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A review by mazer_nickham
The Absolute Sandman, Volume Four by Michael Zullli, D'Israeli, Daniel Vozzo, Marc Hempel, Charles Voss, Neil Gaiman, Teddy Kristiansen, Jon J. Muth, Todd Klein, Dave McKean, Glyn Dillion, Dean Ormston, Richard Case, Kevin Nowlan
4.0
Absolute Sandman Vol. 4 collects The Kindly Ones and The Wake. These last two collections are what did it for me and made me decide that I really like this series. They finally tie up some loose ends, some that had been in the air since Preludes and Nocturnes.
I did not dig the art in the Kindly Ones at first, but it grew on me. Although the artists switched throughout the series, the horror/gothic feel was kept pretty consistent. The sense of impending doom in the Kindly Ones is amazing. I had to read all 13 issues in one sitting to find out what happened.
The Wake also has noticeably different art, and it fit the feel of the trade very well. The reflective nature of these issues is illustrated well. The first half of the trade serves as a great epilogue to the series. The second half are a collection of unrelated stories, which I felt were an unfitting end. Sure, some of them foreshadowed future events and let us see more of Morpheus, but I would have preferred that the series end with the events of the wake. Call my tastes unrefined, but the Tempest did nothing for me.
Overall, I enjoyed the Sandman series quite a bit. It's not as dramatic and page-turning as say, Y the Last Man or Powers, but it was a great story.
I'm the author of a graphic novel blog; for more information on graphic novels including reviews, news and other insights, visit ALD Graphic Novels.
I did not dig the art in the Kindly Ones at first, but it grew on me. Although the artists switched throughout the series, the horror/gothic feel was kept pretty consistent. The sense of impending doom in the Kindly Ones is amazing. I had to read all 13 issues in one sitting to find out what happened.
The Wake also has noticeably different art, and it fit the feel of the trade very well. The reflective nature of these issues is illustrated well. The first half of the trade serves as a great epilogue to the series. The second half are a collection of unrelated stories, which I felt were an unfitting end. Sure, some of them foreshadowed future events and let us see more of Morpheus, but I would have preferred that the series end with the events of the wake. Call my tastes unrefined, but the Tempest did nothing for me.
Overall, I enjoyed the Sandman series quite a bit. It's not as dramatic and page-turning as say, Y the Last Man or Powers, but it was a great story.
I'm the author of a graphic novel blog; for more information on graphic novels including reviews, news and other insights, visit ALD Graphic Novels.