Vol. 4: Season of Mists, The Sandman

As with its predecessors, Season of Mists is intellectual, tinged with wry humor, old myths long forgotten, and even philosophy (though expertly hidden).
It opens with Destiny and a beautiful description of his realm. He soon after calls a 'family meeting', the first one they'd had in quite some time. This triggers a chain of events (one event in particular) that, more or less, make up the whole novel.
This novel challenges common belief about heaven, hell, death, souls and everything in between, opening our eyes to new possibilities. It transcends reality, shifting you into a whole new world you have never even thought possible.
With a remarkable, unorthodox plot, characters far more interesting than the norm, fantastically rendered art, and smooth, amusing dialogue, this series has set a whole new standard for comics everywhere (particularly this novel, it skyrocketed The Sandman to a whole new level of thinking).
To put it shortly, pick it up and read it. It's more than worth your time. :)

Spurred by the three Fates, Destiny calls a meeting of the Endless. This ends in Dream taking crud for getting pissed at an ex-girlfriend and sending her to Hell.

Spurred by the three Fates, Destiny calls a meeting of the Endless. This ends in Dream taking crap for getting pissed at an ex-girlfriend and sending her to Hell.

His older sister tells him off, so he goes to rescue her, knowing that Lucifer is likely to slay him. A bit nastier than that though, Lucifer abandons Hell and gives it to him, instead, without the old girlfriend.

Dream has to deal with all the mythologies that want this funky piece of supernatural real estate, while Lucifer gets to go and be a beach slacker.

This is by far my favorite Sandman volume, along with "The Kindly Ones". It really solidifies the title as a classic. I haven't read much better, in any form of literature, and I've read a lot. In this volume, Morpheus travels to Hell to free a lover he once wrongly damned ten thousand years ago after seeing the error in his ways (pointed out by his sister, Death). He arrives to find Lucifer about to leave. He has tired of his duties, and he leaves him with the key. Morpheus then has to deal with emissaries from dozens of old mythologies (Odin, Thor, and Loki from Norse legends, Anubis and Bast from Egypt, etc.) who want Hell for themselves.

My favorite part is when Morpheus confronts the woman he once condemned and is forced to confront and atone for his sins. It marks the change in Morpheus' character that ultimately leads to his redemption for all the terrible things he did in the past in the name of his pride and ego. This is truly a literary accomplishment.

...While the first volume was easily the weakest, right next to "World's End." Still, any of these books are so much better than those Marvel superhero special FX fests you see in Hollywood movies.
The covers by Dave McKean are gorgeous, and if you're a sucker for worldly mythology, this is the book for you. It's a wonderful story that sets the tone for what's coming in the end of the Sandman. "Death: at Death's Door" is a cute retelling of this story from Death's point of view, which does not do it justice since it's much shorter, condensed and does not recreate the epic sense of mythology that the Sandman is.

In "Sandman: Season of the Mists" Neil Gaiman does what he does best, creating a mythology that runs parallel to reality as we live it, but here, he outdoes himself by not just telling an interesting story, but by revealing a truth inherent about our dominant myth system.

That bit above is the best way anyone can sum up the sense in Sandman: Season of the Mists without removing any reason you could have for actually reading it but it doesn't matter because the book is simply fantastic.

In this work, Gaiman weaves together love, hate, obligation and elements of literary Christian theology (i.e., a very Miltonian hell) and places them in a wrapper of storytelling using a mythology that encompasses theological and mythological concepts, some of which, like faerie, law and chaos, exist purely within the realm of fantasy literature and when he is done setting the stage using these ideas and populating it with characters who run true to imaginable form, he tells a story the ending of which is an unflinching examination of a single mind-bending question: "what would happen if Satan grew tired of ruling hell?"

The answer to this question is a kaleidoscopic shock.

Gaiman is a master storyteller on many levels and unlike nearly all other writers of fantasy, his best work can be read both for the raw pleasure of a good story, on the level of storytelling technique and even on the level of philosophy and the command of all aspects of the story which Gaiman displays on every page of this book is a cause for awe. Gaiman seems powerfully inspired in writing this story. This is true right down to the incidental levels of the sound-effects, and dialog: listen to how Mazikeen speaks then, figure out how Gaiman wrote her dialog and you will instantly know what I am talking about.

Look through other works of his, even one or two that have been (re-) made in other media like the novel Neverwhere, and you will see that Gaiman can simply "tell a story" using a set of techniques and themes and call it a day, but Sandman: Season of the Mists shows him melding technique with inspiration, so that instead of its being just a set of well-handled themes or tropes, there is a powerful and organic coming together of Ideas, technique and feeling in the story that make it like nothing else in the history of graphic novels.

After a youth spent reading comics, only to see them evolve into "graphic novels" and think that those were the limit of the innovation possible in mass-market graphic storytelling, Gaiman's writing in Sandman: Season of the Mists, coupled with artwork that is direct and surreal at the same time, has been a strong, charming indicator that the well of creativity in the field not only has not run dry but that it cannot.

It is impossible to recommend it enough.

The Sandman is an incredible series on so many levels. If you've not read yet, please do (and please start with the first volume; you'll want to read them all eventually anyway, I guarantee). Some of the tales are deep, some profound, and this collection shares in all of that and at the same time is simply so much fun(!): Satan decides to close Hell down and hit the beach--he gives the keys to Morpheus, lord of dreams, who is then besieged with deities from all the world's pantheons, each of which wants the prime real estate for their own uses. What a premise!

And what execution!

The Sandman is up there with anything else printed in the late 20th Century. Begin reading it today.

Neil Gaiman's artistic exploration of sin and redemption in Sandman: Season of Mists is a wonderful example of the literary excellence that can be achieved with a graphic novel format. Gaiman blends traditional literary techniques, surreal art, and evocative storytelling in order to create a unique work of literature.
Sandman is a seventy-five issue comic book series which follows Morpheus, a divine being known also as Sandman, as he explores the dreams of humanity and deals with other divine creatures in order to better understand mankind. Season of Mists, the third story arc in the series, begins with the Sandman, Lord of Dreams, journeying into Hell in order to forgive a woman he condemned nearly ten thousand years ago. Things quickly become complicated, however, when Lucifer decides to resign as king of Hell, and leaves the Sandman with the key to his kingdom. As the story progresses, the Sandman finds himself debating what to do with an empty Hell, as well as contemplating what it would mean to forgive the woman he condemned.
Gaiman writes the above story in a poetic narrative that incorporates a variety of literary techniques. The divine beings the Sandman encounters speak in an almost musical pattern that uses a lot of alliteration, and one scene, in which the Sandman speaks to a group of historical writers, is even written completely in iambic pentameter. The style works extremely well, since it also serves as an allusion to the poetic works of Shakespeare (who even makes a brief appearance in the tale), Dante's Divine Comedy, and John Milton's poem Paradise Lost, all of which are classic literary works that explore similar themes of sin and redemption.
The majority of Gaiman's literary techniques, however, are incorporated into the story through the art. Most of the figurative language, such as metaphors, allusions, and imagery are made literal by the visible depictions of characters and locations. In one scene, all the divine beings the Sandman encounters are each drawn according to the art styles of the cultures from which they originate. In another scene, we see the horrors occurring at a boarding school for troubled boys. Flip back a few pages to the depiction of Hell, and the similarities between the two locations become clear. Most effective, however, is the scene in which Lucifer congratulates God on the beauty of a sunset. The painting which accompanies the statement conveys that beauty far more effectively than words ever could.
Neil Gaiman's Sandman: Season of Mists is a fantastical and intelligent tale that belongs in any literary collection.

After being a little disappointed with the completely episodic approach to Vol III: Dream Country, I was glad to see this return to linearity, while also boasting an impressive storyline. This volume delves more into the history and psychology of Morpheus/ Dream/whatever you want to call him and definitely delivers a great work of fiction.

This story is one of the most compelling and engaging stories to find a new population of readers in quite awhile. Simply put, the story reminds us that no one sends you to Hell, that all Hells are self imposed and that the key to freedom lies within the mind of those trapped there. No one else can forgive you till you forgive yourself. Mixed with mythology and ideas fom many cultures, this book creates a blending of ideas that shows how similar we all are rather than how different. Most people will find the story entertaining and thought provoking on many levels. The entire series of Sandman Books is one big story that simply says, "We are, what we dream we are."

This is my favorite comic book story. I was already a Gaiman fan, having read "Good Omens". But the intense intelligence and respect for the form of mythology in particular and story-telling in general, not to mention one of the all time great jumping off points (Lucifer's abdication of Hell), create a story that is breathtaking in it's scope and imagination.
AMAZING!
And I haven't even mentioned the stunning artwork, just beautiful, iconic and evocative.
All the "old gods" are represented and much intrigue and deal-brokering ensue.
These themes (the meaning and relevance of mythology) are further explored in at least 2 of his subsequent novels and many of his short stories.
This is still the definitive statement. Check it out, you will not be disappointed!

After being a little disappointed with the completely episodic approach to Vol III: Dream Country, I was glad to see this return to linearity, while also boasting an impressive storyline. This volume delves more into the history and psychology of Morpheus/ Dream/whatever you want to call him and definitely delivers a great work of fiction.

This story is one of the most compelling and engaging stories to find a new population of readers in quite awhile. Simply put, the story reminds us that no one sends you to Hell, that all Hells are self imposed and that the key to freedom lies within the mind of those trapped there. No one else can forgive you till you forgive yourself. Mixed with mythology and ideas fom many cultures, this book creates a blending of ideas that shows how similar we all are rather than how different. Most people will find the story entertaining and thought provoking on many levels. The entire series of Sandman Books is one big story that simply says, "We are, what we dream we are."

This is my favorite comic book story. I was already a Gaiman fan, having read "Good Omens". But the intense intelligence and respect for the form of mythology in particular and story-telling in general, not to mention one of the all time great jumping off points (Lucifer's abdication of Hell), create a story that is breathtaking in it's scope and imagination.
AMAZING!
And I haven't even mentioned the stunning artwork, just beautiful, iconic and evocative.
All the "old gods" are represented and much intrigue and deal-brokering ensue.
These themes (the meaning and relevance of mythology) are further explored in at least 2 of his subsequent novels and many of his short stories.
This is still the definitive statement. Check it out, you will not be disappointed!

This work represents a return to coherent narrative, which I really appreciate. Volume Three was great, but it was a collection of stories, of dreams, rather than what I was expecting. Volume Four presents Gaiman back at the loom, weaving a host of Gods and Endless into several stunning chapters. I really enjoyed this thoughtful, engrossing work.

No comments. This man is a genious, and these few pages divided into little squares are more than enough to prove it. As a matter of fact, I could say the same about most of Gaiman's work, particularly in the Sandman stories. If you like comics and have never read Gaiman's, do so. And if you don't like comics, give it a try. You won't regret!

This is one of my favorites of the Sandman Chronicles, it's art isn't as good as it is in The Wake, but the characters are any and very dimensional. You will love this along with many of the other Graphic Novels in this series.