The Sandman 1: Preludes & Nocturnes

I became aware of Neil Gaiman in general - and Sandman in particular - listening to Tori Amos as a teenager. She has a line in a song called "Tear In Your Hand," on her debut album Little Earthquakes, that goes, "If you need me, me and Neil'll be / Hangin' out with the Dream King."Way back then, I researched it and found out about Sandman. But this was before the Internet, and before I had my own money to spend.Fast forward about *mumble* years. I've read several of Gaiman's novels. I've long since stopped devouring every Tori Amos album as soon as it comes out. (Or at all, to be honest.) And I'm browsing Amazon and come across The Sandman series. So I buy the first volume. Along with one of my favorite early Tori albums, just to really get back to my roots.I read Volume 1 in one sitting. I've never been much of a fan of comics. I read The Watchmen and, at my husband's urging, one of the Batman ones. The Dark Knight something or other. I like comic book characters, I love the Marvel movies, but reading graphic novels is difficult for me. I never know which panel to go to next, and I feel like I miss things.I'm not an idiot, I swear. There's just something about the way they're put together that makes it hard for my brain to digest.The Sandman was not too difficult to grasp, though. For the most part the action was clear, and of course Neil's stories were beautiful. I loved Dream, I adored Death, the art was phenomenal, and I couldn't stop turning the pages. I absolutely cannot wait to read the rest of the series. I am forcing myself to wait a few days before I order Vol. 2, because I don't want to spend $100 in one month on comic books. I mean, I DO want to, but I probably shouldn't.

First up, all of the 10 volumes of The Sandman novels deserve 5 stars. They are a phenomenal acheivement in not only graphic novels but in storytelling itself. The story is complex and cerebral and the characters so well developed that Sandman is one of my favorite stories period. The novels are intensely violent and often disturbing but everything that happens serves a purpose, and nothing happens by chance or just for the sake of things happening. Something that happens in one volume may become vitally important 3 or 4 volumes later. By the end of the 10th volume everything has come full circle with an appropriate and satisfying end.With regards to Volume 1, many consider it to be a weak link in the series but I do not. Granted it is primarily focused on introducing characters and setting up the plot for the entire story, but it's done well. The plot concerns a cult attempting to capture and control Death. Instead they get her brother Dream, who is then held prisoner for decades. This is not without some disturbing consequences as people fall prey to a "sleeping sickness" and Dream's kingdom falls into utter disarray. Upon escaping Dream must regain control of his kingdom but in order to do so he must retrieve the sources of his power which he placed into objects. Subsequently these objects have been scattered during his imprisonment.As far as the volume's content on the Kindle Fire - I was hesitant to abandon the volumes in print worried that the Kindle Fire might provide a more difficult viewing experience. That hasn't turned out the be the case. The novel is easy to read, you can scan in to specific boxes, and the colors are vibrant.

Like almost anyone who has an interest in comics, I had heard the hype for Sandman for years. I have been a fan of Neil Gaiman's work since my early teens (American Gods and Stardust are incredible, and his short stories are a must-read!), but for some reason I had never gotten around to reading what many consider to be his magnum opus. Finally, I was hanging out at Barnes & Noble one day, waiting for a ride, and I picked up a copy of Preludes & Nocturnes. What I found left me a bit conflicted. The story was decent, and the concept of the series is spectacular. Understanding that this was just an introduction to the series and the point at which Gaiman was testing the water, it was a pretty good comic-- storywise. The art, I must say, was a turnoff. The TPB I was reading was released prior to the recoloring, and it was a mess, to say the least. So, when I found out that the recolored editions were being released in TPBs, I didn't hesitate. The newly colored and remastered edition makes a significant difference.Though the pencils and inking are still not so great, we can probably chalk that up to the fact that when the series was first published, DC wasn't throwing too much money at the production. I'm now up to Volume 5, and the story just keeps getting better, and the art becomes more beautiful by the issue. In fact, as production quality had improved by the early to mid 90's, the original print TPBs are fine to buy for volumes 6-10. My suggestion is to buy this book, enter the world of Sandman, and then keep going.

The very first time I read Sandman stories I was about 16 years old and discovered a new kind of comics, much more complex than the ones I was used to.Reading now, 16 years after that, I still got that feeling, I'm still involved by the the suspense, horror e weirdness of the stories.

er Sandmann ist eine gequälte, tragische Figur, die es durchaus mit den großen Leidenden der Weltliteratur aufnehmen kann. Er ist der Herrscher der Träume, der guten und schlechten, kurz „Dream“. Einem Shakespeare-Helden gleich plagt er sich nach Jahrzehnten in nicht gerechtfertigter Gefangenschaft durch Menschen, all seiner Kräfte und seines Reiches beraubt, den Sinn seines „Lebens“ wiederzufinden. Der Sandmann sollte eigentlich ein Superheld aus der DC Welt sein, doch er weigert sich dagegen und Gaiman entwickelte ihn konsequent und trotzig in eine andere Richtung. Schon von der ersten Seite an sträubt er sich in ein heroisches Raster zu rutschen. Er ist melancholisch, depressiv, menschlich und unmenschlich zugleich. Und er wird umringt von anderen, sehr zugänglichen und alles andere als glatten Charakteren, mit denen man sehr schnell zu sympathisieren beginnt. Im ersten Band begleiten wir die sympathische, schwarze Seele dabei, ihre alte Macht wieder zusammen zu klauben und lernen sein nahezu untergegangenes Reich kennen. Ganz unbemerkt wächst uns der große Stille dabei ans Herz.Ein Kennzeichen Gaimans ist, dass er Mythologie und Alltag, Vergangenheit und Gegenwart, Literatur und Historie fließend ineinander webt. Man trifft auf mythologische und biblische Figuren und auf Charaktere, die man so auch bei der morgendlichen U-Bahn-Fahrt erlebt. Im ersten Sammelband „Preludes & Nocturnes“ finden sich noch einige Inkonsistenzen im Vergleich zum Rest der Reihe, gerade in der Visualisierung. Trotzdem ist das Werk durchzogen von besonderen Schmuckstücken, die den ersten Sandman besonders machen. In späteren Bänden werden Stolpersteine nacheinander ausgemerzt, Gaiman findet zu seinem Stil. Die generelle Vielfalt und Veränderung der Reihe liegt natürlich aber auch daran, dass er mit unterschiedlichen Zeichnern zusammenarbeitete. Und mit dem Zeichner Sam Keith ist ihm ein guter Auftakt gelungen, den man sich nicht entgehen lassen sollte. Letztendlich verschmelzen fantastische Welten mit der unseren äußerst kunstvoll zu einem Gesamtwerk, mit, man kann es wirklich sagen, philosophischer Tiefe.

It's the sandman, it's great, but it. Here's 13 more words for you to cast your lovely eyes over darling!

Não é uma das leituras mais fáceis, tem vários conceitos intrincados e que são apenas mencionados a título de referência, envolvendo mitologia e magia, outras revistas e HQs, mas tudo bem intrigante e interessante.Curioso para continuar lendo essa saga

Fantastic art. Engaging story. I am hooked and expect I'll read the entire series. Looking forward to volume 2. So well done.