The Dreamlord believes Shakespeare to be a man who can write tales that will be remembered for centuries and that will create furtive dreams for millions. He gives Shakespeare direction to write A Midsummer Night's Dream , which is first performed on a hillside to an audience of faeries and imps, many of whom are mentioned by name in the play.
This kind of fancy, mixing truth and fiction, flows throughout The Sandman. It is these stories, the ones more focused on single moments, that are the most enjoyable tales in the series. The final four issues of Absolute Sandman Vol. Among these, "A Dream of a Thousand Cats" is perhaps the most beloved. It follows a kitten who escapes from his suburban home and journeys to a graveyard gathering of other domesticated felines.
They listen to the tale of a cat that saw in a dream the true history of their kind. She has undertaken a surprising mission, one that reveals the true potential of dreams. Sandman is synonymous with Vertigo, but the series began before the imprint was ever launched. The series would later move further from referencing the DCU, a somewhat unnatural evolution, but in this collection, the DCU is quite prevalent. The series was launched as a horror book, with some fantasy elements mixed in sparingly.
As it evolved, the horror elements faded somewhat, particularly in the latter stages. The first 20 issues are some of the darkest moments in the series, reflecting the initial focus of a twist horror series. This is horror in its most classic sense. It won't leave you terrified to sleep, but it may darken the skies and brighten the moon outside your window.
As with Absolute Watchmen , DC went back through Sandman and recolored almost all of the issues collected. They are fresh and vibrant compared to previous collections.
The larger format of the Absolute edition does wonders for the art. I had long underappreciated Sam Kieth's work in the first five issues, but on a bigger stage and with better production, his work is stronger, creepier and more powerful. Obviously, Overture is a book any self-respecting Sandman fan needs to read. The question is whether this Deluxe Edition hardcover is the ideal way to consume the story. Until DC chooses to reprint this mini-series in their Absolute Edition format and given how comprehensive they've been with the Absolute Sandman volumes in the past, it really is just a question of when , this hardcover will do the trick.
Regardless of format, there's something to be said for simply having all six issues collected in one place. As a mini-series, Overture suffered from the sporadic release schedule.
While the original plan was for the series to be released bimonthly over the course of a year, it wound up taking two years to wrap up. This is a story that ultimately reads better as a single piece rather than a serialized tale. That's especially true since the first issue offers a fairly slow start that doesn't quite make the scope and direction of the conflict clear.
Between the glued binding and the paper stock that isn't quite thick enough, there's still room for improvement when it comes to physical quality. But there's no denying that the series looks better in the format than it did as a monthly comic. The larger page trim allows Williams' art to shine that much more. The digital comic may have the edge when it comes to showcasing Stewart's colors in all their pristine glory, but there's no substitute for seeing William's intricately rendered art on an even bigger canvas.
This hardcover includes quite a respectable slate of supplemental features. That, combined with the better presentation quality, should be more than enough to entice readers who already own the individual issues.
Several dozen pages are devoted to exploring the development process. Williams, Stewart and Klein all give interviews where they offer insight into their creative process and the choices that were made in bringing Gaiman's scripts to life.
This material is very interesting and educational, and it offers glimpses of how the artwork evolved from its rough early stages to final printed form.
The book also includes the requisite cover gallery and various sketches and concept designs from Williams. The only real disappointment is that Gaiman's own contribution is fairly minimal. He provides a foreword and a couple brief interviews, but nothing anywhere near as in-depth as what the artists offer.
Sadly, disappointing. View all 5 comments. Jan 24, Chad rated it it was amazing Shelves: Sandman is one of my all-time favorite comics. No, it's not for everyone, but if you like fantasy and horror, there is a good chance you'll like this.
It was one of the first comics written for adults at DC back in the 's. The story is about Dream, one of the Endless. They are not gods but the personification of certain intrinsic ideas. When it starts out Dream has been imprisoned for the last 70 years. He eventually escapes and must reacquire the totems he last which contain much of his pow Sandman is one of my all-time favorite comics. He eventually escapes and must reacquire the totems he last which contain much of his power.
The first two arcs are very much about Dream reestablishing his domain and putting things his house back in order while the third arc is an anthology of stories that Dream has a connection to. The absolute edition collects the first 3 volumes of the series. It's a gorgeous oversized edition and it's really heavy.
I love seeing the art stretched out to this larger size. It has also been recolored. There's a fantastic amount of backmatter. It includes Gaiman's initial proposal and story bible.
A 3-page prose recap of Preludes and Nocturnes written by Gaiman that was included before issue 8 of the series. I enjoyed seeing Gaiman's notes in the script to Charles Vess and then how he rendered those. Several pages also had Todd Klein's hand lettered word balloons which you rarely see in this kind of thing.
It's an absolute monster of a book, but it's amazing. View 2 comments. Mar 15, Leah rated it it was amazing. The below review still holds completely true. So please feel free to take the following fangirl-gasming with a grain of salt.
I love that every element of this story felt new and real and raw to me. It bewitched me. The art instantly drew me in to this comic. There were so many other fantastical tales showing the evolution of Dream. The worlds were vast. The stories showed that he can be selfless and objective, and the stories showed that he can also be selfish and cruel. I enjoyed reading about all the different aspects of Dream. Again, I highly, highly recommend reading this series!
View 1 comment. May 20, Nicolo rated it it was amazing Shelves: favorites , collected-comics. I bought this oversized, slip cased hardcover back in during Komikon. The prospect of owning a first edition first volume tantalized me. It was always volume two onwards, never a complete set.
The sweetener was I got this a slight discount which helped assuage the loss of frequent buyer points had I bought this from the book store chain. The collected edition of the Sandman series have I bought this oversized, slip cased hardcover back in during Komikon. The collected edition of the Sandman series have been reprinted countless time and in a myriad of languages, but this absolute edition contains the stories from the first three trade collections and a plethora of extras.
It includes the original detailed pitch for Sandman, character design sketches and the script for the World Fantasy award winning issue nineteen. It was interesting how Gaiman constructed a pitch that became the series bible. He almost never wavered from his original intention and was able to put into print what he intended to publish. An acclaimed series it was, it had its own share of industry awards like the Eisners, but its most distinguished accolade had to be the World Fantasy award for best short fiction for Sandman issue nineteen, an adaptation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by Gaiman and Charles Vess.
It was and will be the only comic book to have won that award as rules were changed to prevent comic books from winning thereafter. This collection includes two long arcs and a collection of short stories. It is in the short stories that Gaiman really shines. He used this short tales to build the backstory of Morpheus and how he has interacted with history and legend throughout the eons.
This is also reflected in the trade editions of Sandman, the collected arcs are interspersed with two short story collections. This is a great book, especially for me.
I am unabashedly a great admirer of Neil Gaiman. I have most of the Sandman trades, and this omnibus fills the holes I have. It is a pricey tome, but it is gorgeously designed with archival paper stock and bound in faux leather. Sandman is one of those stories that every comic fan should read. View all 4 comments. Mar 18, Jonathan rated it really liked it Shelves: horror , comics.
While I've been aware of the Sandman series for over a decade now it never really grabbed me to read it until this year. I'm very glad it did finally sink it's claws into me. The writing is superb, I've cringed, had my heart pounding, and laughed while reading this volume.
I really enjoy the dynamic between Sandman and Death and absolutely love Sandman's dry wit. Oct 25, Anthony Ryan rated it it was amazing. Considered by many, me included, to be the best comic book ever written, Neil Gaiman's now classic mix of Greek myth and modern dark fantasy remains as captivating today as when it was first published.
Aided by some of the finest artists ever to grace the medium, Gaiman crafts a fantasy epic as unconventional as it is fascinating. The Sandman marks the point at which comics finally grew up. Aug 03, Sud rated it it was amazing Shelves: comics , favorites. Collects Issue of Sandman: In the course of my life I have come across certain things from art to a classic book that are masterfully done.
Neil Gaiman's Sandman is one of those things. It is many things all at once. Some parts of it, especially near the beginning , seem to be of a Gothic horror nature ,yet, in the middle part of the volume there is a shift towards a fantasy based romp through a dreamworld.
It is a testament to Mr. Gaiman's staggering imagination. The story centers on Dream, Collects Issue of Sandman: In the course of my life I have come across certain things from art to a classic book that are masterfully done.
The story centers on Dream, one of the Endless. Dream is one of the three eldest of the Endless Death and Destiny being the other two and as such he is also one of the most powerful. Sadly being a vastly powerful godlike entity caused Dream to fall to hubris. He was captured by a sorcerer and held captive for seven decades. Once he is freed Dream must undertake a journey to learn more about himself and to avoid the mistakes that led to his hubris.
Yet, he must first recover his three powerful possessions: His helmet, his ruby and his pouch. The first half of the volume recalls the events that led to Dreams capture and then his subsequent freedom and adventures going from places like Hell to speak with Lucifer or consorting with the likes of John Constantine and Dr.
The story is dark and grim at times, yet your respect for Dream will grow with each issue. The Second part of the volume focuses on a Vortex in the dream world centered around a girl named Rose. This part of the story is bold and truly imaginative. We see entire dream worlds come to life and the variety and complexity are staggering.
The essence of this part of the volume is of Dream attempting to repair the damage to the dream state in his 70 year absence. What I enjoyed most about Sandman is the sheer scope of the characters that the reader is introduced to. I always loved the sheer variety of concepts. From meeting the reining Lords of Hell to spending time with Dream's sister Death or even his spat with Desire and Despair- all these momentous scenes are done with flair.
Gaiman's ability to anthropomorph concepts like dreaming or death are amazing and strangely apropos. The art is strangely complementary. I wish that there had been a more accomplished or detailed artist to have drawn some of these brilliant concepts, but the art does not hinder the story and in certain places helps to emphasize the dream state of the situation.
If you appreciate a grand tale or one with a variety of different folklore being introduced or a tale with cosmic entities, Neil Gaiman's Sandman is for you. Whether you follow Dream's main quest or you just take a moment and appreciate the time and imagination to even write some of the side stories. The one about the man who didn't want to die and would keep meeting Dream every years at the same spot is brilliant.
I also enjoyed the perverse Serial Killer's convention. There are some amazing feats of imagination at work here- some sights will be beautiful and others depraved. But that is the nature of Dreams. I can not recommend this enough to any and all who love a great story. Sandman is a classic work. Aug 14, J. Keely rated it liked it Shelves: reviewed , fantasy , comics. While I agree with this article that the coloring in Sandman needed to be touched-up for this definitive edition, I was very disappointed at the direction they decided to go with it.
You can see from the various examples in the article that in every case, they have replaced the bright, otherworldly colors with bland, murky photoshop blends. It's very disappointing to see a book which had such remarkable, experimental art reduced to such generic choices.
In every instance where a face was colored While I agree with this article that the coloring in Sandman needed to be touched-up for this definitive edition, I was very disappointed at the direction they decided to go with it. In every instance where a face was colored in lurid, expressionist shades, we instead get a jolly, normal pink tone.
Originally, the colors took influence from the often fantastical works of European artists like Moebius--refusing to limit their palate and exploring tones, textures, and novel uses of lighting to set the mood. But then, the prequel to Moebius' own series, L'Incal was similarly butchered by muddy, dodge-and-burn photoshoppery that completely obliterated the bright, wondrous colors of the French version.
In this new Sandman, they even take the very stones of hell and change them from bright, fiery red to a desaturated mauve--who knew demons were so fond of light pastels? Certainly, the inks needed to be darkened, but if the colors needed anything, it was to be brightened, not submerged. Sub-Genre: Fantasy. Series Title: Absolute Sandman. Format: Hardcover. Publisher: Vertigo. Age Range: Adult. Language: English. Street Date : November 1, TCIN : UPC : Originally from England, he now lives in the United States.
Report incorrect product info. Shipping details Estimated ship dimensions: 1 inches length x 8. This item cannot be shipped to the following locations: Virgin Islands, U. Return details This item can be returned to any Target store or Target. This item must be returned within 90 days of the in-store purchase, ship date or online order pickup.
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