The Sandman
by Cherie Lee
[cover_image]1401210821[/cover_image]
Recently I started reading Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series of graphic novels. This is the story of the real Sandman, master of dreams, also known as Morpheus, Dream King, or simply, Dream. He is one of the Endless--immortal entities of which there are: Destiny, Death, Dream, Desire, Dispair, and Delirium (and one that fled the fold). The Sandman is closest with his sister Death who is a very lovable character in spite of (or perhaps because of?) her job.
I’ve never really gotten into graphic novels because I prefer to let my own pictures form in my head. I did read a little of Elf Quest because the illustrations are gorgeous, but I could never follow the story after it got complicated. However, the illustrations of Sandman started out as the opposite for me. I was unimpressed with the visual look of the first volume Preludes and Nocturnes, except for the very last story. But I love Gaiman’s writing, so I was able to get past any reservations due to the art. And I found that I came to like the art more after a change in illustrators. The Sandman is made up of very dark and abstract stories that you often have to think a lot about before they make sense. You can also read them chronologically (as I am doing) and still feel like you’re missing a lot. However, I feel that what you’re missing is purposeful unlike many other comic storylines which I often feel become too complicated for any one person to follow because of the sheer volume of issues. Sandman, in fact, is a pretty fast read and I’m nearly done with the entire series. There’s also generally a lining of hope or optimism that shines brightly against the darkness of the stories, and if you’re a fan of Gaiman’s novels, chances are you’ll like these as well.
Blog Post