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The Sandman #Box

Sandman Box Set

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Weaving together ancient mythology, folklore, and fairy tales with his own distinct narrative vision, Gaiman created an unforgettable tale of the forces that exist beyond life and death. The Sandman universe is a master-creation following Dream, also known as Morpheus, lord of the Dreaming — a vast, hallucinatory landscape that houses all the dreams of any and everyone who has ever existed. Gods, demons, mortals, and everything in between. All dreamers visit the Dreaming and have an opportunity to teach Morpheus some surprising lessons. After being captive for 70 years, Morpheus will have to go on a journey to reclaim his objects of power and bring order to the Dreaming.

3000 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

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442 people want to read

About the author

Neil Gaiman

2,120 books313k followers

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5 stars
239 (77%)
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51 (16%)
3 stars
17 (5%)
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2 (<1%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for James.
2,587 reviews80 followers
January 4, 2021
3.25 stars. So here’s a run that I heard so much about, so many people saying this is a must read, one of the greatest stories ever told etc. Well I’ve finally read it and I can say I’m in the minority as I do not put this series on a that kind of pedestal. Overall I though it was just ok. Vol 4 and 5 were the standouts for me. All the other volumes ranged from average to not good. I guess this heavy dense writing is not for me. I can say I’m glad I read it and have this under my belt now. I did develop a connection to Dream and Delirium and there were some cool moments but not a run I’d be recommending to anyone or coming back to read this again.

See the individual volumes for more of my thoughts.
Profile Image for OmniBen.
1,388 reviews47 followers
June 28, 2022
(Zero spoiler review for the series as a whole) 4.25/5
Having devoured the entire 5 deluxe editions over the last few weeks (and done reviews for each individual edition). I've given it a few days to let my final thoughts marinate before I wanted to write a quick little complete review to cement my feelings on this series and help bring a sense of conclusion and closure to this much heralded series.
I had held off on reading this series for around a year or so, because I don't like to burn through all of the best reads all at once. It would be a fairly dispiriting endeavour if your reading followed a continual downward spiral until you were left with nothing but the dregs at the bottom of the barrel. That said, sometimes you just have to go for gold and creak out the big guns. So now that its all over, what do I really think about Sandman? Well, it was really good, but I don't think I hyper loved it as much as others. Here's why:
Morpheus, the Endless and the Dreaming were some of the most memorable, most well fleshed out characters I've had the pleasure of reading in comics thus far. Where this series stumbled, and occasionally fell flat on its face, was when Gaiman drifted too far from this world, instead indulging his love for historical fiction and fairy tales. The man can write some, regardless of what he's doing. But too often, his overly long, somewhat pretentious, bland and boring stories got in the way of what could have been a flawless, much more concise story if you cut out a good dozen or so issues. Don't get me wrong, some of the stand alone stories were great, but there were always one or two each Deluxe edition that were bloated, went nowhere, didn't really tie in to any of the larger mythos in any meaningful or necessary way, and basically, sucked the momentum out of the experience.
That's really my greatest criticism with this series, and was enough to rob it of a whole point, taking it from a five to a four. That and some of the art wasn't always as good as I would have liked. You really get quiet an assortment here, and not all of it as good as others.
When Sandman is on point, which it usually is, it is some amazing storytelling, and some truly memorable and magnificent comics. When its not, it really got on my tits far more than I would have liked.
So yes, of course you should read Sandman. Everyone should, whether you read comics or not. I went in with pretty high hopes. It mostly met them, sometimes fell well short. Still bloody great though. Just don't watch the Netflix show. I'm calling it early, its gonna be shite. 4.25/5


OmniBen.
Profile Image for Peter Looles.
299 reviews8 followers
January 14, 2021
"The Sandman" Review of the whole series

The Sandman series was probably my favorite and most important read of 2020. The main series is 76 issues and it's widely considered as one of the greatest comic series ever made.
The story (usually) follows Sandman, also known as Morpheus or Dream. Sandman is the aspect of dream. He is one of the Endless, with the other ones being Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, Destiny and Destruction. The story starts when a magician, in an attempt to capture death and become immortal, captures Sandman and imprisons him for 70 years. Sandman is the main character in most story arcs of the series, but some times he's just a secondary character. This might lead someone to believe that the arcs in which he appears as a secondary character, aren't as important or interesting, but every arc is so interesting and so well written that it doesn't really matter if Sandman is the main character or not.
There are many reasons why this series is an amazing piece of art and I love it. First of all, the characters are amazing. Sandman is weirdly, at the same time, one of the most deep, complex and relatable characters. He's very moody and throughout the series, we see him multiple times dealing with depression and trying to find a way to distract himself and feel better. His problems are of cosmic importance, but somehow they are also very human problems, like dealing with a bad break up or arguing with relatives. Another interesting aspect of Sandman's personality is how much he follows the rules. That's not very important for the biggest part of the series, but it's very important in the 9th arc. In this arc, he has the opportunity to make things better by ignoring the rules, but he refuses to do so, leading to major consequences.
Other than Sandman himself, there are many other great characters like Death, Delirium, Matthew, Hob Gadling and more. It's honestly impressive how many, vastly different characters can Neil Gaiman create. Death and Delirium are both sisters of Sandman. Death is a very uplifting and happy person. She's the one closest to Sandman and she's always there for him, when he needs her. Delirium is one of the most unique characters I've ever seen in a story. She isn't crazy, but her mind is very chaotic. She acts like a  child, but not in an annoying way. She's a very fun character most of the time, but some times, like everyone, she gets depressed and angry. Matthew was a human, but now he's a raven and he works for Sandman. Him and Hob Gadling (and maybe also Lucien) are the closest Sandman has to a friend. What I love about the relationship between Sandman and Matthew is that they both really care for each other and they can talk with honesty, without hiding anything. Sandman's relationship with Hob is a bit more complicated. Hob is hundreds of years old and for the longest, they've been meeting once every century. During the time of the series they meet again more often and it's obvious that they are very important to one another, because deep down, they truly understand each other.
Other than writing all these great characters, Neil also does an amazing job with the world building. He's able in this series to create multiple different "worlds" and he does so in a way that everyone of these "worlds" feels very unique but also familiar. I believe that world building is one of the most important aspects of writing a long series, especially when it's sci-fi. And while Sandman is definitely not sci-fi (at least not in a conventional way), it has many similarities with this genre. For me the best at world building is Brian K. Vaughan, but now, thanks to this series, Neil Gaiman is very close.
Another thing I love in the writing of the series is the way it tackles themes like family, religion, depression and creativity. I also love the way Neil Gaiman uses mythology, both Greek, Norse and Asian. It's also impressive how he sets up plot points tens of issues before he follows up on them. That really shows that (almost) the entire series was planned out from the beginning. Furthermore, he did a remarkable job at creating tons of different, unique, interesting and deep characters. Everyone of the characters speaks in a different way, thanks to Neil's ability to write great dialogue. Finally, last thing I want to mention that's related to the writing is the pacing of the series. The whole series is very slow paced, something quite unique for a comic series published by a major company. I think that that's one of the series' greatest aspects. As a big cinephile who loves arthouse cinema, I'm a huge fan of slow pacing, but it's very rare that I find a good slow paced comic. Most comic series are filled with action and everything happens very fast. Thankfully, Neil Gaiman didn't feel obligated to write like that at all.
Throughout the series many artists come and go. With a few exceptions, the style is almost the same. I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of said style, but it's the classic Vertigo style of the era and it's not like I hate it, it's just not my cup of tea. What's great tho in the series, other that the writing, is the lettering. Todd Klein is my all time favorite letterer and I believe that in this series he does his best work. It's amazing how he creates beautiful, very unique speech bubbles for each character, based on the character's personality.
Overall, I believe that Sandman is one of the best comic series I've ever read and I'd recommend it to everyone. Some people stay away from this series due to the style of the artwork, or start reading it and get bored very soon, due to the slow pacing. So, it's certainly not for everyone, but if you have patience and devote a lot of time in this series, it'll reward you.
Profile Image for Ian.
13 reviews1 follower
August 12, 2020
So this is actually a review of the new Audible Drama The Sandman.
As with every Audible Drama the soundscape and narration is amazing.
As for the story, it often jumped around from story to story with time going from present day to middle ages. I'm not sure which stories were included, but they fun to listen to; I especially enjoyed the scenes with Death. Although, there didn't seem to be a single overarching story.
For my first exposure to the series it definitely piqued my curiosity and I'll have to pick up the full set to have the full experience.
Profile Image for Don.
1,492 reviews11 followers
March 9, 2022
I didn't set out with the intention of reading the entire collection. I just read one and then another and then all the sudden the end was within reach. As a total collection this is an amazing story that somehow concludes by tying out perfectly with the very start of the whole thing. Gaiman truly didn't forget a single detail or leave any threads hanging. I've never experience anything like that before. It's a wonderful journey even if at times it's terrifying or downright perplexing. To quote Death of the Endless, "if you didn't have any bad times, how would you know what the good times are?"
Profile Image for Shreyas.
688 reviews23 followers
August 17, 2022
'The Sandman' by Neil Gaiman.



01) Preludes & Nocturnes: 4.0/5.
02) The Doll's House: 4.25/5.
03) Dream Country: 3.25/5.
04) Season of Mists: 4.5/5.
05) A Game of You: 4.5/5.
06) Fables and Reflections: 4.25/5.
07) Brief Lives: 3.5/5.
08) Worlds' End: 3.25/5.
09) The Kindly Ones: 4.25/5.
10) The Wake: 5/5.

The Song of Orpheus: 4.5/5.
Sandman Midnight Theatre: 4.25/5.
Endless Nights: 3.5/5.
Overture: 2.5/5.
The Dream Hunters: 5/5.




Overall Rating for the Series: 8.0/10.




PS: For a detailed review, check out my reviews for the individual volumes on their respective Goodreads pages.
Profile Image for J.
730 reviews553 followers
July 10, 2021
Staggering.

What else can I say? It's been fetted at THE comic since I said my first words as a toddler.

I'm actually glad I waited so long to read it, because this massive, multi-layered story of the seemingly-whimsical king of dreams packs a wallop that, I think, only a grown person can properly appreciate.

Sandman literally brought me to tears at several points. If you only ever read one comic in your life...this is the one. It's about dreams and stories, and the perpetual power those things hold over us.

This gets my unconditional recommendation.
175 reviews
February 4, 2025
I considered whether to stop reading this or not. In the end, I felt it was important to continue, despite what we're learning about the author, what he's being accused of. Did these allegations color my reading in some way? Because there were moments reading this that gave me pause. His chapter on Calliope, for one. Or how the afterword in the novel and illustrations of The Dream Hunters explains where Gaiman found an old Japanese folk tale that he retold with his own characters, but in the following comic version of the same story when people looked to his source materials and came up empty handed, he explains that the whole story was entirely his own invention. Why lie? Who knows? Are these indicators of something more? I can't say. All I can say is that some of these stories felt different this time around.

I've taken much inspiration from and been incredibly inspired by the The Sandman series. The way complex characters are brought to life so effortlessly. The inclusivity of diverse peoples, in particular the LGTBQ+ community (especially when such people were easily demonized by the wider populace). There is something special and incredible about these stories. Even if their creator might very well be a monster.
Profile Image for Castlin H.
22 reviews
October 29, 2024
A story about stories. About their power, their charm, and immortality, but most importantly... the relationship they hold with us all. A modern fantasy, that takes a creative spin, on the genre itself.

Morpheus, the lord of the dream realm, is imprisoned and drained of his power. On the path of reclaiming his glory, he comes to understand what it means to be human, little by little, we come to understand what makes and breaks a god.

Each single issue somehow manages to stay profound, not only that, but Gaiman incorporates so much history of literature, that it gives the whole epic a grander sense of worldbuilding and structure, some of the best that I have ever seen.

PLOT: 10/10
CHARACTER WORK: 10/10
MEANING: 10/10
ART/PANELLING: 6.5/10

It's almost perfect, but due to its run time, it was passed through multiple artists, each catering to their own styles, creating inconsistency. Furthermore, Gaiman's style of scripting may have limited the artist themselves, it resembles more to the prose of your standard novel, so too many times will you come across a panel filled with too much text.
Profile Image for Lena Lighthouse.
118 reviews5 followers
Read
July 29, 2023
I really have to say that I don't like Neil Gaiman at all. Although it starts out like a dream (pun intended). This is my kind of fantasy: combining the real and the mythical, micro- and macrocosm, the personal with the all-encompassing, the mundane with philosophy, intimate despair and the apocalypse. But Gaiman is just a terrible storyteller. He has the most astonishing ideas and concepts - which never end up making a good plot or resolution. They all lead to nothing at all. A fascinating conflict is set up ... then random things happen ... and fizzle out without a point. The shorter segments are better, because they rely more on concept than story. But the last volumes were really a drag.

There's one catch though: I love Dream to pieces! He's kind and ruthless, wise and naive, grand and helpless. He's not consistent, but I love him all the more for it. Also, he's hot. He's definitely one of my favourite fictional characters ever. He was worth it, I hope ...
Profile Image for Fabiola.
369 reviews7 followers
September 17, 2024
Media matematica fra tutti i volumi: 4+*.
Ma: 5*... perché COSA vuoi dire a un'Opera del genere?
Il mio volume preferito è stato il secondo, Casa di bambola, e dopodiché tutti gli altri volumi hanno risentito chi più chi meno di questo mio amore, ricevendo delle votazioni leggermente inferiori, sebbene in realtà abbia AMATO tutte le tappe di quest'avventura. È stato un viaggio magnifico.
(Se proprio devo fare un appunto: i 3 volumi delle raccolte di racconti sono quelli che, in una scaletta di preferenza, metterei alla fine della lista perché erano, sì, belli, ma sempre messi in punti dove personalmente pativo l'interruzione della "trama primaria" avvertendo uno smorzamento della tensione narrativa.)
♥♥♥
Contiene:
1) Preludi e notturni : 4+* (rilettura 24/08/2024);
2) Casa di bambola : 5* (lettura 26/08/2024);
3) Le terre del sogno : 3 e ½* [media] (lettura 27/08/2024)
- Calliope: 4*
- Il sogno di mille gatti: 4-*
- Sogno di una notte di mezza estate: 3*
- Facciata: 3+*;
4) Stagione delle nebbie : 4 e ½* (lettura 29/08/2024)
5) Il gioco della vita : 4+* (lettura 30/08/2024)
6) Favole e riflessi : 4- [media] (lettura 31/08/2024)
- Paura di cadere: 4*
- Tre settembri e un gennaio: 3 e ½*
- Termidoro: 3+*
- La caccia: 4-*;
- Agosto: 4-*
- Terre sfumate: 3*
- Orfeo: 5*
- Il parlamento dei corvi: 4-*
- Ramadan: 4+*;
7) Vite brevi : 4 e ½* (lettura 01/09/2024);
8) La locanda alla fine dei mondi : 3+* [media] (lettura 03/09/2024)
- Racconto di due città: 3+*
- Il racconto di Cluracan: 3*
- Il leviatano di Hob: 4-*
- Il ragazzo d'oro: 3+*
- Sudari: 3-*
- Alla fine dei mondi: 3+*;
9) Le Eumenidi : 4* (lettura 08/09/2024);
10) La veglia : 4+* (lettura 10/09/2024);
11) Notti eterne : 3+*/3 e ½* [media] (lettura 12/09/2024)
- Morte a Venezia: 3 e ½*
- Il Sapore del desiderio: 4*
- Il cuore di una stella: 4-*
- Quindici ritratti di Disperazione: 2 e ½*
- Nell'abisso: 3 e ½*
- Sulla penisola: 3*
- Notti eterne: 3+*;
12) Cacciatori di sogni (Neil Gaiman-P. Craig Russell): 4 e ½* (lettura 12/09/2024);
13) Cacciatori di sogni (Neil Gaiman-Yoshitaka Amano): 4 e ½* //
14) Ouverture : 4+* (lettura 17/09/2024).
Profile Image for Wouter Bjerg.
20 reviews
March 6, 2025
Applying death of the author, the Sandman is an amazingly executed, paradigm shifting series of dark fantasy comics. You probably already knew that.


Also there is a cool story about a cat grim reaper in there.
30 reviews
October 24, 2024
Dark and brooding. Interesting take on religions and mythologies. Beautiful artwork. Explores the stories of dreams and how our nature does or does not change through time.
Profile Image for Ericka Kilburn.
20 reviews
September 28, 2024
A nice box set. The Sandman contains a complex world filled with interesting characters. I am especially fond of Death of the Endless.
Profile Image for Robert Rybak.
1 review
August 1, 2025
The first half of this series definitely lives up to its reputation. The storytelling is very unique and non-linear, but all feels connected somehow. Besides, the first 5 or 6 volumes, Brief Lives was the only other story arc that had the same magic for me.

Some people might not find the art to be as important as the writing in a comic, but for me they are equal. The art in some issues (especially the Kindly Ones) just wasn’t for me, and really made the longest book in the series feel like a slog. Other times, like in Overture, the art was all that was keeping me engaged.

One of my biggest issues with Sandman was the central character, Morpheus. He is probably the least interesting character in the entire series. He has very little emotional range and his character development feels like it goes no where. Many of the secondary characters (Hob Gadling, for instance) are much more interesting.

But my biggest, biggest gripe with this series is how many times I read an entire chapter only for the conclusion to a stand-alone story to abruptly end, or to have chapters of the main story feel inconsequential.

Overall, I do want to acknowledge the hard work everyone put into this series, and there is probably good reason it receives so much acclaim. It just didn’t live up to my expectations.
Profile Image for Jacob Mahaffey.
154 reviews13 followers
February 1, 2025
A masterpiece in every sense of the word. This series is essential for fans of graphic novels, fantasy, or the art of storytelling, bringing to life the power and importance of dreams and the roles they play. Each story, whether standalone or part of a grand pantheon is wonderfully unique but instantly familiar. Gaiman builds an incredible world, so lush with characters and an original lore. This set in particular is amazing, including the full 75 issue run plus the original graphic novel “The Dream Hunters” in both its prose and comic adaptation, plus the miniseries Overture. There’s little that hasn’t already been said about Sandman, but some personal favorite moments are “Dream of a Thousand Cats,” which delves into the mind of cats everywhere, and “Collectors,” a dark humor look at a serial killer convention. Gaiman and the whole Sandman crew are phenomenal, and anyone who questions the legitimacy of the medium as an art form needs to look here
Profile Image for Samuel Draper.
307 reviews3 followers
October 17, 2022
What can I say that hasn't already been said about this series? Genre bending, mind twisting, beautiful, haunting, emotional, reserved, understated, and so so intriguing. Gaiman (and the numerous talented cartoonists that worked on this series) did something truly new with this series. It is a shame that I finished this series for two reasons. One, I will never get to experience it fresh again. Two, the bar is set so high for graphic novels that I don't know how any will ever live up to it. I had no idea what to expect when I started this series, but by the end of the first book I knew I was entirely hooked. Just read it.

Highest of recommendations to everyone.
Profile Image for Alba K..
40 reviews2 followers
October 2, 2024
The sandman complete collection 1 to 10, just wow!
Una historia con protagonistas y puntos de vista poco comunes, toda moral es gris y siempre están sorprendiendote con las cuestionables pero entendibles decisiones, los dioses, sub-dioses (y pesadillas) consiguen transmitirte esa trascendencia y control sobre las vidas humanas, las corrupciones de estas, perdidas emocionales y complejidad tras sus sueños.
Empecé este lectura por pura casualidad y tener algo de fondo que no me interesara (audiolibro), pues resultó ser todo lo contrario, disfrutable, aunque hay que echarle paciencia hasta mitad de historia para notarte que ya estás situada.
Profile Image for Storm.
2,324 reviews6 followers
January 5, 2021
Contains Sandman 1-10, 11 is Endless Nights, 12 and 13 are the book prose and comic versions of The Dream Hunters and 14 is Sandman Overture. The set is beautiful. Giving this a generous 5 stars (although some parts are only 4 stars) because overall, the writing and art are of spectacularly high quality and Sandman is one of the must reads for anyone interested in visual storytelling, as Gaiman is the master at that.
Profile Image for Andy.
12 reviews
October 22, 2022
There's something in here for everyone. The absolute best fun mixed in with the finest horror, the myriad observations about humanity, and the richest text with a bounty of references to other pop culture and history/mythology/etc. The art style is evocative -- some panels live almost rentfree in my head -- and there is something quite new to every re-read. I laughed, I cried, I came away from this with love.
Profile Image for Reinhard.
115 reviews1 follower
November 11, 2022
Instead of writing a story that follows the hero's journey, that allows us to delve into the mystery of who Morpheus, Dream of the Endless, The King of Dreams, truly is, Neil Gaiman tells a sprawling tale that reminds the reader that our lives' stories, no matter how singular and secluded they may seem, are a part of so many other stories, and that our internal struggles and changes always manifest in the some manner in the story we live, and in the way we influence others' stories.
Profile Image for chloe nevaeh.
88 reviews
February 7, 2023
Gaiman has left me speechless once again. I'm not usually one for comics, but I now have a newfound appreciation for the medium. I can't say I was invested in every single story or character, but in the end, everything makes sense, and everything has its place- even if that means causing me to question reality. Also, can I just say how much I love Death. Like, seriously, she's amazing. Delirium's pretty cool too.
Profile Image for Adriana .
180 reviews13 followers
October 31, 2020
This is a review for the audiobook by Audible. The performance was excellent, but I was not prepared for short stories and would have liked to have 1 story, not here and there and here a bit.
Will I pick the entire collection? Maybe, someday.
Profile Image for Jan Van Run-Kvist.
10 reviews
January 30, 2021
Werkelijk briljant, zowel de verhalen als de tekeningen. Het helpt als je een groot en divers mythologie fan bent en houdt van veel details in je verhalen. Indien dat zo is dan heb je aan deze box echt een geweldig stukje kunst/literatuur. En ja het zijn in essentie dus “gewoon” stripboeken.
Profile Image for Sean Wolfe.
30 reviews
December 25, 2021
One of the most amazing things I've ever read. Beautiful and moving and like nothing else. Neil Gaiman is absolutely amazing and so are the many artists involved with this. My limited vocabulary can't do this justice
19 reviews
March 27, 2024
My favourite graphic novel series. Some volumes are not as strong as others but ultimately Neil Gaiman is far too strong of a writer to criticise. The characters, stories and use of mythology throughout weave a fascinating story of Dream of the endless. A must read.
Profile Image for Polis Stavrou.
8 reviews2 followers
January 24, 2021
A really good edition for a collector to have, its complete and really beautiful!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews

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