But, granted, I've only read it one time and that kind of stuff does usually become more apparent with multiple readings.

One of the best installments of an amazing series!
This installment of The Sandman series was probably one of my favorite filled with many psychological implications as well as beautiful artwork which will dazzle your brain! The stories found within this book are some of the greatest in the series as well, especially the one featuring Thessaly and the "princess." The source for many Sandman quotations, this installment is one of the best!

A Little Different Than the Rest (But No Worse For It)
Of the Sandman collection that I've read, this is the least like any of the others thus far. Instead of being vignettes (either independent or loosely tied) that revolve around Morpheus, lord of dreams, this is a start-to-finish story of a group of women trying to rescue their friend who is trapped in her dreamworld, and threatened by a malevolent force.
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Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fantasy    3. Fantasy - General    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - Horror    6. Graphic Novels    7. Graphic Novels - General    8. Graphic Novels - Horror    9. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Editorial Review

This is the conclusion to the much talked about Sandman series. It may be best to start your Sandman acquaintance with earlier episodes, but Read more

Reviews (28)

A Fitting Finale for A Series of Serious Quality
First of all, The Wake is a gorgeous volume. Perhaps the best artwork of the series.
Lovely.
It may not seem like much to say this, but this is one of only two books that has ever made me cry.
The conclusion.
(NOTE: this review contains major series spoilers. If you've not read the first nine books in the series and are planning to, skip this review until you have done so.)
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Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fantasy    3. Fantasy - General    4. Fiction    5. Graphic Novels    6. Graphic Novels - Fantasy    7. Graphic Novels - General    8. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Editorial Review

One might think that the climax of the 10-volume Sandman series would come in the last book, or even the second to last. But indeed the heart and soul of Neil Gaiman's magnum opus lies here in Read more

Reviews (33)

One of the series' best.
Neil Gaiman, Sandman: Brief Lives (Vertigo, 1995)
Family Matters
In Brief Lives, the stories that Gaiman has hinted at throughout most of The Sandman series (of the desertion of one of The Endless; and of Dream's son, Orpheus) come to pass, as Dream and Delirium take a road trip together to try to set things right again.
Dream and Delirium go on a roadtrip...
And what they find is more than they expected.Along the way, we meet several interesting denizens of Gaiman's myth-in-the-modern-world universe, and get different perspectives on the missing member of the Endless family, Destruction.
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Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fantasy - General    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Fantasy    5. Graphic Literature    6. Graphic Novels    7. Graphic Novels - Fantasy    8. Graphic Novels - General    9. Fantasy    10. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Editorial Review

The third book of the Sandman collection is a series of four short comic book stories. What's remarkable here (considering the publisher and the time that this was originally published) is that the main character of the book--the Sandman, King of Dreams--serves only as a minor character in each of these otherwise unrelated stories. (Actually, he's not even in the last story.) This signaled a couple of important things in the development of what is considered one of the great comics of the second half of the century. First, it marked a distinct move away from the horror genre and into a more fantasy-rich, classical mythology-laden environment. And secondly, it solidly cemented Neil Gaiman as a storyteller. One of the stories here, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," took home the World Fantasy Award for best short story--the first time a comic was given that honor. But for my money, another story in Read more

Reviews (34)

I dreamed that this volume didn't exist in the series...
When one walks into a movie theater, they expect to see a movie.When one walks into a pizzeria, they expect to be served pizza.When one plays paintball, you should expect to be hit by at least one paintball.So, one could draw the conclusion that when one reads any of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, you should expect to be pulled into a bizarre world where your heroine (or dark figure leading the show) happens to be the actual Sandman ... right?Apparently, the answer is closer towards the "no" theory than one could expect.I understand the concept of building a stage and allowing readers to see the entire universe, and not just one small figure, but that isn't why I purchased this series.I purchased it for the sole reason that I enjoyed the first two in this collective series.I find the character of the Sandman to be one of the greatest literary figures in graphic novels today.His words will entice, his patience will amaze, and his strength will force you to think of Superman as the weakest man alive.The Sandman is intelligence, boldness, and heroics all boiled together into one shaded character.He is the epitome of "cool", if one were to phrase it that way.Yet, why would anyone who loves this series think that without the main character, the central focus of the show, would a series be able to survive?If I had started with this collection, I don't believe I would have gone any further.
An Excellent Introduction to Comics' Greatest Series
Let me just say that I have kids. They do things that kids are wont to do; make noise, make messes and generally prevent me from reading, my favorite pleasure. So I made a compromise; I wanted to read, but I couldn't get into a book, then I decided to get back into comics. Needless to say, I am a long time comic reader. Superhero stuff mainly. Characters from the DC universe (Batman is my favorite) and Kurt Busiek's Astro City were pretty much it for me.
A different way to enjoy an excellent series
Neil Gaiman's great strength as a storyteller is how he weaves intricate plotlines into satisfying conclusions, and future setups.So it may seem unusual at first blush, to experience this collection of short Sandman stories instead of Gaiman's long story arcs.Yet, Dream Country invites us to come along on an enjoyable ride, as Gaiman explores his smaller side ideas.More a collection of "what if" supernatural scenarios, than a part of the Sandman saga...it is still very much uniquely Sandman.The stories revolve around the complex character of Morpheus (even when he is removed from center stage)...and Death's tale truly begins once she appears.Dream Country doesn't advance the larger Sandman plot, but even casual readers will still find it satisfying. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fantasy    3. Fantasy - General    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - Fantasy    6. Graphic Novels    7. Graphic Novels - General    8. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Editorial Review

In many ways, Read more

Reviews (43)

Angels, Demons, and School Bullies
Guard your nipples against the corpse-ified bullies of yore: that's what I learned! No, seriously this is an AMAZING book. As if one twist in the middle of the book(after some well-built suspense) wasn't enough to make the story seem grandiose, another twist near the end comes along and makes it epic.
Oh, My--What Fun!
The Sandman is an incredible series on so many levels. If you've not read yet, please do (and please start with the first volume; you'll want to read them all eventually anyway, I guarantee). Some of the tales are deep, some profound, and this collection shares in all of that and at the same time is simply so much fun(!): Satan decides to close Hell down and hit the beach--he gives the keys to Morpheus, lord of dreams, who is then besieged with deities from all the world's pantheons, each of which wants the prime real estate for their own uses. What a premise!
Another winner in the series.
Neil Gaiman, Sandman: A Season of Mists (DC Comics, 1992)
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Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fantasy    3. Fantasy - General    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - Horror    6. Graphic Novels    7. Graphic Novels - General    8. Graphic Novels - Horror    9. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Reviews (32)

Good, as always.
Neil Gaiman, Sandman: Fables and Reflections (DC Comics, 1999)
What They'll Read in Classrooms in 30 or so Years
Like Dream Country, Fables and Reflections is a series of short stories that involve famous personages who get embroiled in the dreamscape of Morpheus and the Endless. My personal favorites in this collection include two tales of Emperors--Caesar Augustus, of Rome, and Norton I, of America. With the former, we get an interesting suggestion as to why, perhaps, the wholly unsuitable Tiberius was selected as successor to the larger-than-life Octavian, and with the latter we get a touching insight into one of the most colorful and interesting people ever to grace San Francisco (and you know that's saying something!).
LET HIM COME INTO YOUR DREAMS
So far I have read 1 to 6 in this series.And each time I have found a connection with my life.Each time I read ,I forget my existence in this world, find myself one of the dreams.Each time I learn something,I remember something,I dream something...
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Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fantasy - General    3. Fiction    4. Graphic Novels    5. Graphic Novels - Fantasy    6. Graphic Novels - General    7. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Editorial Review

When Brant and Charlene wreck their car in a horrible snowstorm in the middle of nowhere, the only place they can find shelter is a mysterious little inn called Read more

Reviews (17)

...within stories, within stories, within stories...
Are Sandman fans such because they love the characters (Dream, Delirium, etc.) or because they love the writings of Neil Gaiman?
There is good wine poured in the inn at the end of the world.
_There is an inn at worlds' end. It is a place beyond space and time where all realms, all planes, intersect. Some travelers between the worlds come there willingly, but others find themselves driven there by reality storms- storms caused by events that disturb the very fabric of the cosmos itself. That is the case with the guests on this night. They find themselves trapped, and by immortal custom, obliged to pay for their keep with their best stories.
Another fantastic Sandman book.
Neil Gaiman, Sandman: Worlds' End (DC Comics, 1999)
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Reviews (42)

Don't read the introduction!
A friend bought me the first Sandman book a few weeks ago, and upon finishing it, I immediately went out and bought the entire rest of the series.They are all wonderful, but this one is my favorite.It ties together all of the other story arcs - both the larger arcs and the stand-alone short issues - into a cohesive climax that is gorgeously written and drawn.
Morpheus Makes His Choice (aka Gaiman's Masterpiece)
Neil Gaiman once attempted to summarize the Sandman series in one sentence:
Don't judge a book...
...or criticize a house until it's been completely built.
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Reviews (39)

More Sandman Generally Means Happiness
This collection of short stories, each one featuring one of the Endless, was worth the attempt. I consider myself a fan of the Sandman (I believe the regular run to be one of the greatest comics, ever, and near the top of all literature). I like anything that will allow for more authentic adventure in this world that Neil Gaiman has created.
Minor, but still very good.
Neil Gaiman, Sandman: Endless Nights (Vertigo, 2004)
Too esoteric for my tastes
Someone bought me this for Christmas.I was aware of it, but I'm not much of a Gaiman fan, and I like a little more slambang in my comics.Still, I've always wanted to check it out so here was my chance.
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Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fantasy - Short Stories    3. Fiction    4. Graphic Novels    5. Graphic Novels - Fantasy    6. Graphic Novels - General    7. Graphic Novels - Horror    8. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (46)

One important thing people seem to have missed...
This story is not based on an old Japanese folk tale as I have seen repeated over and over in these reviews.Gaiman made that up.It is his own story.And to get people to believe that, even the reviewer on CNN, shows how truly magical he is.

Beautiful!
"Beautiful" sums it up perfectly.
A different kind of Sandman
"The Dream Hunters" is a fascinating addition to the Sandman mythology, and now one of my favorites. It is a very successful grafting of Gaiman's modern creation onto traditional Japanese storytelling. Personalities of the fox, the Bhuddist monk, and all the others work well together. The three Fates (or maybe Norns?) appear, too, in a distinctively eastern form. In among them all, the Dream King aka Sandman works in his quiet ways.
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Subjects:  1. Fantasy fiction    2. Graphic Novels    3. Graphic Novels - Science Fiction    4. Science Fiction    5. Fiction / Graphic Novels   

Reviews (1)

An excellent collection with only a single disappointment.
An essay collection concerned with Neil Gaiman's much-beloved comic book series "The Sandman" has been long in demand by the series's fans.Gaiman produced an truly astounding work that almost demands critical scrutiny, and this collection will, I think, satisfy the demands of many many readers.It certainly did so for me.
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Reviews (19)

Modern Day Masterpieces
I bought this book as a gift for a Friend, I was familiar with McKeans art from the comics and she had recently gotten into his work... So i thought it'd make a good gift.
Absolutely magical!
I don't know why I haven't gotten around to reviewing this collection of work before, but it is amazing! As the title suggests, it is the collected covers of the Sandman comic book series that ran from 1989-1996. There are no Sandman stories in here, just the collected covers of all the issues and some commentary on the covers and The Sandman