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The Sandman: The Deluxe Edition
The Sandman: The Deluxe Edition, Book Two
One of the most popular and critically acclaimed graphic novels of all time, Neil Gaiman’s award-winning masterpiece The Sandman set the standard for mature, lyrical fantasy in the modern comics era. Illustrated by an exemplary selection of the medium’s most gifted artists, the series is a rich blend of modern and ancient mythology in which contemporary fiction, historical drama, and legend are seamlessly interwoven.
The Sandman: The Deluxe Edition Book Two collects issues #17-31 of the original run of The Sandman, which includes the World Fantasy Award-winning “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and tales from the Angoulême International Comics Festival best script award-winning graphic novel “Season of Mists.” This volume also features the Sandman Special #1 and short stories from Vertigo: Winter’s Edge #1-3 that further chronicle the enchanting world of Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, and his kin, the Endless.
The Sandman: The Deluxe Edition Book Two collects issues #17-31 of the original run of The Sandman, which includes the World Fantasy Award-winning “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and tales from the Angoulême International Comics Festival best script award-winning graphic novel “Season of Mists.” This volume also features the Sandman Special #1 and short stories from Vertigo: Winter’s Edge #1-3 that further chronicle the enchanting world of Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, and his kin, the Endless.
493 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 16, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
December 8, 2022
৪.৫
যত এগোনো যায়, স্যান্ডম্যান সিরিজের গল্পের সৌন্দর্য তত স্পষ্ট হয়ে ওঠে।
আগাগোড়া বড়দের গল্প হয়েও যে গল্পগুলো শেষতক পাঠককে একটা রুপকথা শোনার অনুভূতি দেয়- সেই সরলতার জোরেই পাঠক স্যান্ডম্যানকে ভালোবেসে ফেলে।
যত এগোনো যায়, স্যান্ডম্যান সিরিজের গল্পের সৌন্দর্য তত স্পষ্ট হয়ে ওঠে।
আগাগোড়া বড়দের গল্প হয়েও যে গল্পগুলো শেষতক পাঠককে একটা রুপকথা শোনার অনুভূতি দেয়- সেই সরলতার জোরেই পাঠক স্যান্ডম্যানকে ভালোবেসে ফেলে।
October 28, 2022
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 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].
“Orpheus” is a bit more straightforward than many of the other Sandman stories, probably because it was created as the foundation of the entire back-half of the series. Still, it has its minutes of shock and grief that raise the story up, and when it was came out, the first look at the missing Endless was probably pretty exciting [8/10].
Great to also have all the super-shorts included.
"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].
“Orpheus” is a bit more straightforward than many of the other Sandman stories, probably because it was created as the foundation of the entire back-half of the series. Still, it has its minutes of shock and grief that raise the story up, and when it was came out, the first look at the missing Endless was probably pretty exciting [8/10].
Great to also have all the super-shorts included.
June 11, 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.
August 24, 2022
Wildly inconsistent. Absolute bangers followed up immediately by plodding subplots that go nowhere. The exposition isn't crisp.
The season of mists, however, is right up there with the best storylines I've ever experienced in the graphic novel medium.
The season of mists, however, is right up there with the best storylines I've ever experienced in the graphic novel medium.
October 26, 2022
AVISO: esta reseña contiene SPOILERS de los anteriores números del cómic. Los Eternos, unos entes sobrenaturales con poderes para influir en la humanidad, ven cómo el mundo avanza. Sueño, uno de estos Eternos, será capturado, y desencadenará una serie de eventos que harán que el universo no sea el mismo.
Estamos ante una recopilación, por una lado de historias cortas, y por otro de un nuevo arco en el que se vuelve al Infierno.
Estas historias cortas tienen como hilo conductor el ambientarse en el mundo de Sandman, con independencia de si sale de forma directa o no en ellas el propio Sueño. Resultan interesantes porque nos muestran facetas de los personajes que ya conocemos como la humanidad moral de Muerte, pero también a personajes nuevos como las Musas u otros seres sobrenaturales.
El siguiente arco, centrado en el abandono de Lucifer del Infierno, siendo Sueño el que decide lo que hacer con ese territorio, es mucho más complejo. Lleno de personajes de diferentes creencias, mitologías, razas y conceptos, es un arco rico en matices, reflexiones y distintas formas de ver el mundo.
El dibujo y el entintado siguen siendo brutales, sobre todo en el segundo arco, con la gran variedad de personajes que aparecen. Los cambios de apariencia e incluso físicos que experimenta Sueño refuerza esa imagen de lo voluble y cambiante que es su mundo, y las pocas reglas fijas que ordenan este universo.
Abierto a la reflexión y a la lectura de varias capas superpuestas, este tomo mantiene el nivel de los números anteriores y abre la puerta a un hilo que se desdibuja dentro de la "vida" de Sueño.
Colibrí.
Estamos ante una recopilación, por una lado de historias cortas, y por otro de un nuevo arco en el que se vuelve al Infierno.
Estas historias cortas tienen como hilo conductor el ambientarse en el mundo de Sandman, con independencia de si sale de forma directa o no en ellas el propio Sueño. Resultan interesantes porque nos muestran facetas de los personajes que ya conocemos como la humanidad moral de Muerte, pero también a personajes nuevos como las Musas u otros seres sobrenaturales.
El siguiente arco, centrado en el abandono de Lucifer del Infierno, siendo Sueño el que decide lo que hacer con ese territorio, es mucho más complejo. Lleno de personajes de diferentes creencias, mitologías, razas y conceptos, es un arco rico en matices, reflexiones y distintas formas de ver el mundo.
El dibujo y el entintado siguen siendo brutales, sobre todo en el segundo arco, con la gran variedad de personajes que aparecen. Los cambios de apariencia e incluso físicos que experimenta Sueño refuerza esa imagen de lo voluble y cambiante que es su mundo, y las pocas reglas fijas que ordenan este universo.
Abierto a la reflexión y a la lectura de varias capas superpuestas, este tomo mantiene el nivel de los números anteriores y abre la puerta a un hilo que se desdibuja dentro de la "vida" de Sueño.
Colibrí.
August 12, 2022
Overall, I enjoyed this second volume far more than the first. Again there were highs and lows, but the highs are really beautiful and weird. In particular, the Seasons of Mist arc was terrific, and we got better acquainted with the fascinating siblings that make up the Endless.
December 29, 2023
Erfitt að gefa þessari bók einkun, því á margan hátt er hún besta myndasögubók sem ég hef lesið. Sandman er mjög góð í því að vera myndasaga og með til dæmis mismunandi letur fyrir margar persónur gefur sögunni mikið líf.
Sagan sjálf er líka á marganhátt mjög áhugaaverð og spennandi, klassísk Gaiman með frumlegum túlkunum á ýmsum guðum.
Fannst stundum konur vera skrifaðar skringilega einnig á klassískan Gaiman stíl, þar sem ég lít hornaugum á marga kvenn karektera en á sama tíma eru karektar eins og dauði og lady constantine sem sanna að hann kann að vera góður við konur lol
Allavega, bókin endar í 4 stjörnum en er nær 3 en 5.
Sagan sjálf er líka á marganhátt mjög áhugaaverð og spennandi, klassísk Gaiman með frumlegum túlkunum á ýmsum guðum.
Fannst stundum konur vera skrifaðar skringilega einnig á klassískan Gaiman stíl, þar sem ég lít hornaugum á marga kvenn karektera en á sama tíma eru karektar eins og dauði og lady constantine sem sanna að hann kann að vera góður við konur lol
Allavega, bókin endar í 4 stjörnum en er nær 3 en 5.
April 11, 2023
This is a compelling follow-up to the first Sandman book, following some familiar characters and introducing new ones. I liked the longer narratives best so I could follow the story easily.
July 2, 2023
Some really nice chapters in this book. Dream of a thousand cats is definitely 💯
June 26, 2024
Season of Mists ist genial.
July 28, 2025
Nothing more to say - five stars
June 15, 2025
3.7 ⭐️
August 19, 2022
i was missing a larger overall arc in this one after seasons of mist ended. though the individual stories were stronger in this one than the last, and allowed us to look more deeply into the Endless dynamic. (though some of the individual stories were boring .. luckily it is a comic book so the bad goes by fast)
September 3, 2023
Book Two of the Deluxe edition of The Sandman collects issues #17-31 and includes some of the best known Sandman comics.
The book starts with the two stories which form the final episode of the Netflix series, Calliope and Dream of a Thousand Cats before going into the World Fantasy Award-winning A Midsummer Night's Dream which sees Shakespear perform his famous play in front of an audience of the Fey including Titania and Oberon/Auberon. It is the first of several stories blending real life historical characters with a dash of the fantastical.
And then we go straight into Season of Mists which is easily the best arc so far. It's hard to describe it without spoiling but it is an incredible mix of character work combined with a really unique premise, an all-star cast of mythological entities and overall a complex and immersive plot. I loved every page and I really hope that Netflix will produce a second season based on it.
After Season of Mists come several one-shot stories combining historical settings with the fantastical characters and plots of The Sandman before the book ends with 3 short stories. We get to visit Revolutionary France, Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece as well as 19th Century United States of America. Each story is great in its own right and together they showcase Gaiman's imagination as well as the sheer endless potential for stories that this Universe has.
Needless to say the art is gorgeous and unique and works extremely well with the stories being told and the characters which appear in them. It really has a hazy, dream-like quality, with plenty of detail but also with enough of a dose of vagueness that it leaves room for the reader's imagination. That being said, several pages had some sort of printing defect which did take away from the impact and beauty of the art. Thankfully it wasn't a widespread problem, but I did notice it.
After many years of reading about how good Sandman is, the Netflix series finally made me want to buy the volumes and I'm very glad I did. Book One was good, and I enjoyed it, but Book Two blows is out of the water. It is excellent from start to finish, from the art to the writing, everything comes together beautifully and I can't wait to see what else does The Sandman have to offer.
The book starts with the two stories which form the final episode of the Netflix series, Calliope and Dream of a Thousand Cats before going into the World Fantasy Award-winning A Midsummer Night's Dream which sees Shakespear perform his famous play in front of an audience of the Fey including Titania and Oberon/Auberon. It is the first of several stories blending real life historical characters with a dash of the fantastical.
And then we go straight into Season of Mists which is easily the best arc so far. It's hard to describe it without spoiling but it is an incredible mix of character work combined with a really unique premise, an all-star cast of mythological entities and overall a complex and immersive plot. I loved every page and I really hope that Netflix will produce a second season based on it.
After Season of Mists come several one-shot stories combining historical settings with the fantastical characters and plots of The Sandman before the book ends with 3 short stories. We get to visit Revolutionary France, Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece as well as 19th Century United States of America. Each story is great in its own right and together they showcase Gaiman's imagination as well as the sheer endless potential for stories that this Universe has.
Needless to say the art is gorgeous and unique and works extremely well with the stories being told and the characters which appear in them. It really has a hazy, dream-like quality, with plenty of detail but also with enough of a dose of vagueness that it leaves room for the reader's imagination. That being said, several pages had some sort of printing defect which did take away from the impact and beauty of the art. Thankfully it wasn't a widespread problem, but I did notice it.
After many years of reading about how good Sandman is, the Netflix series finally made me want to buy the volumes and I'm very glad I did. Book One was good, and I enjoyed it, but Book Two blows is out of the water. It is excellent from start to finish, from the art to the writing, everything comes together beautifully and I can't wait to see what else does The Sandman have to offer.
November 6, 2024
The contents and the presentation of the stories are amazing. This is my 3rd or 4th time reading some of them (and first time for some of the material that wasn't included in my earlier collections of this work) but I still love them. This collection has one of my favourite Sandman stories (it spans about 8 issues)- Seasons of the Mists - and while I didn't get the same thrill reading it as I did the first time it still holds up well.
I do want to mention my problems with this Sandman collection. Sandman has been collected is a variety of formats now and this one was the latest. I have the original TPBs but they are starting to show their age after 30 years so I wanted to have them in an updated collection. The printing is great, the paper is thinish and glossy but worked well for me. I love that it is a hardcover and is about double the size of the original TBP (maybe 2.5?) in terms of page count and seems to be a little larger in terms of paper size. The thing I very much dislike is a) no table of contents explaining which issues you are reading and b) no page numbers. Seriously? No table of contents? What lazy goof thought that was acceptable? Also, I love the art on the covers but there is an ad for Audible on it which is really painful to see.
Okay - back to the collection. Unlike volume one where Neil was still finding his voice and figuring out how he wanted the series to play out we see him in full stride here. Many stories only have Dream (or the other Endless) as little parts of the story. Even when Dream is front and centre - like Seasons of the Mists - he is more a passive participant than the person driving the story. Now that I think about it - a lot like God in the Bible...God is there but the other characters drive the story.
Anyway, you have so many great single issue stories, some of my favs from the entire run - Dream of 1000 cats, Calliope, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Orpheus...so many great stories. And then one of my fav extended story Season of Mists (I also love the Inn at World's End - but that is more an anthology of little stories couched in the idea of travellers telling their stories at a magic Inn). The art is amazing throughout but it is the writing that is the star here.
Overall - one of the best volumes to get is you only want one.
I do want to mention my problems with this Sandman collection. Sandman has been collected is a variety of formats now and this one was the latest. I have the original TPBs but they are starting to show their age after 30 years so I wanted to have them in an updated collection. The printing is great, the paper is thinish and glossy but worked well for me. I love that it is a hardcover and is about double the size of the original TBP (maybe 2.5?) in terms of page count and seems to be a little larger in terms of paper size. The thing I very much dislike is a) no table of contents explaining which issues you are reading and b) no page numbers. Seriously? No table of contents? What lazy goof thought that was acceptable? Also, I love the art on the covers but there is an ad for Audible on it which is really painful to see.
Okay - back to the collection. Unlike volume one where Neil was still finding his voice and figuring out how he wanted the series to play out we see him in full stride here. Many stories only have Dream (or the other Endless) as little parts of the story. Even when Dream is front and centre - like Seasons of the Mists - he is more a passive participant than the person driving the story. Now that I think about it - a lot like God in the Bible...God is there but the other characters drive the story.
Anyway, you have so many great single issue stories, some of my favs from the entire run - Dream of 1000 cats, Calliope, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Orpheus...so many great stories. And then one of my fav extended story Season of Mists (I also love the Inn at World's End - but that is more an anthology of little stories couched in the idea of travellers telling their stories at a magic Inn). The art is amazing throughout but it is the writing that is the star here.
Overall - one of the best volumes to get is you only want one.
September 10, 2023
On some level I appreciate that Neil Gaiman used the Sandman banner to tell a wide variety of stories. After all, dreams are generally open ended and they are infinitely varied so it makes sense for a series about the Lord of Dreams to be open ended and widely varied.
But to be perfectly honest... I kind of wish that he'd been more focused on telling the ongoing story of the Endless and not dabbled with so many random one-off side stories.
I say that in part because (alas) I have become a bit of a bad reader in my old age. I don't read as much as I used to and when I do find the time and energy to read I want my book to be as engaging as possible. As such, it bums me out when these anthologies step away from the mainline story - which I generally find satisfying - to update an old myth because I generally find those bits of fan fiction to be underwhelming.
But while I do deserve some blame for being a bad reader I do think it is fair to lay a little bit of the blame at Gaiman's feet, too, because a big part of the reason why I find the mythical stories to be underwhelming is because they are stories that I've already heard. I don't need another retelling of the myth of Orpheus! I've heard it, I've read it, I've seen it on-screen - and his version of it just isn't bringing much new to the table. No, it would be better if Gaiman's comic was more focused on his personal cosmology because that's something fresh and unique. The Season of Mists storyline interested me a lot more than his reinterpretation of A Midsummer Night's Dream did because that was a new story, not a repeat of something that I was forced to endure back in high school.
But that said - my issue might not actually be with Gaiman's writing but rather with the way his stories have been collected together. These were written as single issues of an ongoing series - and maybe they make more sense that way. It's strange to read an anthology that combines both long form narratives and several unrelated short stories; it creates a collection that feels like it's neither fish nor fowl. And that can be really frustrating, particularly if you're really into the fowl but not so interested in the fish...
But to be perfectly honest... I kind of wish that he'd been more focused on telling the ongoing story of the Endless and not dabbled with so many random one-off side stories.
I say that in part because (alas) I have become a bit of a bad reader in my old age. I don't read as much as I used to and when I do find the time and energy to read I want my book to be as engaging as possible. As such, it bums me out when these anthologies step away from the mainline story - which I generally find satisfying - to update an old myth because I generally find those bits of fan fiction to be underwhelming.
But while I do deserve some blame for being a bad reader I do think it is fair to lay a little bit of the blame at Gaiman's feet, too, because a big part of the reason why I find the mythical stories to be underwhelming is because they are stories that I've already heard. I don't need another retelling of the myth of Orpheus! I've heard it, I've read it, I've seen it on-screen - and his version of it just isn't bringing much new to the table. No, it would be better if Gaiman's comic was more focused on his personal cosmology because that's something fresh and unique. The Season of Mists storyline interested me a lot more than his reinterpretation of A Midsummer Night's Dream did because that was a new story, not a repeat of something that I was forced to endure back in high school.
But that said - my issue might not actually be with Gaiman's writing but rather with the way his stories have been collected together. These were written as single issues of an ongoing series - and maybe they make more sense that way. It's strange to read an anthology that combines both long form narratives and several unrelated short stories; it creates a collection that feels like it's neither fish nor fowl. And that can be really frustrating, particularly if you're really into the fowl but not so interested in the fish...
September 12, 2025
it's a bunch of individual stories that got some interesting ones, and my favorite definitely was the dynamics between the siblings actually. anyway a list of a few of my thoughts by reading this:
- its very interesting seeing these type of short stories of dream interacting with dreamers and ppl from his past, the one "a dream of a thousand cats" was so good. also the hypocrisy of writing about a writer who abused a woman for so long......
- i love seeing the relationships of the endless siblings, they are such a cool concept as a whole, and seeing their dynamics and who they are is always very cool.
- lucifer putting the responsibility of hell to dream was SICK, he was already depressed and having to deal with this omfg 😭
- god saying that the angels that he sent to now rule hell, just how lucifer said that if he didn't rebel it would have been another. also nada hitting dream.... DESERVED AS FUCK! glad that he let her go live a new life and understanding in a way that she didn't want to be by his side
- seeing the story of johanna constantine after watching the show is very peculiar, especially when they couldn't use john constantine
- seeing despair and dream interact and basically fight for the life of someone who was on the edge of death... oh that dynamic between the endless siblings is so fucking interesting
- its very interesting seeing these type of short stories of dream interacting with dreamers and ppl from his past, the one "a dream of a thousand cats" was so good. also the hypocrisy of writing about a writer who abused a woman for so long......
- i love seeing the relationships of the endless siblings, they are such a cool concept as a whole, and seeing their dynamics and who they are is always very cool.
- lucifer putting the responsibility of hell to dream was SICK, he was already depressed and having to deal with this omfg 😭
- god saying that the angels that he sent to now rule hell, just how lucifer said that if he didn't rebel it would have been another. also nada hitting dream.... DESERVED AS FUCK! glad that he let her go live a new life and understanding in a way that she didn't want to be by his side
- seeing the story of johanna constantine after watching the show is very peculiar, especially when they couldn't use john constantine
- seeing despair and dream interact and basically fight for the life of someone who was on the edge of death... oh that dynamic between the endless siblings is so fucking interesting
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2025
[Whole serie]
Art: a couple of interesting tidbits ("Ramadan", "The kindly ones", some watercolour stuff) floating on top of a dumpster.
Story: milquetoast and running on vibes, just like every other Gaiman work I read so far. A "Disneyland dark ride" of a story, if you will: you are surrounded by artful animatronics of those same old princesses in brand new dresses but actually, you're just being dragged along the tracks to the gift shop (they have chibi toys!!1 No, for real).
There's a couple incidental mentions of the one good idea the guy ever had, i.e. gods being sustained by human worship and all the implications thereof; there's an interesting episode in a diner; and... that's it, that's all I will remember out of 75 fucking issues two days from now. I don't care for any of the (weird) sex stuff, I don't find metatextuality groundbreaking and I certainly don't give a shit about the ton of references or the lectures on the meaning of life, so what else is there that is supposedly worth the ride? "Death is a goth girlie"?
Besides, it relies a bit too much on walls of text and takes minimal advantage of the peculiarities of the comic medium. Too bad.
Art: a couple of interesting tidbits ("Ramadan", "The kindly ones", some watercolour stuff) floating on top of a dumpster.
Story: milquetoast and running on vibes, just like every other Gaiman work I read so far. A "Disneyland dark ride" of a story, if you will: you are surrounded by artful animatronics of those same old princesses in brand new dresses but actually, you're just being dragged along the tracks to the gift shop (they have chibi toys!!1 No, for real).
There's a couple incidental mentions of the one good idea the guy ever had, i.e. gods being sustained by human worship and all the implications thereof; there's an interesting episode in a diner; and... that's it, that's all I will remember out of 75 fucking issues two days from now. I don't care for any of the (weird) sex stuff, I don't find metatextuality groundbreaking and I certainly don't give a shit about the ton of references or the lectures on the meaning of life, so what else is there that is supposedly worth the ride? "Death is a goth girlie"?
Besides, it relies a bit too much on walls of text and takes minimal advantage of the peculiarities of the comic medium. Too bad.
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December 26, 2023It was really cool seeing how different things brought up in the previous stories were picked up and explored here. Having all those levels/layers has made this a really cool read so far as there are always seeds planted that become fully explored later on and it just makes you realize how much work and thought has gone into the story, even before it was written. This story doesn’t just make it up as it goes on, it’s a real world where people, things, events, and places intersect.
I am also really enjoying watching Dreams journey in tearing down his pride bit by bit. I particularly loved the part where Death calls him out on how he treated Nada and how that spawned a whole story line. Death has got to be one of my favorite characters, she’s amazing.
I also am loving how there are smaller stories in between the longer more episodic ones. You really get a sense that you’re seeing the whole world at play and not just one perspective the whole way through even if Dream is the main character.
I am also really enjoying watching Dreams journey in tearing down his pride bit by bit. I particularly loved the part where Death calls him out on how he treated Nada and how that spawned a whole story line. Death has got to be one of my favorite characters, she’s amazing.
I also am loving how there are smaller stories in between the longer more episodic ones. You really get a sense that you’re seeing the whole world at play and not just one perspective the whole way through even if Dream is the main character.
August 13, 2022
'The Sandman: The Deluxe Edition Book Two' by Neil Gaiman.
1) Fear of Falling (One Shot #2; part of 'Fables and Reflections' collection): 4.0/5.
2) Dream Country (Issues #17 to #20): 3.25/5.
3) Season of Mists (Issues #21 to #28): 4.5/5.
4) Thermidor (Issue #29; part of 'Fables and Reflections' collection): 4.0/5.
5) August (Issue #30; part of 'Fables and Reflections' collection): 5/5.
6) Three Septembers and a January (Issue #31; part of 'Fables and Reflections' collection): 5/5.
7) The Song of Orpheus (Sandman Special #1): 4.5/5.
8) The Flowers of Romance (Winter's Edge #1): 2.0/5.
9) Death: A Winter's Tale (Winter's Edge #2): 2.0/5.
10) How They Met Themselves (Winter's Edge #3): 2.0/5.
Overall Rating for the Book: 7.5/10.
PS: For a detailed review, check out my reviews for the individual volumes on their respective Goodreads pages.
1) Fear of Falling (One Shot #2; part of 'Fables and Reflections' collection): 4.0/5.
2) Dream Country (Issues #17 to #20): 3.25/5.
3) Season of Mists (Issues #21 to #28): 4.5/5.
4) Thermidor (Issue #29; part of 'Fables and Reflections' collection): 4.0/5.
5) August (Issue #30; part of 'Fables and Reflections' collection): 5/5.
6) Three Septembers and a January (Issue #31; part of 'Fables and Reflections' collection): 5/5.
7) The Song of Orpheus (Sandman Special #1): 4.5/5.
8) The Flowers of Romance (Winter's Edge #1): 2.0/5.
9) Death: A Winter's Tale (Winter's Edge #2): 2.0/5.
10) How They Met Themselves (Winter's Edge #3): 2.0/5.
Overall Rating for the Book: 7.5/10.
PS: For a detailed review, check out my reviews for the individual volumes on their respective Goodreads pages.
April 30, 2023
I know I read some of this many years ago and know that I did not make it all the way through the main series run. Decided to attempt a read-through prior to checking out the recent Netflix version. My library has been very slow at queuing up the smaller collected issues, but suddenly has the Deluxe issues available. This one covers part of the ground that I read in the smaller collections, which allowed me to skim over what I had already read and to dive into the big, twisting story of an anticipated battle that becomes an unrequested gift and then becomes a dinner party for very unusual overnight guests.
This is dense and rich storytelling, which probably gained something from monthly release as individual issues to allow for the story to breathe. And yet the small details continue to ripple through future stories in surprising ways, so it is also helpful to have access to larger portions of the story.
This is dense and rich storytelling, which probably gained something from monthly release as individual issues to allow for the story to breathe. And yet the small details continue to ripple through future stories in surprising ways, so it is also helpful to have access to larger portions of the story.
October 19, 2023
The interludes that focus on the broader world still aren’t my favorite, as interesting as insightful as they, but the crux of the story with Dream and the Endless is really excellent stuff. I’ve experienced this story already in the audio dramatization (which I like a lot), but seeing it brought to life on the page is stunning. Jones’ art is a special standout, with spreads and details that give the pages a rich, classical style that I absolutely adore.
Amazing stuff—even the side-stories, which can feel frivolous in the moment, enrich the world so much that I can’t help but be impressed by it all.
Amazing stuff—even the side-stories, which can feel frivolous in the moment, enrich the world so much that I can’t help but be impressed by it all.
November 6, 2024
This book gets 5 stars, mostly for 'Seasons of Mists'. What an incredible few chapters, the story was so good: it has an interesting plot and well thought out characters. It deserves all the awards it got. 'A Winter's Tale' about Death was another one of my favorites. It also features some chapters on Orpheus, which sets up some of the story for the rest of the series. It was also so much fun to meet the rest of the Endless, and to get a glimpse of Destruction.
However, as with the previous book, there were also some stories that didn't really interest me. But this is bound to happen when you compare them with 'Seasons of Mists.'
However, as with the previous book, there were also some stories that didn't really interest me. But this is bound to happen when you compare them with 'Seasons of Mists.'
November 9, 2025
This was great. I was hesitant on continuing the series after the first volume, but I’m very glad I did. The couple stories before season of mists were good, I quite liked the one with the cats and the Shakespeare one. Then Season of Mists was genuinely amazing-one of the best comic storylines I’ve read. Then the various historical stories were great, I especially liked the ones with Emperor Augustus and Emperor Norton.
The weakest part of this collection was the Orpheus stuff, since it was literally just a re-telling of the Orpheus story from Greek Myth with very little changed. But, even that was still pretty good.
The weakest part of this collection was the Orpheus stuff, since it was literally just a re-telling of the Orpheus story from Greek Myth with very little changed. But, even that was still pretty good.
October 18, 2022
A reread, though I last read this nearly 20 years ago.
Anyway, damn if the "Season of Mists" storyline isn't as captivating as it was when I first read it. This is the point where the series really finds its feet and also starts planting seeds for stories to come later.
Some of the individual stories (such as "Augustus")- and art - aren't that great, but "Season of Mists" and the other one shot stories (especially the Emperor Joseph and Johanna Constantine stories) more than make up for a few duds.
So good. Onto the next volume.
Anyway, damn if the "Season of Mists" storyline isn't as captivating as it was when I first read it. This is the point where the series really finds its feet and also starts planting seeds for stories to come later.
Some of the individual stories (such as "Augustus")- and art - aren't that great, but "Season of Mists" and the other one shot stories (especially the Emperor Joseph and Johanna Constantine stories) more than make up for a few duds.
So good. Onto the next volume.
January 26, 2024
(4 stars)
The main attraction in this second collection is obviously the 'Season of Mists' arc, where we go to hell and come back.... confused? In all seriousness, it's a very interesting arc that truly flashes out the world of The Sandman. You get to know the Endless, a selection of gods (or forces?) and of course Lucifer Morningstar and his demons. Besides that I loved Three Septembers and a January and the story of Orpheus the most. Very excited to see where it all goes from here, the bar's been set high.
The main attraction in this second collection is obviously the 'Season of Mists' arc, where we go to hell and come back.... confused? In all seriousness, it's a very interesting arc that truly flashes out the world of The Sandman. You get to know the Endless, a selection of gods (or forces?) and of course Lucifer Morningstar and his demons. Besides that I loved Three Septembers and a January and the story of Orpheus the most. Very excited to see where it all goes from here, the bar's been set high.
December 31, 2024
3.5 stars
I didnt like this as much as the first and felt there was no solid plot through book 2. Mostly individual stories which I'm sure will be more relevant later. Some stand out good stories were Calliope, dream of a thousand cats, song of orpheus, a midsummer night's dream, and season of mists prologue. I enjoyed meeting tbe other endless more thoroughly. I also though the depictions of the worlds and hell were investing. I found there was a lot of sexulisation in this book and some rather negative depictions of women and violence on women.
I didnt like this as much as the first and felt there was no solid plot through book 2. Mostly individual stories which I'm sure will be more relevant later. Some stand out good stories were Calliope, dream of a thousand cats, song of orpheus, a midsummer night's dream, and season of mists prologue. I enjoyed meeting tbe other endless more thoroughly. I also though the depictions of the worlds and hell were investing. I found there was a lot of sexulisation in this book and some rather negative depictions of women and violence on women.
July 17, 2025
Oh Dream, the lord of Dreamland, our sweet boy of dreams and nightmares. Will you ever learn?
Season of Mists is an incredibly good arc full of new characters, myths and decisions.
We flow through the story like we are dreaming - we touch everything and nothing, stories meet and complement each other and characters make life decisions, right Lucifer?
Excellent, great and unforgettable book.
I couldn't be happier that I decided to immerse myself in the world of dreams.
Dream, our sweet Dream...
5/5.
Season of Mists is an incredibly good arc full of new characters, myths and decisions.
We flow through the story like we are dreaming - we touch everything and nothing, stories meet and complement each other and characters make life decisions, right Lucifer?
Excellent, great and unforgettable book.
I couldn't be happier that I decided to immerse myself in the world of dreams.
Dream, our sweet Dream...
5/5.
July 26, 2021
As incredible as I expected.
I've been eager to learn more about the family and was happy for the stories featuring Death, Desire and Despair. Delirium is my favorite, outside of Dream, and I could have done with a bit more of both in this omnibus.
I also enjoy the jumps through history. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Three Septembers and a January" were my favorites because of this, as well as the tales' humor and beauty.
I've been eager to learn more about the family and was happy for the stories featuring Death, Desire and Despair. Delirium is my favorite, outside of Dream, and I could have done with a bit more of both in this omnibus.
I also enjoy the jumps through history. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Three Septembers and a January" were my favorites because of this, as well as the tales' humor and beauty.
August 20, 2022
This volume contains:
1) Fear of Falling (One Shot #2; part of 'Fables and Reflections' collection): 4/5.
2) Vol. 3 - Dream Country (Issues #17 to #20): 3/5.
3) Vol. 4 - Season of Mists (Issues #21 to #28): 4.5/5.
4) Thermidor (Issue #29; part of 'Fables and Reflections' collection): 2/5.
5) August (Issue #30; part of 'Fables and Reflections' collection): 1/5.
6) Three Septembers and a January (Issue #31; part of 'Fables and Reflections' collection): 3/5.
7) The Song of Orpheus (Sandman Special #1): 5/5.
8) The Flowers of Romance (Winter's Edge #1): 2/5.
9) Death: A Winter's Tale (Winter's Edge #2): 3/5.
10) How They Met Themselves (Winter's Edge #3): 1/5.
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The Seasons of Mist arc was terrific and while some of the extra stories are meh I loved the extra 'The Song of Orpheus'. It was great to get to know more about Dream and his past/family.
1) Fear of Falling (One Shot #2; part of 'Fables and Reflections' collection): 4/5.
2) Vol. 3 - Dream Country (Issues #17 to #20): 3/5.
3) Vol. 4 - Season of Mists (Issues #21 to #28): 4.5/5.
4) Thermidor (Issue #29; part of 'Fables and Reflections' collection): 2/5.
5) August (Issue #30; part of 'Fables and Reflections' collection): 1/5.
6) Three Septembers and a January (Issue #31; part of 'Fables and Reflections' collection): 3/5.
7) The Song of Orpheus (Sandman Special #1): 5/5.
8) The Flowers of Romance (Winter's Edge #1): 2/5.
9) Death: A Winter's Tale (Winter's Edge #2): 3/5.
10) How They Met Themselves (Winter's Edge #3): 1/5.
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The Seasons of Mist arc was terrific and while some of the extra stories are meh I loved the extra 'The Song of Orpheus'. It was great to get to know more about Dream and his past/family.
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