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4.51 AVERAGE
4.51 AVERAGE
This is an enormously powerful series. It's a beautiful, funny, heartbreaking, oftentimes horrifying treatise on the human condition, as well as love, forgiveness, and grace. How it constantly manages to be all of these things and so much more is what makes me love both Gaiman and The Sandman. I still have several more to go before I'm finished with the series as a whole, but something tells me I'll never be rid of it (in the best kind of this). For me, so far, the mind-boggling ambition of these stories are most evident here. Dream and company are capable of monstrous, horrible things, and yet I identify with them because they're more human than most characters I've encountered in any medium. They're vain, selfish, uncompromising entities that, in the most unpredictable, tender ways embrace selflessness, spirituality, and goodwill in their own unique ways. For all the times I'm frustrated with Dream, there is no shortage of chances I will give him--as a reader--to both right his wrongs and maybe be better for the next few lifetimes. It's the constant grab of "Just maybe, this time it'll go right," that so constantly pricks my heart for all its worth.
A goddamn masterpiece.
A goddamn masterpiece.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I went in and out on this one. It kinda flaked on me at times. It felt longer than it was, which didn't help either.
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The quest to find Destruction was... fine. Delirium was cute. The nonsense about temple prostitutes was clearly cooked up by some wishful thinking in a modern sociology department and had zero to do with the actual text of the Epic of Gilgamesh. Reminds me of the Adem nonsense in Rothfuss: it not only yanks you out of the world of the story, it actually contradicts itself by the end of the story logic.
In any case, the end of the son of Dream was worth the ride. But... it was kind of a long walk.
In any case, the end of the son of Dream was worth the ride. But... it was kind of a long walk.
Best Sandman I've read yet! Honestly, I'm a little worried the rest of the series won't be as good. (7-20-2010)
This arc was so fascinating. Gaiman's writing is always so well-crafted, but this volume specifically felt exceptional.
Nearing the last few remaining arcs, this volume feels like a turning point in Dream's character; all of the development he's received up until now is coming to fruition. The main theme of this particular story was change: How Destruction left the Endless and moved on, while others have not; how Delirium has grown and how her identity has evolved since being Delight; and most of all, how Dream has changed as a person, an entity, as one of the Endless.
There were also so many great insights to all of the Endless within this arc. There's a lot on Destruction- his relationship with a goddess of Love, his perspective on the Endless' purpose and sense of responsibility (and how he personally felt regarding his place in such), his relationship with Delirium- but also a lot on the rest, one of my favorites being Desire and Despair's relationship.
Overall, a really wild ride of an arc but an incredible one nonetheless.
"There must be a word for it... the thing that lets you know time is happening. Is there a word?"
"Change."
"Oh."
"I was afraid of that."
Nearing the last few remaining arcs, this volume feels like a turning point in Dream's character; all of the development he's received up until now is coming to fruition. The main theme of this particular story was change: How Destruction left the Endless and moved on, while others have not; how Delirium has grown and how her identity has evolved since being Delight; and most of all, how Dream has changed as a person, an entity, as one of the Endless.
There were also so many great insights to all of the Endless within this arc. There's a lot on Destruction- his relationship with a goddess of Love, his perspective on the Endless' purpose and sense of responsibility (and how he personally felt regarding his place in such), his relationship with Delirium- but also a lot on the rest, one of my favorites being Desire and Despair's relationship.
Overall, a really wild ride of an arc but an incredible one nonetheless.
"There must be a word for it... the thing that lets you know time is happening. Is there a word?"
"Change."
"Oh."
"I was afraid of that."
Gaiman adds a lot of humanity to the Endless particularly to his protagonist. Some of Jill Thompson's art is stunning while other parts seem dated but what do you expect from an early 90's comic. This is the most complete (in the classical sense) story in the series as their is a definitive arc. I would suggest that if you only read one of the Sandman graphic novels it should be this one but I fear people would feel lost starting here.