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4.55 AVERAGE
4.55 AVERAGE
One of my all time favorite books. The Absolute editions are a bit bulky to read, but the re-done colors are totally worth it, and I ADORE the leather-bound covers and how heavy they are. It's like holding the world in your hands, in a way.
Fantastic! This collects the first 20 issues of Sandman. It’s hard to describe Thai as it blends multiple genres and is sometimes difficult to follow. But the stories are so compelling and interesting. The artwork is amazing as well. Not for everybody but I loved it.
It's f'ing heavy. I'm not sure this book was meant to be read. I soldiered through anyway, although I may have a permanent indentation on my lap.
It's always dangerous re-visiting formative works. You never return to them as the same person. Apparently, it's been about fifteen years since I've read some of the comics in this collection. Perhaps longer for others. I am certainly a different person.
The first seven issues of the series worried me a little. Gaiman has said that he was still finding his way into the series with these issues, and it shows. The first seven issues feel like Gaiman doing a passable imitation of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. They are decent enough stories, with moments of sheer joy ("Hope!" in Hell), but more often awkward stumbling through a dark DC coupon-redemption fantasy. The DC legacy is a weight that drags down this entire volume. While grappling with the grand mysteries and mythologies of mankind, Gaiman has chained himself to the most inconsequential of the super-hero myths in the DC canon.
"The Sound of Her Wings," even after all these years, blows the doors off of the set-up of the previous seven issues. Though it seems somewhat slight to me now as a standalone story, it is an excellent marker for what is coming. In many ways, it is a better beginning to the Sandman saga than the so-called "Preludes & Nocturnes". Which is perhaps why Gaiman called it "Preludes..." (if he had any input into the title).
Though the tenuous connection to the DC universe is an aspect I could do without (Moore does it better), there are several good super-hero bits in the remainder, from the Little Nemo tribute with the campy Sandman to the affecting Element Girl in "Facades".
The Doll's House storyline and the other stories that make up the rest of the book are slightly uneven in spots, but the mythology of the Endless develops further (hinting that Gaiman had planned the saga out, at least after the Preludes) and the side stories become more confident and, really, quintessentially Gaiman.
By the end of this first Absolute volume, I'm no longer worried. I'm certain that Sandman will prove to be as good this time as it was the first time I encountered it.
It's always dangerous re-visiting formative works. You never return to them as the same person. Apparently, it's been about fifteen years since I've read some of the comics in this collection. Perhaps longer for others. I am certainly a different person.
The first seven issues of the series worried me a little. Gaiman has said that he was still finding his way into the series with these issues, and it shows. The first seven issues feel like Gaiman doing a passable imitation of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. They are decent enough stories, with moments of sheer joy ("Hope!" in Hell), but more often awkward stumbling through a dark DC coupon-redemption fantasy. The DC legacy is a weight that drags down this entire volume. While grappling with the grand mysteries and mythologies of mankind, Gaiman has chained himself to the most inconsequential of the super-hero myths in the DC canon.
"The Sound of Her Wings," even after all these years, blows the doors off of the set-up of the previous seven issues. Though it seems somewhat slight to me now as a standalone story, it is an excellent marker for what is coming. In many ways, it is a better beginning to the Sandman saga than the so-called "Preludes & Nocturnes". Which is perhaps why Gaiman called it "Preludes..." (if he had any input into the title).
Though the tenuous connection to the DC universe is an aspect I could do without (Moore does it better), there are several good super-hero bits in the remainder, from the Little Nemo tribute with the campy Sandman to the affecting Element Girl in "Facades".
The Doll's House storyline and the other stories that make up the rest of the book are slightly uneven in spots, but the mythology of the Endless develops further (hinting that Gaiman had planned the saga out, at least after the Preludes) and the side stories become more confident and, really, quintessentially Gaiman.
By the end of this first Absolute volume, I'm no longer worried. I'm certain that Sandman will prove to be as good this time as it was the first time I encountered it.
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's Sandman - need I say more? I love Gaiman's portrayals of the Endless, and am particularly fond of Dream and Death. Recommended for those who like a bit of horror, or who have ever enjoyed one of Gaiman's novels.
The rating is for the entire Sandman run. It was a tremendous narrative, with incredibly evocative and moving worldbuilding, characterization, and art. I think perhaps some of its parts are better than it is as a whole, but it's still a worthwhile story to take in.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wow! They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, and this absolutely proves it. I’ve been put off for the longest time by the, quite frankly speaking, drab and muddy covers that plague almost all of this comic series. Thankfully, the art style is quite different on the inside compared to the outside.
The Sandman series is engaging, off-the-wall, and grim, in the best possible way. I wanted a series that wasn’t ongoing (since the long wait between Saga volumes is torture), nor one that wasn’t too tied into any typical superhero setting.
Sandman is incredibly inventive and has one of the most interesting worlds I’ve ever come across, in anything. The witty and at times painfully poignant writing elevates this even further. There’s so much packed into this 20-issue collection, that pretty much each issue could have its own detailed review.
So, let me keep it simple: I get the hype, and even after all these years, it more than lives up to it (so far).
5/5
The Sandman series is engaging, off-the-wall, and grim, in the best possible way. I wanted a series that wasn’t ongoing (since the long wait between Saga volumes is torture), nor one that wasn’t too tied into any typical superhero setting.
Sandman is incredibly inventive and has one of the most interesting worlds I’ve ever come across, in anything. The witty and at times painfully poignant writing elevates this even further. There’s so much packed into this 20-issue collection, that pretty much each issue could have its own detailed review.
So, let me keep it simple: I get the hype, and even after all these years, it more than lives up to it (so far).
5/5
I read the audiobook and honestly wish I hadn't because it was always so loud and it was always so much, and they often used the same actors to play different characters which sometimes made it confusing. But the stories themselves were fine; it was essentially a collection of short stories and they ranged from very compelling to kinda dull and pointless. I like Morpheus and for a book named the Sandman, I wish he featured more. Overall it was a fine experience, and I'll probably actually read the graphic novels at some point which are likely more up my street!