Anyone read The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman?

[SUP-Ronin]

And would you recommend it?

My wife likes his other books, and wanted me to ask for opinions on this series and also if perhaps anyone has a used set they would want to sell? Thank you for your thoughts.

[The Toyroom]

Yes it's a good series...and the good thing is it is Gaiman's vision all the way through...

[rche]

Sandman was a game changer for DC. It helped to launch the Vertigo label, showcased many great artists, and was a tremendously fun read and intriguing literary storyarc. Greatly recommended. The Dave McKean covers are a serious bonus.

[megoscott]

I recently tracked down the collected Sandman and was really enthralled. Great stuff, often very moving.

[aquatroy]

It's very good. Your wife will like it.

[samurainoir]

I usually recommend starting with the volumes of short stories, like Dream Country or Fables and Reflections as a warm up before jumping into the first volume. In Preludes and Nocturnes, Gaiman is still trying to channel his mentor Alan Moore, and really doesn't start to find his own voice until the issue that introduces Death. He's firing on all cylinders by the time he gets to the third volume (dream Country), and Season of Mist is all his own as well. Sam Keith (the Maxx) really wasn't that happy drawing Sandman, and you can tell how choppy the art is in that first volume between Keith and dringenberg's styles battling it out (Dringenberg ghost pencilled quite a bit before taking over pencils completely. It's to gaian's generousnature that both Keith and Dringnberg get co-creator credit on Sandman.

Alternatively, both Death minis are also nice self contained stories, as is Dream Hunters.

Also, make sure your wife isn't that squeamish... There are bits in those early volumes that can be a bit grisly.

[rche]

Kieth is I before E

a hero to me in his own right

I've never really noticed a choppyness in the first few issues, but did wonder why sk didn't stick around. It was so wonderfully wrightsonesque and 70s DC to me. I think Death was issue 8?? good stuff.

[samurainoir]

It's the hell issue where KIeth was transitioning out and Dringenberg was doing quite a bit of pencilling... His style is very distinct from Kieth's, particularly the way they draw Lucifer. Gaiman really wasn't happy with the way Lucifer looked until Kelly Jones drew him in Season of Mists. You can tell Kieth was having a blast on the creatures though.

[rche]

Kelly Jones. mmmm mmmmm
More good stuff there. I am not buying comics anymore, so I am out of the loop and wondering what these guys are working on now.

[webmcp]

Neil Gaimen is a classic. I heard HBO was going to do an American Gods series.

[cjefferys]

I read the Sandman as it was first being published and was totally enthralled, and have re-read it countless times ever since. An absolutely fantastic series, one of the best IMO.

I agree that in the earliest issues, Gaiman was still finding his way with the series, and I really thought a lot of Kieth's art was rather rough, and didn't fit Gaiman's style at all. "Season of Mists" is where it really starts getting great for me.

[argent007]

If she enjoyed his novels, she'll love the Sandman series.

I have all four volumes in the Absolute Edition. Well worth it.

[samurainoir]

^^^
5 volumes. Plus Death's volume.


I was actually really surprised to see the fifth volume under the Christmas tree a couple of months back. The endless nights art looks even better in the large sized format.

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[cjefferys]

Damn, I would love to have those books and the bookends. I'm drooling right now!