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noveladdiction's review
Not as good as the original Sandman series (not even close!) but I am interested to see how it develops, and how it intertwines with the rest of the Sandman Universe stories.
callymac's review
3.0
Feels very in line with Gaiman's original Sandman run. Callum happy.
Originally subscribed to every one of the Sandman Universe runs, but I might give up on some of them. Too many all at once!
Originally subscribed to every one of the Sandman Universe runs, but I might give up on some of them. Too many all at once!
watercolorstain's review
2.0
"There is a place where Gods are born.
There is a place where a few ragged sounds can suggest a symphony.
A place where pandemonium presents patterns.
Where idle fancies turn to fornications and memories feign meaning.
A place where—for as long as a sleeper can sleep—stories are spun."
The Dreaming. I thought I'd seen the last of it, but it turns out that the Sandman Universe has recently been expanded into a four-part line to celebrate The Sandman's 30th anniversary with Neil's blessing, who wanted to give other authors the opportunity to play in his world and continue Daniel's story (which, if you recall, he'd said he didn't have the intention of telling himself at the end of the original run).
The Sandman Universe starts with a titular one-shot which kicks off four new story arcs, all overseen by Gaiman but written by new creative teams. Lord Daniel has abandoned the Dreaming, which is crumbling in his absence, while something new is slowly growing in the Endless' Gallery. Poor Lucien is losing his mind, Matthew the Raven tries to find the Lord of Dreams in vain, while the realm's other residents are desperately trying to keep it from decaying around them and fend off invaders coming through the widening cracks, and when that doesn't work, Merv Pumpkinhead takes the misguided initiative and finds someone new to put in charge of the place.
I have a rule I very seldomly break, and it's that I never start reading a series while it's still ongoing, but I couldn't resist checking this out—and it taught me that reading comics off a screen is the literal worst, and that there's good reason why I should stick to my self-imposed rule and wait until a story arc is completed, because overall, this was decidedly unsatisfying.
I was always quite fond of Matthew the Raven, but there's a reason that the Dreaming's residents were secondary characters in the original run, and putting them into the spotlight doesn't do them or the story any favors. I googled the villain when he showed up since I was a bit lost and wondering whether I was supposed to know who he was, and it turns out that he's a really obscure DC character who has appeared in a grand total of eighteen random issues since his first appearance in 1969. All this means that we have a cast of pretty one-dimensional characters driving the narrative, which never really takes off in these first six issues—the Dream Lord is missing, but it's not the first time, and even though the Dreaming is falling apart, it doesn't seem to have any adverse effect on dreamers, so... what's the problem? I liked Dora's spunk, but the fact that after one whole volume we still don't know who or what she is was a bit annoying, and I felt like her character had... not few parallels to Delirium. This first collection builds up quite a few mysteries, but doesn't resolve any of them.
I don't know, I guess I felt that the story was a bit messy and all over the place, and I didn't really connect with it. Don't get me wrong—some parts are very good and there's instances when Simon Spurrier really nails Neil's voice and narrative tone, but as a whole, you can tell that this didn't spring from Neil's mind. The best thing about it was Bilquis Evely's truly outstanding art. I did miss Dave McKean's covers, but I guess that if the story keeps going on in this lackluster way, it's best to have something separating it from the originals. I know Jae Lee from his work on Stephen King's Dark Tower comics at Marvel, and I don't find his very distinctive style suited to the Sandman world at all.
A for effort, but I have no desire to continue this series.
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Note: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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My other ડꪖꪀᦔꪑꪖꪀ reviews:
01: Preludes & Nocturnes · ★★★½
02: The Doll's House · ★★★★
03: Dream Country · ★★★
04: Season of Mists · ★★★★½
05: A Game of You · ★★★½
06: Fables and Reflections · ★★★½
07: Brief Lives · ★★★★½
08: Worlds' End · ★★★
09: The Kindly Ones · ★★★★★
10: The Wake · ★★★
Overture · ★★★
Endless Nights · ★★★★
The Dream Hunters · ★★★★
Death: The Deluxe Edition · ★★★★
Audible Original #1 · ★★★★★
The Sandman Universe · Lucifer: The Infernal Comedy · ★
vylotte's review
3.0
I'm not sure yet what to think, I'll need to let the story unfold. The art sure is nice though.
etienne02's review
3.0
I never read the original series, so maybe I would have a different opinion if I had. Anyway, this was below my expectations. I really like the art and the originality of the world. My problem was with the storyline, that try to be epic, but was a bit confuse in my opinion, and with a touch of humor that didn't please me! Not totally bad, but not as good as I thought this would be!
martifeliciani's review
4.0
This comic was a treat. I loved the story, I found it creepy and very engaging. I read it in an hour and I couldn't stop. The artwork is amazing, much like DC's dark style. There is little more to say, I really loved it and will definitely be reading the volumes to come.
triscuit807's review
4.0
3.5-4 stars. Sandman has vanished. Haven't we done this before? The new Dreamlord has left the Dreaming seemingly of his own volitions and there are consequences. Lucien is becoming increasingly absent-minded and sky has fractured. There is a new abstract construct (outside the palace) that opens at the end of the book. A wooden ship and her captain are two of the more intriguing characters. I read this for my 2020 Reading Challenge (52 Wks "graphic novel") and the Hugo nominations (Graphic Novel)
matos's review against another edition
4.0
The Dreaming está en conmoción, el cambio no es fácil y el miedo puede llevar a tomar malas decisiones.
Quién es Dora? No sé, pero me encanta.
Y el incluir preocupaciones actuales me parece un giro interesante, en una narrativa que siempre se había aislado del mundo real en favor de lo más profundo de los sueños.
Quién es Dora? No sé, pero me encanta.
Y el incluir preocupaciones actuales me parece un giro interesante, en una narrativa que siempre se había aislado del mundo real en favor de lo más profundo de los sueños.
mabookyard's review against another edition
3.0
My Rating : 3
Thank you so much Netgalley for the copy of the review copy. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.
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When I first saw Neil Gaiman's name in the author list I immediately requested this book! This book had an amazing artwork and the art style never ceases to amaze me. But when it came to the actual plot line and the writing, I expected much more than it delivered. Maybe because I am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman and I might be influenced a little ? I wouldn't say the cover art, blurb were misleading, but it was not a match to the actual story.
.
Overall, I should say I was not impressed with this universe and the story. If you are a fan of Spurrier and the Sandman universe, maybe check this book out for the art style. But I wouldn't recommend new Graphic novel readers to start with this book
Thank you so much Netgalley for the copy of the review copy. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.
.
When I first saw Neil Gaiman's name in the author list I immediately requested this book! This book had an amazing artwork and the art style never ceases to amaze me. But when it came to the actual plot line and the writing, I expected much more than it delivered. Maybe because I am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman and I might be influenced a little ? I wouldn't say the cover art, blurb were misleading, but it was not a match to the actual story.
.
Overall, I should say I was not impressed with this universe and the story. If you are a fan of Spurrier and the Sandman universe, maybe check this book out for the art style. But I wouldn't recommend new Graphic novel readers to start with this book