The Absolute Sandman, Volume One
Ratings44
Average rating4.7
15
Ratings44
Average rating4.7
Reviews with the most likes.
Firstly, let me say that this compendium of Sandman comics is a beast of book. It is heavy and awkward, but beautifully made. Maybe not the easiest to read, but it is a fantastic work of art...
As to the stories themselves, Neil Gaiman totally refreshed the sandman mythos when he came to this. It is interesting, as these are some of his earlier works but you can see how is later oeuvre borrows heavily on the ideas presented here. The Anthropomorphizing of gods and concepts is something that he uses frequently in later American Gods and contemporaneously with Sandman in Good Omens for example.
The surreal dreamy world he has produced gives a wonderful darkness and whimsy to the world the Sandman inhabits, as befits a being of dreams. The basic story progression of trying to restore his power after being imprisoned. This allows us to be introduced to some of the characters, and also allows Gaiman to fit his Sandman into the universe inhabited by previous iterations of the character. Some of these characters met are downright brilliant - Death as a teenage girl is wonderful realization.
The artwork here fits very well with the dreaminess inherent in the Sandman character. There is a reason this comic series is so well loved. This has to go down as one of the best graphic novels I have read!
I have ever only read one book by Neil Gaimen before and that was American Gods. It was pretty good but just not my kind of book. I could see then though that Neil was a true story teller. Nothing could have stregthened this belief more than this book. The short stories interweaved with smaller stories leave you wanting more on every step and its almost impossible to stop with Volume One. While Sandman may be the key protagonist, this journey is so much more. It has some great characters and some really likable interludes. One of the best I have read this year for sure. Onwards!
This includes the first 20 issues of the Sandman, covered by Preludes & Nocturnes and Dream Country in the graphic novels, re-colorized (a much-needed task) and presented in “prestige format” (the new slightly over-sized style of hardcovers).
An added bonus is the inclusion of all the Charles Vess pencils for the World Fantasy Award-winning story “A Midsummer Night's Dream” (issue #19).
The price might seem a bit high for some, but a devoted Gaiman fan (or comic book fan, for that matter) really should think about adding this to their collection.
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Series
11 primary books15 released booksThe Sandman is a 28-book series with 11 primary works first released in 1988 with contributions by Neil Gaiman, Hy Bender, and 27 others.
Series
4 primary books5 released booksThe Absolute Sandman is a 13-book series with 4 primary works first released in 1990 with contributions by Neil Gaiman, Jotapê Martins, and 2 others.
Series
3 primary booksSandman Edición Absolute is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 1990 with contributions by Neil Gaiman, Bryan Talbot, and 8 others.
