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The Absolute Sandman
The Absolute Sandman, Volume 2
One of the most popular and critically acclaimed comic book titles of all time, New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman's masterpiece
The Sandman
set new standards for mature, lyrical fantasy and graphic narrative. Now, Vertigo and DC Comics are proud to present the second of four definitive Absolute Editions collecting this groundbreaking series in its entirety.
The Absolute Sandman, Volume Two reprints issues 21-39 of The Sandman and features remastered coloring prepared especially for this edition on all nineteen issues, as well as brand-new inks on The Sandman 34 by the issue's original penciller, Colleen Doran. This volume also includes two never-before-reprinted stories by Gaiman (a Desire story painted by John Bolton, and a prose Sandman story previously only available to buyers of the very first Sandman statue, released in 1991), a complete reproduction of the never-before-reprinted one-shot The Sandman: A Gallery of Dreams, and the original script and pencils by Gaiman and Kelley Jones for Chapter Two of "Season of Mists" from The Sandman 23.
The Absolute Sandman, Volume Two reprints issues 21-39 of The Sandman and features remastered coloring prepared especially for this edition on all nineteen issues, as well as brand-new inks on The Sandman 34 by the issue's original penciller, Colleen Doran. This volume also includes two never-before-reprinted stories by Gaiman (a Desire story painted by John Bolton, and a prose Sandman story previously only available to buyers of the very first Sandman statue, released in 1991), a complete reproduction of the never-before-reprinted one-shot The Sandman: A Gallery of Dreams, and the original script and pencils by Gaiman and Kelley Jones for Chapter Two of "Season of Mists" from The Sandman 23.
616 pages, Slipcased Hardcover
First published July 1, 1992
207 people are currently reading
4361 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 298 reviews
March 31, 2022
I read the comic books (online) covered by this volume - Sandman #21-40. Both 'Season of Mist' and 'A Game of You' are pretty good longer form stories, that I managed to enjoyably get lost in, as the near hypnotic-hallucinogenic other-worldliness of this wholly realised reality began to have a real positive impact on me . 6.5 out of 12
2017 read; 2013 read
2017 read; 2013 read
January 2, 2021
This is where Sandman really starts to kick into high gear. Season of Mists is fantastic. I love where Dream returns to Hell prepared for battle only to have it all handed to him. It's genius. Plus, it lays the groundwork for Mike Carey's excellent Lucifer comic. A Game of You is Gaiman's ode to childhood fantasy worlds like Narnia or Middle Earth. Yet, it's also about self identity and being true to oneself even when your own family hates you for it. Then there's the first 5 solo stories that make up Fables and Reflections. One of Gaiman's strongest attributes as a storyteller is his ability to tell enthralling short stories.
These oversized Absolute editions are just superb. I love the blown up, oversized art and all the extras, the extras are bananas. There's a Desire story drawn by John Bolton that's never been reprinted until now. A bunch of promo materials. The Sandman: A Gallery of Dreams - 31 artists rendering their interpretations of Dream. Finally the script and Kelley Jones's pencils from Sandman #23.
These oversized Absolute editions are just superb. I love the blown up, oversized art and all the extras, the extras are bananas. There's a Desire story drawn by John Bolton that's never been reprinted until now. A bunch of promo materials. The Sandman: A Gallery of Dreams - 31 artists rendering their interpretations of Dream. Finally the script and Kelley Jones's pencils from Sandman #23.
November 22, 2019
Al contrario del primer volumen, este se centra en la historia del protagonista, Morfeo y sus inquietudes. Conocemos así al resto de sus hermanos: Destino, Delirio, Muerte (sin duda uno de los mejores personajes), Deseo y Desesperación. También se nos muestra que el mundo por el que se mueve el protagonista no solo se encuentran ellos como las únicas entidades, sino que también hay muchísimos más dioses ahí fuera.
Por otro lado decir que estas ediciones deluxe son una maravilla. Creo que todos los dibujantes como el autor que han participado en la creación de este comic se merecen todos mis respetos. No es una historia que se pueda leer a la ligera, tiene reflexiones muy profundas y personajes muy reales e interesantes.
Por otro lado decir que estas ediciones deluxe son una maravilla. Creo que todos los dibujantes como el autor que han participado en la creación de este comic se merecen todos mis respetos. No es una historia que se pueda leer a la ligera, tiene reflexiones muy profundas y personajes muy reales e interesantes.
August 10, 2016
Fenomenalan kao uvijek... Posebno Doba magli koje me bas podjecaju na stil prve knjige, Tri rujna i sijecanj o liku koji je umjesto carevanja dobio ludilo i Meka mjesta o Marcu Polu...
Slatka mi je bila i Cvijece romanse koju dozivjeh kao specijalnu jer su joj bas sanjive ilustracije.
Falilo mi je mraka dosta, pa se nadam da ce treca bit u tom tonu...
Slatka mi je bila i Cvijece romanse koju dozivjeh kao specijalnu jer su joj bas sanjive ilustracije.
Falilo mi je mraka dosta, pa se nadam da ce treca bit u tom tonu...
January 14, 2010
As much as parts of "A Game of You" bothers me - it's obviously written by a cis person. I can deal with Wanda's identity not being totally accepted by a bunch of fallible characters (because even the gods we encounter in Sandman are fallible beings, and so we can read even the Moon not accepting her as a woman as the Moon's bias, not Gaiman saying "trans women are not women", despite the place people who we'd now call trans held in the cultures Gaiman draws on); however, when she's dead, and Barbie sees her walking away with Death, Barbie gets an image of how Wanda "truly" is - a cis woman - it buys into the whole idea that trans people would all be cis if we could. Of course, it might be Barbie's dream, or it might be Barbie being shown Wanda with Death in Dream. Ultimately, though, Wanda's depiction is nothing but a sympathetic cis male author's depiction of a trans woman. And, yes, it's a remarkably sympathetic portrayal - Neil's trying to get across that every being who denied Wanda's identity the whole time throughout "A Game of You" is wrong, and that Death accepts her as who she is, and it's from the early 90s, and Wanda is a strong character...the sad thing is, I can't picture a better portrayal of a trans character by a cis author, and it's certainly a problematic one.
Anyway, it's Sandman, the series is fabulous, the Absolute editions are amazing (to the extent that I wish I had money to buy them, sometimes, rather than get them from the library), etc.
Anyway, it's Sandman, the series is fabulous, the Absolute editions are amazing (to the extent that I wish I had money to buy them, sometimes, rather than get them from the library), etc.
June 30, 2019
"The Season of Mists" is truly the story that set Sandman apart and in the process defined a whole new genre of comic writing. It's extremely innovative, but still remains a fine story all these years later, rich in characters, interesting in plot [10/10]. “Thermidor” is a nice continuation of the Orpheus subplot [8/10]. “August” offers a more thoughtful discussion of personal responsibility and rule [9/10]. But “Three Septembers and a January” is the best of the set, with its look at a man unbent by anything [10/10]. I wasn’t too fond of “A Game of You” when I first read it, and I still find the first four issues pretty slow, but the last two are just knock-out good [9/10]. “The Hunt” is a wonderful story-within-a-story of wishes and dreams [10/10]. The Marco Polo story, “Soft Places”, is an interesting one for its commentary on a world being slowly explored and its grouping of three people together on an unlikely night [9/10]. Once again, the complete volume is a beauty, and though none of the extras are home run, they’re nice to have. If anything, the Desire story included is the least of the the set, though it has very nice art [7/10].
March 19, 2020
What a ride! It's not something to read in a rush, I found myself needing to savor it and take it slow. Very few comics made me do this.
March 30, 2021
Nothing very different from my review of #1 just more of the same in a very good way. :) Please see my review of Volume 1.
May 1, 2019
Volume II of this series is as gorgeous as Volume I. There are two main stories, only one of which I'd read before. The first, about Lucifer abdicating as ruler of Hell, did not appeal to me as much as the second, about The Cuckoo, with its cast of characters from under-represented groups and very mysterious goings on. Apparently I'm unusual in liking it more than the other. I still feel Sandman is at its best when it relies on Gaiman's own invented mythology of the Endless more than on any connections to the wider DC universe or obvious borrowings from elsewhere.
I keep forgetting the strong horror sensibility that Sandman has - it's not prominent in Gaiman's prose fiction. I like it.
There's heaps of bonus material in the back, most of which has not been collected before, including a very short piece featuring Desire. Presumably the original comic is quite valuable now. It's all worth reading, including the script for the issue in which Sandman returns to Hell. Hilariously, we find out what Gaiman was watching on a B&W TV whilst writing it and that if you're not fully paying attention one might mistake Boorman's self-aware, ironic and hilarious film Excalibur for rubbish...
Bring me Volume III !
I keep forgetting the strong horror sensibility that Sandman has - it's not prominent in Gaiman's prose fiction. I like it.
There's heaps of bonus material in the back, most of which has not been collected before, including a very short piece featuring Desire. Presumably the original comic is quite valuable now. It's all worth reading, including the script for the issue in which Sandman returns to Hell. Hilariously, we find out what Gaiman was watching on a B&W TV whilst writing it and that if you're not fully paying attention one might mistake Boorman's self-aware, ironic and hilarious film Excalibur for rubbish...
Bring me Volume III !
September 2, 2023
Contains issues 21-39 (1990-1993) and some artwork and promotional artwork created around the same time.
21-28 Season of Mists
Reading a review of this book is a spoiler.
Because the first issue Dream really hypes up how dangerous this trip to Hell is. But getting there he's greeted by Lucifer and given the key to Hell drastically changing the whole storyline. It's great fun. Gaiman can handle all these mythological creatures and actually have them all mesh together in a storyline without any issues.
Pretty bold of Gaiman to have Thor and co in a DC comic! Of course these characters are more based on the original myths than any Marvel comic.
Perhaps closer to a 4 but it's also the first volume to have a nearly consistent art team with Kelley Jones handling the pencils for the core story arc. The trip to Hell reminded me of Druillet and Jones's Dream has a lot of Wrightson. The perfect artist for a Sandman book.
29 Distant Mirrors – Thermidor
Set during the French Revolution. We get to meet Sandman's son Orpheus. I got a bit lost in this one I'll be honest.
30 Distant Mirrors – August
Another one I believe based on a true story. Emperor Augustus Caesar spends the day in disguise as a homeless man accompanied by an actor. It's basically just Caesar talking with the actor about his troubles. Augustus was given two future world's, one where Rome falls in a couple hundred years and another where it grows and expands over the next couple thousand covering the whole Earth.
31 Distant Mirrors – Three Septembers and a January
Based on a true story I guess. Despair has in her grips the life of a failed man Norton. She and Desire challenge Morpheus to save his life. Morpheus gives him a dream and Norton starts to pretend he's the Emperor of the United States of America. Most people kind of make fun of him, but Norton is just such a pleasant person that everyone ends up respecting him and they pay his tribute of $0.50 etc. It's a great story!
32-37 A Game of You
I really liked the cast of characters and could have spent some more time with them before the action got started. My one complaint is the action takes place but the characters don't really have a sense of agency, they're basically just along for the ride.
A depiction of a trans-person in comics in 1992? And she's a fully fleshed out character? I'd be surprised if it wasn't for Neil Gaiman's name on the cover.
This was the first Sandman comic I ever read back in the day and I was so confused my Morpheus's introduction near the end of the story. It's kind of cool that the main character of the series comes in here but feels just as strange to us the reader as to the characters in the book.
Again another issue with these Sandman comics is the lack of a consistent artist. Shawn McManus
draws the bulk of the story but there's a fill-in or two by Colleen Doran. Both artists are fantastic but have very different styles. Ideally one would have drawn the Real Life story and the other the Dream aspects. Or just had McManus do the whole thing.
38 Convergence – The Hunt
This felt like an episode of Jim Henson's Storytellers. A grandpa is telling his daughter a story of the old land about a young man who gets a bunch of exotic items. Dream's librarian wants a book but the young man refuses to give it to him for anything less than a meeting with the Princess. There's twist along the way and a moral to be told.
39 Convergence – Soft Places
Marco Polo is lost in the desert and interacts with Morpheus and a few other characters. This one was a bit boring, I didn't quite get the point.
Short story painted by John Bolton
Also has a short story with some really beautiful artwork by Bolton. It's a little fairy tale.
21-28 Season of Mists
Reading a review of this book is a spoiler.
Because the first issue Dream really hypes up how dangerous this trip to Hell is. But getting there he's greeted by Lucifer and given the key to Hell drastically changing the whole storyline. It's great fun. Gaiman can handle all these mythological creatures and actually have them all mesh together in a storyline without any issues.
Pretty bold of Gaiman to have Thor and co in a DC comic! Of course these characters are more based on the original myths than any Marvel comic.
Perhaps closer to a 4 but it's also the first volume to have a nearly consistent art team with Kelley Jones handling the pencils for the core story arc. The trip to Hell reminded me of Druillet and Jones's Dream has a lot of Wrightson. The perfect artist for a Sandman book.
29 Distant Mirrors – Thermidor
Set during the French Revolution. We get to meet Sandman's son Orpheus. I got a bit lost in this one I'll be honest.
30 Distant Mirrors – August
Another one I believe based on a true story. Emperor Augustus Caesar spends the day in disguise as a homeless man accompanied by an actor. It's basically just Caesar talking with the actor about his troubles. Augustus was given two future world's, one where Rome falls in a couple hundred years and another where it grows and expands over the next couple thousand covering the whole Earth.
31 Distant Mirrors – Three Septembers and a January
Based on a true story I guess. Despair has in her grips the life of a failed man Norton. She and Desire challenge Morpheus to save his life. Morpheus gives him a dream and Norton starts to pretend he's the Emperor of the United States of America. Most people kind of make fun of him, but Norton is just such a pleasant person that everyone ends up respecting him and they pay his tribute of $0.50 etc. It's a great story!
32-37 A Game of You
I really liked the cast of characters and could have spent some more time with them before the action got started. My one complaint is the action takes place but the characters don't really have a sense of agency, they're basically just along for the ride.
A depiction of a trans-person in comics in 1992? And she's a fully fleshed out character? I'd be surprised if it wasn't for Neil Gaiman's name on the cover.
This was the first Sandman comic I ever read back in the day and I was so confused my Morpheus's introduction near the end of the story. It's kind of cool that the main character of the series comes in here but feels just as strange to us the reader as to the characters in the book.
Again another issue with these Sandman comics is the lack of a consistent artist. Shawn McManus
draws the bulk of the story but there's a fill-in or two by Colleen Doran. Both artists are fantastic but have very different styles. Ideally one would have drawn the Real Life story and the other the Dream aspects. Or just had McManus do the whole thing.
38 Convergence – The Hunt
This felt like an episode of Jim Henson's Storytellers. A grandpa is telling his daughter a story of the old land about a young man who gets a bunch of exotic items. Dream's librarian wants a book but the young man refuses to give it to him for anything less than a meeting with the Princess. There's twist along the way and a moral to be told.
39 Convergence – Soft Places
Marco Polo is lost in the desert and interacts with Morpheus and a few other characters. This one was a bit boring, I didn't quite get the point.
Short story painted by John Bolton
Also has a short story with some really beautiful artwork by Bolton. It's a little fairy tale.
Read
October 27, 2025Sometimes the books you once read just... hit a bit different when you learn too much.
This one used to be a 2 star read.
My original review - cause some can separate the art and this book had rather good elements... but I'm really struggling here.
This one used to be a 2 star read.
My original review - cause some can separate the art and this book had rather good elements... but I'm really struggling here.
December 4, 2022
Awesome. Love the longer stories in particular.
June 28, 2015
If the first Sandman collection was near perfection, then this volume achieves it. Stunning.
May 2, 2018
Clearly 5 Stars - as this is the type of Neil Gaiman that I'm realizing I like the best!
The start of this volume finds Dream being put in his place by Death, and I loved it so. And, we see his continuing adventure from the first volume from there.
We also see a lot of side stories (do they end up being necessary, I'm not sure, and I'm not a critical enough reader to find the connections - TBH), but I enjoyed each of them in their own ways.
The first of these side stories, we follow a young boy, who is unfortunate enough to have to deal with something directly related to Dream's plot. I really liked Charles and felt so bad for everything he goes through in his chapter. Dream has done him dirty and probably doesn't care.
Got to see some real life famous individuals reimagined by Neil, and I really love these stories. I'm not a history buff by any means, so I just really like meeting these characters through the eyes of fiction.
And of course, we saw where some of the secondary characters from Volume 1 are and how they're doing (again, dealing with the consequences of meeting Dream or unfortunate enough of getting into his path while he deals with all his business).
I really can't imagine myself giving these books anything below 5 stars. Did I enjoy every story, nah. But, did I appreciate the imagination it took to create them - hell yes. And that's why I'll always love them. Cannot wait to get to the 3rd volume and continue this story - hopefully meeting more of the Endless along the way!
The start of this volume finds Dream being put in his place by Death, and I loved it so. And, we see his continuing adventure from the first volume from there.
We also see a lot of side stories (do they end up being necessary, I'm not sure, and I'm not a critical enough reader to find the connections - TBH), but I enjoyed each of them in their own ways.
The first of these side stories, we follow a young boy, who is unfortunate enough to have to deal with something directly related to Dream's plot. I really liked Charles and felt so bad for everything he goes through in his chapter. Dream has done him dirty and probably doesn't care.
Got to see some real life famous individuals reimagined by Neil, and I really love these stories. I'm not a history buff by any means, so I just really like meeting these characters through the eyes of fiction.
And of course, we saw where some of the secondary characters from Volume 1 are and how they're doing (again, dealing with the consequences of meeting Dream or unfortunate enough of getting into his path while he deals with all his business).
I really can't imagine myself giving these books anything below 5 stars. Did I enjoy every story, nah. But, did I appreciate the imagination it took to create them - hell yes. And that's why I'll always love them. Cannot wait to get to the 3rd volume and continue this story - hopefully meeting more of the Endless along the way!
February 23, 2019
Gaiman is a master storyteller, and I've only read two of Five volumes so far and already I'm more impressed with SANDMAN than I was with American God's, the only connection between the two is that there's alot of mythologies and folklore involved
I disliked the Barbie story? Well chapter one and two were fine, but The land and Wilkinson.. Etc was just lame and that's the sole reason why this volume didn't get a solid 5 stars from me
Looking forward to read the remaining volumes
As for now..
Drink your tea.. And have a Good night sleep... BOHAHAHAHHAHA!
I disliked the Barbie story? Well chapter one and two were fine, but The land and Wilkinson.. Etc was just lame and that's the sole reason why this volume didn't get a solid 5 stars from me
Looking forward to read the remaining volumes
As for now..
Drink your tea.. And have a Good night sleep... BOHAHAHAHHAHA!
December 31, 2020
Így, a második vaskos gyűjteményes kiadáson is keresztül rágva magam, kezdek ráérezni a Sandman ízére. Nagyon jót tett az első részek újraolvasása, sokkal jobban összeállt a fejemben a szimbólumrendszer, a ki- és keresztutalások tömkelege, a mozaikosság szexepilje, miközben szépen kezdenek kirajzolódni a mintázatok, a történetvezetés fő áramlatai.
Ezen a ponton nem sok szükség van a méltatásra: aki idáig eljutott az olvasásban, hozzám hasonlóan már biztosan érzi magában a függőséget ;)
Ezen a ponton nem sok szükség van a méltatásra: aki idáig eljutott az olvasásban, hozzám hasonlóan már biztosan érzi magában a függőséget ;)
August 10, 2012
Another outstanding read. The first half of this volume contains the whole of the Lucifer/Hell storyline, one which has major repercussions throughout not only Sandman but leads into the Lucifer comic series. The second half of the volume contains some shorter, more low key stories. This being Sandman though, all of these stories are important and feed in to the overall plot. Some of the storylines started here wont be resolved until the end of the story
The artwork is much better in this volume, more polished and professional than in volume 1. Having the Absolute edition also means a huge amount of extra material to look at, which I admit I skimmed mostly
Overall this one of the most important comic book series ever produced. Even if you can't afford the Absolute edition, there are ordinary volumes that should be easy to obtain.
The artwork is much better in this volume, more polished and professional than in volume 1. Having the Absolute edition also means a huge amount of extra material to look at, which I admit I skimmed mostly
Overall this one of the most important comic book series ever produced. Even if you can't afford the Absolute edition, there are ordinary volumes that should be easy to obtain.
Read
April 2, 2025I read volumes 2-4 in a row, hardly stopping for breath in between. It makes it harder to review each individually, with my memories of them running together. But that hardly matters. I've loved nearly every moment I've ever read Sandman, from the first time fifteen years ago (or so) right down to this re-reading, which is at least the fourth. There are very few things that are truly magical reads, and Sandman is, for me, one of them.
May 19, 2023
I am still sticking to saying that these are some of the best comic books i have ever read, and probably will ever read.
I can't say anything about the plot it ruins it, and also i am not sure in my ability to describe it properly. Just read it if you like comics, or even if you don't (pls i am begging you)
I can't say anything about the plot it ruins it, and also i am not sure in my ability to describe it properly. Just read it if you like comics, or even if you don't (pls i am begging you)
November 12, 2022
(Zero spoiler review) 4.5/5
Ok, that's more like it. We're finally starting to get going. Despite many of what I'm coming to understand are Gaiman tropes/mainstays (use whichever you prefer) are no doubt going to fill this series, Gaiman's undoubted literary strength, not to mention the brash, rambunctious 90's infused nature of this series is certainly coming to the fore. The 80's may be the comics greatest decade, but this could only have sprung forth from the following decade. The art, the atmosphere, the tone. It perfectly reeks of the decade I did most of my growing in. We may not look back as nostalgically on the 90's as we do the 80's, but you better believe its coming.
So, the story is beginning to take shape and make sense to me. Volume one was a slow burn, with some good, great, and a few stories that were neither of these things thrown in. Here, however, we get a lot of great, a few duds, but nothing really interminable to drag this down from a five to a four. Sure, the duds were boring and I certainly won't be reading them again whenever a reread happens, but the strengths of this collection more than make up for the two notable misses herein. Quite why Gaiman seems so obsessed with including so much historical fiction and fairy tale in his stories is beyond me. A bit here ad there, sure, but these are ALWAYS his weakest, most boring efforts. The stories that are completely his own are usually magnificent. Here's hoping it only gets better from here. 4.5/5
OmniBen
Ok, that's more like it. We're finally starting to get going. Despite many of what I'm coming to understand are Gaiman tropes/mainstays (use whichever you prefer) are no doubt going to fill this series, Gaiman's undoubted literary strength, not to mention the brash, rambunctious 90's infused nature of this series is certainly coming to the fore. The 80's may be the comics greatest decade, but this could only have sprung forth from the following decade. The art, the atmosphere, the tone. It perfectly reeks of the decade I did most of my growing in. We may not look back as nostalgically on the 90's as we do the 80's, but you better believe its coming.
So, the story is beginning to take shape and make sense to me. Volume one was a slow burn, with some good, great, and a few stories that were neither of these things thrown in. Here, however, we get a lot of great, a few duds, but nothing really interminable to drag this down from a five to a four. Sure, the duds were boring and I certainly won't be reading them again whenever a reread happens, but the strengths of this collection more than make up for the two notable misses herein. Quite why Gaiman seems so obsessed with including so much historical fiction and fairy tale in his stories is beyond me. A bit here ad there, sure, but these are ALWAYS his weakest, most boring efforts. The stories that are completely his own are usually magnificent. Here's hoping it only gets better from here. 4.5/5
OmniBen
January 11, 2022
I adore Neil Gaiman for a multitude of reasons, all of which can be evidenced in Sandman: inclusive characters (especially impressive given when this series was written and going far beyond simple representation); intricate plot that weaves in mythology and literature; a reverence for libraries and books; a sky full of imagination. Yet, this series is just not for me.
I am squeamish about graphic and gratuitous depictions of violence and generally avoid the horror genre; I can read about it if I must because my imagination can Bob Ross some happy little trees in where needed, but I cannot unsee things. I had to skip many pages of “a game of you” due to the artwork, which, like all of Sandman, is impressive and ever changing, but too much gore for me. Maybe this can be attributed to seeing Halloween 3 with my uncle in the cinema when I was four years old. Maybe not. Either way, the aversion to butchery remains.
I love “season of mists” and didn’t want that storyline to end; that is the highlight of both Volumes 1&2 for me thus far. Everything about it is fantastic, and I particularly love that Lucifer resembles David Bowie (!) in many of the panels.
Finishing this volume puts me halfway through the series, and I don’t think I’ll read anymore, but I very much look forward to the Netflix version. I’ll know where I need to cover my eyes.
I am squeamish about graphic and gratuitous depictions of violence and generally avoid the horror genre; I can read about it if I must because my imagination can Bob Ross some happy little trees in where needed, but I cannot unsee things. I had to skip many pages of “a game of you” due to the artwork, which, like all of Sandman, is impressive and ever changing, but too much gore for me. Maybe this can be attributed to seeing Halloween 3 with my uncle in the cinema when I was four years old. Maybe not. Either way, the aversion to butchery remains.
I love “season of mists” and didn’t want that storyline to end; that is the highlight of both Volumes 1&2 for me thus far. Everything about it is fantastic, and I particularly love that Lucifer resembles David Bowie (!) in many of the panels.
Finishing this volume puts me halfway through the series, and I don’t think I’ll read anymore, but I very much look forward to the Netflix version. I’ll know where I need to cover my eyes.
April 24, 2019
Coming back to these stories after more than a couple decades is like reconnecting with an old friend, in the best possible way. Gaiman really is a master, and I'm reminded of how much this series affected me the first time I read it, and how well it all holds up. There is a depth and breath of imagination far beyond average, and a deeply compassionate and thoughtful approach to the portrayal of the characters. The mix of horror meshes cleanly with the weird, dark fantasy, and the concepts behind the endless are incrementally developed throughout the collection. This is simply some of the best graphic fiction ever written.
January 14, 2023
Favorites: Season of Mists (21-28).
“Sometimes we can choose the paths we follow. Sometimes our choices are made for us. And sometimes we have no choice at all.”
“I think hell is something you carry around with you. Not somewhere you go.”
“Everybody has a secret world inside of them. All of the people of the world, I mean everybody. No matter how dull and boring they are on the outside, inside them they’ve all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds. Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands maybe.”
“Sometimes we can choose the paths we follow. Sometimes our choices are made for us. And sometimes we have no choice at all.”
“I think hell is something you carry around with you. Not somewhere you go.”
“Everybody has a secret world inside of them. All of the people of the world, I mean everybody. No matter how dull and boring they are on the outside, inside them they’ve all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds. Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands maybe.”
July 16, 2025
Faz sentido não adaptarem Um Jogo de Você na série, mas como eu fico feliz de não terem apagado a Wanda e a importância dela.
Apesar do Gaiman ter se revelado um monstro, ainda dá pra tirar coisas boas do que ele escreveu, mesmo que ele mesmo não tenha seguido...
Apesar do Gaiman ter se revelado um monstro, ainda dá pra tirar coisas boas do que ele escreveu, mesmo que ele mesmo não tenha seguido...
December 11, 2010
I really enjoyed Season of Mists, where Lucifer decides he's done with Hell and moves on, leaving Sandman the key. It was clever and an overall fun read. A Game of You was my least favorite, but still interesting. It just took me so damn long to get through due to some parts that were just plain creepy.
December 29, 2021
Wow I thought this series was dark but it really took a turn in this volume
July 3, 2022
More Sandman, more Dreamy goodness. You never know what kind of adventure you're going to get, through history and fantasy, but it's always interesting.
January 6, 2016
These books are beautiful, fans of the series certainly can't go wrong with them. I did get the new, also huge, annotated version out of the library to give it a try first, but had to return it because it was even heavier and wider than this one, of course, because they put the annotations to the sides of every page by making them even wider. So it's a huge square that doesn't fit on my book stand at all. I don't know how other people read these heavy books without a stand. I guess they can bend over their laps or a table, I can't do that with my neck and back issues. Just remember, if you're ordering it from online sight unseen, either the Annotated or Absolute versions, they're HEAVY, over seven pounds, so be prepared to deal with that, it's not a comfortable read. And they're tall and won't fit on a lot of bookshelves as well, check your measurements. Also, I forgot that the annotations would be in tiny print, which also doesn't work for me. So I'm sure it would have been really cool, but that book wasn't the one for me. I happily came back to this also huge book, but a bit less wide and where most of the text in the comics ends up larger because of the enlarged pages, excellent for those with not so great vision.
Most of the stories were great. I enjoyed, "Season of Mists," the long story arc abut Lucifer closing up Hell and giving Dream the key to the newly empty land, of course. I knew Lucifer had his own series by Mike Carey, one of my favorite authors. Because I liked Carey, I even tried it once years ago, it was one of the first graphic novels I looked at and I wasn't comfortable with the format yet. It took a while for me to train my eyes to follow the frames and absorb the visual story along with the words. I know it seems basic but my eyes would kind of glaze over and I wasn't able to grasp much of what I was seeing back then, it took time to train myself to be comfortable with this format. So I'm looking forward to trying Lucifer again now that I've been re-introduced to the tale and am more experienced with comics. "Season of Mists" was fun with all of characters from the different pantheons and the touch of chaos making Dream stressed out. And the question of whether the Fall was a choice or was planned all along was interesting.
I liked the, "A Game of You," story arc a lot as well, it had some terrific characters. I tried to imagine the reaction the mainstream would have had to those characters more than twenty years ago. Women who are familiar and welcome to many/hopefully most of us now might have just been introduced to the world in ways like this in 1992. There was a gay couple, one who calls herself a dyke. And Wanda, born in a boy's body but absolutely sure that she is a woman. That wasn't something most people had heard about or understood anything about until very recently. It was great that Gaiman drew the people he knew and the people he saw in New York and London, that he wanted to represent his world as he saw it, and wasn't worried about possible controversy. Maybe comics were so fringe then that it didn't matter as much? Either way, it was artists like him, and many others over many years, sharing their experiences and their ideas, that helped people like me, who barely gets out of my house, understand and love groups of people who are different from me but also the same as me, with the same desires and fears and loves and worries. And it was a good story too, it was a page-turner. Except the rat. Who gives a kid a rat doll? Gross.
I didn't love the story about Cesar Augustus, I didn't think it was particularly fun, though it was interesting. The one with Joanna Constantine was fun. I think there will be more with her, I hope so. I know I should read the ones with her grandson now, too. I've been thinking that since the TV show came out. The sense of adventure and humor in the Constantine story worked great. I really loved the issue about the Emperor of the United States. It was so sweet and respectful and kind of lovely even with it's humor. I loved the history in that one. Gaiman weaves history and mythology and DC cannon and his wild imagination in and out of all of his stories so well it's often hard to know what's real, what came from previous stories or DC canon that I should look up, and what he created for the first time for the comic. He makes everything on the page seem completely plausible.
The art is made me nuts though, particularly in the first several issues of this book.The people never look the same from one panel to the next. I could deal with that with Dream, he's changeable so maybe that was the artist's choice, but it happened with everyone and they were so unrecognizable I was often unsure sure who was speaking. I'm not just talking about a nose changing shape, it was major people looking decades older (Death), faces being completely different shapes, people changing from cute young women into middle-aged haggered looking women. Sometimes there were three entirely different faces for the same character on one page. It bugged me in "Season of Mists: Prologue" with Mike Dringenberg inking, and continued into the issues with Kelley Jones. It was impossible to recognize Lucifer from one frame to the next anywhere in "Season of Mists: Chapter 2", just as one example. I tried to stop letting it bother me but it was confusing and irritating. I've had some problems with this in other comics, maybe shading and shadows changing appearance or something, but this was extreme and really weird, odd, and distracting. And it isn't like I look at the images critically like some people do, I still tend to skim too much and have to force my eyes to go back and pick up things I've missed. But I need the visual cues to be somewhat consistent to know what the heck is going on. There were some things that were wonderful, don't get me wrong. The gates to Hell were wild. There were a lot of powerful images and moments. But the faces inconsistencies were a problem for me in the first half or so.
Anyway, it's a beautiful book. The extras were fun too. There were a lot of alternate covers by different artists, if you're into that. It had a lovely little issue about Desire that was never republished up until this volume, with lovely watercolor looking illustrations by John Bolton. And Gaiman's original script from chapter two of "Season of Mists" where Dream follows Lucifer around Hell as he goes through his final steps to shut it down, the key issue between the two of them. I enjoyed the whole book very much, as I'm sure would an fan of the series or any new reader.
Most of the stories were great. I enjoyed, "Season of Mists," the long story arc abut Lucifer closing up Hell and giving Dream the key to the newly empty land, of course. I knew Lucifer had his own series by Mike Carey, one of my favorite authors. Because I liked Carey, I even tried it once years ago, it was one of the first graphic novels I looked at and I wasn't comfortable with the format yet. It took a while for me to train my eyes to follow the frames and absorb the visual story along with the words. I know it seems basic but my eyes would kind of glaze over and I wasn't able to grasp much of what I was seeing back then, it took time to train myself to be comfortable with this format. So I'm looking forward to trying Lucifer again now that I've been re-introduced to the tale and am more experienced with comics. "Season of Mists" was fun with all of characters from the different pantheons and the touch of chaos making Dream stressed out. And the question of whether the Fall was a choice or was planned all along was interesting.
I liked the, "A Game of You," story arc a lot as well, it had some terrific characters. I tried to imagine the reaction the mainstream would have had to those characters more than twenty years ago. Women who are familiar and welcome to many/hopefully most of us now might have just been introduced to the world in ways like this in 1992. There was a gay couple, one who calls herself a dyke. And Wanda, born in a boy's body but absolutely sure that she is a woman. That wasn't something most people had heard about or understood anything about until very recently. It was great that Gaiman drew the people he knew and the people he saw in New York and London, that he wanted to represent his world as he saw it, and wasn't worried about possible controversy. Maybe comics were so fringe then that it didn't matter as much? Either way, it was artists like him, and many others over many years, sharing their experiences and their ideas, that helped people like me, who barely gets out of my house, understand and love groups of people who are different from me but also the same as me, with the same desires and fears and loves and worries. And it was a good story too, it was a page-turner. Except the rat. Who gives a kid a rat doll? Gross.
I didn't love the story about Cesar Augustus, I didn't think it was particularly fun, though it was interesting. The one with Joanna Constantine was fun. I think there will be more with her, I hope so. I know I should read the ones with her grandson now, too. I've been thinking that since the TV show came out. The sense of adventure and humor in the Constantine story worked great. I really loved the issue about the Emperor of the United States. It was so sweet and respectful and kind of lovely even with it's humor. I loved the history in that one. Gaiman weaves history and mythology and DC cannon and his wild imagination in and out of all of his stories so well it's often hard to know what's real, what came from previous stories or DC canon that I should look up, and what he created for the first time for the comic. He makes everything on the page seem completely plausible.
The art is made me nuts though, particularly in the first several issues of this book.The people never look the same from one panel to the next. I could deal with that with Dream, he's changeable so maybe that was the artist's choice, but it happened with everyone and they were so unrecognizable I was often unsure sure who was speaking. I'm not just talking about a nose changing shape, it was major people looking decades older (Death), faces being completely different shapes, people changing from cute young women into middle-aged haggered looking women. Sometimes there were three entirely different faces for the same character on one page. It bugged me in "Season of Mists: Prologue" with Mike Dringenberg inking, and continued into the issues with Kelley Jones. It was impossible to recognize Lucifer from one frame to the next anywhere in "Season of Mists: Chapter 2", just as one example. I tried to stop letting it bother me but it was confusing and irritating. I've had some problems with this in other comics, maybe shading and shadows changing appearance or something, but this was extreme and really weird, odd, and distracting. And it isn't like I look at the images critically like some people do, I still tend to skim too much and have to force my eyes to go back and pick up things I've missed. But I need the visual cues to be somewhat consistent to know what the heck is going on. There were some things that were wonderful, don't get me wrong. The gates to Hell were wild. There were a lot of powerful images and moments. But the faces inconsistencies were a problem for me in the first half or so.
Anyway, it's a beautiful book. The extras were fun too. There were a lot of alternate covers by different artists, if you're into that. It had a lovely little issue about Desire that was never republished up until this volume, with lovely watercolor looking illustrations by John Bolton. And Gaiman's original script from chapter two of "Season of Mists" where Dream follows Lucifer around Hell as he goes through his final steps to shut it down, the key issue between the two of them. I enjoyed the whole book very much, as I'm sure would an fan of the series or any new reader.
December 16, 2020
Si hay algo que me fascina es la mitología, y Gaiman definitivamente se luce en esta obra representando a deidades y seres mitológicos de una manera súper peculiar. En este volumen seguimos acompañando a Morfeo, primero a una representación extraña de Sueño de una noche de verano, de William Shakespeare, y luego a una travesía al infierno de Lucifer, que terminará de manera completamente inesperada.
La historia es bastante onírica (I mean...), hay muchos momentos extraños, que parecen salir de la nada, justamente como en un sueño. Pero entre tantos delirios, hay una historia tremenda que tiene que seguir siendo contada. Se introducen brevemente varixs personajes en historias cortas, aunque también volvemos a encontrar a algunxs como Muerte, que es una de mis preferidas con su actitud y forma de ver las situaciones. Su honestidad es brutal, y su rebeldía en cuanto a las normas de etiqueta es bastante divertida de observar.
Lxs Eternxs, como se llaman Morfeo y sus hermanxs, con sus características tan particulares, son prácticamente humanxs en su comportamiento. Parece que la inmortalidad no ha generado un comportamiento "superior" en estxs seres, sino que más bien sus defectos se han visto exacerbados. La verdad que es algo que me gustó muchísimo ver.
Realmente las ilustraciones de los artistas son espectaculares, reflejan perfectamente la atmósfera oscura de lxs personajes y de la temática. Algo que me encantó de esta edición deluxe es la cantidad de ilustraciones impresionantes al final del libro, realmente son para enmarcar y colgar como posters.
La historia es bastante onírica (I mean...), hay muchos momentos extraños, que parecen salir de la nada, justamente como en un sueño. Pero entre tantos delirios, hay una historia tremenda que tiene que seguir siendo contada. Se introducen brevemente varixs personajes en historias cortas, aunque también volvemos a encontrar a algunxs como Muerte, que es una de mis preferidas con su actitud y forma de ver las situaciones. Su honestidad es brutal, y su rebeldía en cuanto a las normas de etiqueta es bastante divertida de observar.
Lxs Eternxs, como se llaman Morfeo y sus hermanxs, con sus características tan particulares, son prácticamente humanxs en su comportamiento. Parece que la inmortalidad no ha generado un comportamiento "superior" en estxs seres, sino que más bien sus defectos se han visto exacerbados. La verdad que es algo que me gustó muchísimo ver.
Realmente las ilustraciones de los artistas son espectaculares, reflejan perfectamente la atmósfera oscura de lxs personajes y de la temática. Algo que me encantó de esta edición deluxe es la cantidad de ilustraciones impresionantes al final del libro, realmente son para enmarcar y colgar como posters.
February 23, 2020
An utterly gorgeous set. I think the Absolute Sandman publications are the best way to enjoy the series.
"Season of Mists" is widely regarded as the story that put Sandman on the map in a way, although I think it is overrated.
"A Game of You" is probably the best story of the entire series, which I did not understand as a 16 year old, the last time I read this series.
The single-issue stories collected here - and in Paperback as "Fables and Reflections" - contain some of the series' best short-fiction, and make this my favorite overall volume of the Absolute editions.
"Season of Mists" is widely regarded as the story that put Sandman on the map in a way, although I think it is overrated.
"A Game of You" is probably the best story of the entire series, which I did not understand as a 16 year old, the last time I read this series.
The single-issue stories collected here - and in Paperback as "Fables and Reflections" - contain some of the series' best short-fiction, and make this my favorite overall volume of the Absolute editions.
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