Sandman: Knjiga 1

The Absolute Sandman

by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth (Illustrator), Tatjana Jambrišak (Translator)

Strip Sandman scenarista Neila Gaimana, jednoga od najprodavanijih svjetskih strip-autora prema New York Timesu, najznačajniji strip je devedesetih godina. Kao bogata mješavina modernih mitova i mračne fantastike u koju su neprimjetno utkani suvremena književnost, povijesna drama i legende, Sandman se također smatra jednom od najoriginalnijih i umjetnički najambicioznijih serija modernoga doba. Do svoga svršetka 1996. znatno je pridonio umjetničkom sazrijevanju stripa, a sam postao fenomen pop-kulture.

Ovaj klasik stripa Fibra vam ponosno predstavlja u ultimativnom izdanju. Prva od četiri prekrasno dizajnirane knjige donosi prvih dvadeset sveski Sandmana s posve novom i od autora odobrenom bojom na prvih osamnaest brojeva, mnoštvom nikad prije objavljenih materijala, uključujući cjelovit prijedlog serije, galeriju dizajna likova koje su crtali Gaiman i crtači prvih varijanti Sandmana, kao i čitav scenarij za 19. broj Sandmana, "San Ivanjske noći", nagrađen s World Fantasy Award. Uz scenarij su priložene i reprodukcije originalnih crteža olovkom Charlesa Vessa.

Knjiga sadržava sljedeća originalna izdanja DC Comicsa:
1. San pravednika - Sleep of the Just (January 1989)
2. Nesavršeni domaćini - Imperfect Hosts (February 1989)
3. ... noćas me sanjaj - ... Dream a Little Dream of Me (March 1989)
4. Nada u paklu - Hope in Hell (April 1989)
5. Putnici - Passengers (May 1989)
6. 24 sata - 24 Hours (June 1989)
7. Buka i bijes - Sound and Fury (July 1989)
8. Lepet krila njenih - The Sound of Her Wings (August 1989)
9. Priče u pijesku - Tales in the Sand (September 1989)
10. Lutkina kuća - The Doll's House (October 1989)
11. Useljenje - Moving In (November 1989)
12. Igra mame i tate - Playing House (December 1989)
13. Ljudi sretne ruke - Men of Good Fortune (January 1990)
14. Kolekcionari - Collectors (February 1990)
15. U gluhu noć - Into the Night (March 1990)
16. Izgubljena srca - Lost Hearts (April 1990)
17. Kaliopa - Calliope (May 1990)
18. San tisuću mačaka - A Dream of a Thousand Cats (June 1990)
19. San Ivanjske noći - A Midsummer Night's Dream (July 1990)
20. Fasada - Façade (August 1990)

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

612 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1990

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Sandman #1-20- Preludes and Nocturnes; The Doll's House; Dream Country. This is seen to many as Neil Gaiman's masterpiece graphic novel / comic book series. But, like everything written by Gaiman, for me, it's just a good read and nothing more. Don't get me wrong I strongly liked lot of the innovation and his very good world building, I just found the plotting and many of the characters just OK. 7 out of 12.

2017 read; 2013 read

[Nicolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The collected edition of the Sandman series have been reprinted countless time and in a myriad of languages, but this absolute edition contains the stories from the first three trade collections and a plethora of extras. The extra material makes this an indispensable addition to the collection of any fan of Gaiman’s Sandman work. It includes the original detailed pitch for Sandman, character design sketches and the script for the World Fantasy award winning issue nineteen. It was interesting how Gaiman constructed a pitch that became the series bible. He almost never wavered from his original intention and was able to put into print what he intended to publish.

An acclaimed series it was, it had its own share of industry awards like the Eisners, but its most distinguished accolade had to be the World Fantasy award for best short fiction for Sandman issue nineteen, an adaptation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by Gaiman and Charles Vess. It was and will be the only comic book to have won that award as rules were changed to prevent comic books from winning thereafter.

This collection includes two long arcs and a collection of short stories. It is in the short stories that Gaiman really shines. He used this short tales to build the backstory of Morpheus and how he has interacted with history and legend throughout the eons. Starting with the second arc, “The Doll’s House, he used these self-contained tales to give a breather to the regular artists in between issues or chapters. This is also reflected in the trade editions of Sandman, the collected arcs are interspersed with two short story collections.

This is a great book, especially for me. I am unabashedly a great admirer of Neil Gaiman. I have most of the Sandman trades, and this omnibus fills the holes I have. It is a pricey tome, but it is gorgeously designed with archival paper stock and bound in faux leather. If this is beyond one’s price range, the paperbacks are a great alternative. Sandman is one of those stories that every comic fan should read.

I bought this oversized, slip cased hardcover back in 2011 during Komikon. The prospect of owning a first edition first volume tantalized me. I haven’t seen this volume in any of the larger branches of the main book store chain here in Philippines. It was always volume two onwards, never a complete set. The sweetener was I got this a slight discount which helped assuage the loss of frequent buyer points had I bought this from the book store chain.

[Leonard Gaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This graphic novel is one of Neil Gaiman’s early major works, which catapulted him to his present fame, somewhere in the upper floors of the Dark Fantasy & Mythology Redux literary pantheon. This first issue of the Absolute Sandman is a massive volume, 600 pages!, that collects the first 20 chapters of the Sandman series — there are at least five or six other volumes after this one, in the Absolute Sandman saga, published by DC Comics / Vertigo.

I hate to write a negative review, especially considering such an impressive work, with so many accolades in the last thirty years, and by one of the most charming fantasy authors around. Moreover, all the ingredients are here to please: an artistically ambitious novel, a dark handsome hero (that kinda looks like the author!), a fistful of Lovecraftian horror, a pinch of Dantean pandemonium, a quest for occult symbols — that heralds the Voldemort business in the late Harry Potter novels —, a dust of serial killers, a sprinkle of Shakespeare here and there…

Nevertheless, the whole thing is, the way I see it, an overrated post-baroque, disjointed millefeuille, with a plot that peters out by the 8th chapter, leaving the rest of the volume as a collection of dismembered short stories, just barely related by a couple of recurring characters. A few of these fragments stand out, like “Tales in the Sand”, or “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”; the rest is either a bit silly or stodgy. To boot, the artwork, although in line with the style of DC Comics, looks, for the most part, overdrawn and murky. Sadly, disappointing.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sandman is one of my all-time favorite comics. No, it's not for everyone, but if you like fantasy and horror, there is a good chance you'll like this. It was one of the first comics written for adults at DC back in the 1980's. The story is about Dream, one of the Endless. They are not gods but the personification of certain intrinsic ideas.

When it starts out Dream has been imprisoned for the last 70 years. He eventually escapes and must reacquire the totems he last which contain much of his power. The first two arcs are very much about Dream reestablishing his domain and putting things his house back in order while the third arc is an anthology of stories that Dream has a connection to.

The absolute edition collects the first 3 volumes of the series. It's a gorgeous oversized edition and it's really heavy. I love seeing the art stretched out to this larger size. It has also been recolored. There's a fantastic amount of backmatter. It includes Gaiman's initial proposal and story bible. A 3-page prose recap of Preludes and Nocturnes written by Gaiman that was included before issue #8 of the series. The script and pencil art for A Midsummer Night's Dream which won the World Fantasy Award. I enjoyed seeing Gaiman's notes in the script to Charles Vess and then how he rendered those. Several pages also had Todd Klein's hand lettered word balloons which you rarely see in this kind of thing. It's an absolute monster of a book, but it's amazing.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

1/31/17
First read and reread of 2017. The below review still holds completely true.

4/26/15
Neil Gaiman is pure fucking magic when it comes to writing.

I’m relatively new to his work, and I’m also pretty new to comics and graphic novels. So please feel free to take the following fangirl-gasming with a grain of salt. If you haven’t read this series yet, I highly freaking recommend you go to your library and start this, and soon. If this first Volume is any indication on what to expect from the future ones, then I know I’m in for one hell of a ride.


I don’t think I’ve read anything like this before. I love that every element of this story felt new and real and raw to me. It bewitched me. I’ve fallen hard for these worlds and characters, and I’m happy that I’ll be able to live in it for a little longer.


The art instantly drew me in to this comic. I loved the style, and I thought the artists did an incredible freaking job giving life to Gaiman’s characters and worlds.



Following Dream/Morpheus on his journey as he escaped a prison meant for his sister Death, was a really fascinating story, but it was only the beginning. There were so many other fantastical tales showing the evolution of Dream. The worlds were vast.

Some were familiar and some were strange and new to me, and I loved seeing Dream interact with the people/creatures/things in each of them. He’s Endless, and every story showed what he has done during his existence. The stories showed that he can be selfless and objective, and the stories showed that he can also be selfish and cruel. I enjoyed reading about all the different aspects of Dream.



Again, I highly, highly recommend reading this series!

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I've been aware of the Sandman series for over a decade now it never really grabbed me to read it until this year.

I'm very glad it did finally sink it's claws into me. The writing is superb, I've cringed, had my heart pounding, and laughed while reading this volume.

The art is dark, atmospheric, and sets each page/scene perfectly. I really enjoy the dynamic between Sandman and Death and absolutely love Sandman's dry wit.

[Orbi Alter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Da ovo izdanje nema otprilike +10kg, grlila bih svog Sandmana... Za cijelo vrijeme citanja i upijanja ilustracija motala mi se po glavi misao "napravljen je za mene". Ne samo to, nego je cijeli proces uzivanja bio popracen intenzivnim odobravanjem na onu predivnu misao koja se nade na svakoj od 600 njegovih stranica (ne karikiram. Zaboga, to je Gaiman!) i eksplozijom odusevljenja na ilustracije koje su bas mocne/neocekivane/cudne/mracne/predivne... Sam Morpheus koji izgleda kao da je ispao iz nekog goth spota iliti lici na Neila, u prici koja je da vidimo: kombinacija fantastike, marvelsa, religije, mitologije, popularne kulture, knjizevnosti i to na prilicno spekulativan nacin? U prvoj knjizi je 21 broj, a posebno izdvajam San pravednika, Nocas me sanjaj, Nada u paklu, Ljudi sretne ruke, Price u pijesku, Useljenje, Kolekcionari, Kaliopa, San tisucu macaka i Fasada.
Magijskim ritualom koji je posao po zlu, slucajno dolazi Morpheus umjesto svoje sestre Smrti. Tu ga naravno zatoci diletant i samoprozvani voda nekakvog drevnog reda magije i zatocenog ga drzi gotovo cijeli jedan ljudski vijek. Bog sna bjezi nakon skoro 70 godina te krece u osvetnicki pohod. Spusta se i u pakao ako treba, susrece svu svitu likova, mozda i ubija Marlowa kako bi Shakespeare imao blistavu karijeru, dize revolucije u snu malog macica, upada na konvenciju serijskih ubojica (mozda najdraza epizoda), spasava muzu od nasilnih pisaca, razmazeno kuka svojoj sestri Smrti i prijeti seki Strasti koja stalno spletkari jer ona je bice trenutka... A prikaz Uranije Blackwell koja zeli umrijeti u svom stancicu iz kojeg ni ne izlazi jer je karijeru superherojke morala napustiti zbog fizicke deformacije i sad je potpuno sama je posebno nesto. Doza ljubavi ide i na racun dijaloga kojeg vodi sa Smrti koja je kao i u Pratchetta fenomenalan lik... U samom vrhu je svega sto sam ikad citala i sav sanjiv.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, if you're reading my review of Absolute Sandman Vol. 1, I think I can assume you're at least noddingly familiar with the series. Suffice to say, I think it's one of the best comic book series of all time, and the Absolute volumes were designed to give it the best possible presentation. Sure, they're pricey. But totally worth it! Granted, I tend to prefer physical media to digital. Bias acknowledged. But the book is just a joy to behold: The artwork! The colors! The paper stock! The slipcase! The embossing on the covers and spine! Little wonder that I think of this edition as the Destiny's Tome version.

Yes, it can be unwieldy to read, but that's a good problem to have. Ideally, it wants its own dedicated lectern.

If you're unfamiliar with the series, but fortunate enough to find a copy of this book at your local library, relish the opportunity, and check it out with all due haste. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Otherwise, check out the series any way you can. It's been extensively collected in various forms: regular graphic novels, audiobooks (on-going, as of this writing), a TV series (ditto), annotated volumes … I have a vague memory of having seen an entire-series-in-one-volume version, but perhaps I just dreamed it.

One note about beginning the series: start with volume 1. Yes, there's a prequel graphic novel that details the events leading up to Sandman #1. But I feel that it's best read after the series. Issue 1 just hits harder if you go into it knowing no more about Dream than Roderick Burgess and his followers do. I feel that the Sandman is best experienced in comics form–yes, the audiobooks and the TV series are wonderful, excellent adaptations–and in publication order. Again, I'm probably biased, but there it is.

Highly, highly recommended!

[Anthony Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Considered by many, me included, to be the best comic book ever written, Neil Gaiman's now classic mix of Greek myth and modern dark fantasy remains as captivating today as when it was first published. Aided by some of the finest artists ever to grace the medium, Gaiman crafts a fantasy epic as unconventional as it is fascinating. The Sandman marks the point at which comics finally grew up.

[J.G. Keely · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I agree with this article that the coloring in Sandman needed to be touched-up for this definitive edition, I was very disappointed at the direction they decided to go with it. You can see from the various examples in the article that in every case, they have replaced the bright, otherworldly colors with bland, murky photoshop blends.

It's very disappointing to see a book which had such remarkable, experimental art reduced to such generic choices. In every instance where a face was colored in lurid, expressionist shades, we instead get a jolly, normal pink tone. Originally, the colors took influence from the often fantastical works of European artists like Moebius--refusing to limit their palate and exploring tones, textures, and novel uses of lighting to set the mood.

But then, the prequel to Moebius' own series, L'Incal was similarly butchered by muddy, dodge-and-burn photoshoppery that completely obliterated the bright, wondrous colors of the French version. In this new Sandman, they even take the very stones of hell and change them from bright, fiery red to a desaturated mauve--who knew demons were so fond of light pastels?

Certainly, the inks needed to be darkened, but if the colors needed anything, it was to be brightened, not submerged. If we were republishing Action Comics #1, would we want to switch from four-color action to realism? Should Las Vegas' iconic googy sign be redone in modern tones? Would Munch's 'Scream' look better in naturalistic flesh tones? Why, then, obliterate the very style that made Sandman stand out?

I know that the DC of Alan Moore, Neal Gaiman, and Peter Milligan is gone now. These new Vertigo books are just young folks trying to copy what came before, and Vertigo, once an experimental art house for new creators, has become a blandly profitable branch of the company which produces safe, familiar books. So I shouldn't be surprised at the sad treatment of this great series--they want to make it more palatable in order to sell more books. Yet it sticks in my craw that this 'Absolute' edition, supposed to provide the highest quality, most authentic version of Sandman falls short of the mark set by the original.

[Emerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A qualidade de Sandman dispensa comentários. É simplesmente sensacional. Neil Gaiman? Nunca critiquei.

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collects issues 1-20 (or volumes 1-3 of the TPB).

The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes (Issues 1-8)
The premise is epic, but also pretty simple. An ancient God-like figure Dream has been captured by some occult people (think Aleister Crowley) in an attempt to capture Death. They keep Dream locked up for decades eventually the original man dies leaving Dream in the hands of his son and the cult devolves into just an excuse to get laid and the members don't even really believe in the occult.

When Dream was captured he had 3 items with him - a helmet, a bag of sand, and a ruby dream gem. When he escapes his first task is to recover these items. The helmet is in the hands of a demon residing in Hell. The bag of sand was being used by a friend of John Constantine. The gem was being used by a villain of the JLA. So this first volume is a pretty organized series of mini-adventures. I love the way Gaiman depicts Hell. Seeing Constantine is always a treat. And I enjoyed the Kirby tribute when Dream goes to see Scott Free to assist in tracking down the gem.

The artwork is inconsistent. The first issue is great with Sam Keith bringing out a lot of elaborate decorations on the panels. But its a bit like how the first few pages of a novel have the best written sentences of the whole thing. After the first 10 pages or so we don't see that level of detail again. Of course, once Sandman became a hit we do get some later volumes with amazing artwork.

The Sandman: The Doll's House (Issues 9-16)
Here we're introduced to one of Dream's siblings Desire who creates a plan to ruin Dream. Rose Walker, a young woman, has become a dream vortex - that threatens to rip apart the dream world (not sure how). Rose and her mom fly to England where they reconnect with Rose's Grandma. She was in a coma and had a baby (Rose's mom) and now all these years later has finally awoken because Morpheus is back.

Rose goes back to the US to try and track down her brother who she hasn't seen in years, he's now imprisoned by his foster parents and has some dream creatures living in his brain. I liked the Little Nemo homage pages when we see his dreams. Eventually Rose ends up at a Serial Killer convention with the Corinthian!

It's an intricate tale that Gaiman handles very well. So many distinct characters but it's easy to follow even as the cast continues to expand.

Issue 13 is a one-shot story called "Men of Good Fortune" where we see Dream meeting the same man every 100 years. There's a huge difference in Dream's personality when they meet in the present day.

The Sandman: Dream Country (Issues 17-20)
A grab-bag of short stories featuring Morpheus throughout the ages.

Calliope (Kelley Jones) - a story about a writer using a Muse. Morpheus comes in to help her.

A Dream of a Thousand Cats (Kelley Jones) - A cat gives a sermon to other cats about the power of dreams. They should all come together and reimagine the world the way it once was, with humans being subservient to them.

A Midsummer Night's Dream (Charles Vess) - Shakespeare performs the play to members of the Faerie. I keep telling myself I'll reread the play and then this right after so I can follow it better.

Facade (Colleen Doran) - Actually this one doesn't have Morpheus in it, but his sister Death. A woman has a skin disease (from a superpower) and wears masks to cover her face. Latter she contemplates suicide and Death comes to talk to her.

[Sud666 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collects Issue 1-20 of Sandman:

In the course of my life I have come across certain things from art to a classic book that are masterfully done. Neil Gaiman's Sandman is one of those things. It is many things all at once. Some parts of it, especially near the beginning , seem to be of a Gothic horror nature ,yet, in the middle part of the volume there is a shift towards a fantasy based romp through a dreamworld. It is a testament to Mr. Gaiman's staggering imagination.

The story centers on Dream, one of the Endless. Dream is one of the three eldest of the Endless (Death and Destiny being the other two) and as such he is also one of the most powerful. Sadly being a vastly powerful godlike entity caused Dream to fall to hubris. He was captured by a sorcerer and held captive for seven decades. Once he is freed Dream must undertake a journey to learn more about himself and to avoid the mistakes that led to his hubris. Yet, he must first recover his three powerful possessions: His helmet, his ruby and his pouch.

The first half of the volume recalls the events that led to Dreams capture and then his subsequent freedom and adventures going from places like Hell to speak with Lucifer or consorting with the likes of John Constantine and Dr. Destiny. The story is dark and grim at times, yet your respect for Dream will grow with each issue.

The Second part of the volume focuses on a Vortex in the dream world centered around a girl named Rose. This part of the story is bold and truly imaginative. We see entire dream worlds come to life and the variety and complexity are staggering. The essence of this part of the volume is of Dream attempting to repair the damage to the dream state in his 70 year absence.

What I enjoyed most about Sandman is the sheer scope of the characters that the reader is introduced to. I always loved the sheer variety of concepts. From meeting the reining Lords of Hell to spending time with Dream's sister Death or even his spat with Desire and Despair- all these momentous scenes are done with flair. Gaiman's ability to anthropomorph concepts like dreaming or death are amazing and strangely apropos.

The art is strangely complementary. I wish that there had been a more accomplished or detailed artist to have drawn some of these brilliant concepts, but the art does not hinder the story and in certain places helps to emphasize the dream state of the situation.

If you appreciate a grand tale or one with a variety of different folklore being introduced or a tale with cosmic entities, Neil Gaiman's Sandman is for you. Whether you follow Dream's main quest or you just take a moment and appreciate the time and imagination to even write some of the side stories. The one about the man who didn't want to die and would keep meeting Dream every 100 years at the same spot is brilliant. I also enjoyed the perverse Serial Killer's convention. There are some amazing feats of imagination at work here- some sights will be beautiful and others depraved. But that is the nature of Dreams. I can not recommend this enough to any and all who love a great story. Sandman is a classic work.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Preludes & Nocturnes" is a pretty surprising combination of horror & super-heroes that really differs from what follows. However, it's nonetheless really good storytelling with a few sublime moments, such as the battle with the demon and 24 hours [9/10]. "The Sound of Her Wings" is still brilliant [10+/10]. "Tales in the Sand" is very innovative for its decision to tell tales of Morpheus in the past, where he's often just a secondary character. Beyond that, it's just a good story [8/10]. "The Doll's House" does a good job of merging almost standalone stories into a cohesive whole and also starts to open up the universe of the Sandman beyond its horror beginnings [9/10]. I don't think Dream Country is Gaiman's strongest short story sequence, but Dream of a Thousand Cats has always been one of my favorites, and it’s fun seeing the seeds about Orpheus planted so early [8-10/10]. The Absolute volume just makes all of this better with great, big, recoloured art. I also think the proposal and script at the end are nice additions.

[Sesana]

It's been more than ten years since I first read Sandman, and I've read it through probably close to a dozen times since. This is my first crack at The Absolute Sandman. Obviously, I love Sandman, or I wouldn't be reading it yet again. And yet, I never read exactly the same Sandman twice. I see more, and I see differently, every time I read it.

So how can I possibly review Sandman? I just can't. All I can say is how very, very happy I am to get to read it again.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember collecting the comic book series when it came out because it looked unique in both Gaiman's storytelling and Keith's art. The series turned into one of my favorite comic series of all time combining humor, horror, great art, literature, history, fairy tales, mystery, drama, dreams, and everything that Gaiman could come up with for an entertaining read each and every month.
I was happy to pick up this collection with better coloring and on superior paper.

[Spider the Doof Warrior · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic version of the first few graphic novels of Sandman. The pictures are a lot bigger, this is hard-covered with a stylish ribbon.

And Neil Gaiman is awesome.

So this is a good series, but the first volume might be a bit disturbing to put it mildly. Some of it is nightmarish as hell, but that is the beauty of Sandman, really.

[María Greene F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy oscuro, muy hermoso, muy terrible, y a la vez lleno de verdades filósoficas. Mi historia favorita sigue siendo la de Caliope, que leí por primera vez hace ya tantos años... las imágenes son todavía más impresionantes que la trama.

[Aline · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF à 31%. Je n'accroche pas. Je n'aime pas.

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will start by saying that this is an absolutely gorgeous book. It's a compilation that was obviously done with great care and attention to detail, and as a result it has a very imposing physical presence. I found myself checking if my hands were clean before picking it up to read (and I'm not kidding).

What to say about the comic itself... "Sandman" is fantastic, quite different from what I got used from a comic book (and it must have been quite ground-breaking at the time it came out). I started reading Watchmen at the same time I was reading The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 1, and found myself comparing the two. While Watchmen is undoubtedly much more political and thought-provoking (and also quite original in its storytelling), Sandman is a lot more subtle. It's an intricate world of fantasies, of metaphors and of symbols. I could read only one story at the time, and after a while I figured out why. I found myself being unable to fully appreciate all the little details, references and symbols, because there were so many. Thus, I slowed down (and good thing I did), making this the book that has taken me the longest time to read in my life.

The final part of the book is dedicated to the making-of the comic, and is really an excellent read. I enjoyed immensely going through the whole issue of "A Midsummer Night's Dream", step by step, with the quirky commentaries of Neil Gaiman to the illustrator.

The artists that collaborated on this book are all very talented. I have a soft spot for Dave McKean's work, and his issue covers were another thing that made me love this book. If you like comic books, then I heartily recommend you get your "clean" hands on this.

[Michelle Morrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

2010
Absolutely fantastic

2021
Eleven years later I am rereading, and it's just as lovely as before. The oversized heft of it and the care in the bindings, embossings, endpapers, notes. The extras are fantastic, especially the full script of Midsummer's Night Dream laid out alongside Charles Vess's initial rough drawings. I saved up my Amazon credits for a full year and bought the complete (for now) set of five Absolute Sandman's (Sandmen?) ... looking forward to the journey.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah, I know Gaiman is God and Sandman is his avatar. Still didn't like it. Sorry.

[Malum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I put off reading Sandman for a long time for some reason, and it's too bad I did because it's pretty awesome. It is weird, dark, and can be thought-provoking in places.

It reminds me of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing run, only a lot bleaker.

[Elina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/5*

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started reading Sandman, which was after I was introduced to Neil Gaiman through American Gods and Stardust, I had to interlibrary loan each volume, meaning (since I wanted to be able to keep track of them and ensure the loaning library got the books back in a timely fashion) I had to wait at least three weeks between volumes. It stretched out the time it took to read the entirety of the series to - well, quite a long time. But waiting for each one was sweet. I liked the anticipation. I didn't want the series to end, nor did I want to rush through it quickly.

Now I've finished it, and I got Absolute Sandman volume 1 as my anniversary present. (We've been married 2 years as of the 17th, together 7 years as of today.) It's a monster of a book with its imposing cover and thick pages. Carrying it around feels like I'm really carrying Something. And it's wonderful to read, curled up in a chair with the book propped on your knees and the ribbon bookmark marking your page. The colors are vibrant and the lettering is wonderful.

And of course, all these stories are collected in this one book for me. I can blaze through them the way I couldn't when I was reading borrowed copies, or I can stop and really look at each panel, and understand how certain things relate to the all-over story.

As for the story - I don't know what I can say about the story. I mean, I absolutely love it, but I can't say that over and over and let it be my review. I like the way Morpheus grows over the course of just this one volume, and how characters are introduced over the course of this book that will become so important over time. I like Morpheus with a pigeon on his head listening to Death. I wince and squirm every time I read the diner scenes, but Dream and the fairies watching A Midsummer Night's Dream makes up for that.

I like Sandman. And I'm really happy my birthday is coming up. That means I can get volume 2. But maybe I should wait... prolong the anticipation.

[Vasilis Manias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Τέλος οι 700 (μαζί με τα extras) σελίδες του 1ου δερματόδετου υπερπολυτελούς τόμου του μυθικού κόμικ του θείου Νηλ, μένουν ακόμα 5 τόμοι (περί τις 3.000 σελίδες δηλαδή). Αναλυτικό ρήβιου με το τέλος του τελευταίου τόμου, αφιερωμένου στη γλυκούλα αδερφή του Άρχοντα των Ονείρων, τΗν Death.

Για να δώσω όμως μία εικόνα, πρώτη, έστω και προφανώς ακόμα σε εντελώς πρώτο επίπεδο, ΕΧΩ ΧΑΣΕΙ ΤΟ ΜΥΑΛΟ ΜΟΥ.

Το 2017 με ενα απλό γύρισμα σελίδας, έγινε μονομιάς έτος Neil Gaiman.

[Pedro Plasencia Martínez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adentrarse en 'Sandman' es explorar un nuevo mundo poblado de entidades superiores que, aunque gobiernan e influyen sobre los humanos, también están sometidas a unas reglas y pueden ser vulnerables. Tengo que confesar que he empezado la lectura de esta supuesta obra maestra muchas veces, pero siempre por alguna razón la he terminado dejando de lado, no me enganchaba lo suficiente. Creo que este intento va a ser el definitivo si me alcanza el dinero para completar la colección, aunque me va a llevar tiempo. De momento he finalizado estos 16 números y ya puedo decir que sí, el nivel a veces es altísimo debido a la imaginación inagotable, que nunca para de desarrollarse con nuevos conceptos, nuevos personajes, nuevos escenarios, mundos o dimensiones y el imprescindible componente onírico, que aporta experimentación y frescura porque sientes que no hay nada igual en el mercado de los cómics.

No obstante, Gaiman cae en algo que detesto y que también le pasó a Alan Moore en 'La cosa del pantano', no sé si fueron órdenes de la editorial o lo decidieron los propios autores, el caso es que el uso frecuente de cameos para colar a otros peronajes de DC me ha chirriado bastante. El único personaje invitado que queda bien es Constantine, porque no desentona en este tipo de universos fantásticos, trágicos y oscuros. La propia mitología de Sandman y de los Eternos se va desarrollando muy lentamente con escasas revelaciones, esto aún no sé si me gusta o me disgusta, aunque espero que la trama central comience a hilar los puntos importantes pronto.

Por mi parte, los números que más me han gustado han sido los primeros en los que se narra la captura y la fuga de Morfeo, alguno de relleno como el que se ambienta en un desierto africano o el que revela una curiosa amistad con un humano a lo largo de los siglos y, por supuesto, los que están dedicados al Corintio. Da lástima que Gaiman como guionista se deshaga en un suspiro de personajes que tenían un potencial brutal y que luego deje a otros que son un coñazo. En resumen, 'Sandman' es una publicación que no defrauda y es una recomendación clara para cualquier fan de la línea Vértigo, pero aún no considero que sea la mejor de este sello, creo que 'Hellblazer' sigue siendo imbatible y 'Predicador' también es un competidor duro.

ENGLISH
To delve into 'Sandman' is to explore a new world populated by superior entities that, although they govern and influence humans, are also subject to rules and can be vulnerable. I have to confess that I have started reading this supposed masterpiece many times, but for some reason I have always ended up putting it aside, it didn't hook me enough. I think that this attempt will be the final one if I have enough money to complete the collection, although it will take time. At the moment I have finished these 16 issues and I can already say that yes, the level is sometimes very high due to the inexhaustible imagination, which never stops developing with new concepts, new characters, new scenarios, worlds or dimensions and the essential dreamlike component, which provides experimentation and freshness because you feel that there is nothing like it in the comics market.

However, Gaiman falls into something that I hate and that also happened to Alan Moore in 'Swamp Thing', I don't know if it was orders from the publisher or it was decided by the authors themselves, the fact is that the frequent use of cameos to sneak in other DC characters has grated on me quite a bit. The only guest character that fits well is Constantine, because he doesn't look out of place in this type of fantastic, tragic and dark universes. The mythology of Sandman and the Eternals itself develops very slowly with few revelations, I still don't know if I like or dislike this, although I hope that the central plot begins to link the important points soon.

For my part, the issues I liked the most were the first ones that narrate the capture and escape of Morpheus, some filler like the one set in an African desert or the one that reveals a curious friendship with a human throughout the centuries and, of course, those dedicated to the Corinthian. It's a shame that Gaiman as a scriptwriter gets rid of characters that had a brutal potential in a flash and then leaves others that are a bore. In short, 'Sandman' is a publication that does not disappoint and is a clear recommendation for any fan of the Vertigo line, but I still don't consider it to be the best of this label, I think that 'Hellblazer' is still unbeatable and 'Preacher' is also a tough competitor.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This thing is seriously heavy - seven pounds! It has really lovely extra thick glossy paper and it's eight inches wide by twelve inches tall, a huge, gorgeous book. People who bought it really got a lot for their money. But I think that most people, even completely healthy and hale people, couldn't possibly read this without a table. It was the absolute max my incredible Levo book stand could handle. (If you have any kind of hand, shoulder, neck or back pain, this is absolutely worth the money, it's honestly the best thing I ever bought. They have tablet/ebook holders too, I just switch back and forth using the same base stand, easy as pie.) I was nervous the stand would tip over the whole time. It's much bigger than anything else I've tried on it and I didn't want it to overbalanced on me, but we did OK together, and I'm so glad I didn't have to try to wrestle this big, beautiful behemoth. And the really great thing is that the extra tall and wide pages made the print much bigger than in normal comics, so much easier to see, I loved it! No complaining about squinting this time, at least until it got to the teeny tiny font they used for all of the extras at the back of the book, I guess you can't have everything.

I enjoyed the book a lot. I thought the art really complemented the story. It was stark when it needed to be and lush when it needed to be. The covers are gorgeous. I complain sometimes when the cover art doesn't match the interiors, it feels like false advertising. These are terrific because they aren't another artist portraying Morpheus so he looks totally different and weird, like some cover art does with some characters. He's so distinctive in the books, I'd hate that. They're just stunning art that somehow still very much reflects the stories. Check out this link, look at the Volume 2 covers, but try to imagine them without the distracting titles and logos, they're even more stunning in this book without all of that. But do you think it was a coincidence that the Sandman looks so much like Gaiman? It was funny to see the the original proposal in the back and to see how the character sketches progressed until the artists arrived at the final version. He doesn't have curly hair, but the long face, the nose, lips, chin and cheekbones sure look like Neil to me. A grumpy, frowny Neil. And the Sandman is the Prince of Stories, I wonder...

I don't know what it would have been like to read these issues every month when they originally came out, what the experience of each issue individually would have been compared to the experience I had of reading twenty issues as one big book. Next to Revival, for example, which is so dense with story and characters. this was often sparse and simple by comparison. In a big book format it wasn't a problem, I was able to keep turning the pages and go on to the next "chapter" when the story moved quickly. Maybe if I was only getting them once a month I'd have been disappointed in the beginning when they moved so quickly, while Gaiman was still getting the hang of this comic writing thing. But I also don't know how much the character would be served by too much going on too. He stalks through the scenes, he's an arrogant and powerful prince and he doesn't hurry even when he's in a hurry. And I think Gaiman has a good sense of pacing and drama. Definitely drama. The art really complemented the writing too. It was elegant when it needed to be, it was horrifying when it needed to be, gritty, slick, dark and bright. The artists and the colorists worked together wonderfully to create the contrasts that made this story work so well, gave the pages such an impact. Some of the simplest images in the book were the most powerful. And of course there was some humor too. "I will visit Constantine. Regain my pouch...He is, after all, just a human. Just ONE human. What could POSSIBLY go wrong?"

I really appreciated that every time a woman's figure would be over-emphasized or sexualized in almost any other book, especially in books written in the '80s and '90s like these were, not one of these figures were. Not one naked woman has unnaturally huge breasts or hips, the shapes are there just enough to understand the image but they aren't sexualized at all. The focus was always on the story, not on images that would distract from it. This dark and kind of spooky and grim, or at least atmospheric, story would not be served by the sudden interjection of big bouncing bosoms and all of the stereotypical comic book body shapes and positions that no woman would or could take in normal life. Those belong, if they belong anywhere, in a book with brighter colors and stories.

So that was a long way of saying I liked it, it was fun and the actual book I read, this actual edition, is a beautiful keepsake edition. The extras in the back include Gaiman's original and often hilariously notated script and Vess's original sketches for issue #19, A Midsummer Night's Dream, which is and will always be, due to a changing of the rules immediately afterwards, the only comic to ever win the World Fantasy Award for Best Short Fiction. If you need a gift for a comic book lover or someone who likes urban fantasy, you couldn't go wrong with this. As long as they have the strength to lug it around. And a really big and sturdy shelf to keep it on, now that I think about it.

[Alexander Almeida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caralho, sensacional (resenha profunda)

[Nix · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5⭐