Preludes & Nocturnes (New Edition) - The Sandman Vol. 1

This opening story arc is the origin story. It is weighed down by the things origin stories always struggle with. There are individual moments that truly shine, but there's too much happening to allow the story and characters to breathe. Sandman doesn't get to be much more than an enigmatic vengeful revenant. The arc builds him up as badass, and I love how his sister shows up at the end to take the piss out of him (like siblings do). Good but not blown away yet. Looking forward to reading more.

I read this after reading the whole Alan Moore run of Swamp Thing, and was interested to see every peripheral character that showed up there also showed up here. I expect to see Swampie some time during the course of this book, and look forward to that.

It's also worth noting that the recolored versions of these books in the Sandman Omnibus are really great. I'm going to have to hunt down some discussion on the recoloring. The earlier stuff was very lurid, but not terribly realistic. I really like the visual reinterpretation.

I read this one some 10 years or so ago when I was slowly returning to comics and, having re-read it now, I still maintain that Preludes and Nocturnes is a poor place to start with this series - though it’s a decent book.

My first time around, I read Sandman totally out of sequence starting with Vol 3, then Vol 5, then a couple more volumes (I was just grabbing whatever was on the shelves that week!) and I read Vol 1 towards the end thinking what an unimpressive first volume it was.

I’d recommend someone looking to understand the brilliance of this series to start with the standalone books, Vol 3 and Vol 6 rather than with Vol 1 - those are much more representative of why people love Sandman so much.

Alright - enough prelude! Onto the… nocturnes… ?

Set in the early 20th century, an Aleister Crowley-esque type tries to summon Death and gain immortality - except he botches the spell and gets Dream instead. Dream is imprisoned for 70 years until he escapes and begins to resume his role in the universe. But first he must gather his instruments: his helm, his dreamstone, and his bag of sand.

My biggest complaint of this book is the same criticism I have for a lot of Neil Gaiman’s work: the pacing is much too slow. But this is especially pronounced in a comic! Gaiman’s style was - and is - that of a long-winded storyteller who can spin a good yarn but will not be rushed and this can lead to a much less exciting read.

Not only that but he comes from the Alan Moore school of writing comics where each page is severely bogged down with blocks of text. Though, unlike Moore, its more clumsy in this one and feels like Gaiman is still learning to write comics by trying to make his novelistic approach fit a different genre and not quite succeeding.

That and Gaiman clearly hasn’t found his voice yet. The first volume is very horror-centric in sharp contrast to the rest of the series which leaves this hackneyed approach behind to successfully blend fantasy, the cosmic, and Gaiman’s own style into something unique. It’s a bit of a muddle to wade through which is why it’s a bit unfortunate that this is the first volume where a lot of people will start and which is bound to put some readers off from sampling the rest of this excellent series.

You can also see Gaiman relying a bit too much on the DC Universe in this first volume whereas later - though some DCU characters and locations crop up now and then - Sandman’s original cast becomes the central focus. Arkham Asylum puts in a cameo where we meet Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow, and, as Dream sets about collecting his necessaries, he encounters John Constantine, Martian Manhunter, and Etrigan.

We also meet a lot of new characters who will go on to become quite beloved by the fans: Cain and Abel, Lucien, the Hecateae, Lucifer Morningstar (who will get his own spin-off title), and, arguably the most popular character Gaiman’s ever created, Death, Dream’s sister (who also gets a couple of standalone books).

Besides introducing characters, Gaiman’s first go at Sandman indicates the kind of series it will become. While Gaiman references earlier incarnations of the character like the 1930s Wesley Dodds Sandman (Dream’s helm looks a lot like Dodds’ gas mask), and a dream sequence drawn in a Jack Kirby style (a nod to the 1970s Kirby Sandman), Gaiman’s Sandman is decidedly more modern and set in a richly imaginative world.

Beginning to distance itself from the DCU, Gaiman’s Sandman goes to Hell, he battles an evil magician across space and time, and, more importantly, he begins to explore the potential of dreams. This is the reason behind the series’ success: dreams. Because ANYTHING can happen in a dream meaning anything can happen in this series and you can see Gaiman beginning to realise that potential in this book. In one particular dream sequence the art switches to pure Kirby so we suddenly get a three-page Fourth World-esque strip out of nowhere!

I know some people don’t like Sam Kieth’s art in this book and, to be honest, when I first read this I didn’t much care for it either. But I’ve since read Kieth’s The Maxx and come to a new appreciation of his style. His art in this book is more restrained than in The Maxx but he brings the fantastic when he needs to and the kind of bizarre comics he creates is a good fit for the type of comic Sandman is aiming for. Mike Dringenberg and Malcolm Jones III’s art is also very good though, going back to the horror theme, there’s far too much black on the pages.

There’s a lot to like about this first volume: a lot of ideas and imagination swirling together, some great episodes like Dream going to Hell and meeting Lucifer, or John Dee’s 24 hour nightmare issue in the diner, and Dream and Death’s first scene together. But there’s a lot of chaff here too and it’s less like reading a comic and feels too often like reading an illustrated book.

Sandman Vol 1 might not be a great comic but it leads into a great series and, if you weren’t that impressed after reading this and was wondering what all the fuss is about, keep going because it gets a lot better very quickly. Better yet, skip Vol 1 entirely and come back to it later!

I am new to the comic book universe. This was the first thing of the kind that I read since Disney's stuff when I was a kid. So it's all very odd and alien to me.

I have been hearing about the Sandman series for several years now and lucky for me I found this nice edition. As odd as the experience was, Gaiman gripped me as usual. The guy's versatility never ceases to amaze me.

The combination of the words and artwork convey a nightmare/dreamlike atmosphere when need be but also very real when necessary. The way it is written, the songs, it all contributed to a certain ambience. And it was pretty terrifying at times.

It was ok, I sped through it in a few hours. But it's just not my thing. At times I found it hard to follow the correct sequence because of the way the graphics are presented. And, to me, it just lacks something that I can only get through a novel. That depth of characters, I suppose, and how we can build the characters and scenario in our minds, so it's different for every reader.

It was still a pleasant experience and I hear following volumes are much nicer than this introductory one. I will most likely buy them. This one gets 3 to 3.5 stars from me.

I am a fan of graphic novels, but have never been exposed to The Sandman until now. In this, the first volume of the collected series by Neil Gaiman, we are given the backstory and the foundation upon which the rest of the series is built.

Morpheus, or “Dream,”is captured accidentally by magicians in England looking to imprison Death, Dream’s sister. Dream is trapped for 70 years before escaping. He then goes on a quest to recover the three tools which give him power, his helmet, his pouch of sand, and his ruby. Along the way he encounters John Constantine (from Hellblazer) who has the sand, he enters Hell for an encounter with Lucifer Morningstar and a battle of wits with a demon who has taken his helmet, and we spend a horrific 24 hours in a diner with Doctor Destiny in a battle for the ruby. My favorite story here, “The Sound of her Wings,” introduces us to Dream’s sister Death, the original target of the magicians in England for imprisonment. Death is not who you would expect. She is a smart mouthed goth teenager with a tender side and a genuine affinity for those mortals she helps through to the other side. She is even someone you get to like as she goes about her morbid duties.

The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman is not a kid’s comic book. It is a densely written, rich story which deals with adult themes of life, death, and the beyond on multiple levels. The series runs 10 volumes, and if the first one is any indication it is going to be a terrific ride.

I grew up reading and loving comic books in the 80s and 90s. Over time, I have alternately gotten into and then gotten out of them again several times. I had heard of Sandman, and could even remember seeing the books on comic store racks, but had never taken the plunge as a teen, and now maybe I'm glad as I doubt I would have appreciated it, having been more into the colorful superhero tales that were X-Men, Spider-Man, Superman, etc., at the time. I finally checked out this first TPB of the Sandman stories, and I am extremely thrilled to continue reading and to see where this goes.

This trade paperback collects the first 8 issues of the original monthly Sandman comic. In the first 7 of these issues, we are introduced to Morpheus, or Dream, as he is also called. Some mystics in the early 1900s tried to perform a ceremony to imprison Death, except something went wrong with their ceremony. They ended up getting Death's little brother Dream instead, sending the dreamworld into chaos. Over the 70 years of his subsequent imprisonment, Dream's kingdom slowly crumbles, his subjects disappear, and his three "tools" are lost. Once he does get free, Dream has a lot of work to do rebuilding his kingdom, reclaiming his tools, and setting the dreamworld back in order. Along the way, he is both assisted by and opposed by several DC comics characters who make special appearances. The 8th issue is something of an epilogue, where we finally get to meet Dream's older sister Death, who is not what you would expect her to be. She arrives at a pivotal time to help talk some sense into Dream about where he goes from here, and was a shockingly emotional storyline for me.

One of the things that really gripped me about this volume was the raw power of the storytelling itself. There's always a lot going on, and things don't always happen in the predictable way you would expect (or even secretly hope) that they would go. Some of the very minor characters would only receive a few panels' worth of attention, but nevertheless I found them very sympathetic. Neil Gaman, the author, manages to bend several different genres together to create a beautiful melding of horror, mythology, and dark fantasy. The first issue in particular, was very reminiscent to me of those early EC comics "Tales from the Crypt" or "Vault of Horror" comics, both in artwork and execution. Subsequent issues played at other subgenres of horror, although it's not horror in the sense of what you think of when you think of "horror movies." It's more of a mood and atmosphere, while the stories themselves strike a deep chord with compelling characters. This first story arc represents more of a typical "quest" storyline in which Dream must reclaim his three tools so that he can once again be at full power to complete the rest of his work.

By all accounts, including the author's own, the creative team was still working to put all the pieces together and get the story going in these first 8 issues. It's with the second volume and onward that the story really hits its stride and turns into something truly groundbreaking, as this series is always portrayed to be. After reading Volume 1, and awaiting the arrival of Volume 2, I can say I believe the hype. There's more than enough here to convince me that Mr. Gaiman is a phenomenal storyteller, and I eagerly look forward to reading more.

After hearing about the Sandman series for several years, I finally decided to visit my local library and pick up the first volume. The concept of a graphic novel as an intense storyline with stellar art was, to me, intriguing.

Although I used to read comics when I was younger - mostly Marvel and DC's Star Trek line - I'd moved away from that medium shortly after high school. I'm glad I listened to the recommendation for Gaiman's Sandman series - arguably Vertigo's most popular publishing - as the book to bring me back to illustrated storytelling. The art in each novel is unbelievable, and Todd Klein's lettering is fluid and beautiful!

The premise of the first volume is this: After being imprisoned by a power-hungry human for 70 years, Morpheus, commonly known as Dream, escapes captivity and sets out to recover the objects that give him his power, which were stolen from him. As he travels, he has dealings with Lucifer (a recurring character in the Sandman universe), John Constantine (a popular comic book character), and ultimately encounters a mad-man who uses one of Dream's objects to wreak havoc on humanity.

The storylines range from surreal to absurd, but that quirkiness is what makes this novel so interesting. Gaiman weaves in facets of ancient mythology and religion to create a multitude of worlds through which Dream travels.

Gaiman's unique voice comes across in each tale, and each novel as a distinct story-telling style. The issues in this first volume contain DC-character crossovers, that while interesting, tends to detract from Gaiman's established voice.

Dream is a gorgeous character, illustrated in dark violets, whites and blacks. The stark beauty of the Dream King is haunting, and the landscapes in which he moves are breathtaking.

The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes is great when simply judging it on writing alone, but when you add in the incredible artwork and detailed lettering, the novel becomes a stellar find and worthy of reading several times.

Readers should be warned the Sandman series often features graphic subject matter - sex, drugs and death being common themes - but it is never gratuitous and always serves to progress the story.

Preludes & Nocturnes is the first graphic novel in the famed Sandman series. It is a great introduction to the Endless. In Preludes & Nocturnes, we meet mortal men who use magic to attempt to capture Death, one of the Endless. Instead, they get Dream (also known to some as the Sandman). They trap Dream for a century, not realizing what havoc they are reeking on the world. Dream lives in the Dreamworld. He can enter our dreams unbeknownst to us and influence them or be a simple passer by.

I really enjoyed getting to see Dream and follow him on his quest to find what was rightfully his. Some of the journey was weird, other parts a bit twisted, but the end result was great. I especially enjoyed watching Dream interact with Death. I'm excited to read the rest of the series and meet the other Endless.

Also, intriguing to me was the way that Dream was drawn. Is it just me, or does he look a bit like Gaiman himself? ;)

Haunting and bleak, this is a collection of the first issues of the Gaiman Sandman series. A fantastical romp through the world of the god of dreams, the stories that are contained within this slim graphic volume are a terrifying jaunt along with the freed prisoner as he tries to collect his three tools that he needs to- Well, I am not sure why he needs them, yet. But the stories within are mature, striking, and a visual and prose masterpiece that has surprising weight and maturity in the graphic novel genre. What I think is the best of this is that it showcases Gaiman's mastery over storytelling and the English language, as well as a surprising collection of artwork that was provided by three different artists who embody a striking vision of the 1990s in the use of mixed media in presenting the story. These books were published in 1988, and while some of the imagery in this is now cliche, the postmodern approach and transmission of these images that were close to a decade before their time was simply amazing. While these are great pieces, I have also read Signal To Noise and I was almost turned off by the cliche aspects of the edgy art contained therein - but I can only imagine what I would have thought about Sandman if I chose to buy these rather than some of the other books I chose to bought at the same time period as a child. My favorite of the pieces was the horrific and disorienting "24 Hours," which engaged my interest and enjoyment the most out of all of the pieces. It is a masterpiece of bizarro horror and deconstruction of the human spirit in all of its faults. I look forward to continuing the series, and I look forward to reading more of Gaiman's words as they embody this medium in some of the best ways I have ever seen. I was first introduced to his work as a prose writer, but these books were a pleasure to read, and the artwork and the Robert Smith-like interpretation of our protagonist is simply intoxicating. These made me nostalgic for my youth in a lot of ways - a portion of the culture of my time that I never knew existed.

This trade collects issues 1-8 of The Sandman.

Despite being a longtime fan of both Neil Gaiman and comics in general I had not read any of his most famous and praised series until now for a variety of reasons, including not usually enjoying horror. I'm both glad I've finally started The Sandman and that I waited. Tastes change over time and I don't think I would have enjoyed this nearly as much had I read it years ago.

Preludes and Nocturnes is an interesting read, as it's clear Gaiman is experimenting to find the series' voice throughout (something he admits himself in the afterward). Though atmospheric elements and tone are consistent each issue still has a very different feel to it. It is a good start though which introduces Dream, his domain, and assorted seemingly important characters and concepts. Even the parts I didn't care for were interesting and well crafted, if a bit too gruesome at times. There are glimpses of what has made the Sandman so beloved over time but this is clearly just the beginning. The opening, the visit to hell and the end were my favorites.

The art also changes as the series finds its way. Sam Keith left after issue 5, and I do admit I preferred his art to what followed. I found Keith's pencils a little more well defined (which is strange given his later work). All of it is good though, and Dringenberg and Jones' work was already gravitating more towards my tastes by the Death issue so we'll see how it goes.

This edition has been recolored since the original publication. Since this is my first read through I can't compare much, but the coloring here is very good and based on the few pages of comparison I've seen I prefer it to the original.

Unique, layered stuff that was beyond revolutionary at the time and still holds up extremely well. From what I understand things only get better from here. Looking forward to it.

Gaiman is one of my favorite authors. He's a storyteller whose tales are richly embedded with analogies and philosophy, but he never jams it down your throat. He just leaves it out there for you to draw your own conclusions, or (more frequently than not) leave with more questions than ever before. The Sandman graphic novel series is among Gaiman's best, a tapestry that seamlessly weaves through theology, mythology, philosophy, and a world entirely of Gaiman's making.

In Preludes and Nocturnes, Dream is imprisoned. When he escapes, he seeks out his three tools of power that were taken from him during his imprisonment. I won't go into the details of the story, but my favorite sections include Dream's game with Choronzon, which is far more than a battle of wits. It's a statement of Dream's outlook and his own philosophy of life. Of course, I'd be remiss to not mention the closing chapter, Sound of her Wings, which introduces us to the terminally cheerful Death. I adore her. It's hard to think of Death the same way after you meet her.

Favorite quotes:
Lucifer: The million Lords of Hell stand arrayed about you. Tell us why we should let you leave? Helmet or no, you have no power here--what power have dreams in hell?
Dream: You say I have no power? Perhaps you speak truly. But--you say that DREAMS have no power here? Tell me, Lucifer Morningstar...ask yourselves, all of you...what power would HELL have if those here imprisoned were NOT able to DREAM of HEAVEN?

As of the art, I actually failed art class in eighth grade. I'm the least qualified person to comment on art. That said, I'll comment anyway. The art is dark and stark, as befits the story. I think it adds rather than subtracts from the magnificent story being told.

All in all, a great start for the Sandman series. Hang in there, it gets better.

I would honestly like to say that I loved this. I really would. I am a huge Neil Gaiman fan, and I am of the opinion that everything he writes is absolutely gold. And while I Sandman was a page turner, I found myself having to stop before I was even done with volume one (although I almost made it to the end). You see, the problem for me is that Sandman was too dark for me to handle. I am the type who can't watch horror movies. I don't like gore or torture. I empathize very strongly with people I know and people I don't know, and this often makes it difficult for me to find understand the difference between what is real and what I am only reading, as the feelings are very real for me. I very much enjoyed this and recognize Gaiman's literary genius, and I highly recommend this to someone who can handle very dark subjects and images. However, if you have a weak stomach for violence and torture, please steer clear.

I found it interesting that most of the reviews did not acknowledge this, as it's something that would have helped me to determine if it was my cup of tea, which is why I chose to write this review. I'm sure there are other people like me who would prefer to enjoy a dark story without these things in it.

Also, there is only one scene in this book that was too disturbing for me. I don't mean to make it sound like the whole book is, and I certainly can't speak for the rest of the series. I found most of this book to be very enjoyable, which is why I kept it at a 4-star rating in spite of being unable to finish it.

Neil Gaiman's Sandman series has been one of the more critically acclaimed series of comic books. What makes this series better than many others is its love of story. Gaiman is a great storyteller, and he's in love with his craft. This love exudes from every frame from every page; here, the focus is on legend, myth, and origin stories. While the series picks up steam as it wears on, this first volume is a nice collection of the first story-arc in the Sandman universe.

PRELUDES & NOCTURNES may be the weakest of all of the Sandman volumes. While compared to the rest of the series, this first volume doesn't stand up to the rest, it does stand up well to other comic book peers. The story revolves around Morpheus, the lord of dreams; he's been out of the picture for several years, held captive by an affluent occultist. PRELUDES & NOCTURNES follows Morpheus as he escapes his captivity and searches to regain the power he lost years ago. Unfortunately, some of these issues feel like "fetch-quests." Gaiman was feeling early pressure from Vertigo to make Sandman into a traditional superhero, and this influence is felt most vividly in this first volume. Fans of the DC Universe will find a few familiar faces here (I won't recount their names here, because half of the fun is seeing them show up in such a strange setting).

As I've said though, even though PRELUDES & NOCTURNES is one of the weakest volumes, it's still head-and-shoulders above many competitors. Volume 2 (THE DOLL'S HOUSE really picks up the steam, and the series finds it groove. I would recommend this first volume for anyone who hasn't started the series yet -- you don't need to love (or even like comic books) to love Sandman. However, if you do love comic books, PRELUDES & NOCTURNES (and the rest of the series) is essential reading.

In the past few years, Vertigo has been remastering the Sandman series. While it was originally collected in paperback form in the mid 90's, technology did not allow seamless transfer of colors. This "New Edition" is great for a few reasons: the pages are thinner (they don't get covered in finger prints), they are available in electronic format, and they really make the artwork better. Especially apparent for the first three volumes of Sandman, the New Edition enhances the color by restoring it to the artist's original. This listing on the store shows a few samples of the differences between the mid-90's edition and this current one. Additionally, many users have complained about lack of Kindle support for comic books on other eReaders (iPad/Android/etc...), but the store has recently updated their software to allow for colorful illustrations. It's no longer a problem; be sure to check this out!

Neil Gaiman is one of those authors whose brilliance forces one to track down and read their entire body of work. I haven't yet acheived this, but I'm working on it. My current target: The Sandman and all the related works, regarded by many as one of the finest examples of graphic storytelling that exists so far.

Volume I: Preludes And Nocturnes begins the Sandman epic. Accidentally conjured by a society of wannabe-sorcerers attempting to cage Death, Morpheus, Lord of the Dreaming is kept imprisoned for nearly a century. When he manages to escape, it is to find his realm in shambles and his tools of office gone. Now Morpheus must track down his stolen property in order to reclaim the power to rebuild his realm and restore order to the Dreaming. From the depths of Hell to the infinite possibilities of the Dreaming, Preludes and Nocturnes takes the reader on an epic quest and introduces some of the most interesting characters in comics--The Endless. These seven beings--Dream/Morpheus, Death, Destiny, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delirium--are the personifications of their respective concepts and fulfill their associated duties. Dream oversees the Dreaming, a realm that is somehow made up of, the source of, and created by the collective dreams of all living things. Death escorts the souls of the departed into the afterlife. Destiny oversees the course of all existence, and so on and so forth. Gaiman continues to flesh out these characters throughout the course of this seminal series.

Preludes & Nocturnes is the first graphic novel in the famed Sandman series. It is a great introduction to the Endless. In Preludes & Nocturnes, we meet mortal men who use magic to attempt to capture Death, one of the Endless. Instead, they get Dream (also known to some as the Sandman). They trap Dream for a century, not realizing what havoc they are reeking on the world. Dream lives in the Dreamworld. He can enter our dreams unbeknownst to us and influence them or be a simple passer by.

I really enjoyed getting to see Dream and follow him on his quest to find what was rightfully his. Some of the journey was weird, other parts a bit twisted, but the end result was great. I especially enjoyed watching Dream interact with Death. I'm excited to read the rest of the series and meet the other Endless.

Also, intriguing to me was the way that Dream was drawn. Is it just me, or does he look a bit like Gaiman himself? ;)

It’s a decent start to a great series. It was a little slow in the beginning for me. It starts out focusing on the cult that attempts to death, but it didn’t really hold my attention. The art wasn’t bad, but I didn’t I enjoy looking at it. I was wondering why this was such a popular comic at first, but the story does pick up, and the art steadily improves. The look went from “meh”, to awesome. Great characters and fun, if not disturbing scenarios are introduced at a rapid fire rate. The DC characters that are introduced throughout feel a little shoehorned in at times, but their appearances are fun and add quite a bit to the narrative. I was actually a little disappointed that the original artist left by the time I was finished with this volume. The art that was initially clunky soon improved gave the story a unique look. This holds true of many comics, it takes the writers, and artists a little bit of time to get cormfortable with the story they're trying to tell. Fortunately the artist that took over was more than capable in handling the visual narrative. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

In this classic graphic novel, Dream (The Sandman) is captured by a sinister magician and remains trapped for decades. While he is gone, his kingdom falls apart and dreams on Earth are disrupted. I'm not very experienced with graphic novels, having only read Satrapi's Persepolis before this, so reading Preludes and Nocturnes took some getting used to. But I'm glad I decided to climb out of my comfort-zone for a while - I was REALLY enjoying the book by the time it ended. Neil Gaiman's mind never ceases to amaze me. He's so darkly creative. There are a few issues I had with this book, though. I thought the tie-in to DC superheroes was a bit cheesy - though I recognize that this cheese was do to the development of the graphic novel as a genre. I hear these elements disappear later in the series to leave only the good stuff. Also, I found one incident at the end of the book darkly depressing. It made me very sad to see the dark insides of humanity (as Gaiman and his illustrators see them)...but I guess my emotional reaction is exactly what Gaiman was going for. So, points to him. Overall, this was a promising beginning, and now that I am more used to the graphic novel style, I'm looking forward to enjoying the rest of the series much more - after all, it's only supposed to get better from here!

I just finished my first graphic novel, Preludes and Nocturnes. It is the first volume in the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman. There are several reasons why I decided to try this book. One of my groups is doing a seasonal challenge where we are asked to read books outside of our normal genres. One of the genres I chose was graphic novels, and since the last few books I have read were not that good, I thought a short one would help get me back into reading. Finally, I have a friend who LOVES graphic novels and she recommended this series as one of the best. Since I like Neil Gaiman's books, I thought I would give it a chance.

The reason that I don't usually read graphic novels is because, for some reason, I find the "comic book" style format very hard to read. That still held true for this book, especially since the page flow was not consistent from page to page. At times the pages were configured in columns, some of them in rows, and still others in more creative formats. To me, that interferes with the flow of the story.

Another interesting aspect of this book was the different fonts used for each character. At first that took some getting used to, just like the page formats, but in the end, I actually liked this. The separate fonts seemed to give each character their own voice.

Negating the above, though, my difficulty with the format was more than overcome by the story. The beginning novel deals with the story of Dream and how he is trying to rebuild his life after being held captive for decades. I found the references to old comic book heroes, mythology and religion, and magic really helped the story develop. In addition, the characters were interesting, and just enough was revealed about them to leave you wanting more. One of the most fun things, too, was the inclusion of all of the Dream/Sandman themed songs from through out the years. What does it say about me that I was familiar with most of them?

All in all, I am putting this one in the win column, and plan to continue the series and see how the story develops.

IF YOU BUY THIS BOOK, MIGHT AS WELL BUY THE ENTIRE SERIES RIGHT NOW!

I bought this over 10 years ago and it is still my favorite graphic novel of all time. It is even used as a college text book on some campuses.
This book will take you on an epic journey that is comparable to the Hobbit, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, all combined into one AWESOME series. It is riddled with profound deep philosophical messages that leaves you with wanting MORE. I have bought all of Gaiman's books and have become a huge fan of this writer because of the Sandman series.

This is the best one out of them all and you will not find anything else like this.

The world of comic books was a very different place before the Sandman came into being. Neil Gaiman revolutionized the graphic novel with "The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes," an exquisite story filled with shadowy realistic art and strange magical beings. This is one of those rare stories that tantalizes you with beauty and chills you to your core, all at the same time.

A group of occultists are attempting to summon and trap Death... but instead, they capture Dream and lock him in a glass orb. Decades pass, and countless people are locked in slumber -- unable to dream, unable to wake for long. One day, Dream escapes his prison and reenters the world, but loses the last of his power with his final act of revenge.

His Dreamworld palace has fallen into ruin, and his magical items have been scattered. To regain his power, he must get back his helm, his pouch of sand, and his dreamstone. His journey to regain them will take him across worlds -- to John Constantine and a woman destroyed by dreams, to the depths of Hell at a demonic club, and a ghastly madman who drives various people to depravity and death.

The world of "The Sandman" is a strange one -- it lightly interlocks with other graphic novel series, effortlessly slips from one world to another, and exposes both the beauty and ugliness of our own world. "Preludes and Nocturnes" is an excellent introduction to Neil Gaiman's strange, expansive world -- as well as his hollow-eyed anti-hero.

At its core, the story is rather simple, since it's basically a quest for Dream's three magical "tools." But Gaiman paints it with foreshadowing, nightmarish grotesqueries (flesh melting off bones, John Dee's drooling lipless face), and some zanily macabre humor (the Hellfire Club... in hell!). And as the dust settles, Gaiman caps his story off with a quieter interlude in which Dream encounters his sister Death.

And the artwork is sublime -- realistic in style, but often bizarre and a little frightening in theme. And despite the core colors being shadowy greys, whites and blacks, there are splashes of bright colors everywhere. Green fields, blue hallways, psychedelic skies, hallucinations filled with sickly pallid hues.

And Gaiman created one of his most iconic, complex characters in Dream -- his inhumanness is underlined by acts of great cruelty and kindness, and his sad, grim demeanor is more than a little touching. The author also spun up a very nonstereotypical version of Death. No robes, scythes or skeletal faces here. In fact, forget about anything sinister -- this version of Death is a delightfully quirky, perky goth chick.

"Preludes and Nocturnes" is a harrowing and hypnotic look into the world of dreams -- what happens when the Sandman is imprisoned, and what must be done after. Sublime.

Written by Neil Gaiman, The Sandman tells the story of Dream, one of the seven siblings known as the Endless. The Endless are beings more powerful than gods, and each of them is the personification and force behind some aspect of reality. Destiny is a hooded man who is constantly turning the pages of a book chained to his arm to make events unfold, Death is friendly woman who delivers people to the afterlife when they die, and so on. The main character is Dream, also known as Morpheus, lord of dreams and storytelling.

The book follows Dream on his quest to retrieve his three tools; a bag of sand, a dreamstone, and a helmet after being held captive for 70 years by a magic organization. During his journey he meets some interesting characters such as John Constantine (the protagonist of the comic Hellblazer) and the King of Hell, Lucifer Morningstar (who later went on start in his own comic). Overall the story is good, but not great. The book mostly consists of Dream going somewhere, retrieving one of his tools, and leaving. The conclusion was good and the chapter "24 Hours" was awesome but I feel like Gaiman hadn't quite figured out what Sandman was supposed to be until the final chapter ("The Sound of Her Wings"). The artwork for the new edition of the book is fantastic and very colorful, especially during the more surreal scenes. The book itself was good quality but I did notice that the pages were a little thin. It wasn't a huge problem but it was noticeable at times.

Overall Preludes and Nocturnes was a good introduction to The Sandman, but it wasn't perfect. It was clearly just an introduction story and didn't really make any attempts to reach its potential. That said, there were moments that gave me a good idea of what the story will be like as the series goes on, and it was moments like those that make me excited to find out what happens next to the egotistical King of Dreams.

I have just begun a re-reading of all of the Sandman volumes. I'm purchasing the current printings of the standalone volumes after having made what I now consider a mistake. I had gotten rid of my earlier Sandman books to buy the volumes in THE ABSOLUTE SANDMAN series. Big mistake, with emphasis on "big." I found that the volumes were, while quite beautiful, simply too heavy to use. They were so heavy that I could not find a comfortable way to read them. So, after having sold my original individual volumes so I could buy the larger collections, I sold the first two ABSOLUTE SANDMAN books so I could go back and get the newer editions of what I had previously gotten rid of. The result is that I've ended up buying Sandman three times. What I wish Vertigo had done was produce volumes that corresponded precisely to each individual original volume. I loved how great the pages in the ABSOLUTE SANDMAN looked, but it simply wasn't practical to use.

The Sandman series definitely got better as it went along, but even so it started marvelously. I had forgotten some of the things in this first volume, like the very brief appearance of J'onn J'onzz, which had completely escaped my memory. As I remembered it John Considine had not played as big a role as he did. Gaiman started off definitely wanting to locate the book in the DC universe. What we most love about the Sandman series, however, are the things that Gaiman brought to it.

I loved this volume, but it really takes off for me with "A Death in the Family," in which we meet the Sandman's sister Death for the first time. I'm quite excited about getting back to the later volumes. Without any question, this is, along with FABLES, my favorite long series ever created.

Many of you out there, who have grown with comic-books, remember "good ol' days" of linear storytelling and straight-forward art, without much complications. All it mattered was, whether the hero will save the world (and almost always he would), and will he get the girl in the end (well, this one was a bit unpredictable). But then some day, we woke up, and found things changed. There were no conventional heroes anymore. Stories needed great ammount of knowledge that you had to acquire sometimes earlier. If ou didn't, you would find yourself forever lagging behind, whilst comic book universes moved with great spead to some distant and unkonwn future.

And this was good.

Finally, something happened, that pulled comics from pulp-fiction and five cents fun that lasted for one afternoon, destined to be never looked upon again. Or is it that we just grew up? I cannot tell for sure, and I doubt that any of you can. But, new form of art emerged and we had to deal with that.

Now, that being said, if you are new to world of comic books, Sandman series isn't the one you should begin with. It's complexity, strange perspectives and editing of slides tends to divert people that throw a casual glance on printed papers. When you see something that shows itself as total chaos, somehow you doub't the whole "artistic value".

To really enjoy Sandman, you'll have to be able to drown yourself into a world so utterly stragne but yet so close to this one in which our lives are lead. You'll have to use your head and imagination (and finally, the knowledge) to fill in the gaps in storytelling that are left unfilled on purpose. This can be tiresome to someone not used to (or used to much) to conventional storytelling in comic books. But, that trouble is worth it's gains.

So if you are still interested, you'll be entering the world of Dream, world of Morpheus which suffered destruction and needs rebuilding... And just when you get yourself hooked on story and characters, book will be finished (with the apperance of Death) and you'll find yourself wanting more...

And, as they said somewhere before - "resistance is futile"

Collected in this volume are the first eight issues of Gaiman and company's The Sandman. "Sleep of the Just" introduces us to this revamped character--not a super-hero--but the lord of dreams who is captured no less, by an occultist. A proficient horror story.

The next six issues dealt with Morpheus' quest to re-assemble his tools. "Imperfect Hosts" sets the stage; "Dream a Little Dream of Me" pairs him with John Constantine (who was also new to the DC Vertigo line at that time) as he searches for his pouch of dreams. In the quest for his helm, Morpheus travels to hell to battle a demon in "A Hope in Hell." While the bulk of the battle is reminiscent of other stories of characters battling a demon, the ending has a nice twist. The next three installments ("Passengers," "24 Hours," and "Sound and Fury") document Morpheus' battle with Dr. Destiny (a small-time villian from DC super-hero titles). While "24 Hours" does work as a horror story on its own, the entire set of tales reads more like a standard super-hero comic--Morpheus, the good-guy, versus Dr. Destiny, the bad guy.

The final story in this volume, "The Sound of Her Wings," introduces us to Morpheus' older sister Death. Instead of a morbid grim-reaper type character, Gaiman's version of Death is of a lively Goth-chic, and if anything, full of life.

Some may find the art for this series not to their taste. None of it is realistic--but then one could argue this series was about anything but realism. For example, the characters are often misshapen or drawn as a caricature. This can be effective at times, but at other times, it seems sloppy and serves the story poorly.

Overall, I still find myself liking and enjoying these stories after nearly twenty years. While the stories may not seem so revolutionary or original now (just think of the state of the comic industry in the late 1980s), they are still good stories that are competently told and drawn.

It's a little sad after reading the Sandman books because you know you will never quite recapture the same feeling of going through such a great story for the first time when you pick them again. And trust me, you will be rereading these.
But the flip side of that is once you have read the series and go back, you see how fully realized Neil Gaiman's vision is. What seems like almost arbitrary bits of exposition are the seeds of future story arcs. "Season of Mists" the fourth book in the series, being just one example.
The main story begins when a necromancer who, intending to capture Death, captures her little brother Dream instead. He and his son keep him locked up for the better part of the 20th century. Once "Sandman" breaks out, he must restore his dream kingdom and reclaim his talismans of power. That takes him to London, Hell and a 24hr diner outside of Gotham.
What I love particularly about this series is that it is esoteric without being pretentious. This is what happens when someone who is remarkably well read is also a comic fan. Gaiman manages to invoke The Old Testament, William Faulkner, old DC Comic mythos, Shakespeare, Bobby Darin, Victorian Literature and Greek Tragedy, makes it relevant to the story, and then makes the concepts comprehensible to a fifteen year old. And that's just in this volume. I say the last because that's how old I was when I started to read these. At the risk of sounding overzealous, it has since challenged me to become as well read as the author.
I've read other reviews arguing that this is not the best one. I disagree only because I know that each volume speaks differently to different people. My humble advice is to start with this one and read them in order the way the author wrote them. I have bought this particular volume three times over the years due to lending it out to friends and not getting it back. Treasure this as well, enjoy and don't lend them out!

Dream--Lord of Dream and Nightmare also known as Morpheus and Death's little brother, is captured by mistake, stripped of his magical possessions, and imprisoned for over 70 years. Once free of his captors, he not only seeks revenge, but also quests for his stolen items. In this volume, Dream ventures through our world, the underworld, and the dreamworld to reclaim his possessions and seek revenge on his captors.

I can't believe I've waited so long to read this title--it's really a fascinating story. The idea of a world that's made up of the dreams of the sleeping collective is genius. One of the things I love about DC titles, in general, is the willingness to mingle with characters from other titles. This volume not only shares story-lines with John Constantine (Hellblazer) and Justice League, but also dives into the bowels of Arkham Asylum and mingles with the nasties of Gotham City.

I love the layout--not only is there a clear separation of each issue, but the original cover designs are also included. Other comic book "volumes" will bleed one issue into the other, giving the illusion of a single work of art. This makes it hard for the collector in my blood to distinguish between issues, severely handicapping my comic book trivia responses.

In last story in this volume (issue #8) titled "The Sound of Her Wings", Morpheus is morose--he's finished his quest and pretty much disheartened by "now what?" His older sister, Death, makes an appearance and puts him in the right frame of mind, leaving the future open to unlimited possibilities. While the other issues seem to be a bit busier and more gruesome (and I love that), I feel like this one shows the most promise. I can't wait to read the next volume... and the rest of the series.

(Originally reviewed on thisthattheotherthing.com)

Preludes and Nocturnes collects the first eight issues of Sandman, Neil Gaiman's acclaimed adult orientated comic book series about a morose mystic entity who controls the "realm of dreams." In its earliest inception, Sandman was hardly the grand, Tolkien-ish neo-myth into which it would blossom. Instead, it was a smart, imaginative and genuinely scary horror series that obviously had the potential for greatness.
In Preludes and Nocturnes, the title character, also called Morpheus or Dream, is captured by a sorcerer and imprisoned for more than seventy years. After breaking free, he searches for tools that were taken from him by his captors: a helmet, a ruby and a pouch of sand, all of which were stolen and/or traded away long ago. During the quest, Morpheus encounters other DC characters such as supernatural con-man, John Castatine; the Justice League's resident escape artist, Scott Free and the demented, skull-faced villain, Dr. Destiny.
In these issues, Sandman is a horror series. Likewise, the standard issue is a single story (although each makes-up a part of an underlining storyline involving Morpheus' lost tools) that has some chilling ending awaiting one of its characters. While Gaiman's stories are rarely clichéd and always frightening (it is hard to imagine anything more frightening than issue six, in which Dr. Destiny uses Morpheus' ruby to force out the dark sides of an unsuspecting group of diner patrons), the prerequisites (gruesome imagery, bloody deaths, raving maniacs) sometimes seem forced. Similarly awkward is the inclusion of outside DC characters. The series is at its most haunting when it involves actual beliefs and myths of mankind. It gains a degree of campiness when characters like Scott Free are involved.
Despite these minor flaws, Preludes and Nocturnes has a lot of good things going for it. The art is remarkable; the stories are unpredictable and, as stated earlier, original and wholly frightening; and Gaiman shows a mastery of characterization and the little details that bring it out. All in all, no one can say Sandman did not get off to a great start.

First off, I had always heard about The Sandman being a saga that I should check out. It had high praises everywhere, and everyone seemed to like it. Sometimes that amount of praise turns me off to a series. I bit the bullet and opted to try reading the first volume. I was pretty surprised when the story began to take off. I came to enjoy the character, even if he did look like a member of Kiss. The mixture of DC Comic characters with The Sandman character himself was pretty interesting, too. It reminded me of how Stephen King pulled from the universe he had written many stories in for The Dark Tower. I finished this volume, and the only reason I rated it four stars was because the book itself was really gloomy and dark. I expected as much, but most of the beginning book was this way. I hope it doesn't continue to depress. The end of the book seemed like it was heading towards an empowerment moment for The Sandman. Here is hoping the others are five star worthy.

The first book threw some folks for a loop. It was a DC Universe oriented thriller-horror comic akin to the classic EC Horror Comics of the old days. It's good, but not for everyone. It truly finds it's voice and who it is in the last chapter. DON'T GIVE UP! Don't skip this book, but realize that each subsequent book is a master piece tying every genre, to various international cultures, to world mythology, all into one story about the human condition. It truly is a masterpiece.

I think my title to this little review says it all. I've read Marvel comic works by Neil Gaiman before, and I have also read his novel "American Gods". This blows them away. It also blows all other comics that I have read out of the water as well. This may anger some people, but it's even better than Moore's "Watchmen" and any of the fine works by Miller and others. This first volume of Sandman was not just a comic to me. It was like a gift that Gaiman gave to the world. He may not have created Morpheus, but he crafted him and gave him life. The same is true with his little sister Death, who he actually may have invented, I'm not sure, and Cain and Able, the House of Mystery and the House of Secrets. I am talking really heartfelt stuff here. It's creepy, it's beautiful, it's haunting, it's lovely, it's painful, it's romantic, it's gothic, it's modern, the list could go on and on. It's just Gaiman at his best and I am really looking forward to enjoying the rest of the series. I would recommend it to anyone who likes good literature. Because that's what this is here. It's not just a comic, it's a graphic novel. A story told with words and pictures. The art is fantastic as well, but even without it, I feel that Gaiman still could have created a gem here. Five billion thumbs up.
Peace and Love,
Jake

Preludes and Nocturns is my favorite book period. I write this review in order to 1)make my case and 2) allow my case to influence the overall star rating of this work. Preludes begins with the explorations of an occult society in modern day England, an obvious comment on the place that the mystical has been confined too in the modern world. What a better figure for what Gaimen is doing? Gaimen begins his journey from the fantastically real (traditional modern comic) to the fantastical (Sandman comics) in mundane (if you consider occult rituals and the like mundane, which in the comic world, it is) reality. Admitedly, the 'sleeping disease' was a little bit weak, but beautifully done. From here, Gaimen establishes Morpheous as a character by having him, esseintally, reconstruct himself. This has become such a pervasive theme in recent theatrical and literary works, that the only comment worth making here is that Gaimen did it before it was cool. Further, can you have a more visceral conveyence of the reality and delusions of a madman than '24 Hours'? I think not. Anyone who is not transfixed and horrified by that episode should return to thier fufilling lives of Ally McBeal and reruns of the Cosby Show. Finally, 'The Flutter of Her Wings' provides a welcome and necessary contrast to the horror of '24 Hours' and demonstrates Gaimens perceptive need for emotional juxtaposition even when so allegedly 'inexperienced'. Without this episode, while in my opinon certainly not the most affective episode, the graphic novel would be incomplete, unbalanced. Beyond that, the addition of anymore episodes of this tone would have abraded the feeling of release that 'Her Wings' presented. Preludes and Nocturns is my favorite work in the Sandman series, for perhaps the very reason that the narrative is not so meticously constructed. Gaimen was, at this point, playing with his ideas, and it lent a tone of possibility and mysticism that resonated throughout the rest of the series, as the series became more and more routinized in traditional plot structure. In my opinion, Preludes is the work that broke the ground for Sandman, not as a well-written series, but as a well done and well-exicuted series.

Saying this isn't the best SANDMAN volume isn't saying much, since the entire set is overall excellent, and it would be depressing if the series hadn't improved on its beginning. Anyway, this is where you need to start -- it sets up the whole Dream mythos and establishes his character as he accumulates all his lost tools. The journey takes him from a house whose inner walls are made of a body turned inside out, to Hell itself, to the scene of a diner massacre, and even to the home of the Martian Manhunter.
The art is a bit iffy. Sam Kieth wasn't the best match for SANDMAN and he admitted as much when he left. But once Mike Dringenberg and Malcolm Jones III come on board, the art gets noticeably better and, well, more SANDMAN-esque. Look at the difference between Dr. Dee in "Passengers," where he looks like a pathetic little psycho, and the same character in "24 Hours" and "Sound and Fury," where he is a truly frightening presence (especially on p. 175, panel 4, "Because I can"). Not to mention the first appearance of Death at the end of the book (though this may have been removed depending on which edition you find -- it was never meant to be included at the tail end of this volume; in any event, it continues to be available in the second volume).
I'd also praise Neil Gaiman but what is there to say that hasn't already been said a million times?

An occult sekt performs a ritual meant to trap Death itself but it goes horribly wrong and instead they wind up with Death's younger brother Dream as their prisoner. For over 70 years Dream remains captured. The sekt, who's leadership along the way is passed from father (who grows old) to son, try everything they can think of to make Dream give them unbelievable powers. Dream however never speaks a word to them, waiting for his chance to break free. He has time. When Dream finally frees himself he returns to his kingdom only to find it shattered in pieces, and he realizes what he's to do now. The start of the road back.
This book can in my opinion best be seen as a prequel to the actual Sandman tale, that starts in "A Doll's House". It isn't really the actual story yet but more a way to get people used to the way of storytelling, some of the characters and what they are made of. What's being done mostly here is laying out some of the dots that are later to be connected. You get introduced to some (later on) vital characters, like Death, Dream, Lucifer, Cain and Abel, whose importance only will become clear later on in the Sandman tale. You learn a little about who Dream is, what his powers are and what they are based on, while he goes on his way to retrieve the items he needs to restore his powers, and later rebuild his kingdom. Items which swerved over existence ever since he was captured and stripped of them.
The book contains the first 8 issues of the series but is basically divided in three parts. The first part, that runs from #1-4, is about Dream being captured and about his time of imprisonment. It shows that the story is still being build-up and the art of Sam Keith in these issues is really trying itself out to see if it's suitable. It isn't really great but it's sufficient, something Keith himself later admitted. The second part, that runs from #5-7, is about Dream in his quest to retrieve the missing items. The story is much better already, more detailed and intertwined with things to come. Especially the part where we get to witness what can be done with Dreams powers when it falls in the wrong hands (really wrong !) is a great read (especially for horror- fans). The art which is taken over by Mike Dringenberg shows to be an improvement and the 'feeling' of the book is starting to build. The third part, #8, is the part where we first get to meet Dreams older sister Death and is really an intermission issue between "Preludes & Nocturnes" and "A Doll's House". Dream has done what he was supposed to and now he doesn't have a clue where to go from here. His sisters aid is needed to put him back on the right track. Good solid art by Dringenberg and a fluent read, but not really an important issue storywise.
I myself consider Sandman as one (if not THE) best comicstories so far and despite my maybe not overly enthousiastic sounding tone in this review, it IS a very nice read. Not as good as the later issues/TPB's but that says more about them than about this book. "Nocturnes & Preludes" is really a great, and probably even neccesary, introduction to the tale later to be unraveled. There are some things being explained here that shouldn't be missed for a maximum enjoyment of the tale that's coming. People who's main-interest is not superheroes but something more of a realistic/dramatic/horrorized Fantasy tale (think of things like Hellblazer and Saga of the Swamp Thing) will surely have a good time with this book, and even more with the following books after that.

I had no previous exposure to Sandman and little to graphic novels when I picked this up on my brother's recommendation and didn't put it down again until I turned the last page. The story, in brief, is that an old magician seeks to trap the personification of death and accidentally captures another eternal being instead: Dream. Dream eventually escapes and seeks to regain the tools of his trade, taken from him in captivity. In the process, he must challenge a number of unsavory characters.

The art is good, and the dialogue is easier to follow than some graphic novels because Dream's dialogue bubbles are in a different color from everyone else's. Gaiman introduces all sorts of clever ideas: we meet Cain and Abel, werewolf-like brothers who live in a house where Cain occasionally kills Abel, who always manages to crawl back; Martian Manhunter, a superhero member of the Justice League; and Lucifer, who no longer rules Hell on his own but in committee with two partners.

Dream's quest for his tools and his position provide a canvas on which Gaiman paints depravity, mercy, disillusionment, and a host of other virtues, vices, and experiences. Every page intrigues.

[Cautionary note: This graphic novel has brief nudity, some violence, and several gross-looking characters.]

What happens when a group of mystics ensnare the King of Dreams and keep him imprisoned for over seventy years?
So begins Neil Gaiman's epic, sweeping vision that constitutes the Sandman series. The first book concerns itself with Morpheus's eventual escape and quest to find the accoutrements with which he used to rule his dream kingdom. This is no ordinary comic series; Gaiman brilliantly exploits the sequential art medium to provide us with provocative- and often disturbing- images that underline the thrust of the words. "24 Hours," for example, just wouldn't be the same if it was produced as your normal, everyday novel. Actually seeing, in Dr. Dee's eyes, the products of his warped fantasies in graphic form adds a layer to the narrative Gaiman wouldn't ordinarily have. And these are visual characters; Morpheus and the celebrated Death, with their Gothic, ultra cool look are so easily identifiable and indelibly imprint themselves in the reader's mind. Their visual representation also reinforces their uniqueness; Death's Ankh talisman, for example, perfectly enscapulates the paradoxical nature of the wearer, where death is a positive, life-affirming state.
Notwithstanding the consistent high quality quality of the art (I especially love that astounding, two-page image in "A Hope in Hell," where Dream, Lucifer, Azazel and Beezelbub stand atop a summit overlooking all of Hell's denizens, and Lucifer, with the slightest touch of humour, asks Morpheus if he can pick out the creature that stole his helm) and some very good stories("24 Hours" and "The Sound of Her Wings"), I can't help but get the impression that, as a whole, _Preludes_ is a forced effort. As Gaiman himself later acknowledged, and many are quick to critique, Gaiman's attempts at intertextuality fall flat. The bringing in of characters from other storylines (Cain and Abel, John Constantine, Scott Free, J'onn, etc.) gives the narrative a campy, tawdry look. It's a ridiculous marketing ploy that really robs the narrative of its uniqueness. Gaiman is at his best when the tenor of _Sandman_ matches that of its protagonist; dark, brooding, enigmatic. To Gaiman's credit, this "failed experiment" never went beyond _Preludes_ and helps to explain why subsequent titles are so much better than this one.
I think that it's necessary to start with this title, however. The summary of _Preludes_ at the beginning of _The Doll's House_ robs the reader of some important contextualizations and impressions that can only be made by actually reading the book. Despite its faults, _Preludes_ is better than 95% of graphic novels and comic books out there. And it only gets better....

I haven't really seen this addressed (although I haven't waded through all the other reviews). Gaiman's storytelling is fantastic but some of the early art is very clumsy. I have to assume it was Sam Kieth since it improved as soon as he left. It's primarily in the character design and execution, the overall layout is beautiful. The art is often cartoony, characters' features seem unstable, looking different from panel to panel, their heads are often ridiculously large (I'm talking about human and human-shaped characters) and proportions, in general, are out of whack and not in an intentionally artful way.. There are some panels of Lucifer, in particular, that just look ridiculous and amateurish. Among other things he has a normally shaped head in closeup and a bobble-head in the full-body shots plus he appears to be wearing sweatpants! The cartooniness often undercuts the moodiness.
Fortunately this settles down after the first 5 issues/chapters and by the time we get to "24 Hours" the art is appropriate to the story.

I can admit when I've been an idiot.
I had heard praise for Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" series for years, and avoided it out of an irrational resistance to following recommendations. I was an idiot; I admit it. Finally, in early October, I gave in and bought "Preludes and Nocturnes." Two days later, I bought two more "Sandman" volumes, and, over the next three weeks, all the others. I would still be buying the rest of Gaiman's work, but I have no more money.
"Preludes and Nocturnes" introduces Dream, called Morpheus, who is both lord over and incarnation of dreams and stories. This first volume contains eight issues or chapters; the first seven describe a quest and the eighth is an epilogue of sorts. Dream is imprisoned at the beginning of the 20th century; he escapes in 1988 and must retrieve three powerful tools that were stolen from him. The overall tone is quite dark and more influenced by horror than much of the later series.
"Preludes and Nocturnes" is undoubtedly the "Sandman" volume that fits least well with the others, but I wouldn't call it weak. Gaiman's stories have a peculiar ability to take up space in my imagination; they have an almost physical presence and demand to be reread.
It is not surprising that this book is not the most accurate representation of the series. After all, "Sandman" was written as serial fiction. It's hard to find the heart of a story until part of it has been written, often with a lot of floundering for tone and style; in serial fiction, the writer has no chance to erase or edit that experimentation.
Think of "Preludes and Nocturnes" as Gaiman groping for the heart of his story. He finds it near the end of the book, particularly in the epilogue, which has nothing to do with quests and battles but much to do with life. However, the uncertain beginning chapters are well-written and powerful in their own right, and their events, though perhaps not their tone, are an integral part of the later series.

Both Gaiman and his editor readily admit that these first issues of The Sandman are more conventional than the later run of the series, and it's not a comment I disagree with. By the same token, I think both underplay the pleasures to be had from this volume, in which Gaiman takes his first steps with the character and begins to establish a rich and complex cosmology that I can't wait to see develop. Even in the midst of a story about a supervillain who has one of Sandman's gems, Gaiman spins a unique and horrific tale called "24 Hours," in which a group of people slowly deteriorate into madness and violence. Still, nothing quite prepares you for the collection's final tale, "The Sound of Her Wings," which introduces Death and provides not only a sense of where the series will be going, but also the distanced, fascinating way it regards humanity. I haven't read much of what's to come, and I don't doubt that this first volume may not be as groundbreaking as the later ones, but that in no way diminishes the inventiveness and rich world on display here.

That doesn't mean that this is a bad book. It's good, but compared to the stories that Gaiman and company would come up with later on down the road, well, let's just say that it might suffer by comparison. I didn't start off the series with this. If you do, you might quit (but then again, you might not). I started off with the story collections first (Dream Country, Fables and Reflections and World's End), then I proceeded onto the longer storylines. If you are strictly into reading it in chronological fashion, that's your choice. The beauty of the entire series is that you don't HAVE to read them in order (excepting volumes 9 and 10, you have to finish the series with those). Beyond that, think of it as a giant playground for the reader to wander and enjoy.

Lastly, the final story, the stand alone, "The Sound of Her Wings," introduces us to Dream's unforgettable sister, Death. It's the story Gaiman himself said where he "found" his voice for the series and reading it, it's hard to disagree. It's the best story of this volume and fully worth the price of the book alone.

Still, not the ideal intro, but eventually it becomes essential part of the Sandman story arc.

You can't begin to learn about the depth and intense storylines graphic novels conjure up without first paying homage to this, the granddaddy of them all. "The Sandman" series, reinvented and reinterpreted by author Neil Gaiman, took an existing mediocre superhero and transformed him into an otherworldly god. The success of the series is undeniable, and it has the unique additional factor of being equally interested to both men and women. A rarity in comics, I assure you. I had never really read any Sandman before, so I decided to begin at the very beginning. With "Preludes and Nocturnes", you meet the hero of this series naked in a glass container. My kind of show!

With his siblings Death, Destiny, Despair, Desire and others, Dream is one of the Endless that rule at the edges of humanity. In a makeshift ceremony, a cult attempting to capture Death herself find that they have instead captured Morpheus/ the King of Dreams/ the Sandman/ etc. After 75 years, Dream finds a way to escape his captivity, only to find that things have gone horribly wrong in his absence. Three of his tools in which he kept much of his magic have gone missing. Worse still, his very kingdom has disintegrated. To restore it, Dream much locate his items and defeat a villain that wants to use Dream's power to destroy humanity itself.

Oh it's definitely a disturbing tale. No question. There are elements in this story that will haunt you long after you put the book down. Oddly, Dream's visit to Hell is probably one of the tamer tales. Still, it's well written. There's nothing like a good quest tale to keep the reader wanting more. The final chapter in this series introduces the reader to Death, Dream's somewhat punk rock sister. Funny fact: Death's a big fan of Mary Poppins. Who knew? Drawing in elements of everything from Alice in Wonderland to 1950s and 60s pop songs that discuss dreams, dreaming, and the sandman (of which I think there may have been roughly 4 billion) as well as Shakespeare, ancient Celtic myth, and even the original Cain and Abel story, Gaiman goes wild. Remarkably, he does all of this and yet never looses his grip on the tale he's telling. Things are never so wild that they get completely out of hand.

The art in this book is created by the fingers of three meticulous artists. Of them, I had a hard time deciding which I liked best. I'm not an able reviewer of graphic artists, so I can't say who did which story and what style goes with whom. What I can say is that as the stories continue, Dream himself grows and changes. Though he retains his essential look, he goes from contemptuous to thin and drawn to Robert Smith. The last story in the collection, "The Sound of Her Wings" is probably the weakest of the book. While it's wonderful to see Death so perky and mischievous, I was disappointed by the story's hero suddenly looking so much like the lead singer of The Cure. Instead of the Endless master of night and dreams, we have a pouting teenaged kid. Go figure.

Just the same, this is an excellent starter graphic novel. For the person uncertain as to whether or not accept this art form as actual "literature" (and it's going to be many many years before this mindset becomes standard) this book may not convince them wholeheartedly, but it will at least give them something to think about. A great dark tale with a great dark sexy hero. No wonder the ladies like him so.

When Neil Gaiman came back to write "Endless Nights" several years after the Sandman had ended, the Entertainment Weekly blurb on the cover read, "The greatest comic book ever returns."

That's not really hyperbole.

As much-maligned (and as justly) as comic books have been for trading on intricate and nonsensical tropes, recycled stories, characters that never mature, and bloody stupid dialogue, "The Sandman" found ways to take the wayward form and turns it on its ear. Writer Neil Gaiman summons up a vast, literate, and cockeyed theology of prime movers called the Endless who travel freely to Hell, Los Angeles, and (most interestingly) the Dreaming; a sort of mutable landscape of fictions and stories, ruled over by Dream - a stiff, formal deity and one of the most compelling characters in comics.

The stories in this volume range from pulpy horror ("24 Hours;" "The Sleep of the Just") to high-level speculative fiction ("The Sound of Her Wings," "A Hope in Hell"). The art is similarly ranged - "The Sound of Her Wings" uses the subtle Mike Drigenberg to evoke loss and nostalgia, but the Sam Keith psychedelia that festoon "A Hope in Hell" and "The Sleep of the Just" work just as well in a completely different way. This is the problem with "Preludes and Nocturnes" (which should really be called "More Than Rubies," given the story's title in serial form) - it is both an apple and an orange.

Still, there's plenty to like here, and if you think that comics are mostly semi-literate pablum aimed at small children and minor intellects, you've probably never read anything like it. The surprisingly unpretentious mix of the Bible, mythology, potboiler horror, and G.K. Chesterton is something almost completely unique, not just in comics, but anywhere. "Preludes and Nocturnes" is not the best part of the story (that award is variously distributed among "The Kindly Ones," "Brief Lives," and "Season of Mists"), but it is certainly intriguing and highly recommended to anyone who wants to read a book that is both vastly entertaining and something of a literary achievement.

What happens when a group of mystics ensnare the King of Dreams and keep him imprisoned for over seventy years?
So begins Neil Gaiman's epic, sweeping vision that constitutes the Sandman series. The first book concerns itself with Morpheus's eventual escape and quest to find the accoutrements with which he used to rule his dream kingdom. This is no ordinary comic series; Gaiman brilliantly exploits the sequential art medium to provide us with provocative- and often disturbing- images that underline the thrust of the words. "24 Hours," for example, just wouldn't be the same if it was produced as your normal, everyday novel. Actually seeing, in Dr. Dee's eyes, the products of his warped fantasies in graphic form adds a layer to the narrative Gaiman wouldn't ordinarily have. And these are visual characters; Morpheus and the celebrated Death, with their Gothic, ultra cool look are so easily identifiable and indelibly imprint themselves in the reader's mind. Their visual representation also reinforces their uniqueness; Death's Ankh talisman, for example, perfectly enscapulates the paradoxical nature of the wearer, where death is a positive, life-affirming state.
Notwithstanding the consistent high quality quality of the art (I especially love that astounding, two-page image in "A Hope in Hell," where Dream, Lucifer, Azazel and Beezelbub stand atop a summit overlooking all of Hell's denizens, and Lucifer, with the slightest touch of humour, asks Morpheus if he can pick out the creature that stole his helm) and some very good stories("24 Hours" and "The Sound of Her Wings"), I can't help but get the impression that, as a whole, _Preludes_ is a forced effort. As Gaiman himself later acknowledged, and many are quick to critique, Gaiman's attempts at intertextuality fall flat. The bringing in of characters from other storylines (Cain and Abel, John Constantine, Scott Free, J'onn, etc.) gives the narrative a campy, tawdry look. It's a ridiculous marketing ploy that really robs the narrative of its uniqueness. Gaiman is at his best when the tenor of _Sandman_ matches that of its protagonist; dark, brooding, enigmatic. To Gaiman's credit, this "failed experiment" never went beyond _Preludes_ and helps to explain why subsequent titles are so much better than this one.
I think that it's necessary to start with this title, however. The summary of _Preludes_ at the beginning of _The Doll's House_ robs the reader of some important contextualizations and impressions that can only be made by actually reading the book. Despite its faults, _Preludes_ is better than 95% of graphic novels and comic books out there. And it only gets better....

I haven't really seen this addressed (although I haven't waded through all the other reviews). Gaiman's storytelling is fantastic but some of the early art is very clumsy. I have to assume it was Sam Kieth since it improved as soon as he left. It's primarily in the character design and execution, the overall layout is beautiful. The art is often cartoony, characters' features seem unstable, looking different from panel to panel, their heads are often ridiculously large (I'm talking about human and human-shaped characters) and proportions, in general, are out of whack and not in an intentionally artful way.. There are some panels of Lucifer, in particular, that just look ridiculous and amateurish. Among other things he has a normally shaped head in closeup and a bobble-head in the full-body shots plus he appears to be wearing sweatpants! The cartooniness often undercuts the moodiness.
Fortunately this settles down after the first 5 issues/chapters and by the time we get to "24 Hours" the art is appropriate to the story.

I can admit when I've been an idiot.
I had heard praise for Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" series for years, and avoided it out of an irrational resistance to following recommendations. I was an idiot; I admit it. Finally, in early October, I gave in and bought "Preludes and Nocturnes." Two days later, I bought two more "Sandman" volumes, and, over the next three weeks, all the others. I would still be buying the rest of Gaiman's work, but I have no more money.
"Preludes and Nocturnes" introduces Dream, called Morpheus, who is both lord over and incarnation of dreams and stories. This first volume contains eight issues or chapters; the first seven describe a quest and the eighth is an epilogue of sorts. Dream is imprisoned at the beginning of the 20th century; he escapes in 1988 and must retrieve three powerful tools that were stolen from him. The overall tone is quite dark and more influenced by horror than much of the later series.
"Preludes and Nocturnes" is undoubtedly the "Sandman" volume that fits least well with the others, but I wouldn't call it weak. Gaiman's stories have a peculiar ability to take up space in my imagination; they have an almost physical presence and demand to be reread.
It is not surprising that this book is not the most accurate representation of the series. After all, "Sandman" was written as serial fiction. It's hard to find the heart of a story until part of it has been written, often with a lot of floundering for tone and style; in serial fiction, the writer has no chance to erase or edit that experimentation.
Think of "Preludes and Nocturnes" as Gaiman groping for the heart of his story. He finds it near the end of the book, particularly in the epilogue, which has nothing to do with quests and battles but much to do with life. However, the uncertain beginning chapters are well-written and powerful in their own right, and their events, though perhaps not their tone, are an integral part of the later series.

Both Gaiman and his editor readily admit that these first issues of The Sandman are more conventional than the later run of the series, and it's not a comment I disagree with. By the same token, I think both underplay the pleasures to be had from this volume, in which Gaiman takes his first steps with the character and begins to establish a rich and complex cosmology that I can't wait to see develop. Even in the midst of a story about a supervillain who has one of Sandman's gems, Gaiman spins a unique and horrific tale called "24 Hours," in which a group of people slowly deteriorate into madness and violence. Still, nothing quite prepares you for the collection's final tale, "The Sound of Her Wings," which introduces Death and provides not only a sense of where the series will be going, but also the distanced, fascinating way it regards humanity. I haven't read much of what's to come, and I don't doubt that this first volume may not be as groundbreaking as the later ones, but that in no way diminishes the inventiveness and rich world on display here.

That doesn't mean that this is a bad book. It's good, but compared to the stories that Gaiman and company would come up with later on down the road, well, let's just say that it might suffer by comparison. I didn't start off the series with this. If you do, you might quit (but then again, you might not). I started off with the story collections first (Dream Country, Fables and Reflections and World's End), then I proceeded onto the longer storylines. If you are strictly into reading it in chronological fashion, that's your choice. The beauty of the entire series is that you don't HAVE to read them in order (excepting volumes 9 and 10, you have to finish the series with those). Beyond that, think of it as a giant playground for the reader to wander and enjoy.

Lastly, the final story, the stand alone, "The Sound of Her Wings," introduces us to Dream's unforgettable sister, Death. It's the story Gaiman himself said where he "found" his voice for the series and reading it, it's hard to disagree. It's the best story of this volume and fully worth the price of the book alone.

Still, not the ideal intro, but eventually it becomes essential part of the Sandman story arc.

You can't begin to learn about the depth and intense storylines graphic novels conjure up without first paying homage to this, the granddaddy of them all. "The Sandman" series, reinvented and reinterpreted by author Neil Gaiman, took an existing mediocre superhero and transformed him into an otherworldly god. The success of the series is undeniable, and it has the unique additional factor of being equally interested to both men and women. A rarity in comics, I assure you. I had never really read any Sandman before, so I decided to begin at the very beginning. With "Preludes and Nocturnes", you meet the hero of this series naked in a glass container. My kind of show!

With his siblings Death, Destiny, Despair, Desire and others, Dream is one of the Endless that rule at the edges of humanity. In a makeshift ceremony, a cult attempting to capture Death herself find that they have instead captured Morpheus/ the King of Dreams/ the Sandman/ etc. After 75 years, Dream finds a way to escape his captivity, only to find that things have gone horribly wrong in his absence. Three of his tools in which he kept much of his magic have gone missing. Worse still, his very kingdom has disintegrated. To restore it, Dream much locate his items and defeat a villain that wants to use Dream's power to destroy humanity itself.

Oh it's definitely a disturbing tale. No question. There are elements in this story that will haunt you long after you put the book down. Oddly, Dream's visit to Hell is probably one of the tamer tales. Still, it's well written. There's nothing like a good quest tale to keep the reader wanting more. The final chapter in this series introduces the reader to Death, Dream's somewhat punk rock sister. Funny fact: Death's a big fan of Mary Poppins. Who knew? Drawing in elements of everything from Alice in Wonderland to 1950s and 60s pop songs that discuss dreams, dreaming, and the sandman (of which I think there may have been roughly 4 billion) as well as Shakespeare, ancient Celtic myth, and even the original Cain and Abel story, Gaiman goes wild. Remarkably, he does all of this and yet never looses his grip on the tale he's telling. Things are never so wild that they get completely out of hand.

The art in this book is created by the fingers of three meticulous artists. Of them, I had a hard time deciding which I liked best. I'm not an able reviewer of graphic artists, so I can't say who did which story and what style goes with whom. What I can say is that as the stories continue, Dream himself grows and changes. Though he retains his essential look, he goes from contemptuous to thin and drawn to Robert Smith. The last story in the collection, "The Sound of Her Wings" is probably the weakest of the book. While it's wonderful to see Death so perky and mischievous, I was disappointed by the story's hero suddenly looking so much like the lead singer of The Cure. Instead of the Endless master of night and dreams, we have a pouting teenaged kid. Go figure.

Just the same, this is an excellent starter graphic novel. For the person uncertain as to whether or not accept this art form as actual "literature" (and it's going to be many many years before this mindset becomes standard) this book may not convince them wholeheartedly, but it will at least give them something to think about. A great dark tale with a great dark sexy hero. No wonder the ladies like him so.

When Neil Gaiman came back to write "Endless Nights" several years after the Sandman had ended, the Entertainment Weekly blurb on the cover read, "The greatest comic book ever returns."

That's not really hyperbole.

As much-maligned (and as justly) as comic books have been for trading on intricate and nonsensical tropes, recycled stories, characters that never mature, and bloody stupid dialogue, "The Sandman" found ways to take the wayward form and turns it on its ear. Writer Neil Gaiman summons up a vast, literate, and cockeyed theology of prime movers called the Endless who travel freely to Hell, Los Angeles, and (most interestingly) the Dreaming; a sort of mutable landscape of fictions and stories, ruled over by Dream - a stiff, formal deity and one of the most compelling characters in comics.

The stories in this volume range from pulpy horror ("24 Hours;" "The Sleep of the Just") to high-level speculative fiction ("The Sound of Her Wings," "A Hope in Hell"). The art is similarly ranged - "The Sound of Her Wings" uses the subtle Mike Drigenberg to evoke loss and nostalgia, but the Sam Keith psychedelia that festoon "A Hope in Hell" and "The Sleep of the Just" work just as well in a completely different way. This is the problem with "Preludes and Nocturnes" (which should really be called "More Than Rubies," given the story's title in serial form) - it is both an apple and an orange.

Still, there's plenty to like here, and if you think that comics are mostly semi-literate pablum aimed at small children and minor intellects, you've probably never read anything like it. The surprisingly unpretentious mix of the Bible, mythology, potboiler horror, and G.K. Chesterton is something almost completely unique, not just in comics, but anywhere. "Preludes and Nocturnes" is not the best part of the story (that award is variously distributed among "The Kindly Ones," "Brief Lives," and "Season of Mists"), but it is certainly intriguing and highly recommended to anyone who wants to read a book that is both vastly entertaining and something of a literary achievement.

Gaiman's incredible Sandman series starts with this collection. While trying to capture the personification of Death (a tried and true fantasy convention) a magician captures instead the King of Dreams, who remains his prisoner for seven decades until he (Dream) is finally given an opportunity to escape. Comic book conventions come into play at the beginning with guest appearances by John Constantine and Etrigan as Dream pursues his lost tools of office. But when Dream finally confronts the man,(a minor DC villain,Dr. Destiny)who possesses the last of these tools the series enters a different realm far from the typical comic book. Taking his lead from Alan Moore's work on Swamp Thing, Gaiman creates an atmosphere of real horror as Dr. Destiny warps the lives of a few unlucky diner patrons, driving them to madness before he is finally stopped by Dream. It is in the scenes at the diner Gamain's talent really comes to the forefront and you realize that this is no typical comic book experience. By showing the gradual destruction of these characters Gaiman give the reader a peak at what becomes the theme of the entire series; the power of dreams in our lives.

My experience with graphic novels has been regrettably limited, and after hearing rave reviews from friends and reading extensive praise for the series online, I decided to take the plunge.

Graphic novels are sadly overlooked and not considered literature by most critics, shrugged off as nerdy pubescent obsessions or erotic adult fetishes. While this can be true (at least in my limited experience), there are a number of wonderfully complex, bitingly intelligent, metaphorical graphic novels...and The Sandman is certainly one of the elite.

Boy, am I ever glad I finally read this classic work of art and literature.

While I haven't (yet) read any of the following volumes, Preludes and Nocturnes is the one novel that can be read as a standalone as it marks the beginning of the series, and has a conclusive ending (although you would be mad not to want to read the subsequent volumes after devouring this).

The novel is divided up into separate stories/chapters that seemingly jump around and are unrelated at first glance, but eventually tie together nicely as the story progresses. The tale is simple, with mythological roots.It is a quest story of a lost hero, stranded from his home, who undertakes a quest to regain his power and his throne. Enslaved by greedy humans who aimed to capture his sister, Death, Dream (or Morpheus) spends years waiting for his inevitable escape, and revenge. Once freed of his prison, Dream is terrifying. More the stuff of nightmares, he is imagined beautifully in bold dark ink and burning red eyes. After exacting revenge on the son of his captor--the man responsible for his imprisonment long dead--Dream begins his search for the three tools he needs to regain his throne: a bag of sand (a reserve of dreamstuff and power), his helm (the symbol of his monarch), and his ruby (the dreamstone which contains a piece of Dream's soul and source of his power).

The quest for three objects leads Morpheus down three different paths. Things have fallen apart since Dream has been trapped--people slipping into constant, unwaking slumber, the kingdom falling apart, and strange behavior at every turn (an exchange between brothers Cain and Abel demonstrates this strangeness pretty effectively). Through consulting the Weird Sisters (the mythological three Fates), Dream discovers where to find his lost symbols of power. For the Bag of Sand, he travels to London and enlists the aid of John Constantine. Vanquishing wild dreams and renegade nightmares, Morpheus regains the bag and is strong enough to search for his helm. The helmet is possessed by a Demon in Hell--where Dream travels, and discovers Lucifer Morningstar is now part of a triumvirate that governs the kingdom, along with Beelzebub and Azazel. He must battle the lesser Demon for the return of his helm, which is carried out in stunning fashion, both in the art on the page, and in Mr. Gaiman's flowing prose. For the last symbol of power, Dream looks to the Justice League for information, and faces a demented Doctor Destiny who has been using the ruby for his own twisted purposes.

The novel is rich in metaphor and allusion, drawing heavily on Greek myths and folklore (as is Mr. Gaiman's hallmark), which is woven seamlessly into story and art. Dream transitions from an enraged and terrifying thing of power and smoke portrayed through jagged, harsh black lines and deathly pale skin, to a being more tangible and human. By the last chapter of the novel, ironically when he has at long last regained all his power and glory, Dream looks more like a sulking emo kid than an awesome Prince of Shadow. It is this transition, and the ability to make something as abstract as dreams become accessible and personified, that astonishes and awes the reader.

My two favorite stories/chapters are "The Sound of Her Wings" and "24 Hours". Death, Dream's beautiful big sister, is introduced in "The Sound of Her Wings". And like all elder siblings, Death chides and scolds Dream for wallowing in self-pity and reminds him to fulfill his responsibilities. Contrary to popular depictions of Death as a morbid, chilling presence, this personification is perky, charming, and sympathetic--and so very cool, as other reviewers have stated. In "24 Hours", John Dee (aka Dr. Destiny) has regained control of Morpheus' Dreamstone Ruby, and has twisted and corrupted its power to suit his own dark purposes. This chapter is truly horrific, as chaos is unleashed upon the world and in a microcosm through a small diner that Dee has taken hostage. It is deliciously creepy.

I loved the DC crossovers in this volume (although from what I can garner from reviews here, this isn't a popular reaction). At the very least, if you are familiar with some older DC comics, Preludes and Nocturnes allows you a frame of reference to familiarize yourself with. For my part, I was delighted to see Constantine, Green Lantern, Scarecrow, the shoutouts to the Justice League of America, and even a setting in Arkham Asylum.

Truly, this novel is wonderful, and should be read by all--not just by fans of graphic novels, but by anyone even remotely interested in literature. My only regret is that it took me so long to find and read this work.

Review courtesy of TheBookSmugglers.blogspot

I never wanted to touch Off-Stream comics. I was happy and content with Supes, Bats, Spidey and the X-Men. Still while on vacation my Mom let me get some books - and I was pondering wether to get Sandman. I looked at the first page, wondering and began reading some of it. Before the first page even ended, I felt that I would love this book. And I did! It is literally our Myths taking form!
I always thought "For Mature Readers" meant that it was "Adult" Stuff that a kid wouldn't be suitable to read. That, off my head, made me think of sex, violence and gore. Thats why I love Mainstream Comics so much, they are safe to read. Still I took the risk, going on a hunch that it would be good. It isn't mainly about any of the stuff I thought a "Mature" title would have. Though there is some gross and violent stuff that you'd want to keep away from little kids, still this book is just that good! It's safe for anybody who doesn't have the mind or inclination to go stab your eyes out with spikes. Though only violance of that nature is small and not used without reason.
Death is my favorite character - cute and cheery! Sandman himself is an impressive character, who we see lost his Kingdom and now has to rebuild.
This series was so good, reading, that I went ahead and ordered the rest of the series. Like one of my favorite series "Starman" Sandman has a begining and end, like any serious novel would have.
Interesting fact I heard: A future issue won an award for Fantasy. Some people were mad becuase they thought a comic wasn't serious enough to be considered. This book is mature in it's intelligence and ellagance that it can match any "serious" novel anyday!

Intermittently, between the films that I watch and the video games I shamelessly play, I do enjoy reading a good graphic novel here and there. Why not taste all the facets of pop culture when I have the opportunity? Neil Gaiman is the author that re-introduced me to the world of graphic novel. Through his fantastic novel (meaning a story that you could read more than one time) entitled "American Gods", I found this fantastical writer's ability to draw upon the strength of other pop culture ideas as well as nearly blend fantasy and fiction together with the greatest of ease. It was right after my reading of "American Gods" that I decided to pick up the first in his ever-popular "Sandman" series entitled Preludes & Nocturnes. From the opening frames of a miscalculated capture, through the inevitable adventures to recover lost/stolen items, to the hauntingly original final scenes where our main character, Sandman, introduces us to his family and builds a stronger, more poetic beginning to the next chapter, The Doll's House.

Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened the first page of this glorious graphic novel. There were so many different themes and stories blazing the pages, that at times I felt a bit overwhelmed, but what makes this collection of stories stand out, I was never lost or confused. Gaiman, with impressive artwork by Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, and Malcolm Jones III, takes us through different (already established) storylines - like John Constantine, Satan, and the all-powerful JLA - but with a bold new stroke of creativity. Gaiman, from frame one, never looses his momentum. He combines familiar characters with those we know nothing about, but are willing to learn about. What I enjoyed the most about Gaiman's story is that he never once let us forget about smaller, minuet characters. Even closer to the end, when we think that we have already learned all we can about our smaller moment, or that they have left our story all together, Gaiman pulls them out once more to demonstrate how small this very large world truly is. Finally, what pulled this story together for me to the bitter end (at least of this collection) was our main character, Sandman. For a character confined to the dream world and imprisoned for 40 years, his level of humanity and humanistic actions created one of the strongest literary characters I have witnessed. His expressions, emotions, and overall development through these stories kept me glued to the page until the early hours of the morning. I believed in our heroine, while Gaiman gave no indication that his character would be successful in his quest, I believed and kept the pages turning to see what would be the final explosive conclusion.

I do not believe I felt any negativity towards this collection of stories. The artwork was crisp and continually changing to appeal to a growing audience. The story was extremely smooth with characters that would immediately mark Gaiman's honest entry into the world of graphic novels. I especially loved the blend of other graphic characters. I thought this gave Sandman more depth and bigger scope. If I had to point out one miniscule issue that I had, it would be the sporadic change of illustrations. Most of the time the panels read right to left, but occasionally, our illustrators changed it up (a neat idea, ill-fully carried out), but again, a very small issue that was forgotten about by the end of the story.

Overall, I loved this story. While I don't have many words to put down about my overall feelings of this collection, it is just because I am currently reading the next collection eager to see what new troubles our hero must face after nearly 40 years of incarceration. Gaiman and his team have crafted a cult hero with this series, demonstrating humanity and demonic truths all piled into one. Almost takes me down a Hellboy path, but I don't want to draw that connection. I strongly suggest starting at this point in the series. Some series you can begin anywhere and still get the full effect, but with this one, events are set up early to allow for future dwellings and happenings in this fantastical world. Go out and get this now. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Grade: ***** out of *****

Many people describe the Sandman books as Gaiman's greatest work. I have to agree with that assessment. Over the course of the series, Gaiman brings together a wealth of his interests, from Jewish mysticism to Shakespeare. The sheer scope makes it one of the most ambitious group of books ever written. Indeed, like the best of fantasy, the author creates an entire new world for us to explore and enjoy.
I agree with those who say that this is the weakest of the long series. That said, it is the first and sets the stage for what comes after. For those who have not read the series and want to, I suggest reading season of the mist first (book four) and then read from Preludes forward. Alternatively, you can start here. The important thing is to not simply read this, get confused and stop.
Remember, Gaiman builds on his work towards the end of the story. Each book adds important characters and facts that recur later. What seems minor may play a crucial role later in the story. The series is a must for serious fantasy fans. If you have never read a graphic novel, here is a great place to start.

Hmmm... okay, perhaps a Shakespeare comparison might be a little over the top, yes? Like comparing every foreign despot to Hitler, comparing a given author to Shakespeare always has a whiff of exaggeration about it.

Or, maybe not. Who's to say what it would be like, to live in the same time of a genius, before generations of professors have been allowed their collective two-cents? To read the works of genius, first run, not for any class or "personal betterment" but simply out of enjoyment? And how does it change one's ability to appreciate genius when it comes in a form of art that is generally thought of as being low-brow, unrespectable? When most of us have a bias coming in? Did Elizabethans *really* believe that they were contemporary to the greatest English playwright of all time? The pinnacle of English literature for the next five hundred years to come? Unlikely.

I'm not prepared, here, to tell you that Neil Gaiman is "the Shakespeare of our age." I am certain that he, himself, would laugh-off such a thing. But, in The Sandman, we do have a work of art, a literary classic, a thing of beauty, call it what you will--it is genius. And yes, it is a comic (or graphic novel, if you prefer, but really, it is a comic), but so what?

The tales that Gaiman weaves, incorporating myths of every land and age, are timeless. They strike a chord that is not quite alien but not quite comfortable either. They are somehow both familiar and completely original. They engross from the shear strength of their storytelling, and question and teach and challenge, too.

If you're on the fence, considering... go ahead and take the plunge: give this series a try. At worst, you will have a marvelous time with characters that you won't find anywhere else, in sensuous, exotic, rich stories. And at best... you just might be witness to a Bard in the making.

Neil Gaiman, Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes (Vertigo, 1995)

Before Neil Gaiman made himself into a household name with the twin publications of American Gods and Good Omens, there was already a sizable culture of Gaiman fanatics thanks to the Sandman series of graphic novels. Preludes and Nocturnes is the first of them. Not only Gaiman, but his publisher as well, caution the reader in forewords (and Gaiman reiterates in an afterword) that Preludes and Nocturnes is not indicative of the quality of the series as a whole, and judging by the fanaticism of the Gaiman army, I'm going to hazard a guess as to the truth of that statement.

Preludes and Nocturnes is a basic quest storyline; the sandman has been trapped for sixty years, and the items that gave him power have been scattered throughout the multiverse. He's got to get them back. Hooray. We've seen it all a thousand times before. What shows that there's the potential for this to be great stuff is what Gaiman does with some of his minor characters. John Constantine makes a quick stop in, which is always welcome, but the series' true brilliance manifests itself in the character of John Dee (one wonders whether he's supposed to actually be the well-known magician of that name, or just a reference to same). Dee is as well-fleshed a character as any in American Gods, which is quite saying something, and the lengths to which he'll go to abuse the power he has stolen from the sandman's artifact are truly chilling. The "24 Hours" chapter here will stay with you long after you've finished reading this and gone on to the other (hopefully better) books in the series.

Not, by all accounts, an auspicious beginning, but I'll keep going and see if the legions of crazed fans are right about how good this gets. ***

"Could Not Dream of Heaven." The preceding quote is one of the many thoughts that mmake up a brilliant character, The Sandman.
This graphic novel is both beauty and wit. Most of the art is breathtaking as well as descriptive.This novel begins with Morpheus,another name for the Sandman or Dream King, trapped. Stripped of his powers and life he spends nearly a cenntury trapped. When he finally does escape, he finds his home in taters and his servants nearly destroyed. He then beggins a journey to collect his tools again. His first tool to recollect is his bag of sand, which he finds with the hellp of John Constanntine, a dectective. Once he has found his precious sand, he travels to hell to reclaim his helmet. There he finds a demon who he must battle by trumping the demon with a larger from the the demon's last. Once he has recovered his helmet the demon is banished from hell and the Sandman continues his journey in seach of his last tool, a red jewel. JUst as he finds the jewel,Dr.Dee,a mad man driven by the power he posses to make dreams real when he has the jewel, takes the stone and Morpheus is left powerless. The rest of the story is good but I refuse to give away the WHOLE thing. The ending comic is the best in which Dream meets up with his siter Death, who tells Morpheus of Mary Poppins and rebukes him for being gloomy. This is a great piece of work which I highly recommend. Though I'm told the rest of the series is much better.

Only giving it 4 stars, because I will save 5 for future issues which get better...
I am not going to waste words trying to explain why Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" is the epitomy of modern stoytelling. Enough has been written already and if you are just being introduced to this series as I have been, then you have already heard all about the stories themselves. I will just say that "Preludes and Nocturnes" is a MUST to read first. It's important to know some of the things that will be explained and referred back to in later stories. Gaiman goes to Hell and back (literally) and covers a whole spectrum of things, from the whimsical to the horrifying.
Gaiman's storytelling is masterful and believe me as someone who has taught English before, his books will someday (if they are not already) be used within some college course to learn the great literature that was produced in the latter days of the 20th Century. The self-absorbed literary intelligensia in this country will probably dismiss it as "mere comic strips," not to be elevated up to the level of true literature...they are pompous windbags. Some might even dismiss these stories as pagan or even (gasp) satanic. That would be nothing new in the comic world. Those folks are limited in scope and little of brain.
Am I saying too much? Wait and see. Better yet. Pick up these books and find out for yourself. I doubt you will be disappointed. If you are intelligent and want to be able to put a book down and continue to think about it for another week because it was THAT GOOD, then these need to be in your collection of must reads.
You will read them again, so forget about about trying to borrow them from a friend.
Describing these as comics is a great understatement and mischaracterization. To say it's a graphic novel probably is too weak, but it will do until some future generation develops their own classification of this literature ("graphic-literature?" --has promise.) Enjoy.

In rereading this first volume of the Sandman stories after so long a time, it hit me both how much the character evolved, as well as, how much stayed the same. Indeed, you actually have hints and echos of the ultimate fate of Morpheus in this first book.

In the first part, "Sleep of the Just", you might be forgiven for thinking of Morpheus as some sort of vengeful, dream vampire- a lord of nightmare over dreams. Already in "Imperfect Hosts", you find introduced the triple goddess who will later figure so prominently in the dream king's fate many volumes later in "the Kindly Ones." In "Dream a Little Dream of Me" we get our first hint of the depth of compassion and mercy of the character. This is followed by the revelation in "A Hope in Hell" that the king of dreams must also of necessity be the giver of hope to mankind (i.e. even Lucifer acknowledges that without the ability to dream of heaven, hell itself would have no hold on it's inmates.) Then, in "Passengers" and "24 Hours", we have, frankly, the most horrendous, sadistic, sickening, blood bath in the history of D.C. Comics. Then, all is put right by Morpheus in "Sound and Fury", as a demonstration of the difference between a wise and compassionate Lord of Dreams, and the Insanity of a true Lord of Nightmare. The character of Morpheus is now firmly and sympathetically established. Finally, in "The Sound of Her Wings", we meet the first of Dream's family- beautiful, compassionate, humorous, Death. We also get just a hint of the dissatisfaction and ennui that will ultimately guide Morpheus's fate.

If you have never read this series of the finest of graphic literature, then I envy you. You have nine more volumes that will rivet your attention and transport you to another world- the world of dreams.

Gaiman's incredible Sandman series starts with this collection. While trying to capture the personification of Death (a tried and true fantasy convention) a magician captures instead the King of Dreams, who remains his prisoner for seven decades until he (Dream) is finally given an opportunity to escape. Comic book conventions come into play at the beginning with guest appearances by John Constantine and Etrigan as Dream pursues his lost tools of office. But when Dream finally confronts the man,(a minor DC villain,Dr. Destiny)who possesses the last of these tools the series enters a different realm far from the typical comic book. Taking his lead from Alan Moore's work on Swamp Thing, Gaiman creates an atmosphere of real horror as Dr. Destiny warps the lives of a few unlucky diner patrons, driving them to madness before he is finally stopped by Dream. It is in the scenes at the diner Gamain's talent really comes to the forefront and you realize that this is no typical comic book experience. By showing the gradual destruction of these characters Gaiman give the reader a peak at what becomes the theme of the entire series; the power of dreams in our lives.

To start - Neil Gaiman is an immaculate genre writer, who blends in sophistication with the bizarre in almost all of his projects. The Sandman Series is certainly one of his best works and , of course, keeps getting better. I must admit, I'm currently on the Seventh Chapter, but the first book: "Preludes and Nocturnes" deserves a lot of recognition.
I had been warned that the first collection of his comics was one of the weaker installments. But so far, I must disagree. "Preludes and Nocturnes" is a fantastic introduction to the character of Dream. For those who have not yet read started this series, the book opens with a underground society of necromantic cultists, in England, the early 1900's. In an attempt to capture the divine personification of Death - they accidently capture her brother, Dream. Though, this doesn't ensure immortality to the cultists anymore, they keep him bound in hopes of bargaining his freedom for power. After imprisonment for almost a century, Dream finally escapes and takes his revenge on his captors. The rest of the book, finds Dream severly weakened and missing his three artifacts, and sources of his power: his bag of sand, helmet and amulet. Because of his absence, the items have fallen into the hands of others and his kingdom and responsibilities, having been neglected during his imprisonment, have all crumbled. He spends the rest of the book reclaiming his lost possessions and reestablishing his authority as the Lord of Dreams.
For a writer who really didn't know where his story was going, Gaiman has given us an intriguing world to visit. He intergrates the modern world and ordinary mortal characters with elements of the supernatural and mythology. One cannot help but be fascinated by such scenes as Dream challenging a deamon to a duel of spoken words and image, while in a 1930's style bar in Hell. The book contains a variety of colorful characters and an original storyline that really sets the stage for the rest of the series. Also, being a graphic novel really adds to its presentation. The images are sometimes beyond literary comprehension and now I just couldn't imagine just reading this story. Gaiman has a way of creating images to vivid for words, so it seems quite appropriate these stories are told in a comic book style.
In addition, the book closes on a scene between Dream and Death, who is pictured as a flamboyant happy-go-lucky Goth girl. He accompanies her as she collects the souls of the dying and brings an interesting sense of closure to Dream's experience. The world has changed in his absence and there is much more for him to learn and to explore.
This is an essential book in the Neil Gaiman universe. If anything, it acts as a much needed foreward to the rest of the Sandman graphic novels and sets the stage for our expectations. But it stands on its own, the story rivaling the works of H.P. Lovecraft and Terry Pratchett.
Happy Reading!

Don't get me wrong. I love the Sandman. I started on it by the last volume (the Wake), which wasn't the smartest thing to do, but heck I didn't know. Afterwards, puzzled, I proceeded to read the whole series more or less in order (depending on the stocks in my local comic store, mainly). If I hadn't had an idea of what the later story arcs would evolve into, I would have closed the first volume almost as soon as I opened it. Why? Because the wake was clearly fantasy. Whereas this is horror a la Clive Barker (and I can't stand horror).
The story, briefly: a group of magicians attempt to capture Death, and snare her younger brother, Dream, instead. After many years in captivity, Dream manages to get free, and spends the rest of the book trying to rebuild his kingdom, which grew pretty ruined in the years he wasn't there.
This is not for the faint-hearted. It is worth remembering that Mr Gaiman was writing a horror comic, rather than the fantasy, mythology-ladden stories the series would later evolve into. There are some fairly gruesome moments, with the necessary drawings. I would advise you to skip it altogether (with the possible exception of 'The Sound of Her Wings' which introduces the brilliant character of Death), except that you won't understand the later volumes if you do. So maybe flick through it, and through the next one, the Doll's House, which is somewhat messy and equally gruesome (except, again, for one particular section involving Hob Gadling, a man who strikes an odd bargain with Death). Don't let the gory bits deter you from Gaiman. Start the in-depth reading with volume three and read all of them to the Wake. Trust me, it's worth it.

The Sandman was a series I stumbled upon due to my liking of Neil Gaiman's other worksuch as American Gods and Coraline. The fact that it was a Comic Book series made it all the more appealing. Let me say that if you're at all in love with the DC universe, Neil Gaiman, or even just the idea of dreams, and other realities, THIS IS THE SERIES FOR YOU.

Volume One introduces the main character who goes by many names, one of which is the series title. You are introduced to the idea of beings known as the Endless, siblings of sorts, 2 of which being our main character and his sister Death. Also, that they exist in between the different religious mythologies, dimensions, universes, etc. From visiting the justice league, to the depths of Hell, to the office of John Constantine, this first volume familiarizes you with the bizarre, yet intriguing worlds, plots, characters, and so much more.

If you find yourself interested in the first title, PRELUDES & NOCTURNES is just the beginning. The is a great start to an amazing series that all must enjoy!

Neil Gaiman's Sandman series is clearly one of the outstanding works of literature in English in the 20th century. The range of topics and concerns and motifs he covers throughout the series is astounding, yet he links his stories together with the mysterious, moody, proud, Byronic, ultra-responsible, and self-absorbed figure of Dream, aka Lord Morpheus, the Lord of the Dreamworld. Gaiman effortlessly rewrites mythology, inserting his Immortal characters ingeniously into a variety of myths, particularly the story of Orpheus. His topics range from the helplessness of captivity to the guilt of performing a necessary act of mercy, to the sibling rivalry of a set of seven Immortal siblings, to cycles of renewal and change, and the desirability or undesirablity of immortality.
Gaiman's characters are simultaneously larger-than-life represenations of such ideas as Death and Desire *and* quarrelsome cantankerous eccentrics who as siblings often don't get along. His supreme achievement besides Dream, is Dream's sister Death, and the story "The Sound of Her Wings" is a true tour de force.
Gaiman's most thoughtful and moving subplot, IMO, involves Shakespeare and the price he has paid for his creative power. The dialog between Dream and Shakespeare in "The Wake" is one of the most stunningly insightful examinations of the dilemma of being an artist. Dream reminds us "Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes and forgot." Amen. Ultimately that's what the Sandman series is about.

Gaiman's Sandman series is widely considered one of the finest achievements in the graphic novel medium, but does it live up to all the hype? In this opening volume, a mortal who intends to capture Death accidentally snags her sibling Dream instead and winds up keeping him prisoner for decades. Finally escaping, Dream sets about reclaiming his lost talismans so he can rebuild his kingdom, which has greatly deteriorated during his long captivity.

There are some pretty good moments among these dozen stories; I especially liked the cleverly-done duel with Lucifer Morningstar, and the truly gruesome sequences that relate to Dr. Destiny's attempt to destroy the entire human race. And in the concluding episode we finally get to meet Death herself, who isn't at all what we might have expected. But not everything in this collection clicks. The art varies from mediocre to decent - certainly not great, while the storytelling is good but only occasionally superior. The few brief cameos from the DC Universe are pretty insignificant, and don't add much to the stories, but on the other hand, many readers won't recognize these characters anyway and they only detract from the unique cosmology that Gaiman is creating for us. And ultimately, that's the key to this book's reputation: as the title suggests, this is only the prelude. The subsequent volumes each build on the cornerstones laid in this collection, and there's plenty of promise here. Mind you, horror's not really my thing, but this was certainly all around good enough that I'm eager to go on to "The Doll's House", and see what further surprises are in store. But is this volume really light-years ahead of everything else in the comics world? Probably not. Three and a half stars.

"GLACK. NAAAGH. FLEURGH." Such were my squeals of pain when forced by my conscience to only give this four stars, but this was written when Neil was still learning how to write down his stunning imagination and so does not rank quite as highly as the incredible latter Sandman books. Still, it is well worth buying. Praise, then criticism I think. Well, the second half of the book does not put a foot wrong and has one of the most chilling horror stories in the history of pretty much anything. '24 Hours' is truly terrifying with a ravaged man pushing people's minds over the edge in a cafeteria. 'The Sound of Her Wings' is a beautiful introduction for everyone's fave anthropomorphic personification, Death, who amazingly turns out to be a sensible, cute, perky young goth girl. The first half of the book is a bit more uneven. The opening story is written very well in the style of old English horror and has pretty good art by Sam Keith, who captures the oppressive Edwardian feel very well. The second story is also written well, but patchy and cartoony art lets it down. Keith's portrayals of Cain and Abel are excellent, as is the intensly cute gargoyle Irving (sorry Cain, Goldie)but his artwork for the Hecate and the appearence of Morpheus upon seeing his castle don't cut the mustard. The third and second stories are good once again with an excellent battle of imagination in Hell and everybodies fave occultist from Newcastle, Sam Keith's Hell is also pictured well, the oozing flesh and rubbery consistancy takes on a life of it's own, and the Hellfire club art is excellent. Unfortunatly we then come to the moderatley pleasing fourth issue where Neil makes some fundamental mistakes. Once of Sandman's greatest tricks is portraying a world where everything seems normal but where ancient beings and great magic live alongside us, only we never notice them because they move so quietly... unless your paths cross, then you are catapulted into THEIR world. Neil made the mistake of writing in some superheroes in this issue which pretty much crippled that concept whilst being a bit pointless when he could have chosen more plausible characters. Fortunatly he does not make the same mistake again. There are still gems in that issue though. So what we have in the end is a satisfying opening chapter that skillfully introduces a lot of big characters without ever seeming rushed. Buy it but be aware that the Sandman gets immesurably better in plot, script and art. A worthy purchase then and essential (otherwise it'd be like starting a book at the second chapter)but a flawed one. (Sam Keith left after the 4th issue, his other work is good, but he just didn't fit the Sandman).

If I were asked to sum this book up in one word, I would say that I couldn't do so and still do the book justice. The Sandman by Neil Gaiman is imaginative, ambitious, eerie, hauntingly beautiful, and everything in between.

I know that there are many, many others who have given detailed reviews of this book, so I won't go into much more detail than I already have. Just know that the writing is as close to perfection as I have seen in a long time, and the art perfectly compliments everything in the story.

If you have not read this book yet, do yourself a favor: buy it, set an entire afternoon aside, and read it cover-to-cover. I promise you will not be disappointed.

What I meant by the title of this review is simple:

You are either going to like this book or you're going to dislike this book.....there is NO inbetween here!

Anyway, back to my review. I have almost finished reading this book. I'm more than half way done, and I think I can form a valid opinion of this book as well as anyone who has read the entire book.

That being said, Preludes and Nocturnes' story revolves around Morpheus (aka the Sandman or Dream). Morpheus is a being called an Endless. He was once the ruler of the dream world until he was captured by a religious cult, which had all thought they captured one of his sisters, Death.

Sound confusing, well.....it gets better. Morpheus was imprisioned for an entire human lifetime, which is roughly 60 or 70 years. This imprisionment also has caused thousands of people to either die from staying awake or die by being in an eternal slumber. He finally finds a way out and escapes. The people who were asleep have finally awaken, but what Morpheus doesn't realize is that everything in his world has changed. He also realizes that he has to find his tools that gave him power, so he can get things back in order. The main storyline is the quest Morpheus goes on to get his tools back.

This is a very complex storyline, but it's great fun to read, and is really unlike any comic book you'll ever read. This book has sparked enough interest for me to buy two more books, and that doesn't happen too often. I once thought that nobody could come close to what Alan Moore did with "The Watchmen" or even what Frank Miller did with "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns," but I'm starting slowly realize that this Sandman series is coming pretty close.

After enjoying Neil Gaiman's weblog for a few months, I decided to give the Sandman series another shot. The first time round, I found it to be ill-suited for the comics medium, lending itself more to a novel setting.
This first graphic novel seems unaware of its future, and seems rather ordinary. Particularly amusing is Gaiman's attempt to integrate into the DC universe, including visits to John Constantine and JLA's Mister Miracle. This is funny because of how I had always considered Sandman's greatest strength to be how far away it seemed from all of DC's other comics, the exploration of a previously unseen world.
The story itself is sharp, well thought out and still very modern. I had remembered the writing being top heavy, but for these first issues, I see no sign of it. I found the art to be muddy, but tolerable.
An excellent read, blissfully ignorant of its coming success.

all in all the entire series is a masterpiece of masterpieces. there was so many great parts of each of the books. the first one just barely touched on the overwhelming collection. it also gives you a somewhat different feel to morpheus. the stories. the "24 hours" portion of the story was one of the most unusual and creative ways to show what a psycho would do with powers not of this world. the introduction of alot of people's favorite character death was a pleasant ending. the mythology gradually gets better as the series progresses, but it is great how they introduce the dream king as a prisoner due to rules made in the world of reality. this was the first serious graphic novel i read and i wish that the series would never end, but as it stands i am reading the books again because there is so much to put together.

The author is his own best critic for this volume, when he says that he finds these early stories awkward and trying to find their true voice. If you can forgive the fact that this is a rookie attempt at storytelling, it is quite a trip to read. I have not read the subsequent volumes yet but I look forward to it, and since I just found out that there's a re-colored version of this volume (I read the old one), I may read it a second time before moving on.

I found the first thirty pages or so of the volume to be the most "awkward" of the story, but once it gets into the main character's actions, it gets good. Just sit through it all and you'll be rewarded in the end.

I finally read this classic graphic novel for the first time. At first, it was pretty cool. Things like Death and Dreams are personified in this magic-heavy story. Morpheus is the titular Sandman, the King of Dreams and Nightmares. This volume introduces readers to weird cast members like Cain and Abel, from the first story, Morpheus’ servants. In other Vertigo books I’ve read, the DC Universe is all but ignored, so I was surprised to hear mention of things like Arkham Asylum, John Constantine, and the Justice League.

Disturbing imagery in comics typically turns me off from reading them further. There was a point in this volume where the imagery got to be too much. It was seriously messed up. I have no plans to read further at this point, but I’m open to giving it another try down the road.

In the afterword, Gaiman writes that he felt like the final issue in this collection, the epilogue to the opening story, was the first issue in the series in which the story was truly his. He had finally found his voice. This is reassuring to me as this was my favorite issue of the collection.

I'm gonna review the physical book rather than the story. There are plenty of online resources (and the other customer reviews here) for reviewing the stories in this volume which contains issues #1-8 of the original 75 issue run. Just know that this is the first of 10 volumes in the series so expect a lot of introduction and back story in this volume as the author lays out the framework and characters for the rest of the series. With that said, this is a solid series and should not be overlooked.

Now then, the book itself is recolored as seen in the comparison images above which really looks nice. The paper is of high quality and large enough to really enjoy the drawings. The book is put together as such that there isn't any content lost where the book comes together in the middle. The quality of this trade paperback (TPB) is an example that, in my opinion, all publishers should follow. If you're wondering whether or not you should purchase this series in TPB form or hardcover based on which will provide a better reading experience then know that the decision will rely on if you like paperback or hardcover more when reading. Although I don't own the hardcover (The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 1), it is larger than the TPB which will give you even larger pages but more expensive as a result. This paperback volume is of great quality with great recoloring and large enough for enjoyment of the drawings. This makes it the perfect buy for someone who wants to experience this critically acclaimed series while keeping the cost low without sacrificing the quality of the reading experience.

Preludes and Nocturnes was my first experience with a graphic novel. I'd had several friends tell me that The Sandman books were must-reads, but for a while I was wary. I just don't do comic books. I do enjoy comic strips, but I tend to lose interest if the strip is longer than two or three rows in the newspaper. I just can't follow them.

I had, however, been told that The Sandman books read like a traditional story and since I love Neil Gaiman, I decided to give them a try.

Based on Preludes and Nocturnes, I've come to two conclusions. First, though they don't read quite like a novel, as some of the story is told through the pictures rather than narration, these particular books are easy to follow and read enough like a traditional book to keep my attention.

Second, these books are addicting. Every time I picked up Preludes and Nocturnes, I found it difficult to put down. I just wanted to keep reading and reading and reading and now that I've finished the book, I want to read the next one. I cannot wait until tomorrow when I get to pick up my copy of The Doll's House so I can read both that and Dream Country, which I already have. Unfortunately, the chances that those two books will occupy me until I can pick up book four are slim.

One complaint that I've heard a couple of times about The Sandman is that the DC-universe characters were awkward because when the book was started they weren't sure how it was going to fit into the DC Universe, and it ended up that they created a new label for it anyway. I suppose this may be true, but as my familiarity with DC superheroes is limited to a small percentage of the movies that have been made about them, I would be the first to admit that I'm not the right person to judge that.

For me, it was a little strange to have Batman referred to in the book as an actual person, but other than that I didn't see anything wrong with how they were portrayed.

The rest of the characters were vibrant and interesting, though definitely very different than what I'm used to reading. Just the concepts of some of the characters were vastly different from any that I had seen before. It was very refreshing and I was impressed by all the different personalities that came through as I was reading.

The only thing that I didn't really like about Preludes and Nocturnes is some of the art. Most of it, I really liked as I thought that it helped tell the story very well and added elements that wouldn't have been possible in a traditional novel. However, there were a few panels that I just didn't like the art in. They were a bit too graphic and they weren't depicting things that I wanted to see. They made reading that particular part uncomfortable for me.

That, however, is my only complaint about Preludes and Nocturnes. It's definitely a book that I'll be coming back to again and again in the years to come.

From what I can see, this is a sort of comic book. The illustrations and text are far to small for anyone to read. I'm astounded that they would off this as a Kindle book and angry they don't allow returns.

I'm a late-comer to the Sandman series, but it's become one of my favorites. I read these collections of the original comics out of order, as I encounter them, and started with some of the later collections.
That's why I found this Sandman such a surprise. I really didn't like it that much. I think it suffered from two big problems. First was a problem of the comics business: there's nearly no such thing as a new series. The big publishers, at least when Sandman first came out, felt the need to graft new characters onto old story lines, perhaps to spark initial sales. Sandman really didn't benefit from that surgery.
Second and more understandable is that a new series, esp. something so different from DC's usual, needs a little time to find itself. The good news is that, by the end of this collection, the Sandman story line really did seem to come into its own. The last piece in this book, 'The Sound of Her Wings,' is the Sandman I've come to enjoy. I'm just worried that new readers might be disappointed by this book and not come back to the later, better work.
This isn't bad by any means, it's just a fitful start to an exceptional series. After this, it just gets better.

Packed full of human emotion and real depth, this collection of essays invites you to consider the relevancy of dreams to your life. Throughout this vivid journey, you might discover a renewed interest in the concept of dreams, and how they may be impacting the quality of your life, and of those around you. Or perhaps how they SHOULD be affecting you, and those around you.

While a page-turner, it also causes you to pause. Beautiful drawings and brilliant colors beseige each page, perfectly complementing the dialogue and narration, causing you to WANT to spend the time required to drop your eyes on every inch of the page. I found myself looking up and down, physically moving my head and my hands, turning the book this way and that, to make sure that I understood what I was supposed to take from the two pages in front of me. The visuals are stimulating, thoughtful, and passionate. It's even worthwhile to randomly pick a page, after you've read the book, to look at the artwork again, to make sure you remember the underlying message and how it might matter to you.

For those leading a boring life right now, read something like this. At minimum it's a good distraction but, most likely, it will be a good launching point for thinking creatively about whatever you put your focus on, and move you to consider the characters around you as having their own quests, challenges, and dreams.

Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" is one of my favorite comic book series second only to Grant Morrison's "The Invisibles" (I find it only fair to add that the gap between the two is very, very small). This volume, however, I am sad to say is my least favorite. Don't get me wrong, its an excellent book and i loved reading every second of it, but I found it lacking when comparing it to Gaiman's later volumes.

In this volume, Sandman (or Dream, or Morpheus, or the Lord Shaper...) is freed from an enprisonment that lasted over 70 years. He sets out to recollect his 3 objects of powers, and along the way encounters such DC residents as John Constantine Dr. Destiny, Martian Manhunter, Scarecrow, and Scott Free. It was these encounters that I found took away from the story. I could allow Constantine and Dr. Destiny, but Manhunter and the Escapist (Free)...? Vertigo titles taking place in the DC universe, I found, always found their strength distancing themselves from it.

Luckily, in later issues, the DC universe and its characters are hardly mentioned, if at all, allowing Gaiman to really let lose without worrying about following any "rules." The story picks up again (it was great until Morpheus stepped into Mr. Free's home) after Dr. Destiny escapes Arkham (he did it so easily, it took me awhile to get the injoke: villains are always escaping from Gotham's resident madhouse, so why should his breakout be any different?) and uses the power of Morpheus' stolen magic to manipulate the actions of customers at a local diner. His final encounter with the King of Dreams is terrific and the last issue of the book, which introduces Morpheus' sister Death, makes up for all the previous issues' misgivings.

So read the rest of Sandman; I can guarnatee you're in for a treat.

After delving back into comics and graphic novels from a 15 year hiatus, I embarked on a quest to find books that would suit a mature reader in his 20s and lo and behold this is such a book! I had read the overwhelmingly positive reviews left for "Preludes and Nocturnes" and decide to give it a go, and boy am I glad I did! I have to say when I opened the book initially I was a bit put off by the art style but after going through the first two issues in the book I began to appreciate the beauty of the style because it suits the story so well.

As far as the story it is quite compelling for the most part but a couple aren't so exciting. My personal favorite stories are the ones involving the character, Dr. Destiny which are truly a twisted set of tales! I also really enjoyed how Gaiman (the writer) seamlessly intertwines several different mythologies together such as judeo-christian and some Dante and Milton stuff...very interesting. I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the 2nd and 3rd volume of the series if they can capitalize on the great foundations left by "Preludes and Nocturnes" then I'll be hooked! Definitely pick this up if you like fantasy or literature!

The Sandman series is a remarkable set of graphic novels for adult readers. "Preludes and Nocturnes" sets the stage for the series in Neil Gaiman's uniquely creative style. In addition to his own expansive imagination, he draws upon a wide range of mythological allusions to create a new mythology that is every bit as meaningful and self-contained as any "real" mythology such as Judean-Christian, Greek, or Roman. In doing so, he pays homage to those mythologies without taking away anything from them.

The craftsmanship of the story telling and writing is equal to any conventional novel, and the stories are completed by striking artwork from a variety of different graphic artists. Dave McKean is one of my favorite artists in the series, and he did many of the covers. This series is, in my opinion, among the finest adult-oriented graphic novels ever; and it has earned many national and international awards. If you like The Sandman, you may also want to check out David Mack's Kabuki and JK Woordward's Fallen Angel.

MIke

And Neil Gaiman is given more praise than is healthy for most human beings.
Sandman Library Volume 1 reproduces the first 8 issues of the Sandman comic book, serialized in a total of 75 monthly issues. In the first seven, the author wrote what basically were horror stories. He found the voice for writing Sandman in issue 8 with the introduction of the Sandman's older sister, Death. This issue is so important (and an absolutely fabulous read) that it is also printed again in Sandman Library Volume 2.
I liken Sandman to Cowboy Bebop because it's a lot of fun if you know what the creator's roots and influences are. Gaiman references the world's literature, mythology, historical figures, and other comic books left and right all throughout the Sandman. Catching these things is fun, but not necessary to enjoying the story.
This isn't the best place to start reading the Sandman if you've never been exposed to it before. I would reccomend "Death: The High Cost of Living" as an introduction. This volume can be skipped in favor of the second and still have very little lost in the way of the main plot for the entire series.

I read this without any expectations. Usually, when everyone like something there is no way for it to live up to the hype; however, in this case Sandman more than lives up to the impossible reputation that it has created for itself.

Great, complex characters, an awesome story, and well written dialogue make this a must have for anyone who enjoys Neil Gaiman, comics, or just a good story.

Preludes & Nocturnes is the first graphic novel in the famed Sandman series. It is a great introduction to the Endless. In Preludes & Nocturnes, we meet mortal men who use magic to attempt to capture Death, one of the Endless. Instead, they get Dream (also known to some as the Sandman). They trap Dream for a century, not realizing what havoc they are reeking on the world. Dream lives in the Dreamworld. He can enter our dreams unbeknownst to us and influence them or be a simple passer by.

I really enjoyed getting to see Dream and follow him on his quest to find what was rightfully his. Some of the journey was weird, other parts a bit twisted, but the end result was great. I especially enjoyed watching Dream interact with Death. I'm excited to read the rest of the series and meet the other Endless.

Also, intriguing to me was the way that Dream was drawn. Is it just me, or does he look a bit like Gaiman himself? ;)

I thoroughly enjoyed The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, so I was expecting a similar treat from Sandman. However, I never expected it to turn out to be in comic book format and to be difficult to follow. I never expected that it would turn out to be gruesome, violent, and R/X-rated. I gave it a good try before I gave up on trying to read it, but finally had to give up. For those who like this kind of thing, even you will be frustrated with the difficulty in turning the pages as well as the need to resort to a magnifying glass from time to time when the type suddenly becomes miniscule.

Any comic fan, avid or casual, knows the list of essential comic reading that proves that comics aren't just for kids. Of course there's Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, Maus, Preacher, and more, and of course also on that list is Neil Gaiman's celebrated Sandman series. Preludes and Nocturnes is the beginning of one of the most revered adult series in comics history, as Gaiman weaves a tale in which Dream of the Endless seeks to reclaim the realm he lost when he was imprisoned some seventy years before. He sets forth on a mission to regain the tools of his that were lost and seek revenge on those responsible, and on the way he comes across many of DC/Vertigo's icons, including John Constantine and the Martian Manhunter, and travels to the depths of Hell to face down Lucifer Morningstar himself. Frequently chilling and startlingly poignant, this first volume in the Sandman saga is essential reading, and believe it or not, it only gets better with each passing volume.

This is one of the most imaginative and interesting books I have ever read. I read this book originally 3 or so years ago and I have not been able to shake it from my brain ever since. I am not a big fan of caped crusaders or the usual fanfare for comic books, I tend to lean more toward the "graphic novel" side of the genre, but this stands out as my favorite. I have been able to re-read this 10 or so times since the time I bought it and it never gets old. It inspires me to think of cool new things and imagine new worlds for me to play around in. If you are a fan of comic books and haven't read this, what are you waiting for! If you aren't a fan of comic books, then you need to read this. It is on my top 5 list of all time, for sure. Do not miss this book.

This was a much better place to start than in the middle of the universe Gaian created. Makes much more sense. The stories have a bit of a horror element to them; more so than I imagined. At times, the stories can be intense and disturbing. It is a series worth continuing.

...even then that's saying a lot. A bad Sandman trade is still better than 90 percent of the drek that's being published today. I guess the reason that so many of us consider this the weakest of the lot is because we read it after we had read books such as "A Season of Mists" or "A Game of You" and we knew of the majesty, of the mythology and the granduer that this series was capable of.

But you can't fault the book on those grounds, since it is bascially a set up for the rest of the series. Reading "Preludes and Nocturnes" and then later volumes, you see just how much "Preludes" sets up. For example, in "A Season of Mists," Lucifer makes a very dire decision, one that would impact not only the Sandman series, but the DC Universe as a whole. Someone reading it without having read "Preludes" might be at a bit of a loss as to why Lucifier did what he did, but if you've read "Preludes," then you know why. If you started reading The Sandman with "Preludes" and wonder if gets any better, then let me tell you: boy does it ever.

never read the Sandman comics.
Now I want to read them through.
(Not sure I'll finish)
The story was OK.
Some parts were better than others.
The drawings ranged from surreal to beautiful to horror.

I always hated comic books -- there was nothing to them. Gaiman changed my opinion. The synthesis of art and word works to create an intense, ever-changing world of The Endless, not quite gods, not quite mortals, but something more necessary altogether. This is the beginning and, in some ways, the weakest of the series, and yet it is brilliant (can I give 6 stars to some of the others???). This is not a "comic book"; this is literature in disguise. Anyone interested in mythology, folklore, pyschology, religion, and the Seven D's should read these books -- often!

The strangest thing for me about Sandman, and in particular, this book, also serves quite nicely as a review of the book's merits.
When I originally bought Preludes, on a whim, I expected not to like it, but was quickly blown away...by the characters, the writing, and indeed the entire world. However, several weeks later, after exhausting my after-christmas cash buying and reading the next three volumes of the series, I decided to reread Preludes.... And came away surprisingly disappointed.
Oh, the book is good. Make no mistake of that. The book is quite excellent. It's simply that the rest of the Sandman series is so far beyond excellent it's sailing the seas of genius, and Preludes, where Neil Gaiman was still perfecting his craft and settling into his world, can't quite reach their level.
But if Preludes isn't quite the crown jewels, it's still quite a gem, and an essential gem at that. It's in this that the stage is set, where we meet Dream of the Endless, one of the seven beings who I would call God-like, except for the fact that it's gone into in the series just how the Endless and Gods differ. And in the first story in this book occurs the event which will ultimately go on to shape the rest of the series: Dream's lengthy imprisonment. His escape and struggle to reclaim his lost Kingdom and stolen tools form the bulk of the rest of the book, and are sprinkled lavishly with cameos from such widely ranging parties as John Constantine, Lucifer, and the JLI. This is also the book when, as Neil Gaiman's style finally cemented, we are also introduced to Dream's sister Death, who is almost resoundingly acknowledged as one of the best characters in the series.
Preludes also features an overtone of horror that grows fainter and more infrequent as the books go on, so any horror fan should definitely try this one: in addition to the much-mentioned 24 Hours, I found Imperfect Host's scenes of Cain and Abel to be particularly creepy.
So my recommendation is to, by all means, start with Preludes & Nocturnes. Just don't *stop* with it; the ride only gets better after this. It might be worth only 4 stars to me in comparison with the rest of the series, but it's worth 5 in comparison to anything else.

This comic has captured a feeling that I haven’t had since I was in high school, and insatiable desire to read, I have found that every waking moment I have want to have my nose to the print. From the absolutely astounding art, to the fantastic story and characters, it was an amazing read cover to cover. And the start of an amazing journey through The Sandman.

I love this series and am slowly acquiring all the books in it. It's fairly expensive, but, if you like the Sandman series, it's a lot cheaper than buying each individual comic. This book isn't the best in the series, but it's still very good. It's not like most comic books. There's no superhero intent on defeating an evil supervillain for the good of mankind. A group of magicians want to capture Death but instead capture Dream. He stays caged for decades, and, when he finally escapes, he has to find his tools (a bag of sand, his helm, and his Dreamstone).
This first book relies too much on guest appearances made by DC characters, but Gaiman does manage to move beyond that by the eighth issue, "The Sound of Her Wings". I really enjoyed that issue, which has the first appearance of Death. She's the reason I started reading the Sandman series. I'd read The High Cost of Living, and I loved the idea that Death could be a perky goth girl who you could really get to like. Mike Dringenberg, who does the pencils for the eighth issue, does an excellent version of Sandman and Death. I don't really like Sam Keith's version of Sandman that much, but his depictions of horrific things, like Hell, are wonderful. I also liked "Dream a Little Dream of Me", in which Dream has to find his bag of sand and is getting help from John Constantine, and "24 Hours", in which Doctor Destiny has Dream's Dreamstone and is driving the world mad. I consider both of those issues to be top horror. It's definitely worth it to get this book.

In the 90s a man named Neil Gaiman came along. He eventually established himself as one of the greatest comic book writers ever (as well as a very respected novelist), and here is where the legend begins. Gaiman created the Sandman--an almost deity that rules the realm of dreams. It is one of the most respected series and I think it is the precurser for all 'adult' comic books (like Preacher, Wolverine, and later Batman and the Watchmen). Gaiman creates an ethereal world that just sucks you in. It really kicks off after it quits focusing on the DC world and focuses on Sandman's world. Especially with "The Sound of Her Wings" the final book in this collection. It makes me excited for what is to come.

This was the beginning of one of the great comic series of recent decades, which became one of the best-selling graphic novel series as well. It's not Gaiman's best, not by a long shot, nor is the art even up to the quality of the script, but you can see what's coming down the road. The first few chapters detail the capture and imprisonment of the Sandman, the Dream Maker, the lord of the world of imagination, and one of the Endless -- a pantheon of Gaiman's own devising, but based on a variety of classical mythological threads. The artwork, though, can't help but remind you of the Crypt-Keeper in the old EC Comics. Which is interesting for us old-timers, but dated. What's most jarring, though, is the intersection of the Dreamer's quest to recover his possessions with characters from the Justice League comics. Later volumes in the series will snap that bond, fortunately.

I picked up "Sandman" on a whim, after hearing its name mentioned with such titles as "Watchmen" and "Preacher". After reading the first volume, , I must confess I'm a little disappointed.
Niel Gaiman is a great writer. I have to mention that first and foremost. When he cowrote a book with Terry Pratchett, the world must have rejoiced. Unfortunately, the start of "Sandman" leaves some to be desired. It's not that it's a bad storyline or anything. It's simply that it's not a gripping enough introduction. The following tales, with a special note to "24 Hours" are much better.
The real problem, that which really cost the work a star, is the art. Stopping just shy of hideous, the art is sloppy, badly planned and bemusingly arrainged on the page. I'm thankful that other artists come on in later volumes. While the drawings themselves don't improve much, their arraingment does, so much so that it's not a trial to read a single page.
"Sandman" is definitely worth buying. It's good enough to buy a second volume and perhaps even more than that.
"FAT PIGEONS!"

"The Sandman" was perhaps the single most-acclaimed series of the 90s. Originally conceived as a vehicle for reviving an old superhero, it became a deciding factor in the creation of DC's "Vertigo" imprint, ran for seven years and 75 issues, made the New York Times Bestseller list, had numerous spin-offs, including "Lucifer," which ran for 75 issues, and became a grand epic story and a tribute to human creativity. It even inspired the revival of said old superhero, in the form of "Sandman Mystery Theatre."

"Preludes and Nocturnes" is not this book. It is a very, very good book, but it is not what solidified The Sandman as one of the greatest comics ever written. The early comics in Neil Gaiman's magnum opus do not have the same extended narrative focus as the later issues, and it is more of a horror comic than it is a poetic tribute to the human imagination. Nevertheless, "Preludes and Nocturnes" is highly imaginative, scary, and at times poignant.

"Sleep of the Just," issue 1, is a bit confusing, giving us a somewhat bizarre story that, in a roundabout way, introduces us to Dream of the Endless and the main conflict of the story - he is imprisoned by a group of occult magicians who seek to capture death, and they steal his tools. It also serves to set up events in future books.

Issue 2, "Imperfect Hosts," has Dream returning to his realm, which has fallen into a state of disrepair. The last page, I feel, is one of the books highlights.

"Dream a Little Dream of Me" brings us a crossover with John Constantine, of "Swamp Thing" and "Hellblazer" fame (two other famous Vertigo series). Having never read a John Constantine story, I feel his character was somewhat underutilized here.

"A Hope in Hell" is far more interesting than the previous issue, and introduces us to Lucifer, setting up the aforementioned spin-off comic. It contains one of the books other highlights, being a battle of wits between Dream and the demon who has his helmet. This book also introduces us to another plot element that is further explored in "The Doll's House" and "Season of Mists."

"Passengers" is a more bizarre case. It sets up the primary antagonist of the next few issues, Dr. Destiny, an old and somewhat silly supervillain of the DCU. He is no longer silly. This issue is odd because of how much it stakes in the DC Universe. It features appearances from not only Dr. Destiny, but also Jonathan Crane (the "Scarecrow" of Batman fame), Scott Free ("Mister Miracle"), and the Martian Manhunter. Fans of DC will no doubt appreciate the references.

It's the last three issues where I feel this book really hits its stride - "24 Hours," which is a work of pure horror, is one of the most disturbing things in this book's entire run, and one of the few works that Neil Gaiman said genuinely horrified him.

The next, "Sound and Fury," gives us the climactic final showdown between Dr. Destiny and Dream. It wraps up the story arc and gives a satisfying conclusion. In earlier editions of the volume, this ended the book, but there has since been a change for the better.

The final issue included in this collection is quite a change of pace - "The Sound of Her Wings" introduces us to Death of the Endless, who is perhaps the most popular character in the entire series (she has three spin-offs books, one of which is oddly in the style of a Manga). Probably ties with Discworld for having the most popular version of the grim reaper to appear in fiction, likely due to the fact that Sandman's Death is not particularly grim. This story initially appeared in volume 2, "The Doll's House," but it serves better here, as "The Doll's House" is already a better book than "Preludes and Nocturnes," it has more relevance to the first book, and its omission from "The Doll's House" keeps the book from opening with two comics that have nothing to do with its main arc. Despite the subject, this is no doubt the lightest story in the book, which starts to set up the series as more of a dark fantasy than a horror, as earlier issues indicate. It's certainly a good note to end the collection on.

While "Preludes and Nocturnes" is not what The Sandman would eventually become, it has it's moments of inspiration, even in the earlier issues that don't quite mesh with each other, sometimes working better as individual issues than as a collected storyline (understandable, as these were the first issues).

I might not recommend this if you are only going to put a small number of comics in your library. If you want what solidified this series as a masterpiece, I'd recommend checking one of the later volumes. However, if you want to read the entire series, the very beginning is a very good place to start, and faulting the first volume for not living up to the others is a very small criticism.

The images are bold and terrifying, but there's something solid and tender there, too. I've never seen anything quite like it, but it seems to be Gaiman's gift. And like all his works, it leaves me begging for more.

Although not the greatest (of course not) of the SANDMAN books, certainly a fitting start to the rest of the stunningly great series. Contains the disturbingly great "24 hours" (a parable on stories and their authors) and the significant, touching, therapeutic "The Sound of Her Wings" (featuring the peachy keenness that is Death). The Sandman himself behaves more like a superhero in this storyline than he does in any of the others, but it serves the purpose of planting the seeds. Plus, it's fun to read and to look at.

The beginning of the hugely successful Sandman series. The story of the immortal Lord of Dreams is constructed with a pastiche of English literature, Roman and Greek mythology, and historical events, both true and fiction. The result is a fairly amazing amalgam that definitely creates its own comic universe.

Dream has been captured by a group of self-centred magicians, who had been trying to entrap his sister, Death. They create many safeguards to keep him imprisoned, but eventually make a mistake.

He sets out to recover the items of power needed to rule his realm after his seven decade absense. This takes him by way of John Constantine, via Hell, to Scott Free and John J'onzz, and lastly a confrontation with Doctor Destiny.

Then, at the end, he gets a bunch of abuse from his sister.

Preludes and Nocturnes is not my favorite Sandman volume, but it is definitely the one to read if you have never approached the series before. It's the first graphic novel in the series -- always a good place to start -- and it explains some of the origins and environs that will come to play in the later books. Preludes and Nocturnes is also deliciously weird, something Gaiman fans have come to expect and love. This delivers his snarky and allusive writing with tremendous art by several illustrators.

I received this as a Christmas present one year, and I could not have been happier with the gift.

Dark and gritty, Gaiman's Sandman is a pleasant departure from the pedestrian works that were happening at the time Sandman was published. It stands on its own just as well today as it did then. The restaurant scene will stay with me for a very long time, and I look forward to plunging deeper into this series.

This is the first in a series of graphic novels that is, in my opinion, one of the most incredible stories written in the 20th century. I often tell people that reading the Sandman series changed me as a person because it made me re-think the limits of human creativity. That may sound over the top, but my god, in a series of about 75 comic books, Neil Gaiman created a new mythology, one that speaks to the modern, western world.

In this collection of the first eight comic books, Dream sets out to reclaim tools he lost during a 75 year captivity, and to rebuild his disintegrating kingdom. Though not my favorite story arc in the entire series, it is the beginning, and to fully appreciate the story it is definitely the place to start.

Amazingly written and expertly drawn, Sandman is becoming one of my favorite series of all time. This first volume is not the best in the series, as Gaiman was still finding his feet, but it is well worth a read

This series....but especially this graphic novel really redefined the concept in the way Alan Moore did. The creativity....the flow of the writing the use of the art.....I read a article in which Alan Moore talked about the graphic novel as an artform....why it was worth while...the ability to tell a story and put a subtle detail in one page that the reader flips back to look at after reading something else.....that is what gaimon really captured in this series.

I read this novel for the more hip of the two book clubs I am in. I don't think that I would have picked this up on my own, but I actually really enjoyed it. I read a LOT of manga, so it took me some time to get used to the different formatting of the panels. While I didn't love the art, I thought the background images were super well done. The ideas were interesting and I particularly liked "passengers" and the references to other DC characters, and I also loved the relationship with his sister in the last chapter. The only one I really didn't like was "24 hours"- it was unnecessarily dark and violent for no discernible reason.

This may be one of the most interesting, creative, explosive, works I have ever encountered. Nearly every aspect of this volume is perfect -- from the storyline, which remains fresh after 20+ years, to the illustration work. This has stood the test of time better than many of its peers and Gaiman should be commended for tackling it and presenting it to his readers. Dream a dream for me ...

Gaiman's work on Sandman is a fresh look at classical mythology, the world of DC comics, and our own world. I wondered what all the hype was about, and I was somewhat surprised that I took to the story immediately. I don't always enjoy a comic, but Sandman holds up, even 30 years later.

The Sandman begins; a magician traps Dream of the Endless while trying to trap Death, and the world's dreams go awry. After he gets free, Dream travels around trying to get back his helmet and his ruby, and runs into lots of crap. It's a pretty good, spooky scene-setter.

This introduction to the greatest graphic novel of all time is just that. An Introduction. I got angry when i read other reviews which only give it three or four stars because it lacks the intensity of some of the other books. I beg to differ. 24 hours is my favorite story in Sandman because it is so twisted and demented. Eternal waking is in this book, and that is one of the coolest things about the series. If you want to read Sandman, you have to start with this book. It's just that simple.

I've been in this huge graphic novel kick recently and have been trying all sorts of things. This week I've covered faerie tales, middle school antics, and now DC comics with mythology. So it has been a crazy time.

The volume opens with a man attempting to capture death for power but accidentally captures Dream instead. Dream is held captive for 70 years and during that time some people enter sleeps from which they never awaken. As time continues to go forward Dream waits until the time he freed. Once freed he takes his revenge and then heads off on a quest to find his three objects of power. One will take him to find John Constantine and the other Lucifer and finally a madman escaped from Arkham Asylum.

This was certainly the darkest comic I have read in a long time. It also featured the most convoluted storyline imaginable. The problem with DC and Marvel is they often assume you know the entire backstory of all the characters. They present you with long-standing characters and offer no explanation for newcomers which continuously keeps new people out when they do not understand the plot. I'm a tad well-versed than some but there were moments I had to pull out my iPad and Google things. That is not a good move by a comic series. Do not assume your readers know everything.

Also the first 8 issues contained in this volume barely did anything plotwise. Sure there was a general quest but some of the stories were so weird and explained I had trouble caring about much of any of it. Instead of introducing us to Dream's power and then being captured, we are told in stops and starts what he can do and why he is so important. That was another bad move.

Frankly I can understand why the series is probably so well-liked but for someone just starting out, it kind of went over my head and I've read a lot about DC comics. So while this is a major bestseller I would recommend starting with some DC tutorials and reading up on some of the characters before commiting to volume 1. I've been told later volumes leave the DC universe behind a bit so who knows. Out of all the graphic novels/comics I've read recently this is the one I will be waiting to continue down the road. Take from that what you will.

3 Stars
Published by Vertigo
2012
240 Pages
Provided by--the Library

I never was a comics fan, in fact the word comics to me used to mean cheap Superhero stuff. Used to, because obviously I had to change my mind after reading this first issue of the Sandman series. A friend loaned it to me, and said that I had to read it, since it would demolish my narrow-minded perspective on comics. And she was right. It's so smart, and sometimes deeply ironic. The intelligence of the writing had me literally pausing at some points to savour Gaiman's wit -- I was fascinated by the Sandman's perspective on hell.
So it's supposed to be a graphic novel, and it wouldn't be fair not to acknowledge the graphics also, but it was really a lot of Gaiman's writing that struck me.
Read one, read the rest of the series. In fact I've just finished "A Game of You". I'd have to say some of the issues are weaker than the rest, but are still of a particular thought-provoking standard.

The book itself was fantastically written, and a super credit to it's genre however the retouching uses an extremely contrasting use of gradients and the colors mix so poorly that it is eye-straining to even look at. It is okay if you want a decent copy that you don't mind getting torn to hell, but other than that it is and ugly and unfair way to read an otherwise beautiful series. You'd be better off buying the original 20 first print online they are far better looking and more enjoyable

I have to admit that I wasn't as blown away by this as I'd hoped to be, given how many people had recc'd this series to me. The going was a little muddled and slow at first, but definitely picked up steam as the story progressed. I guess even masters like Gaiman have to find their feet sometimes! Anyway, I'm glad I persevered, and the set up certainly left me curious enough to pick up the next volume, so I guess it did its job.

I am glad to hear that random 'guest stars' from other comics series aren't going to play much of a role in Sandman in the future, because I thought that was a bit of a weak link in this volume.

I have never gotten into comics, let alone graphic novels, but I was turned onto The Sandman on a whim. An avid collector of Marvel and a close friend was discussing some of the finer works that he had yet to experience himself and I overheard the depth and awesomeness of The Sandman series, so I went and picked up a copy. I am hooked to the story, I purchased the 2nd and 3rd volumes, as well as reached out and picked up the first 2 volumes of Revival. I highly recommend The Sandman series to ANY reader, anyone interested in something new or looking for a super entertaining, addictive read/collection. Thank you Mr. Gailman.

This is probably the most gory and fightening of Sandman comics. If you can swallow your bile and get past that, you'll find an eerie and mystical story that speaks deep about humanity (and often things we ourselves would rather not know).

A magician tries to capture Death. He does not succeed, and instead, he captures Dream, Death's younger brother. And for nearly a century, the universe is unbalanced because of Dream's imprisonment. This is the first in the Sandman series, where Dream bounces back from his imprisonment, enters hell, fights a few battles, and reclaims his kingdom in the dream world.

He also encounters a few DC characters along the way, which is why I gave it four stars. The same could have been accomplished with original characters; the intrusion was not neccessitated. It's also a bit incongruous because what Gaiman has created here is so very different from any 'superhero' comic.

And if nothing else, this is worth reading for the last portion, where Dream has a little chat with Death, hsi older sister, while she's out doing her job.

I loved this work. It is dripping in symbolism and allusions to other famous literature, both classical and modern (DC comics). The plot presents a very straightforward mission, in which the main character comes in contact with several other familiar personifications. There is so much creativity in this work, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

The first volume of the Sandman series is definitly haunting, and intriguing, especially for a first time reader. But as stated by so many people (including Gaiman himself), this book is generally regarded as the weakest book of the series, and is basically a set-up for the rest of this incredible series. Sam Keith's art is lacking, and the art in the latter half of the book improved tenfold from Keith's work. Nevertheless, it's a great, easy, intriguing read.

While I was a little disappointed with the ending, the story as a whole was quite good. Definitely loved the lore that Gaiman has established here as he has coalesced many different approaches to various religious beliefs into a well-rounded image of his supernatural.

The Sandman is, in my opinion the best whole comic series that ever existed. Certain mini series may have been better than Sandman stories along the way, but at an ongoing, year spanning series goes, Sandman is the very best that every happened. This book, the beginning of the Sandman comic is not the best Sandman story, but it still deserves the highest rating I can give it. Dream's (the Sandman) battle with John Dee in this story is the most amazing fight I've ever seen in a comic, especially because it strays from physical combat as much as possible. And even that scene which I rave about is not the best that this book has to offer. Go ahead, I dare you... read it!

Well, this wasn't the first "Sandman" volume I had read, although I should've (the first one I read was "Season of Mists" or volume 4). Of course it's important, since it establishes Dream as the protagonist and all that, but it's not my favorite.

Personally, the artwork is iffy and is not my thing (Dream looks oooold). The stories are entertaining and well thought out, but a bit too jumpy (this is because Gaiman was experimenting with styles at the time). The later volumes are much more cohesive and, I think, of better quality.

Still, any fan of the series needs the first volume, especially because in "The Sandman" the story comes full circle at the end, and skipping almost any part of it would leave you hanging.

And it's still a good read, regardless of art or style or whatever :)

Intricate story. Good art, especially cover and spread art. A dark, dreamy mood throughout. We are dealing with The Sandman here, the Lord of Dream. The first two books are horror stories filled with violence and gore. I understand the later books move out of the horror mode into other modes of dreaming.

An amazing start to one of the greatest high-fantasy series every written. The series itself is full of ripe mythology and creativity (as well as beautiful art), but I digress seeing as how this is mainly about the first installment. Nevertheless, Preludes and Nocturnes stands as one most memorable pieces to date - featuring a cold, efficient Morpheus.

I spent a lot of time reading this entertaining book during my vacant times. The storyline's interesting and the book is made of high-quality materials which makes it last a long time. I highly recommend it.

The Sandman is arguably one of the best stories ever told in this medium. Clever, interesting, rich and multi-layered, The Sandman weaves several stories together to tell the story of Dream of the Endless. Just a wonderful story, beginning to end.

This is one of the most disturbing things I have ever read.
It is also one of the most brilliant.
This is the first Neil Gaiman book I read. After I finished it (two hours after I started it), I was both frightened and intruiged. I was drawn into the realm of Dreams, and I didn't want to leave so quickly. Needless to say, I will never think of nightmares in the same way again. This is an amazing read, something no fan of the fantastic should miss out on.
Oh, and for those Bible buffs out there, you'll never guess what became of Cain and Abel....

The sandman is unlike anything I have ever read before, is it good or bad you ask?It is good,no,VERY good.The sandman isn't about another kind hearted super hero out to save the world from some villian who has a master plan to rule the universe,infact,the sandman isn't even kindhearted,he isn't evil either although he is very dark.The sandman is more like a catalyst, a watcher and player sometimes in the game of life and death,he doesn't look for trouble,it comes to him.Neil Gaiman (my favourite author after reading the sandman series) truly outdid himself here, he is outstanding,very unpredictable and easy to read,Mike mckean did an amazing job with the illustrations as well.The sandman is a series that will amaze anyone who reads it old and young,why? because a good book is a good book no matter what,and this qualifies as a VERY good book.

Preludes and Nocturnes starts in quite a clichéd manner, with the stereotypical occult portrayal and the rather redundant phrases used in the spell used to evoke Death, but quickly accelerates. The chapter where Morpheus travels to Hell is truly excellent, and I swear that Lucifer Morningstar *is* Davie Bowie! The battle between Morpheus and an unassuming demon is quite invenitve. I absolutely detested the inclusion of superheroes, as I felt it sort of cheapens the whole book, and makes it temporarily childish. I am currently reading The Doll's House, and I will give you one piece of advice if you wish to read these books in order: take note of small, seemingly unimportant phrases, as they tie-in beautifully in the subsequent chapters and even different books! You must *NOT* miss this. I felt a little foolish reading a comic book at first, but you forget all this when the powerful story washes over you. Most definitely worth the money. Read them in order.

I didn't really care for the artwork in Sandman, but the story was phenominal once you get past the first couple issues. Especially the issue where Morpheus goes to Hell. That alone is worth the price paid for the entire first volume. I really look forward to reading the rest of The Sandman.

This is not just a comic book or a graphic novel. This is a very important work of art/literature and every thinking person should read this!

Preludes and Nocturnes introduces the reader to the eponymous hero of Neil Gaiman's excellent Sandman series. P&N, which includes stories 1-8 of the 75 Sandman stories begins with Dream (aka the Sandman, The Dream King, Morpheus, etc) imprisoned by humans for 70 years. His escape, and subsequent journey to reclaim his possessions form much of this collection, and the reader realizes that Dream is a wounded, imperfect hero. P&N concludes with the exquisite "The Sound of Her Wings", where a brooding Dream is confronted, and eventually comforted,by his charming and sexy older sister, Death. It's remarkable how, just with this one story, Gaiman succeeds in making his version of Death one of the most lovable and enduring characters in modern fiction.

P&N, and indeed the entire Sandman saga, is a reality check for anyone who thinks that comics or graphic novels can't be serious literature.

... at least not if you're only getting started in comics. I say this because the Sandman series is among the finest comics you will ever find.
In fact, "comic" is too small a word. So is "graphic novel," which is most often used by adults who are trying not to feel silly about reading comics. Sandman is one of those rare comics that transcend the medium. This is no mere comic book.
This is fiction, with artwork. This is visual storytelling, a modern descendent of humanity's earliest art forms. Don't let the "comic book" label fool you. This is a full-fledged book.
The entire 10 volume Sandman series centers around Morpheus, the Dream King. One of The Endless, he is one of seven eternal beings who are the embodiments of abstracts. Dream's older sister Death makes an appearance in the final chapter in this volume.
Other reviewers have criticized this volume for not being very representative of the series on the whole, and that is true. But this volume is a supremely important one becuase it lays the groundwork for everything that follows.
Not only that, it's very entertaining in it's own right. Chapters like A Hope In Hell, The Sound of Her Wings, or 24 Hours are extraordinary examples of comics at their best. Any one of those stories makes this volume worth owning, but you get all three of them, plus five more chapters as well.
If you already read comics, then by all means buy this book (and the other nine volumes, too). But if you're just getting started in comics, you should seriously think about starting somewhere else.
Because once you've read Sandman, you're going to be spending a lot of time in a mostly fruitless search for more books that are as good as this series.
Seriously. It's that good. 10 out of 10

If this book only contained Issue #8, it would still be a must-have for Sandman fans. I refuse to give out ANY spoilers, and I would advise everyone out there who hasn't read Sandman to avoid seeing any. Let yourself be surprised. You deserve it.
Okay, Preludes isn't as strong as some others, yada yada yada - SO WHAT? It's Sandman. It's the first issue. You have to read it, and you can't have a complete collection without it.
I just finished reading World's End, and the last panel of issue 8 remains the defining image of the Sandman for me. There is a lot of powerful stuff in here, and I would suggest it to anyone who genuinely loves comics, mythology, or intelligent writing.

This is a great graphic novel as graphic novels go, but you should know that the Sandman series gets far better after this book. You have to read this to begin though, because the Sandman series is essentually one gigantic novel (2000 pages), and this is the beginning of that novel. Still, the story is great and won't let you down.

I'm a fan of Neil Gaiman, and this is a really dark and interesting story. I've been wnating to get for a long time and I'm glas I did. Can't wait to get the rest. The shipping was fast and it arrived in perfect condition.

I'll admit I was a tad apprehensive for no reason at all, I suppose I can be somewhat critical when it comes to a good story. I define a good story as one i liked, The Sandman by Neil Gaiman is to be loved. It is a wonderful journey and continues on to the end.

The first graphic novel/comic book I've ever read, naturally drawn by Neil Gaiman (who's novels I've nearly exhausted). Morpheus (Dream) is captured and his three mantels stolen. He must retrieve them from mortals, demons, Hell, and the Dreamworld itself. Clever and imaginative, definitely left me wanting more. Grade: A-

As a Gaiman fan, I've read Coraline and Stardust as well as Neverwhere and I would have to say that Preludes and Nocturnes was not as good as some of his other work. Admittedly, it's a graphic novel, a totally different genre and one that I am not an expert on. On the whole though, I thought this book was good. Good enough for me to want to buy the next one. A warning though, having read Watchmen and half of From Hell, I was initially pleased that this book was nowhere near as disturbingly graphic as those two books, that is until I got to the chapter entitled "24 hours". It made me want to throw up it was so disturbing.

I,ve long been told that this series is the best set of comics to date, but I only rcently (as in 4 days ago) got this one. I must say that it's fenominal to say the least. The story takes a few to get going which might turn off some, and the art has alot in common with that of yor(although once you get used to it it compliments the story well. After you get past that it's a thrill ride to the end.

++SPOILERS++

The story is about one of the seven Endless, Dream (he has many names really), whose captured by mistake instead of Death. He's imprisoned for about 100 years, but thanks to mistake on his captures' part he's set free. Afterward he sets out to return to himself what is his, and fix some of what went wrong while he was captured.

I suggest this to any fans of the following: horror,fantasy, great stories, or comics. WARNING: This graphic novel does contain prophanity, gore, and brief nudity.

A friend of mine had his Sandman collection, so I could start from number 1, then 2,3,4,5,6,7,8, then 10 (It was not complete) then 9 (When we discover that miracles in internet do happen ;-) especially if the store is in charge)

This was the beginning. Everything is not perfect, everything is not what you would expect, if you have read the rest of the saga. Although, there are a couple of moments (24 hours and the hell contest) that make this comic book a worthy addition to your own Sandman collection.

This first arc presents the main character of the series: The Sandman. There is not a real description of Morpheus. However, as the story goes, conjectures are formed in the reader's mind about the lord of Dreams and his world. Neil Gaiman has a interesting way to weave tales and some people might not like it (I doubt it, though). Although this is not the best of the Sandman's arcs, I would advise you to read it, before starting to read the whole series... It is truly far from been a bad story!

I loved these books when I was a teenager and into all things goth. Now I'm grown up I thought I'd revisit Mr. Gainman's Sandman series. I'm soooo pleased I did, I'd forgotten how good these are. I had to wait a while for Preludes & Nocturnes but it was worth it. Now I intend to try and collect the entire series.
Gainman mixes folk lore, myth and a good story well. These are definately the comic series for grown ups. If you've never felt the urge to buy an 'adult' comic before give the Sandman and his brothers & sisters a try.

This was a very good book that I would recommend to anyone. As of writing this review I haven't read any of the later volumes, but based on how good the first one was, and some of the other reviews here, I can't wait.

Neil Gaiman introduces his spiritual entity of Dream aka "The Sandman" in this first of ten volumes. Gaiman himself admits to not feeling comfortable with the series until the last issue in the trade and it truly shows. Although decent and well written the beginning to this acclaimed series falls short of the expectations set by the following stories. However, this volume does set up others in the series well and I couldn't recommend skipping it.

So far I have read 1 to 6 in this series.And each time I have found a connection with my life.Each time I read ,I forget my existence in this world, find myself one of the dreams.Each time I learn something,I remember something,I dream something...

Neil is really good,he combines his knowledge of history,myths,art,language with his imagination so well.I like most of the comics,but this is special ,you can enjoy X-men or Spiderman,but you can never ever compare it with sandman.Let the lord of dreams welcome you.Let him come in to your dreams :)

This review is directed mainly at those of you who are not widely experienced with modern (one can hardly use the word `adult' without erotica coming to mind) comics, because I do not know many comics aficionados who are not familiar with the Sandman saga - the Citizen Kane of comics, or the Sgt. Pepper, or the War and Peace - and have not read, at the very least, this first installment in the series.
So - you haven't read comics in a long time, have you? Sure, you read it when you were a kid, like everyone else, but then you outgrew them. You went on to read real books with no pictures. But suddenly a couple of people tell you that there have been some interesting things going on in comics in the last twenty years, and you should check it out. You decide to give the ol' funnybooks a chance.
In that case, this book right here is one of the half-dozen masterworks you should start with to get a general idea of what comics are capable of, at least in the English speaking regions of the world (there are some fascinating things going on in Japan and France that I won't even begin to discuss). The Sandman, the ENTIRE Sandman saga, altogether ten books long - collected from magazine-form comics that were published regularly throughout most of the 90s - is one of the truly glorious, shining, perfect creations of, I'll say it, adult comics. That Preludes & Nocturnes, the first story-arch in the series, is the only one that can stand rightly by its own right, other than being a convenience for new readers which may make it easier for them to deal with the size of this saga, is a sure sign of the wisdom of the creator, the brilliant Mr. Neil Gaiman. While completely revolutionizing what people though about comics, Neil started doing so in small doses to make it easier to swallow for audiences and editors alike. Thus, he started here with a story that is a classic folk tale, of a dethroned monarch who goes through a series of quests and challenges in order to earn back his rightful place in power. More help is given by cameo appearances of old and popular characters from the DC Comics universe - such as the Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, the Scarecrow and John Constantine. Such appearances will become quite rare as the series continues, and the story becomes, rather than a folk tale, a mythology as grim as any Greek tragedy - which, doubtlessly, was in the author's mind from the very beginning. However, though the storyline of Preludes & Nocturnes is schematic and the drawings are often bland, Gaiman's already famous storytelling skills are fully developed, and the books is one of the most fantastic stories he had penned.
The hero of the series is, simply, Dream. His identity is a rather philosophical matter, as he is not so much a god of dream, but rather, the embodiment of the very concept of dream itself. At the beginning of the story, Dream is summoned by a human mystic, and caged. Seventy years later, when he escapes from his prison, he finds his kingdom in ruins, and must return to himself the symbolic garments of his reign to rebuild it. Along the way we have the pleasure to meet some of the most fantastic and fascinating characters in any literary creation, and also some characters who, small though their part may be now, will be crucial in the complete creation of the saga, such as Lucifer Morningstar, Cain and Abel, and the three Furies (also known as the Graces, the Fates, or the Kindly Ones). Though much more fascinating as part of the whole, Preludes & Nocturnes by itself is a perfect piece of fantastic storytelling.
However, it is the final magazine issue in this collection, titled `The Sound Of Her Wings', that gives it more worth than the rest of it put together. Sam Keith's surreal, deformed image of Dream and dark, heavy, brooding lines move over to make place for Mike Dringenberg's realistic backgrounds, light-hearted lines and recognizable human faces. Dream's flowing black robes make way for a t-shirt and a black jacket; the dark and towering Sandman is given a whole new perspective. He now seems like a depressed, bored teenager, sulking in the park and feeding the pigeons. He is then granted a visit by none other than his sister - Death, which is the single most brilliant creation in Gaiman's universe. Death is a perky, cheerful, beautiful, wise, mature goth-girl who confronts Dream and show to him his own pettiness. Completely without any action or suspense, it is this story that paved the way for the revolution that the Sandman series began. And this story alone remains one of the handful true perfect masterpieces of the medium. It is this story alone that makes this book a milestone in modern comics - and literature - and essential reading for everyone interested in the medium.
And, oh, I said half dozen masterworks, right? So, to complete the list, let's say: Alan Moore's `Watchmen', Art Spiegelman's `Maus', Scott McCloud's `Understanding Comics', Frank Miller's `The Dark Knight Returns' and Kurt Busiek's `Marvels'. Or, to make it a top ten, let's add Peter Kuper's `The System', Garth Ennis's `Preacher', Grant Morrison's `Arkham Asylum', and anything by Robert Crumb. Enjoy!

The Sandman is a novel for those that like to think about the tensions that lie between good and evil, pleasure and pain, the mundane and the divine. I enjoyed it immensely. Neil Gaiman did a wonderful job of mixing in Greek mythology, Judeo Christian narratives, and various superhero anthologies into his fictional creation.

This Graphic Novel is Breath Taking. I like Neil Gaimen's work but this would be my favorite. Preludes & Nocturnes is instantly one of my favorite graphic novels. It has an original plot and characters that you just find interesting at the moment that they are introduced. The writing style is wonderful. I can't wait until I get the next Sandman.

This is not the best title in the sandman series (I am a fan of three and four) but when compared to other comics and TPB's it really stands out. The last chapter is must read for the series, introducing the character of death..buy this book!

Neil Gaiman, has taken a simple idea and turned it into the best commic book series ever. It opens ones mind to facets and thoughts one could only dream about.(did not mean to make a pun) I can only say this if you buy this book it won't stop here you will be pulled into the Sandman's Relm and unable to escape until you have read all the books a few times. Enjoy!!!!

A comic book it may be, but this is not your ordinary comic book. Within the pages are more power and compassion then you will find in almost any novel. Its fantastic illustration is only bettered by its thought-provoking story line. It begins you on a journey into the mind of Morphius, the eternal of dreams. Check it out before you read the other books - you'll understand them better. Don't miss it!

I don't understand the people who say that "Preludes & Nocturnes" is the worst of the Sandman collections. It's undoubtedly better than most of the non-Dream collections, like the regrettable Dream Country and the unfocused (but nice) World's End. It has "24 Hours", arguably the best issue of the whole series, and the whole of Dream's return to power is beautifully drawn, beautifully written, very very well done.

I'm among the few reviewers here who dislike this book. For readers with similar tastes, here's why.

The art is sloppy and, as another reviewer put it, hideous. The colors are garish, the faces are inconsistent, the perspective can be abysmal (ex. bottom panel, pg. 83), there is evidence of tracing or retouching of photographs (acceptable in some cases - p. 186, but incongruous in others). One might call this artistic licence, I call it simply bad. The narrative would take about twenty-five pages in text, but here we have a comic that goes on for 240 pages while offending the eye with ugly graphics.

The story has promise, but seems to try to blow harder than it can. (However, since the entire series has garnered high praise, maybe it really does ultimately deliver.) It is also humorless. Consequently, it was a slog to get through this first instalment in the Sandman series and I will desist from the rest until I can look into the books and see if the art improves.

For readers who, like me, have a more conventional appreciation of comic art, one modern series I am currently reading that I can recommend is Cerebus, whose art is somewhat poor in the first pages, but improves so fast and so much that it is masterful by the end of the first volume, while the storyline is rich and funny throughout. Now that's a combination for a modern comic (or graphic novel, if you prefer) that I can take!

It's hard to review just one book of the series 'cause they are part of a larger story. Gaiman uses fables and myths and converts them to a modern story which at the same time feels like a ancient fary tale. If you have the chance watch Neverwhere, it's a BBC series about a world below modern Londen.

Yeah, so, I gave a 2 star rating to Vol. 1 of one of the most revered series of all time. It's not you, Sandman, it's me. I really wanted to like this series. Didn’t much care for Vol. 1 but marched on and read Vol. 2 “The Dolls House” to give it a more full and fair sampling. Simply put, for someone who reads nonfiction almost exclusively I found the series to be too fanciful for my tastes. I know what you're thinking: "Too fanciful? What exactly were you expecting? It is a graphic novel about the demigod master of the dream realm!" And your criticism would be fair. I got into The Sandman without any expectations other than the knowledge that it has received nearly universal acclaim. Additionally, I am a neophyte in matters relating to the graphic novel medium. So, again, my dislike of the story is probably not a fair reflection of its merit. Perhaps next time I'll stick closer to established concepts like Superman, Batman, Swamp Thing, etc.

If you are new to graphic novels, might want to give this one a pass until you've got the imagination to play in a universe completely removed from experience. The egotistical and temperamental machinations of humanoid dream gods who live in a dream realm and in 'reality' were too much for my tastes. Hi ho, hi ho, it's back to earth I go.

This was the beginning of a Neil Gaiman masterpiece. His work on the Sandman is great. It's a comic that all who love fantasy can enjoy. Personally I had never ventured into the world of comics until I heard about the Sandman. The characters have some aspect we can all identify with. It's a definite have to read.

Truly Neil Gaiman is the best story teller of our age! His characters are diverse and enigmatic with more history to them than you will ever read. Preludes and Nocturnes is the most amazing gateway into the world of sandman you could wish to have. Beautiful!

This book, like most tpb's in the Vertigo line was a sheer work of art. One of my favorite writers (Gaiman) weaved yet another fantastic tale. On the fantasy and horror aspects of this book I reccomend it to anyone who wants to be wowed.

I must say I was blown away by Gaiman's work, his stories create a feeling of realism, and builds a very strong personal bridge between the reader and the characters. Mr. Gaiman is brilliant at what he does, and he is able to combine individual elements, chilling plot lines, and excellent verbage. I love this book, it is a must read for all book lovers.

The Kindle sample was a major waste of space... three pages of the editor's forward only showed the features that are supposed to make graphic novels seem at home on an eReader do not work fast enough or efficiently. Sandman deserves better.

I bought Sandman number one when it originally came out and although the story was well done it didn't impress me enough to continue buying the comic. Years later Sandman became quite popular and the buzz comic to read. After having friends who followed it and after telling me how great it was I decided to buy the collected first volume and was pretty confident I would become a fan from all the praise the book had been given. I was even looking forward to perhaps continuing to buy volume after volume of Sandman as I was looking for a lengthy series to get into. When I read Preludes and Noctures I was extremely disappointed by the quality of it overall. The first story was still as interesting as I remembered it but nothing beyond that gave me any enjoyment at all. The stories are very fragmented and don't follow any real pattern. They just exist on their own and the Sandman character seems to just wander in and out of the plots without making any sense. It would not be so bad if the issues were interesting in and of themselves, but they are not. The art is also nothing too spectacular as this is early Sam Keith, his later stuff is much much better. Add to this some guest stars that have nothing to do with the story and serve to dismember the plot even more. Members of the Justice League are very out of place in a comic like this that is not a superhero book at all. Sandman is well loved by many but whatever it is that makes him special is nowhere to be found in this collection. I won't be buying any future volumes for fear of being as disappointed as I was with this, I rather keep my money. If you are looking for a good Neil Gaiman book I would recommend Stardust instead. That one I liked very much.

Call me numb, but I had no idea when somone recommended this series to me that it was written and illustrated like a comic book. Because of that, I really missed all the descriptive paragraphs of a novel. But even worse - I loaded it onto my Kindle (I have the original Kindle). The pictures were black & white and not color. One page you would see the entire page of the book, which you couldn't read because the print was too small. That page is followed by closeups of each of the frames of the page so that you can read the dialogue. Also this is the first book I've read on Kindle that didn't have the bar at the bottom so that you could see how far along in the book you were. All that being said, I'm a glutton for punishment and read the book to the end. I have to admit that I'm curious to know where Endless went from there, but not enough to buy the next books in the series. From now on I know what "graphic novel" means.

I have read a lot of comics in my time. A lot. I have a closet packed with them. I've been collecting them since I was twelve. I've read them all and I know all the plots.

So when, upon occasion, someone would ask if I ever read Sandman by Neil Gaiman I would answer "No," because that was the truth.

Then they would turn on me, point and utter that high-pitched scream a la Donald Sutherland from the 1978 remake Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Then again, this was me. Iconoclastic to a fault and really not giving a whump what people thought. So it wasn't like this behavior directed toward me was new or unusual. I'm just not a "bandwagon" kind of guy.

Fast forward to a month ago, when I had occasion to finally read this series. I was actually looking forward to it. I figured, "Okay, a lot of people I respect keep telling me I need to read this. I'll give it a try. It should be good."

And I did. I read about ten or twelve issues. And then I had to put it aside.

I'll give you this. The writing is good -- by comic book standards. Then again that's not a terribly high bar anyway. And, to be fair, I can see where people would be pulled in because compared to other comics the writing was pretty darn good. The artwork? Serviceable. Not great, but serviceable. It had a distinctive flair and of course the covers were themselves eye-catching.

But I couldn't read more than that. I didn't care for the Sandman character at all. I didn't like his 90s Japanese punk image one bit. I didn't like his magical WWI gas-themed helmet, his constant brooding, nor his interminable self-reflection. The final nail in the coffin was an issue where he's inside a doll house leaning on the tiny window sill listening to people with chin in hand and a twee smile on his face.

WTH. No. Seriously. WTH?

I didn't like him. Dream or Morpheus or whatever his name was. The Sandman guy. I didn't like anything about him. I didn't like his origin or his manner or his style or...well, you get the point. And it's kind of hard to read a Superman comic if you grubbin' hate Superman.

That's what ultimately sank this comic for me. I didn't like the principle character. I thought he was stupidly rendered. Although, I will give you this. I loved Loved LOVED how people from other cultures would see him manifested as something else related to their own ideas/bias of what the Sandman looked like. If only there had been more of that. A LOT more.

But for the people who have to read the comic he's manifested in this dark Japanese punk-rocker style. That garbage was old and tired the day it came out.

So, that was it for me. No more Sandman. I tried it and didn't like it. Next time someone asks me if I read this series I'll have to say, "I started it, but I thought it sucked canal water." And now in their eyes I'll be that wretched human bulldog creature who doesn't fit with the rest of comic loving fandom a la Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

But I can live with that. Been there. Done that, too.

"When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up," said C. S. Lewis. He was defending his love of fairy tales, but perhaps similar things could be said about those who enjoy reading comic books, an art-form that, like fairy tales, some think is fit only for children. Perhaps he who, at age 50, can admit without shame that he still enjoy reading his old Stan Lee Spidermans, is perhaps more truly adult than he who would squirm with embarrassment at the thought.

"Sandman" is, in the Lewisian sense, far more childish than anything written by Stan Lee. It is a comic book that tries desperately to prove that it is sophisticated adult material. The usual methods employed are: (1) hideous art - sufficient to cause any child to throw the title aside at one glance; (2) completely amoral protagonists; (3) sporadic but explicit sexual content; (4) grim and gory violence; (5) obvious - but incoherent - allegorical elements; (6) an incoherent assortment of historical, mythological, and literary references; and (7) confusing narrative gimmicks that force readers to use extra brain cells to follow an otherwise simple plot.

Gaiman has explained that the Sandman comics are about the telling of stories. That sounds grand, but means little. Art, if it is meaningful to mortals, must ultimately reflect on Reality in some way. Art that is merely about Art is ultimately about nothing. But if Gaiman means that his stories are derivative, borrowing fragments here and there from better artists while still retaining some of their original power, then I suspect that would be hitting close to the truth - (though I myself recognize only a few of his sources).

Okay, so what's it all about? (Warning: SPOILERS).

These comics are about an Evil Nerd -- but not just any Evil Nerd. He is a Nerd God -- the ultra-powerful ruler of the realm of Dreams, and has lots of cool names like Morpheus, or Kai'chul, or Oneiros, or Sandman, or simply Dream. He is one of the Endless, a group of seven mostly-evil gods whose names all begin with D -- Destiny, Death, Dream, Despair, Desire, Destruction, and Delirium. Though he supposedly rules all dreams, Nerd-Man seems to traffic mainly in nightmares (in this volume, anyway). The most benevolent and likeable of his siblings is Death - a perky goth chick, introduced near the end of this volume, who rescues mortals from the miseries inflicted by the other six -- though what becomes of them thereafter is unclear.

The Nerd God is ultra-cool. He can assume many forms, but usually looks like Neil Gaiman (tall, lanky, white dude, likes to dress in black , with lots of hair, lots of nose, and a craggy face). He also has an ultra-cool scary voice -- represented by white text within a black balloon. He has black eyes like bottomless pits that reflect the universe, as though he were wearing a built in pair of the coolest shades imaginable.

In his volume, Nerd-Man is captured and imprisoned for 70 years by cultists who were trying to capture Death, but who capture Nerd-Man instead. Nerd-Man is too cool to negotiate with enemies, so he just sits and glares at his captors for 70 years. He finally breaks free, and, since his original captor is long dead, instead inflicts horrible vengeance on the successor. Ignoring pleas for mercy, the ultra-cool Nerd Man curses the successor to a horrible never-waking nightmare. This demonstrates that no-one should mess with Nerd-Man!

Seeking to restore himself to full power, Nerd-Man then sets out to recover three artifacts he lost when he was captured, which is the occasion for various adventures. The most memorable of these is a trip to Hell, which ironically seems a welcome break from the horrors of Earth. After arriving in hell, Evil Nerd-Man faces off against Lucifer, Baalzebub, and a vast army of demons, and proves that he is infinitely cooler than all of them combined.

Nerd Man defeats the demons by pointing out to them that without the dream of Heaven, Hell would have no power over its inmates. This seems a cynical thought, directly contrary to the theological notion (derived from the idea of a forgiving, merciful God) that that it is despair of Heaven that empowers Hell. But it is not a rejection of the idea of an afterlife as such, because Death elsewhere tells a mortal that oblivion is not an option. It is not otherwise clear what aspect of Heaven is being objected to. Is it the hope of happiness? Or is it aspirations toward goodness? Does Gaiman, like Ayn Rand, think altruism is the root of all misery?

Another significant thing that happens, on his visit to Hell, is that Nerd Man encounters an old flame, and once again displays his ultra-cool. In order to fully appreciate this episode, you will need to know a little more of its background (in an episode which, in some editions of Preludes and Nocturnes, is reserved for the beginning of the next volume).

You see, ten thousand years earlier there was this Snotty Babe, who lived in a City of Glass. Snotty Babe was the most beautiful Babe in the world, but she would turn up her nose at all the dudes, considering herself too good for them. This went on until a mysterious Nerd came wandering through, who, just by looking up at her from the street below, caused Snotty Babe to fall madly in love with him.

So Snotty Babe searches high and low for the mysterious Nerd Man. She has no success, until the King of Birds directs her to the Palace of Dreams. "Wow," says Nerd Man, "No one has ever sought me out before. We must be meant for each other. Let's get it on." But Snotty Babe refuses, because she realizes this is not just any Nerd-Man, but the Nerd God himself - and she suspects that boinking a Nerd God can have horrific consequences.

But Evil Nerd Man is far too cool to take no for an answer, so he pursues the Snotty Babe. Snotty Babe takes her own virginity with a sharp rock, hoping this will cause Nerd Man to lose interest. But Evil Nerd Man just says "I'm not interested in your body," and proceeds to give her a super-hot boinking. (That's two non-sequiturs in a row - but what do you expect from the Lord of Dreams?)

The sex is hot, but Snotty Babe is a complainer. "Look," she cries. "My beloved City of Glass has just been smashed to smithereens, all because I boinked an Evil Nerd God." "I'm too cool to care," says Evil Nerd God, "Prepare to be boinked some more.

But Snotty Babe is not nearly as cool as Evil Nerd God, and throws herself off a cliff to prevent any further boinking-induced calamities. Evil Nerd God, however, is the ultimate stalker, and pursues her into the Realm of Death. "Listen up, Snotty Babe," he says "I'm too cool for this nonsense. Either be my Queen, or endure eternal torment." Well, Snotty Babe can't take a hint, so Nerd Man condemns Snotty Babe to Hell.

Well, ten thousand years later, during the just-mentioned trip to Hell, Nerd Man by chance runs into Snotty Babe, still enduring the torments of Hell. Snotty no longer, she begs for her release: "Don't you love me any more? Don't you forgive me?" Nerd Man does not like seeing her in torment, but being Ultra-Cool is a hard and lonely duty. "Yes, I still love you," he intones sadly, "But even after ten thousand years, I do not forgive you." And Evil Nerd Man walks away.

Whoah! How cool is that! I want to be just like Evil Nerd Man. Then, I too can force Snotty Babes to fall in love with me just by glancing at them. Then, I too, can take them by force if they perversely attempt to deny their love for me. Then I, too, can punish them horribly if they then fail to show sufficient gratitude for this favor. Then I too can sadly refuse as they grovel at my feet begging my forgiveness. The Sandman is truly a God to Evil Nerds everywhere!

Or perhaps I am just too shallow to appreciate the deep, sophisticated point Gaiman was making.

Okay these books are outstanding I have Volumes 1-5 and I can't stop putting them down...Neil Gaiman is such an amazing person I was told to read them on order so that's what I am doing and I suggest other readers do the same

This comic has captured a feeling that I haven’t had since I was in high school, and insatiable desire to read, I have found that every waking moment I have want to have my nose to the print. From the absolutely astounding art, to the fantastic story and characters, it was an amazing read cover to cover. And the start of an amazing journey through The Sandman.