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The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
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List Price: $19.99
Our Price: $13.59
Your Save: $ 6.40 ( 32% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Manufacturer: Vertigo
Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.5973
EAN: 9781563890116
ISBN: 1563890119
Label: Vertigo
Manufacturer: Vertigo
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 240
Publication Date: 1993-12-07
Publisher: Vertigo
Release Date: 1993-12-07
Studio: Vertigo
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Editorial Reviews:
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"Wake up, sir. We're here." It's a simple enough opening line--althoughnot many would have guessed back in 1991 thatthis would lead to one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comics of the second half of the century.In Preludes and Nocturnes, Neil Gaiman weaves the story of a man interested in capturing the physical manifestation of Death but who instead captures the King of Dreams. By Gaiman's own admission there's a lot in this first collection that is awkward and ungainly--which is not to say there are not frequent moments of greatness here. The chapter "24 Hours" is worth the price of the book alone; it stands as one of the most chilling examples of horror in comics. And let's not underestimate Gaiman's achievement of personifying Death as a perky, overly cheery, cute goth girl! All in all, I greatly prefer the roguish breaking of new ground in this book to the often dull precision of the concluding volumes of the Sandman series. --Jim Pascoe
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: LOVE
Comment: I love the Sandman series. All of them are clever and well written. the art is beautiful... there's not just very much wrong with this series.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Not quite what I expected
Comment: After reading some reviews and being told this was in the Pantheon of graphic novelizations, I figured I would give it a shot.
I think what I have learned is that I like the idea of graphic novels, but when push comes to shove, I prefer to actually read a good book instead.
This collection (Vol 1) is OK, but I just couldn't justify spending close to $100 to get all of the rest of these and read the whole thing.
Thus, this review is a warning to those in my shoes who aren't familiar with the concept. Don't buy all of them at once... Get one, then decide.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Best..............Ever.
Comment: I think my title to this little review says it all. I've read Marvel comic works by Neil Gaiman before, and I have also read his novel "American Gods". This blows them away. It also blows all other comics that I have read out of the water as well. This may anger some people, but it's even better than Moore's "Watchmen" and any of the fine works by Miller and others. This first volume of Sandman was not just a comic to me. It was like a gift that Gaiman gave to the world. He may not have created Morpheus, but he crafted him and gave him life. The same is true with his little sister Death, who he actually may have invented, I'm not sure, and Cain and Able, the House of Mystery and the House of Secrets. I am talking really heartfelt stuff here. It's creepy, it's beautiful, it's haunting, it's lovely, it's painful, it's romantic, it's gothic, it's modern, the list could go on and on. It's just Gaiman at his best and I am really looking forward to enjoying the rest of the series. I would recommend it to anyone who likes good literature. Because that's what this is here. It's not just a comic, it's a graphic novel. A story told with words and pictures. The art is fantastic as well, but even without it, I feel that Gaiman still could have created a gem here. Five billion thumbs up.
Peace and Love,
Jake
Customer Rating:
Summary: Enough to make me stick around...
Comment: I have to admit that I wasn't as blown away by this as I'd hoped to be, given how many people had recc'd this series to me. The going was a little muddled and slow at first, but definitely picked up steam as the story progressed. I guess even masters like Gaiman have to find their feet sometimes! Anyway, I'm glad I persevered, and the set up certainly left me curious enough to pick up the next volume, so I guess it did its job.
I am glad to hear that random 'guest stars' from other comics series aren't going to play much of a role in Sandman in the future, because I thought that was a bit of a weak link in this volume.
Customer Rating:
Summary: I'll Stick Around For More
Comment: In the first volume of Gaiman's epically long "The Sandman" comic series, there is such a variety of stories that I'm sure you'll come across stuff you like and stuff you really don't like at all. The format is pretty basic. This collection is made up of the first eight issues of the series, which--when read together--form a story arc about Dream taking back what is his after being captured for many years. I'll break each individual issue down for you.
SLEEP OF THE JUST: This, the first issues, shows Dream being captured and the events that follow his capture and escape. There is a lot of story, many characters, and the horrid art really doesn't help. Fans of contemporary artists (who've adopted a clearer, more cinematic style) won't find much good in the art at all, really, but the earlier issues contain the worst of it.
IMPERFECT HOSTS: We see Dream back on his feet, and this sort of introduces the situation that we'll be dealing with for the next few issues. Moderately entertaining, but I still wasn't wowed at this point.
DREAM A LITTLE DREAM OF ME: John Constantine (AKA Hellblazer) is pretty much the star of this issue. His narration makes this one of the best of the lot, as the plot deals with true horror while also, for one of the first times, giving Dream a bit of humanity.
A HOPE IN HELL: Again, I got the feeling that all of this mythology was pushed on us a bit too quickly, but at least what we are given is very interesting. I didn't like this issue as much as the previous one, but there is a sequence in here where Dream fights a demon in a battle of wits, and I gotta say, that whole scene was brilliantly thought out and the artist did a great job as well.
PASSENGERS: I like that even though this issue shows that this series is firmly set in DC continuity, that it also makes sure those unfamiliar with the years of DC back story won't have trouble reading and understanding this. Though I've never read another major DC title, the appearance of Dr. Destiny in this was frightening. Things started to pick up at this point.
24 HOURS: We get a look at the repercussions of Dr. Destiny acquiring Dream's ruby. This was another of my favorite issues, as it sets out to show how interesting, brutal, heroic, and disgusting humanity can be.
SOUND AND FURY: Pretty huge letdown. The previous issue really set up what looked to be a great conflict between Dream and Dr. Destiny, but in the end, it was a bit of an anti-climax. Most of that is due to the artist, who couldn't seem to make the 'battle' scene that clear. The ending was nice, though.
THE SOUND OF HER WINGS: Brilliant. Once again, Gaiman is at his best when showing the humanity of characters like Dream, and his sister, Death. This issue would seem depressing, as it follows Death as she goes on her rounds--and there are some sad moments--but overall it's just poignant, insightful, very philosophical, and even funny at times.
I wasn't overly impressed with this book as many people were, but most of my problems with these comics were with the art, not the writing. I'll absolutely be buying the second volume, because anything that can be praised so highly is worth checking out.
7/10
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