Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
New York : DC Comics, [1992?].
Description
The fourth installment of Neil Gaiman's seminal series, THE SANDMAN VOL. 4: SEASON OF MISTS, celebrates its 30th anniversary with all all-new edition! Ten thousand years ago, Morpheus condemned a woman who loved him to Hell. Now the other members of his immortal family, The Endless, have convinced the Dream King that this was an injustice. To make it right, Morpheus must return to Hell to rescue his banished love -- and Hell's ruler, the fallen angel Lucifer, has already sworn to destroy him.
User reviews
LibraryThing member -Eva-
In which Morpheus, the Dream King, the Sandman is scolded by his family and goes to right a wrong, Lucifer Morningstar does something completely unexpected, and the deities of the world gather to vie for something that shouldn't belong to any one of them. This feels a little bit like a restart of
Although Gaiman isn't really afraid of making his "hero" into quite an unlikeable character, it is nice to see that the seeds that were sown at his imprisonment are starting to sprout and that Dream is beginning to become more aware of his surroundings - we can only assume that "old" Dream would not have been affected by his siblings' words (or they would have already said something in the 10,000 that preceded this moment). And so, his farewells to his realms, his preparations for battle, and his subsequent bafflement at Lucifer's action so much more heartfelt; his old assumptions (and his inherent acceptance of obligation and responsibility) of the order of the world are nicely juxtapositioned with his new awareness of other beings working in a manner different from his own. Although it's the dutiful part of Dream that accepts Lucifer's "gift" so it's clearly a state of being not easily changed.
As much as this is Dream's story, the star is (at least partially) Lucifer. His cat-canary smirk when he is planning how to greet Dream is just too funny - his opinion of his own ingenuity knows no bounds. However, Dream is his impetus in more ways than he realizes - it's Lucifer's revenge at having been beaten by Dream, indisputably, but it would never have come about had Lucifer not been able to dream of it. So, there's that circularity again.
As far as concerns the various pantheons that show up to stake their claims, I must admit my bias here; being Swedish, my favorite characters must be the representatives from the Nordic pantheon: Odin, Thor, and Loki. It's not just the inherent familiarity, but some of my affection comes from their unintentional hilarity - a storm cloud following Thor around when he's hung over is just such a great idea. Not sure why they made Mjölner a tiny little hammer, though - it's the handle that's short, not the whole thing. It does give Thor the reason for a few crude quips, though, so that is partially worth the error.
I do have one problem with this installment and it's the art. Fair enough, the art in the previous installment hasn't been perfect, but I simply can't stand Kelley Jones' close-ups on the characters; he seems unable to draw expressive faces without using a photograph to copy, which would be fine, except he has used pictures of famous people and in some instances I even know which specific photograph he has used. It's beyond distracting to see a bunch of celebrities in Dream's face. Fortunately, this is the only installment in the series that Jones has penciled.
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the series in that we are formally introduced to the Endless family and because it has one single story arc that doesn't owe its key moments to other DC characters or storylines. Although Gaiman isn't really afraid of making his "hero" into quite an unlikeable character, it is nice to see that the seeds that were sown at his imprisonment are starting to sprout and that Dream is beginning to become more aware of his surroundings - we can only assume that "old" Dream would not have been affected by his siblings' words (or they would have already said something in the 10,000 that preceded this moment). And so, his farewells to his realms, his preparations for battle, and his subsequent bafflement at Lucifer's action so much more heartfelt; his old assumptions (and his inherent acceptance of obligation and responsibility) of the order of the world are nicely juxtapositioned with his new awareness of other beings working in a manner different from his own. Although it's the dutiful part of Dream that accepts Lucifer's "gift" so it's clearly a state of being not easily changed.
As much as this is Dream's story, the star is (at least partially) Lucifer. His cat-canary smirk when he is planning how to greet Dream is just too funny - his opinion of his own ingenuity knows no bounds. However, Dream is his impetus in more ways than he realizes - it's Lucifer's revenge at having been beaten by Dream, indisputably, but it would never have come about had Lucifer not been able to dream of it. So, there's that circularity again.
As far as concerns the various pantheons that show up to stake their claims, I must admit my bias here; being Swedish, my favorite characters must be the representatives from the Nordic pantheon: Odin, Thor, and Loki. It's not just the inherent familiarity, but some of my affection comes from their unintentional hilarity - a storm cloud following Thor around when he's hung over is just such a great idea. Not sure why they made Mjölner a tiny little hammer, though - it's the handle that's short, not the whole thing. It does give Thor the reason for a few crude quips, though, so that is partially worth the error.
I do have one problem with this installment and it's the art. Fair enough, the art in the previous installment hasn't been perfect, but I simply can't stand Kelley Jones' close-ups on the characters; he seems unable to draw expressive faces without using a photograph to copy, which would be fine, except he has used pictures of famous people and in some instances I even know which specific photograph he has used. It's beyond distracting to see a bunch of celebrities in Dream's face. Fortunately, this is the only installment in the series that Jones has penciled.
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LibraryThing member GingerbreadMan
This is the first time in the Sandman series we encounter a book with a more or less single story line. And this tale of how Lucifer sets a trap for Sandman by – literally – giving him Hell, is just wonderful and one of my favorite parts of the series. The Endless are introduced as a pretty
We get to see Gaiman really play with his knowledge of mythology, as the Dreaming is visited by lots of envoys trying to get their hands on Hell – a very attractive piece of metaphysical estate. As he does so well, Gaiman blends actual allusions with inventions and twists of his own. To my knowledge, Tor’s hammer Mjölner does not “get bigger when you stroke it”. And Loke usually doesn’t carry the epithet “Sky-Walker”. These are little winks to the reader in the know, and makes you feel smart when you spot them. And walking among established mythological creatures like Anubis and Odin, you find entities like Duma the angel of Silence or The Merkin, mother of spiders, who, I guess, are Gaiman originals. But as so often with this writer, you can never be SURE. They feel potentially archetypical. Which is high praise.
My favorite part of this book though, is Morpheus’ visit to Hell and talk with Lucifer. I love how Hell is presented as a place driven by the need to be punished, manifest in the intriguing and pathetic Breschau. I love Lucifer’s tired rants against the demonkind: fashion-sensitive, plotting, obsessed with rank and little games. And for the first time here, the artwork is adding to the experience of Sandman. Hell and it’s inhabitants are really scary and weird here (compare to the cartoony silliness of the first book!) and the art creates both ambience, distance and occasional humor (Tor, anyone?). Just note the variety of doors Lucifer locks up! The idea of a door to hell in an office or a low hedge appeals to me great deal. I also want to give a shout out to Todd Klein, who does the lettering. Here he excels in finding distinct and fitting designs for each person’s balloons, really adding to the reading experience.
This volume’s “mid-tempo track 11 that you discover after listening to the album a hundred times” for me is episode 4, the book’s only real detour. It’s never been a favorite before, but now I find myself enjoying it’s very british cartoony feel and grotesque imagery, and even it’s disproportionate art. All in all, this is a book to revisit a hundred times. (And even on the fourth reread, the concluding, Lambsheadian presentations of the team crack me up.)
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dysfunctional family (love how Destiny is calling a family gathering to tell them of a occurance of great importance – which turns out to be the gathering itself), and even though we are only getting glimpses of them and their dynamics, it triggers the curiosity for the rest of the series. I also like how Dream is pictured as a real naïve, insensitive brute here, while we still get to believe his intention of trying to put things right.We get to see Gaiman really play with his knowledge of mythology, as the Dreaming is visited by lots of envoys trying to get their hands on Hell – a very attractive piece of metaphysical estate. As he does so well, Gaiman blends actual allusions with inventions and twists of his own. To my knowledge, Tor’s hammer Mjölner does not “get bigger when you stroke it”. And Loke usually doesn’t carry the epithet “Sky-Walker”. These are little winks to the reader in the know, and makes you feel smart when you spot them. And walking among established mythological creatures like Anubis and Odin, you find entities like Duma the angel of Silence or The Merkin, mother of spiders, who, I guess, are Gaiman originals. But as so often with this writer, you can never be SURE. They feel potentially archetypical. Which is high praise.
My favorite part of this book though, is Morpheus’ visit to Hell and talk with Lucifer. I love how Hell is presented as a place driven by the need to be punished, manifest in the intriguing and pathetic Breschau. I love Lucifer’s tired rants against the demonkind: fashion-sensitive, plotting, obsessed with rank and little games. And for the first time here, the artwork is adding to the experience of Sandman. Hell and it’s inhabitants are really scary and weird here (compare to the cartoony silliness of the first book!) and the art creates both ambience, distance and occasional humor (Tor, anyone?). Just note the variety of doors Lucifer locks up! The idea of a door to hell in an office or a low hedge appeals to me great deal. I also want to give a shout out to Todd Klein, who does the lettering. Here he excels in finding distinct and fitting designs for each person’s balloons, really adding to the reading experience.
This volume’s “mid-tempo track 11 that you discover after listening to the album a hundred times” for me is episode 4, the book’s only real detour. It’s never been a favorite before, but now I find myself enjoying it’s very british cartoony feel and grotesque imagery, and even it’s disproportionate art. All in all, this is a book to revisit a hundred times. (And even on the fourth reread, the concluding, Lambsheadian presentations of the team crack me up.)
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LibraryThing member ltjennysbooks
Aw, Season of Mists is great. I like it so much. It makes me nostalgic for Past Jenny, who was young and dumb and had yet to discover most of her now-favorite films and music and TV shows (including, of course, the other six volumes of Sandman). Oh, wow, that’s really, really true. I hadn’t
Anyway – wow, I’m just amazed at how many awesome things I have discovered since I left high school – anyway, this is the fourth Sandman book, and it starts out with Dream’s family getting together and sniping at each other until Dream finally decides that it was unfair of him to condemn his ex-lover to hell forever, just because she didn’t want to be his queen. So off he goes, to fight the hordes of hell and get her back – it’s so Dream – and when he gets there, Lucifer has decided to shut down hell. He gives the key to Dream, and takes himself off; and suddenly Dream is the center of attention from every deity and supernatural power ever, because they all want Hell.
I really don’t like the story where all the dead people come back to the public school. I seem to recall someone telling me that Neil Gaiman went to Whitgift, in Croydon – it has peacocks and wallabies and flamingos (hee hee hee), but I am beginning to wonder whether it was possibly COMPLETELY SCARRING. British public schools sound awful. And not-public schools don’t seem to be any better.
Neil Gaiman’s obsession with gods, which will come to a head in, no surprises, American Gods, is all too evident here. You have the Egyptian pantheon, a delegation from the faerie, the Norse lot of Odin, Thor, and Loki, angels from heaven in a supervisory capacity, and demons from hell; they all have things to offer Dream. Neil Gaiman’s obviously having fun with all of them, and it is fun – Thor’s hitting on Bast, and two of the hell demons are having an affair, and a sinisterly lettered little girl from the hordes of chaos giggles when someone gets made into sausages. It’s fun, and it wraps up tidily at the end. Except for the bit about Loki. That’s going to turn out worse than you think.
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discovered Joss Whedon yet, or The Office, or Doctor Who; I hadn’t yet seen any of my current five desert island DVDs (fifth series of Buffy, MirrorMask, Empire Records, Angels in America, and Before Sunrise); I didn’t know the Decembrists, the Shins, Neko Case – I’m amazed at Past Jenny. What did Past Jenny do to pass the time? Sheesh.Anyway – wow, I’m just amazed at how many awesome things I have discovered since I left high school – anyway, this is the fourth Sandman book, and it starts out with Dream’s family getting together and sniping at each other until Dream finally decides that it was unfair of him to condemn his ex-lover to hell forever, just because she didn’t want to be his queen. So off he goes, to fight the hordes of hell and get her back – it’s so Dream – and when he gets there, Lucifer has decided to shut down hell. He gives the key to Dream, and takes himself off; and suddenly Dream is the center of attention from every deity and supernatural power ever, because they all want Hell.
I really don’t like the story where all the dead people come back to the public school. I seem to recall someone telling me that Neil Gaiman went to Whitgift, in Croydon – it has peacocks and wallabies and flamingos (hee hee hee), but I am beginning to wonder whether it was possibly COMPLETELY SCARRING. British public schools sound awful. And not-public schools don’t seem to be any better.
Neil Gaiman’s obsession with gods, which will come to a head in, no surprises, American Gods, is all too evident here. You have the Egyptian pantheon, a delegation from the faerie, the Norse lot of Odin, Thor, and Loki, angels from heaven in a supervisory capacity, and demons from hell; they all have things to offer Dream. Neil Gaiman’s obviously having fun with all of them, and it is fun – Thor’s hitting on Bast, and two of the hell demons are having an affair, and a sinisterly lettered little girl from the hordes of chaos giggles when someone gets made into sausages. It’s fun, and it wraps up tidily at the end. Except for the bit about Loki. That’s going to turn out worse than you think.
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LibraryThing member Crowyhead
One of my all-time favorite Sandman story arcs. Lucifer decides that he's sick of being the lord of Hell, so to relieve himself of his duties and cause Morpheus some trouble as well, he closes down Hell and gives Morpheus the key. Now Morpheus must contend with the hordes of supernatural
This is a really important story in terms of Morpheus's development as a character. He has claimed on more than one occasion that the Endless are unchanging, but this story sees Morpheus actually admit that he may have been wrong in the past. The scene where he finally apologizes to Nada (after saying, "I should apologize" in as many ways as he can without actually apologizing) is one of my favorites in the series. The storyline also has some really fantastic humorous moments, as all of the various gods and supernatural beings encounter each other in the realm of Dream. My favorite is Thor's overbearing attempts at flirting with Bast, as he asks her if she would like to see his hammer ("it gets bigger when you rub it"). Definitely good stuff.
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delegations who have come to him to petition for this most valuable real estate. The Faeries want Hell permanently shut down, so that they will no longer have to pay their tithe to Hell. Odin and his compatriots view Hell as a possible refuge post-Ragnorak. Azazel and the other demons want it returned to them, to be reopened under demon rule. Each delegation has something Morpheus wants or needs -- and no matter who he chooses, he's going to piss off some of the most powerful beings in the galaxy. Lucifer has had his revenge.This is a really important story in terms of Morpheus's development as a character. He has claimed on more than one occasion that the Endless are unchanging, but this story sees Morpheus actually admit that he may have been wrong in the past. The scene where he finally apologizes to Nada (after saying, "I should apologize" in as many ways as he can without actually apologizing) is one of my favorites in the series. The storyline also has some really fantastic humorous moments, as all of the various gods and supernatural beings encounter each other in the realm of Dream. My favorite is Thor's overbearing attempts at flirting with Bast, as he asks her if she would like to see his hammer ("it gets bigger when you rub it"). Definitely good stuff.
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LibraryThing member gbill
It looks like The Sandman series really hit its stride with volume 4, ‘Season of Mists’.
At the outset, we are introduced more completely to the characters which make up the Endless family at a reunion of sorts: Destiny, Death, Dream, Desire, Despair, and Delirium. (The ‘prodigal son’,
Anyway, Dream then goes off on a mission to Hell to rescue Nada, a lover who was sent there 1,000 years ago because of him. At this point in this story, it could simply turn into a battle between The Devil (and all his minions) and Morpheus, but Gaiman does a clever thing in having Lucifer simply close up shop, and abdicate his realm to Morpheus.
Holding the key to Hell, Dream then finds out just how many desire it, as they come out of the woodwork from various cultures and religions to attempt to get it for themselves: a contingent from Aesir (Odin, Thor, and Loki), ancient Egypt (Anubis, Bast, and Bes), Japan (Susano-O-No-Mikoto), demons from Hell (Azazel, Merkin, and Choronzon), “Chaos”, “Order”, and angels from Heaven (Remiel and Duma). With such a rich cast of characters present at a dinner party, all either offering Dream things or threatening him, and knowing he must make a choice that will anger all the others, all while wondering what will become of Nada, it makes for a very enjoyable read.
At the outset, we are introduced more completely to the characters which make up the Endless family at a reunion of sorts: Destiny, Death, Dream, Desire, Despair, and Delirium. (The ‘prodigal son’,
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Destruction, remains missing). Each is well crafted and interesting in its own right, but Dream and Delirium are particularly fun. Because of this opening to the story, you really could start the series with this volume, and then catch up with the first three volumes as ‘prequels’ later.Anyway, Dream then goes off on a mission to Hell to rescue Nada, a lover who was sent there 1,000 years ago because of him. At this point in this story, it could simply turn into a battle between The Devil (and all his minions) and Morpheus, but Gaiman does a clever thing in having Lucifer simply close up shop, and abdicate his realm to Morpheus.
Holding the key to Hell, Dream then finds out just how many desire it, as they come out of the woodwork from various cultures and religions to attempt to get it for themselves: a contingent from Aesir (Odin, Thor, and Loki), ancient Egypt (Anubis, Bast, and Bes), Japan (Susano-O-No-Mikoto), demons from Hell (Azazel, Merkin, and Choronzon), “Chaos”, “Order”, and angels from Heaven (Remiel and Duma). With such a rich cast of characters present at a dinner party, all either offering Dream things or threatening him, and knowing he must make a choice that will anger all the others, all while wondering what will become of Nada, it makes for a very enjoyable read.
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LibraryThing member kivarson
Great story. Great art, but this comic from the 90's printing/coloring process could use more depth.
LibraryThing member LostFrog
This is one of the best volumes of The Sandman comics. The plot is amazing and imaginative, as is the artwork and characterization. Plus, Delirium!
LibraryThing member xicanti
Dream travels to Hell to free an old lover, with unforseen results.
This was my favourite SANDMAN collection for a long, long time. It's the volume in which we finally meet the rest of the (active) Endless, the volume in which Gaiman pulls out all the stops with the mythology, and the volume where
Above all else, I love what Gaiman does with the mythology here. We get little snippets of Norse, Japanese and Egyptian mythology, with a bit of Faerie thrown in and a liberal dose of Heaven/Hell. It's great stuff, and makes for addictive reading. As another reviewer mentioned, the gods are instantly recognizable to anyone who's delved into the mythology surrounding them. Gaiman also continues to plant clues and build up the overarching story surrounding Dream; many things herein with have great repercussions throughout the rest of the series. As wonderful as it was to read this for the first time, I've enjoyed it even more on subsequent rereadings, armed with full knowledge of how events play out from here. I highly recommend you try it.
This time through, I also found myself noticing the way this volume highlights all the little technical details that make SANDMAN so special. That initial meeting of the Endless subtly shows us just how these six character differ by utilizing different lettering for each of them. Destiny speaks in italics; Dream has his familiar white-on-black; Despair's bubbles waver; Desire's words spike cruelly and curve seductively in equal measure; and Delirium's dialogue is characterized by uneven lettering and a multicoloured background. Little differences like this really help set this series apart and make it something special, not only as a story but as an example of graphic literature that uses the medium to the fullest extent possible.
Highly recommended. You really ought to read this.
This was my favourite SANDMAN collection for a long, long time. It's the volume in which we finally meet the rest of the (active) Endless, the volume in which Gaiman pulls out all the stops with the mythology, and the volume where
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we finally see the Dreaming in all its glory. While the previous volumes were rooted quite firmly in horror, this one falls more into the realm of dark fantasy. A sketchy distinction, but a distinction nonetheless.Above all else, I love what Gaiman does with the mythology here. We get little snippets of Norse, Japanese and Egyptian mythology, with a bit of Faerie thrown in and a liberal dose of Heaven/Hell. It's great stuff, and makes for addictive reading. As another reviewer mentioned, the gods are instantly recognizable to anyone who's delved into the mythology surrounding them. Gaiman also continues to plant clues and build up the overarching story surrounding Dream; many things herein with have great repercussions throughout the rest of the series. As wonderful as it was to read this for the first time, I've enjoyed it even more on subsequent rereadings, armed with full knowledge of how events play out from here. I highly recommend you try it.
This time through, I also found myself noticing the way this volume highlights all the little technical details that make SANDMAN so special. That initial meeting of the Endless subtly shows us just how these six character differ by utilizing different lettering for each of them. Destiny speaks in italics; Dream has his familiar white-on-black; Despair's bubbles waver; Desire's words spike cruelly and curve seductively in equal measure; and Delirium's dialogue is characterized by uneven lettering and a multicoloured background. Little differences like this really help set this series apart and make it something special, not only as a story but as an example of graphic literature that uses the medium to the fullest extent possible.
Highly recommended. You really ought to read this.
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LibraryThing member Mary_Overton
The Sandman saga continues, as delightful as ever, even when the subject is a study on suffering. Gaiman proves how out-of-date and out-of-touch is the Religious Right. While Christian fundamentalists posture and tell us what to do in our private lives, the entire balance of power is changing in
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the war between Heaven and Hell. Reviewers talk about Gaiman creating new or modern myth, but I think he continues the traditions of the old ones, not so much reinterpreting traditional stories, but channeling the current events of gods who are alive today. Show Less
LibraryThing member kaj
This Sandman book is again one long story rather than a collection of shorts. And this is the way I like it!
Sandman has to travel to Hell and challenge Lucifer, but the response is not was he was fearing. The plot ending is the only one thinkable, but still manages to feel surprising.
Sandman has to travel to Hell and challenge Lucifer, but the response is not was he was fearing. The plot ending is the only one thinkable, but still manages to feel surprising.
LibraryThing member cromanelli927
SPOILERS AHEAD!!! SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
Okay, I am royally pissed now because I wrote a whole blog for this book, and I thought it was quite cute if not really good, and now it is lost! So, I am going to try to remember what I wrote and recreate it, but who knows how that will go. It will probably sound
I really see the value of writing these blogs right after I finish the books because I finished Season of Mists last night, and already it is getting confused in my head with A Game of You, which I started today. And that’s no good because Season of Mists was my favorite of The Sandman series so far, although I really liked the first book as well.
So yeah...I finished Season of Mists last night. Let’s start with the introduction this time just for variety’s sake and because…well, it’s at the beginning. When I sat down to read the book, my boyfriend told me that Harlan Ellison was a jerk, and on the second page I knew he was right. I don’t admit this often, so something must have triggered it. Ellison’s comments, like “if you’re one of the few surviving atavists who still read for the pure pleasure of intellectual invigoration,” were really condescending. As I am one of those “atavists,” I can only imagine how an Average Joe would feel when he picks up this book for pleasure and finds the introduction chocked with smatterings of Latin and French. Who needs it? Not me. And furthermore, the introduction seemed to do little besides stroke both Ellison’s and Gaiman’s egos. I failed to see a message besides the fact that Ellison thinks Gaiman is as brilliant, or almost as brilliant, as he finds himself.
Enough though, because I really liked this book, and I really don’t want to get stuck being snarky about the introduction. The overarching storyline (I believe it’s called an arc, for whatever reason) is that Dream has to return to Hell after a family meeting because his siblings feel he was unjust to a former lover, Nada (which he WAS). Nada means “nothing” in Spanish, and it means “dew” in Arabic, but this is totally useless and unrelated knowledge that only makes me more like Ellison. Anyway…apparently, Dream pissed off Lucifer in book one (I don’t remember him being pissed off and I haven’t gone back to check), and Lucifer has a very original way of getting revenge. He abdicates. He kicks everybody out of Hell and gives Dream the key. So the story really ends up being about the groups of beings that travel to “The Dreaming” to obtain the key to Hell from Dream.
The factions are: Thor, Odin, and Loki; Anubis, Bast, and Bes; Susano-O-No-Mikoto; Azazel, the Merkin, and Choronzon; Lord Kilderkin (the manifestation of order); Shivering Jemmy of the Shallow Brigade (a princess of Chaos); and Remiel and Duma (angels). Remiel and Duma are just there to observe (haha). Hopefully at least some of these names are familiar as all of the characters are famous mythological deities/creatures from around the world. The borrowed characters aren’t really a problem though, possibly this is because of the medium (I’ve already come to expect that some of the characters will be visitors from other stories). But mostly, I think it’s because like most good artists, Gaiman creates his own mythology as he goes along. This particular story is the mythology of how the war between Heaven and Hell ends. I won’t tell you how it ends, but I will say that I was not happy about who obtained the keys to Hell. Gaiman may be a religious man after all, despite the “r” rated nature of his books.
To return to the beginning (this is becoming an issue for me I fear—this circular writing thing), the family meeting affords the opportunity to meet all the Endless, except Destruction, who is on holiday. I am looking forward to getting to know Delirium better, but she’ll be hard pressed to replace Death or Dream as my favorite character. Death is great! I really hope Gaiman is divinely inspired in this mythology so that when I die an adorable brunette shows up to take me on.
Oh, and did I mention this was my favorite so far? Thank goodness I have seven more to read! :)
Okay, I am royally pissed now because I wrote a whole blog for this book, and I thought it was quite cute if not really good, and now it is lost! So, I am going to try to remember what I wrote and recreate it, but who knows how that will go. It will probably sound
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forced and annoying. Blah.I really see the value of writing these blogs right after I finish the books because I finished Season of Mists last night, and already it is getting confused in my head with A Game of You, which I started today. And that’s no good because Season of Mists was my favorite of The Sandman series so far, although I really liked the first book as well.
So yeah...I finished Season of Mists last night. Let’s start with the introduction this time just for variety’s sake and because…well, it’s at the beginning. When I sat down to read the book, my boyfriend told me that Harlan Ellison was a jerk, and on the second page I knew he was right. I don’t admit this often, so something must have triggered it. Ellison’s comments, like “if you’re one of the few surviving atavists who still read for the pure pleasure of intellectual invigoration,” were really condescending. As I am one of those “atavists,” I can only imagine how an Average Joe would feel when he picks up this book for pleasure and finds the introduction chocked with smatterings of Latin and French. Who needs it? Not me. And furthermore, the introduction seemed to do little besides stroke both Ellison’s and Gaiman’s egos. I failed to see a message besides the fact that Ellison thinks Gaiman is as brilliant, or almost as brilliant, as he finds himself.
Enough though, because I really liked this book, and I really don’t want to get stuck being snarky about the introduction. The overarching storyline (I believe it’s called an arc, for whatever reason) is that Dream has to return to Hell after a family meeting because his siblings feel he was unjust to a former lover, Nada (which he WAS). Nada means “nothing” in Spanish, and it means “dew” in Arabic, but this is totally useless and unrelated knowledge that only makes me more like Ellison. Anyway…apparently, Dream pissed off Lucifer in book one (I don’t remember him being pissed off and I haven’t gone back to check), and Lucifer has a very original way of getting revenge. He abdicates. He kicks everybody out of Hell and gives Dream the key. So the story really ends up being about the groups of beings that travel to “The Dreaming” to obtain the key to Hell from Dream.
The factions are: Thor, Odin, and Loki; Anubis, Bast, and Bes; Susano-O-No-Mikoto; Azazel, the Merkin, and Choronzon; Lord Kilderkin (the manifestation of order); Shivering Jemmy of the Shallow Brigade (a princess of Chaos); and Remiel and Duma (angels). Remiel and Duma are just there to observe (haha). Hopefully at least some of these names are familiar as all of the characters are famous mythological deities/creatures from around the world. The borrowed characters aren’t really a problem though, possibly this is because of the medium (I’ve already come to expect that some of the characters will be visitors from other stories). But mostly, I think it’s because like most good artists, Gaiman creates his own mythology as he goes along. This particular story is the mythology of how the war between Heaven and Hell ends. I won’t tell you how it ends, but I will say that I was not happy about who obtained the keys to Hell. Gaiman may be a religious man after all, despite the “r” rated nature of his books.
To return to the beginning (this is becoming an issue for me I fear—this circular writing thing), the family meeting affords the opportunity to meet all the Endless, except Destruction, who is on holiday. I am looking forward to getting to know Delirium better, but she’ll be hard pressed to replace Death or Dream as my favorite character. Death is great! I really hope Gaiman is divinely inspired in this mythology so that when I die an adorable brunette shows up to take me on.
Oh, and did I mention this was my favorite so far? Thank goodness I have seven more to read! :)
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LibraryThing member deslni01
What happens when Lucifer decides to leave hell? Season of Mists, the fourth volume of The Sandman answers that question as Dream heads to Hell to release a former lover who has been imprisoned and tortured for thousands of years. Upon arrival, he finds Hell empty, and Lucifer hands him the key to
Gaiman draws a multitude of mythology and mythological characters into this volume, as representatives of many mythological groups seek the key to Hell from Dream. This provides an interesting look at the interactions between them (Thor getting ridiculously drunk and hitting on women during the banquet, for example). The character of Lucifer is excellent as well, and God's reward to the two angels who oversaw Dreams decision? Well, that's up to the reader to decide.
This is the best of the first four volumes in the series, and should not be missed by fans, nor casual observers.
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the kingdom.Gaiman draws a multitude of mythology and mythological characters into this volume, as representatives of many mythological groups seek the key to Hell from Dream. This provides an interesting look at the interactions between them (Thor getting ridiculously drunk and hitting on women during the banquet, for example). The character of Lucifer is excellent as well, and God's reward to the two angels who oversaw Dreams decision? Well, that's up to the reader to decide.
This is the best of the first four volumes in the series, and should not be missed by fans, nor casual observers.
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LibraryThing member RogueBelle
Among my favourites of the Sandman volumes -- it's so wonderfully mythological, from Gaiman's Endless to his interpretations on so many classic pantheons. His Lucifer is a devil it's somewhat hard to hate. This volume also really brings down the weight of Morpheus' responsibilities and how
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seriously he takes them (and, it must be admitted, himself). Show Less
LibraryThing member theboylatham
Seven out of ten.
Dream travels to Hell to free a former lover, Nada, whom he condemned to torment thousands of years ago. There, Dream learns that Lucifer has abandoned his domain. When Lucifer gives the Hell's key (and therefore, the ownership of Hell) to the Sandman, Morpheus himself becomes
Dream travels to Hell to free a former lover, Nada, whom he condemned to torment thousands of years ago. There, Dream learns that Lucifer has abandoned his domain. When Lucifer gives the Hell's key (and therefore, the ownership of Hell) to the Sandman, Morpheus himself becomes
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trapped in a tangled network of threats, promises, and lies as gods and demons from various pantheons seek ownership of Hell. Show Less
LibraryThing member pokylittlepuppy
Cool. I liked the angels a lot. Though, I like it best when they manage to keep character design consistent throughout a comics series; it annoyed me that Lucifer is scarier looking than he is the first time we saw him -- or is it less scary looking, I don't know -- anyway I liked the Goldilocks
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version from book 1 best. Makes an impression.The story with the banquet and the offers and the just decisionmaking was a pretty typical type story. It was fine.The standalone issue with the ghost boys is really good.(And the old-timey artist bios are sort of funny.) Show Less
LibraryThing member heidilove
this is one of the best in the series
LibraryThing member Xirxe
Even The Lord of Dreams is not without fail. And so he has to admit, it has been a mistake to damn a young woman into hell, who rejected to stay with him to all eternity. So he sets of to hell to unchain and to release her, being prepared that it will be a quite difficult problem. And thus it
Great, a 'Sandman-book' again with a continuous story, which also refers to former books. It's exciting and the chronicle stimulates thinking about the existence of hell: How would it be without hell? What would be about heaven? And what about all the unfortunate souls?
It's a fantastic story with a surprising twist, which in my opinion slides a little bit too much towards Happy-End. Someway I have imagined the solution will be more dramatic. But maybe this depends on the other books I've read in the weeks before. Too many bloodthirsty thrillers :-)
The drawings are - like always - exceptional good, so you really sink into the atmosphere of this book. Great stuff!
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happended, but entirely different than he has imagined... Great, a 'Sandman-book' again with a continuous story, which also refers to former books. It's exciting and the chronicle stimulates thinking about the existence of hell: How would it be without hell? What would be about heaven? And what about all the unfortunate souls?
It's a fantastic story with a surprising twist, which in my opinion slides a little bit too much towards Happy-End. Someway I have imagined the solution will be more dramatic. But maybe this depends on the other books I've read in the weeks before. Too many bloodthirsty thrillers :-)
The drawings are - like always - exceptional good, so you really sink into the atmosphere of this book. Great stuff!
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LibraryThing member Terpsichoreus
It is unfortunate that Gaiman seems to be unable to surrender his archetypal cast to either humanity or inhumanity, but lets them sit awkwardly in the middle. Though he often presents Dream and his siblings as falling to love or petty squabbling, their reactions to such are often not to work
Dream, like most if not all of Gaiman's protagonists, seems to operate merely as an oculus for the reader, and we often find his own chance at decision revoked. The same is true of American Gods or Neverwhere, where any conflict set up against the main character tends to be resolved without growth or change since there is no decision made.
It is perhaps Gaiman's reticence on these archetypal characters which provides that the dialogue of this collection is often ungainly and without art. Gaiman works better when knee-deep in humanity than when trying to work beyond it.
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towards decision, but to subside. In those cases where they do act, it becomes merely a meaningless exercise to continue the story. When this is done for the purpose of framing other tales and interweaving ideas, it does not bother so much, but when it is the story itself, it loses that edge.Dream, like most if not all of Gaiman's protagonists, seems to operate merely as an oculus for the reader, and we often find his own chance at decision revoked. The same is true of American Gods or Neverwhere, where any conflict set up against the main character tends to be resolved without growth or change since there is no decision made.
It is perhaps Gaiman's reticence on these archetypal characters which provides that the dialogue of this collection is often ungainly and without art. Gaiman works better when knee-deep in humanity than when trying to work beyond it.
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LibraryThing member Audacity88
I have noticed Dream becoming less and less arrogant. I don't like it. Conventional wisdom says that the protagonist of a story must change, but one of the things I liked most about the Sandman was his immutability, which we first see in the silence that he maintains during his decades of
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imprisonment in Preludes and Nocturnes. Anyway, Morpheus's spinelessness made the interaction with Hell that forms the connecting story arc of this book much less enjoyable for me than the previous one. Plus the decision of Lucifer's that sparks the whole issue is totally out of character. Show Less
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
WARNING - SLIGHT SPOILERS
There was much to like about The Sandman Vol. 4: Season of Mists starting with the gathering of the clan, seeing how the Endless react with each other, and having Morpheus’s error of judgement pointed out to him by his siblings. We are taken back to the story of Nada and
So what happens when Lucifer decides to quit, and the gates of Hell are closed? Where do the dead go? Where indeed does Lucifer go? These questions are all answered in Season of Mists, and answered to my great satisfaction. Gaiman has once again provided a story that makes the reader think on a wider scale, but he also never hesitates to give us an appreciation of the smaller moments in life, be it the birth of a baby or a beautiful sunset.
My biggest delight in Season of the Mists was probably my surprise in the direction that the story took. It started off looking like this was going to be a tale of epic battle. Showing Dream storming the gates of Hell, battling Lucifer to get back the women he condemned to be there. Instead, with a simple twist, the story is taken into another direction entirely, and Lucifer gets his revenge by trapping Dream into a responsibility that he did not look for or want.
I can't wait to see where we are going to be taken next.
There was much to like about The Sandman Vol. 4: Season of Mists starting with the gathering of the clan, seeing how the Endless react with each other, and having Morpheus’s error of judgement pointed out to him by his siblings. We are taken back to the story of Nada and
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how Morpheus condemned her to Hell. Now he is on a quest to correct his mistake and in typical Gaiman style the story is epic and brings in the gods of mythology, as well as deities from various religions and even visitors from the fey. A typical mixed bag that this author seems to delight in writing about.So what happens when Lucifer decides to quit, and the gates of Hell are closed? Where do the dead go? Where indeed does Lucifer go? These questions are all answered in Season of Mists, and answered to my great satisfaction. Gaiman has once again provided a story that makes the reader think on a wider scale, but he also never hesitates to give us an appreciation of the smaller moments in life, be it the birth of a baby or a beautiful sunset.
My biggest delight in Season of the Mists was probably my surprise in the direction that the story took. It started off looking like this was going to be a tale of epic battle. Showing Dream storming the gates of Hell, battling Lucifer to get back the women he condemned to be there. Instead, with a simple twist, the story is taken into another direction entirely, and Lucifer gets his revenge by trapping Dream into a responsibility that he did not look for or want.
I can't wait to see where we are going to be taken next.
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LibraryThing member hailelib
Season of Mists has some very good stories with an interesting introduction by Harlan Ellison. I liked the meeting of the Endless where Dream decides that he must rescue Nada from Hell and thus sets in motion what follows. Well, what would happen if Lucifer Morningstar resigned and closed Hell?
LibraryThing member poonamsharma
After collection of short stories in part 3, finally a complete one. So, our sandman is not above fault either. You meet his family and realise he has been unjust to am mortal woman. Sandman set to right an old wrong and visits Hell, where prince Lucifer awaits whom he had insulted in Part 2. Nice
P.S: Oh, have I ever mentioned that Morpheus has a crow called Mathew that serves and calls Boss. Part 1-2. Now 4-5.
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novella. P.S: Oh, have I ever mentioned that Morpheus has a crow called Mathew that serves and calls Boss. Part 1-2. Now 4-5.
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LibraryThing member clfisha
An Endless family meeting descends quickly into accusation and argument, yet serves its purpose to make Dream rethink his actions and free his former lover from hell. Hell where Lucifer is waiting and has sworn revenge.
The slow unfurling universe of the Sandman universe takes centre stage, spinning
The slow unfurling universe of the Sandman universe takes centre stage, spinning
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to take in to unusual and unexpected directions, scattering pure gems of self contained shorts. This is why think this volume showcase the delights of Sandman so well, even if it’s not my favourite it's a wonderful story with its grab bag of myths and wonderful short story "Charles Rowland Concludes His Education". Sadly whilst the arts better the colouring is still pretty awful Show Less
LibraryThing member Anniik
I like these more and more every time I read one. This is one of my favorites so far. :) Love the Heaven and Hell stuff, and meeting all of the Endless.
LibraryThing member phredfrancis
This was an enjoyable tale to re-read. It seems like this is the point at which the Sandman hit a consistent stride, balancing tales of larger-than-life mythological figures with some human (and nonhuman) drama. I particularly liked the way an epic plot point (the dead coming back to life
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worldwide) was dramatized by a story of one boy's encounter with the souls that flood back to their old boarding school. It was a nice departure from the parade of gods and superhumans, and it had that pleasantly creepy touch that Gaiman does so well. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Language
Original publication date
1992-07-21
ISBN
1563890356 / 9781563890352
Local notes
Beautiful hardback with embossed cover. -- DHF