The Sandman Volume One: Preludes and Nocturnes

The Sandman Volume One: Preludes & Nocturnes

Issues #1-8

Publisher: Vertigo Comics through DC Comics

Story: Neil Gaiman

Art: Sam Keith, Mike Dringenberg and Malcolm Jones III

Rated: M/Mature

Genre: Fantasy, Horror

Price: $19.99

The Sandman follows the adventures of Dream, one of the Endless. The Endless are the personification of different eternal truths, beings who embody that which is at the core of sentient beings. The story begins with Dream being captured and his power being stolen from him.

What follows is a surreal quest through our reality, the dreamworld and Hell, as Dream sets out to recover those things that he has lost. While the idea of a quest is anything but new, the unique set of characters and the occasionally grotesque landscapes keep the story from falling into a set of familiar cliches. The beginning of the book is a little lacking in the emotion department, it's a cool idea trying to find it's feet and connect to the reader. As the narrative moves forward and Dream nears the end of his journey some of the cold detachment falls away and he begins to feel, to the reader, as if he has gained a soul.

Neil Gaiman's writing style is very deep and thoughtful, helping to bring a sense of humanity to a character with power and scope for beyond what the reader would normally be capable of relating to. All three artists in this run conjure up some truly creepy scenery; with violence and mayhem around every corner. One trend that I hope will not continue is the introducing of regular DC superheroes/villains throughout the stories. Dream's world seems too different from the world of heroes, with consequences that reach worldwide it would seem best to keep the heroics separate, there are just too many inconsistencies possible if they exist in the same reality as dream.

Conclusion: Preludes & Nocturnes is the beginning to a fine story. It lays the groundwork, and suffers through a growing pain or two, for what could prove to be a series that rivals some of my favorites. I expect as Gaiman gets a better feel for who Dream is the few quibbles I had will work themselves out.

Rating: 7.5/10