Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Vertigo (2015), Edition: Deluxe, 224 pages
Description
Twenty-five years since THE SANDMAN first changed the landscape of modern comics, Neil Gaiman's legendary series is back in a deluxe edition! THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE heralds NEW YORK TIMES best-selling writer Neil Gaiman's return to the art form that made him famous, ably abetted by artistic luminary JH Williams III (BATWOMAN, PROMETHEA), whose lush, widescreen images provide an epic scope to The Sandman's origin story. From the birth of a galaxy to the moment that Morpheus is captured, THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE will feature cameo appearances by fan-favorite characters such as The Corinthian, Merv Pumpkinhead and, of course, the Dream King's siblings: Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, Destruction and Destiny.
User reviews
LibraryThing member paradoxosalpha
The six-issue Sandman: Overture comics series was the last to be created for the title character. It was published more than fifteen years after the seventy-fifth and last number of the original Sandman title, which had in its day been fantasy writer Neil Gaiman's largest and highest-profile comics
Although I was an active comics reader during the heyday of the lauded former serial, and it certainly fit my general tastes, for whatever reason, I haven't read it--even though it has remained in print in trade paperback collections ever since. It has new currency now with the release of the big-money-small-screen version from Netflix. So when I considered reading some of the comics this summer, I decided to start with Overture. After reading the copious creators' notes and interviews in this volume, I realize that the intended audience for Overture were really longtime fans and knowledgeable readers of Sandman. Oh, well. I didn't find it difficult to follow, although I suppose it would have been a richer read if I had been familiar with the other work.
The art in this book is outstanding, with the lines and shades by J.H. Williams III (of Promethea fame) and amazing colors by Dave Stewart. Another key contributor, who doesn't appear on the cover but still features among the creative personnel interviewed in the end matter, is letterer Todd Klein. Perennial Gaiman collaborator Dave McKean also provided cover art for the series.
Among comics, I was most reminded of the Eternity story arc from 1970s Doctor Strange, although Williams and Gaiman in their remarks refer to Jim Steranko rather than Gene Colan as a visual comics influence. In literature generally, Gaiman's "Endless" characters reminded me most of Tanith Lee's "Lords of Darkness" in her Tales from the Flat Earth books. They are not mere personifications of abstract concepts. It might be more accurate to call them hypostases of cosmic principles--but ones that somehow elicit the reader's human sympathy.
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work. As "Overture" suggests, this later sequence supplies a story set immediately prior to the main series, anticipating its themes and forms.Although I was an active comics reader during the heyday of the lauded former serial, and it certainly fit my general tastes, for whatever reason, I haven't read it--even though it has remained in print in trade paperback collections ever since. It has new currency now with the release of the big-money-small-screen version from Netflix. So when I considered reading some of the comics this summer, I decided to start with Overture. After reading the copious creators' notes and interviews in this volume, I realize that the intended audience for Overture were really longtime fans and knowledgeable readers of Sandman. Oh, well. I didn't find it difficult to follow, although I suppose it would have been a richer read if I had been familiar with the other work.
The art in this book is outstanding, with the lines and shades by J.H. Williams III (of Promethea fame) and amazing colors by Dave Stewart. Another key contributor, who doesn't appear on the cover but still features among the creative personnel interviewed in the end matter, is letterer Todd Klein. Perennial Gaiman collaborator Dave McKean also provided cover art for the series.
Among comics, I was most reminded of the Eternity story arc from 1970s Doctor Strange, although Williams and Gaiman in their remarks refer to Jim Steranko rather than Gene Colan as a visual comics influence. In literature generally, Gaiman's "Endless" characters reminded me most of Tanith Lee's "Lords of Darkness" in her Tales from the Flat Earth books. They are not mere personifications of abstract concepts. It might be more accurate to call them hypostases of cosmic principles--but ones that somehow elicit the reader's human sympathy.
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LibraryThing member asxz
... in which Morpheus tries to act as go between with his estranged parents Father Time and Mother Night.
OK so since Neil Gaiman last wrote Sandman he has divorced the mother of his children and remarried. Of course this was always going to bleed into the story of his best loved storyteller. I
Having a character called Hope was a little on the nose but who am I to judge when I gave my only daughter the same name?
Cameos from the Kindly Ones and the Endless siblings with brief glimpses of the Corinthian, Merv, Mad Hettie et al made this a kind of greatest hits tour, but it's all good. It's Gaiman writing Sandman and it's gorgeous.
All the essays at the end interviewing the various creators were kind of excellent also.
OK so since Neil Gaiman last wrote Sandman he has divorced the mother of his children and remarried. Of course this was always going to bleed into the story of his best loved storyteller. I
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didn't mind it. Having a character called Hope was a little on the nose but who am I to judge when I gave my only daughter the same name?
Cameos from the Kindly Ones and the Endless siblings with brief glimpses of the Corinthian, Merv, Mad Hettie et al made this a kind of greatest hits tour, but it's all good. It's Gaiman writing Sandman and it's gorgeous.
All the essays at the end interviewing the various creators were kind of excellent also.
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LibraryThing member wealhtheowwylfing
Ages ago Dream acted out of mercy and let a mad star live, and now it is destroying the universe. To stop it, he must convince his parents, Time and Night, to help him undo his mistake. Apropos to the time-twistiness of this tale, it's set both before and after the original Sandman comics. It
The writing is good and the universe-building imaginative, but what really impressed me about this trade is the art. Every page is a work of art. And the last few pages are a fascinating backstage look at how this trade was made, which was great.
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explains just a little more about the original Sandman (specifically, what weakened Dream enough to get trapped by a human magician) and provides just a bit more background on Dream's duties, his family, and the strange universe they live in. But it avoids leaning on the Sandman comics, beyond requiring a bit of familiarity with them to appreciate the tale. The writing is good and the universe-building imaginative, but what really impressed me about this trade is the art. Every page is a work of art. And the last few pages are a fascinating backstage look at how this trade was made, which was great.
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LibraryThing member elam11
This is, aesthetically, my favorite Sandman volume, I think. The story could be a little on the nose, and Dream is just kind of a slow-moving tragedy, it seems, but the visuals! Wow! Two sets of fold-out pages. Art that was worth looking at!
I don't just mean it was pretty, either. My big sticking
It's an interesting story, bittersweet with the knowledge that you know where Dream is going next, and next, and next. It's also a fantastic visual feast.
I don't just mean it was pretty, either. My big sticking
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point with graphic novels, the thing that takes them from very good or excellent into amazingly fantastic is how much they take advantage of the visual medium to tell the story alongside the words. Or at least, how much detail is there to pore over, spotting new things with each sweep of your eyes? This had that. The city of stars! The realm of night! The realm of time! All the different aspects of Dream (and Death, too; we saw a lot more different renderings of her than ever before as well)! It's an interesting story, bittersweet with the knowledge that you know where Dream is going next, and next, and next. It's also a fantastic visual feast.
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LibraryThing member questbird
A new Sandman slots in between the first and the last, to explain why the Lord of Dremes was able to be captured so easily in the first volume by a bunch of two-bit magicians in England. It is executed in phanstasmogorical colours and includes various fold-out pages. We are introduced to Father
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Time and Mother Night, and a panoply of living stars, aspects of Dream and orphaned alien races. Overall it's a reasonably successful return to the Sandman universe. Show Less
LibraryThing member Oberon
The Sandman: Overture by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman made his mark writing The Sandman. Gaiman took an old DC Comics character from the 70s and used the character to create an astonishingly complex mythology. Sandman grew to become one of the most critically acclaimed comics of all time and launched
The Sandman: Overture is flat out gorgeous. Knowing they have a hit on their hand, Vertigo (the publisher) gave the deluxe edition the time, money and attention to detail that a writer of Gaiman's stature can command. It is interesting to contrast it with the early comics contained in Preludes and Nocturnes to see just how much additional work went into this deluxe edition. From a purely stylistic point of view, The Sandman: Overture is a visual treat.
As to the story, this is a prequel in name only. As a dedicated fan of Gaiman who has read all of the Sandman series and almost all of the spin-offs, the story was a fantastic, nostalgic trip through Gaiman's elaborate multiverse. However, this is not the place to introduce a new reader to the Sandman universe. The Sandman: Overture is simply too complex a story with too many careful references to its own mythology to be fully appreciated by a new Sandman reader. Sandman: Overture was everything I hoped it would be - a gorgeous return of fantastic and well loved characters back for a curtain call. It just wasn't an introduction. When my children are old enough to read the Sandman series I will start with Prelude and Nocturnes or perhaps one of the approachable one-offs like Dream Hunters. Sandman: Overture will remain as a fitting capstone that reminds the readers that one of Gaiman's principal themes in the Sandman was the tension between eternity and change.
Neil Gaiman made his mark writing The Sandman. Gaiman took an old DC Comics character from the 70s and used the character to create an astonishingly complex mythology. Sandman grew to become one of the most critically acclaimed comics of all time and launched
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Gaiman on to his hugely successful books and other endeavors. Sandman: Overture is Gaiman returning to the world and the characters he last left in the mid-90s. Styled as a prequel, Sandman: Overture tells the story of how Dream a/k/a Morpheus has become trapped in Preludes and Nocturnes (the first of the collected Sandman books). The Sandman: Overture is flat out gorgeous. Knowing they have a hit on their hand, Vertigo (the publisher) gave the deluxe edition the time, money and attention to detail that a writer of Gaiman's stature can command. It is interesting to contrast it with the early comics contained in Preludes and Nocturnes to see just how much additional work went into this deluxe edition. From a purely stylistic point of view, The Sandman: Overture is a visual treat.
As to the story, this is a prequel in name only. As a dedicated fan of Gaiman who has read all of the Sandman series and almost all of the spin-offs, the story was a fantastic, nostalgic trip through Gaiman's elaborate multiverse. However, this is not the place to introduce a new reader to the Sandman universe. The Sandman: Overture is simply too complex a story with too many careful references to its own mythology to be fully appreciated by a new Sandman reader. Sandman: Overture was everything I hoped it would be - a gorgeous return of fantastic and well loved characters back for a curtain call. It just wasn't an introduction. When my children are old enough to read the Sandman series I will start with Prelude and Nocturnes or perhaps one of the approachable one-offs like Dream Hunters. Sandman: Overture will remain as a fitting capstone that reminds the readers that one of Gaiman's principal themes in the Sandman was the tension between eternity and change.
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LibraryThing member greeniezona
Why did it take me so long to read this?
No, really. This book has been sitting on my shelf since at least last year's readathon, but I didn't get it read until this one. Was I just not ready to read what is supposed to be the final chapter (again) of Gaiman's Sandman story? Was I resisting because
Probably a little bit of all of that.
This prequel answers the question, where was Dream returning from when he was caught in the snare that sets off events in Preludes and Nocturnes? (If you are new to Sandman, I would still recommend starting with Preludes and Nocturnes and come back to Overture later.) It definitely does not answer all the questions though, especially the question of why Desire is so determined to make Dream spill family blood. I mean, personality conflicts I get, but that feels like there has to be a specific story behind it.
Anyway, this book was consistent with what I've come to expect from Sandman -- a vaguely convoluted story with a sprawling cast of characters, an amazing and diverse collection of art - from beautiful and celestial to old-fashioned Victorian to threateningly disconcerting. I liked meeting Dream's parents, particularly his mother. And the fold-out pages were used very effectively.
I'm going to have to re-read the whole series now, aren't I?
No, really. This book has been sitting on my shelf since at least last year's readathon, but I didn't get it read until this one. Was I just not ready to read what is supposed to be the final chapter (again) of Gaiman's Sandman story? Was I resisting because
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I thought it might compel me to re-read the entire series? (It might.) Was I hesitant to re-enter the world of Sandman, afraid it wouldn't hold up in its importance to me now that it held in my early adulthood?Probably a little bit of all of that.
This prequel answers the question, where was Dream returning from when he was caught in the snare that sets off events in Preludes and Nocturnes? (If you are new to Sandman, I would still recommend starting with Preludes and Nocturnes and come back to Overture later.) It definitely does not answer all the questions though, especially the question of why Desire is so determined to make Dream spill family blood. I mean, personality conflicts I get, but that feels like there has to be a specific story behind it.
Anyway, this book was consistent with what I've come to expect from Sandman -- a vaguely convoluted story with a sprawling cast of characters, an amazing and diverse collection of art - from beautiful and celestial to old-fashioned Victorian to threateningly disconcerting. I liked meeting Dream's parents, particularly his mother. And the fold-out pages were used very effectively.
I'm going to have to re-read the whole series now, aren't I?
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LibraryThing member ssimon2000
I received this from Edelweiss and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review.
I'm completely unfamiliar with Sandman other than knowing that it ran for 75 issues and was written by Neil Gaiman. I was hoping that this would be a good jumping off point into the series, but I had a hard time
The artwork was odd, and some of the fonts used were very difficult to read.
I'm completely unfamiliar with Sandman other than knowing that it ran for 75 issues and was written by Neil Gaiman. I was hoping that this would be a good jumping off point into the series, but I had a hard time
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following what was happening. The artwork was odd, and some of the fonts used were very difficult to read.
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LibraryThing member StormRaven
Serving as both the coda to, and prequel for the Sandman series, Sandman: Overture is a perfect send-off for the series. Set prior to the events of the first book, but dependent upon the lore that Gaiman has built up over the previous ten graphic novels and short fiction collection, Overture is
At the outset, one must be clear that despite being a prequel, and thus the telling of the very first portion of the "story" of Dream, this is probably not a particularly good entry point into the series. Overture is littered with references to people and events that appeared previously in the series. In most cases, these cameos are just that, providing small Easter eggs as a nod in the direction of fans of the series. In several other points, the plot of this book depends in part upon understanding who these characters are, or how a particular piece of established lore works, which is fine for people who have read previous books about Dream and the world he lives in, but potentially confusing for anyone unfamiliar with the Sandman series. The very nature of who Dream is, who the Endless are, and how they operate is simply taken as a given in this volume, and without explanation, these elements are likely to make much of the story opaque at best to a reader who is not already familiar with these elements.
Overture is one of the most straightforward of the stories featuring Dream, and at the same time, one of the most alien. After a brief introduction, Dream is pulled away from Earth by an irresistible summons that compels him to journey to a distant part of the universe. Once there, he meets with a myriad of other versions of himself, and learns that the very fabric of existence is threatened by an ill-advised act of mercy he had performed in the past. From there, Dream sets out on an expedition accompanied by a giant cat that is allegedly himself in cat form. Along the way he finds Hope, an ordinary girl whose family was killed by vandals. Dream's quest takes him to the city of the stars, his father's home, his mother's domain, and eventually, to his brother Destiny and a ship that shouldn't exist. Eventually, Dream manages to set things right (this being a prequel, the entire existence of the remaining stories pretty much depend on this being the case), but almost fittingly for the series, does so in such a way that no one - not even Dream - remembers the crisis or the sacrifices made to avert catastrophe.
All of the Sandman stories have a dreamlike and almost surreal quality to them, and Overture is no exception. In fact, Overture takes these qualities and elevates them to new heights - driven largely by J.H. Williams' brilliantly evocative artwork, Dave Stewart's vivid colors, and Todd Klein's inventive lettering. Every element of this book builds on the others, yielding an end result that is at times merely as vaguely unsettling as an actual dream, and at others reminiscent of a nightmarish hallucination. The choices made in illustrating and presenting this book are bold - ranging from the brilliant light of the city of the stars to the entirely black page representing the inside of a black hole. Each piece of the book is chosen to create the maximum effect. Art styles shift between locations with, for example, Father Time's domain drawn in a simplified, cartoonish style that contrasts it with much of the rest of the book. Even the fonts selected for certain characters and way the various panels are framed and presented are used to further immerse the reader into the story.
[More forthcoming]
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something of a love note from the author to fans that includes nods in the direction of previous volumes while also carving out a new story mostly unrelated to the old. With beautiful artwork provided by J.H. Williams and a story that is at turns gloomy, depressing, and tense, this book is a colorful and somber finale to Dream's story that explains much and yet still allows enough room for a few tantalizing enigmas.At the outset, one must be clear that despite being a prequel, and thus the telling of the very first portion of the "story" of Dream, this is probably not a particularly good entry point into the series. Overture is littered with references to people and events that appeared previously in the series. In most cases, these cameos are just that, providing small Easter eggs as a nod in the direction of fans of the series. In several other points, the plot of this book depends in part upon understanding who these characters are, or how a particular piece of established lore works, which is fine for people who have read previous books about Dream and the world he lives in, but potentially confusing for anyone unfamiliar with the Sandman series. The very nature of who Dream is, who the Endless are, and how they operate is simply taken as a given in this volume, and without explanation, these elements are likely to make much of the story opaque at best to a reader who is not already familiar with these elements.
Overture is one of the most straightforward of the stories featuring Dream, and at the same time, one of the most alien. After a brief introduction, Dream is pulled away from Earth by an irresistible summons that compels him to journey to a distant part of the universe. Once there, he meets with a myriad of other versions of himself, and learns that the very fabric of existence is threatened by an ill-advised act of mercy he had performed in the past. From there, Dream sets out on an expedition accompanied by a giant cat that is allegedly himself in cat form. Along the way he finds Hope, an ordinary girl whose family was killed by vandals. Dream's quest takes him to the city of the stars, his father's home, his mother's domain, and eventually, to his brother Destiny and a ship that shouldn't exist. Eventually, Dream manages to set things right (this being a prequel, the entire existence of the remaining stories pretty much depend on this being the case), but almost fittingly for the series, does so in such a way that no one - not even Dream - remembers the crisis or the sacrifices made to avert catastrophe.
All of the Sandman stories have a dreamlike and almost surreal quality to them, and Overture is no exception. In fact, Overture takes these qualities and elevates them to new heights - driven largely by J.H. Williams' brilliantly evocative artwork, Dave Stewart's vivid colors, and Todd Klein's inventive lettering. Every element of this book builds on the others, yielding an end result that is at times merely as vaguely unsettling as an actual dream, and at others reminiscent of a nightmarish hallucination. The choices made in illustrating and presenting this book are bold - ranging from the brilliant light of the city of the stars to the entirely black page representing the inside of a black hole. Each piece of the book is chosen to create the maximum effect. Art styles shift between locations with, for example, Father Time's domain drawn in a simplified, cartoonish style that contrasts it with much of the rest of the book. Even the fonts selected for certain characters and way the various panels are framed and presented are used to further immerse the reader into the story.
[More forthcoming]
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LibraryThing member ladycato
I read this as part of the Hugo finalist packet.
I have tried to get into Sandman before, a long time ago. This graphic novel reminded me of why I bounced off the comic in my previous attempt. The very nature of the Sandman world--the story and the flow of the artwork--is weird and unsettling, as
I have tried to get into Sandman before, a long time ago. This graphic novel reminded me of why I bounced off the comic in my previous attempt. The very nature of the Sandman world--the story and the flow of the artwork--is weird and unsettling, as
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I'm sure it's intended to be; it's just not my thing. That said, I found this graphic novel compelling enough to finish, and I really came to enjoy two of the characters: the cat and the girl. Gaiman does have a masterful way of creating realistic, deep characters in a scant amount of space. Show Less
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
It's 1915, the universe is about to end and Dream knows that it's his fault, he saved a star and that star is now creating havoc. Dream has to fight the inertia to allow this to happen. It will leave him exhausted and depleted and possibly glad to be caught and able to allow his reserves to build
The story is excellent and the artwork better. I particularly love the cat with it's almost celtic swirls.
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up again at the beginning of the original series.The story is excellent and the artwork better. I particularly love the cat with it's almost celtic swirls.
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LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
They say you can never recapture the past...
But this book warped me right back into a certain time and place that sure felt like it. There was a magic about discovering The Sandman back in 1989, and Gaiman & crew have still got it.
It's also *about* time... and place... and going back to deal with
Just about perfect.
A note: I had this as an eBook, and after taking a peek, opted to wait to enjoy it until I could get my hands on a print version. I'm glad that I did. The page layouts aren't really suited to panel viewing (too complex and non-linear), and there are too many details to really appreciate it on a small tablet. The hardcover 'deluxe' edition is recommended!
_____
March 2016: Nominated for Hugo.
But this book warped me right back into a certain time and place that sure felt like it. There was a magic about discovering The Sandman back in 1989, and Gaiman & crew have still got it.
It's also *about* time... and place... and going back to deal with
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what you've done in the past, with other versions of who you could have been - what is 'you' and what is 'other' - about responsibilities, and consequences, and being stubbornly independent to a fault. Awfully apropos, in many ways.Just about perfect.
A note: I had this as an eBook, and after taking a peek, opted to wait to enjoy it until I could get my hands on a print version. I'm glad that I did. The page layouts aren't really suited to panel viewing (too complex and non-linear), and there are too many details to really appreciate it on a small tablet. The hardcover 'deluxe' edition is recommended!
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March 2016: Nominated for Hugo.
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LibraryThing member EllsbethB
This is the most beautiful comic I've read up to this point. The art is stunning and creatively helps to tell the story. I enjoyed the shifting styles and breaking out of the traditional panel format. The story itself was also very intriguing. This is my first Sandman book and I realize I missed a
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lot of the subtlety by not being familiar with this universe. None the the less, this was a captivating and well told story. I look forward to reading more. Show Less
LibraryThing member dono421846
I'm not entirely sure I fully followed the narrative here: the thought that anything could NOT be in Destiny's book is confusing, that the object in question was a thing of dream stuff not under the control of Dream makes it even more curious. Nonetheless, the opportunity to revisit these
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characters was wonderful. Gimme more. Show Less
LibraryThing member BenKline
Firstly, this is a beautiful comic book. Gorgeous drawings, crisp lines, etc.
Secondly.... I definitely think I should have started with THE SANDMAN regular, and not this, despite it being a prequel. (Damn you Hershey Library not having the regular SANDMAN and only this! *shakes fist*).
I will say,
Secondly.... I definitely think I should have started with THE SANDMAN regular, and not this, despite it being a prequel. (Damn you Hershey Library not having the regular SANDMAN and only this! *shakes fist*).
I will say,
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it left me a bit lost... but I caught up, but I think there would have been a lot more to this *IF* I had read the original comic run first, and then come back to this. (As which is apparently recommended by everyone on here, if I had bothered to look here first.) Show Less
LibraryThing member jen.e.moore
That was wonderfully, utterly Sandman: it blends perfectly with the existing story and fills in some holes I'd always wondered about.
LibraryThing member DarthDeverell
The Sandman: Overture concludes Neil Gaiman's Sandman series by returning to the events that led to Dream's imprisonment prior to the first volume. This story explores more of the universe of the Endless, including their parents, while examining the nature of time. J.H. Williams' artwork is at its
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best, with gorgeous spreads and fold-out pages and different styles to represent the different planes on which parts of the story take place. Both Gaiman's writing and Williams' art make the wait for this book well worth it and beg to be read over and over. Fans and newcomers will delight. The Deluxe Edition contains interviews about the writing, art, and lettering of the story. Show Less
LibraryThing member nicholasjjordan
JH Williams III's art alone could've carried this, but more good Sandman-ness from Gaiman too.
LibraryThing member LisCarey
Sandman is the graphic novel series that made Neil Gaiman famous. Twenty-five years after Sandman first appeared, Gaiman returns to it with Sandman's origin story.
The art is beautiful. The story starts off confusing for me, but comes together beautifully. The characters are developed in a fine and
I hesitate to say more about this. It seems to me to be important to discover the story as Gaiman and his co-creators unfold it for us. So this is a very short review.
Highly recommended. Read it!
The art is beautiful. The story starts off confusing for me, but comes together beautifully. The characters are developed in a fine and
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convincing way.I hesitate to say more about this. It seems to me to be important to discover the story as Gaiman and his co-creators unfold it for us. So this is a very short review.
Highly recommended. Read it!
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LibraryThing member Ron18
Who could ask for anything more?
Well, I could - please give us more Morpheus, Neil Gaiman. As well-deserved as his praise is for his prose writing, nothing he's done holds a candle to Sandman.
Well, I could - please give us more Morpheus, Neil Gaiman. As well-deserved as his praise is for his prose writing, nothing he's done holds a candle to Sandman.
LibraryThing member -Eva-
In which Morpheus, the Dream King, the Sandman, is pulled to a surprising gathering and goes to correct an anomaly he caused, but things go awry and the outcome makes him so exhausted that Burgess is capable of capturing him, bringing on the sleeping sickness that occurs at the beginning of the
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original Sandman series. I received news of this prequel to an, in my mind, already perfect series with huge excitement, but also some trepidation - 25 years is a long time and I wasn't sure that Gaiman would be in a position to tell a story that didn't clash with the original series in style. It didn't take too long for my fears to dissipate, though (and J.H. Williams III's absolutely astounding art helped a lot), and it was soon clear that Gaiman has kept the character safe in his mind all of these years; Dream is back, his own insensitive, self-obsessed, responsible, flawed, wonderful, magical self, the way he was when we first made his acquaintance and it is a delight (no pun intended) to meet him (and his family, including his mother and father!) again and to finally find out what made Dream so weak that someone like Roderick Burgess could capture him and keep him imprisoned for seventy-two years - it's a whopper of a tale, if you were wondering, and one that should not be missed. Show Less
LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
This is a prequel story to the Sandman series. There is no need to read this before starting the series but it is neat to read it after having read everything else. The art is amazing in this collection of issues. Part of me now wants to sit down and dive into the Sandman universe again after
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley
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reading this.Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley
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LibraryThing member Charrlygirl
This is the most beautiful book I've ever read in terms of story combined with artwork. It is absolutely gorgeous!
LibraryThing member Cail_Judy
Fantastic work. As good as anything in the original run. The drawings are insane, haven't seen anything quite like this.
LibraryThing member TobinElliott
I was expelled from the universe, by stars caught up with rhetoric and infection. I'm currently inside a Black Hole. - Dream
It's very rare to come across perfection. I believe it even more rare when it's a graphic novel with multiple creators. I'd say I've seen it only a couple of times. Claremont,
Until now. Neil Gaiman (words), J.H. Williams (images), Dave Stewart (colours), and Todd Klein (letters) have created the most gorgeous looking book I think I may have ever had the pleasure to read. And I make a point of noting the colourist and letterer, because they are often forgotten, but in this case, this book would not have been as good as it is without their input. And Gaiman's story? Brilliant.
As other will likely indicate, this is actually best considered "Sandman 0" as it is the lead in to issue #1.
I'm not going to get into it. I'll just say read it. Read it slowly and revel in the magic of the words and sights. Fall in love with this as much as I did. It's beautiful.
It's perfection.
It's very rare to come across perfection. I believe it even more rare when it's a graphic novel with multiple creators. I'd say I've seen it only a couple of times. Claremont,
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Byrne, Austin, and Orzechowski on Star-Lord's second appearance. The same team on their brilliant X-Men run...and that's possibly it.Until now. Neil Gaiman (words), J.H. Williams (images), Dave Stewart (colours), and Todd Klein (letters) have created the most gorgeous looking book I think I may have ever had the pleasure to read. And I make a point of noting the colourist and letterer, because they are often forgotten, but in this case, this book would not have been as good as it is without their input. And Gaiman's story? Brilliant.
As other will likely indicate, this is actually best considered "Sandman 0" as it is the lead in to issue #1.
I'm not going to get into it. I'll just say read it. Read it slowly and revel in the magic of the words and sights. Fall in love with this as much as I did. It's beautiful.
It's perfection.
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Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Graphic Story — 2016)
World Fantasy Award (Nominee — 2016)
British Fantasy Award (Nominee — 2016)
Dragon Award (Winner — Graphic Novel — 2016)
Great Graphic Novels for Teens (Fiction — 2016)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2015-11-04 (collection)
2013-10-30 – 2015-09-30 (issues)
Physical description
224 p.; 7.38 inches
ISBN
1401248969 / 9781401248963
Similar in this library
DDC/MDS
| 741.5 |
Pages
224