Required Reading Graphic Novels
171 books |
317 voters
The Sandman Vol. 4: Season of Mists
by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author), Matt Wagner George Pratt Dick Giordano Todd Klein Kelley Jones Mike Dringenberg Malcolm Jones III more...book data
6,343 ratings,
4.52
average rating, 133 reviews
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published
March 10th 1999
(first published 1992)
by Vertigo
binding
Hardcover, 224 pages
isbn
1563890356
(isbn13: 9781563890352)
description
In many ways, Season of Mists is the pinnacle of the Sandman experience. After a brief intermission of four short stories (collected as Dream Country...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 7,503)
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5 stars (3849)
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4 stars (1986)
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3 stars (450)
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2 stars (42)
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1 star (3)
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avg 4.52
editions: all | this edition
editions: all | this edition
Read in October, 1992
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Read in March, 2006
One of my all-time favorite Sandman story arcs. Lucifer decides that he's sick of being the lord of Hell, so to relieve himself of his duties and cause Morpheus some trouble as well, he closes down Hell and gives Morpheus the key. Now Morpheus must contend with the hordes of supernatural delegations who have come to him to petition for this most valuable real estate. The Faeries want Hell permanently shut down, so that they will no longer have to pay their tithe to Hell. Odin and his compatriots...more
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Read in October, 2007
It is unfortunate that Gaiman seems to be unable to surrender his archetypal cast to either humanity or inhumanity, but lets them sit awkwardly in the middle. Though he often presents Dream and his siblings as falling to love or petty squabbling, their reactions to such are often not to work towards decision, but to subside. In those cases where they do act, it becomes merely a meaningless exercise to continue the story. When this is done for the purpose of framing other tales and interweaving i...more
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Read in February, 2009
recommended to Morgan by:
Kestrel Plumprecommends it for: a comparative religions class at some fucking Ivy League school
The whole Sandman series hedges the fence between good graphic novel and stupid-ass comics. The strength is in Gaiman's ability to captivate his readers, the weakness is in DC's ("Vertigo's"—whatever) penchant for pushing product and having whomever they have handy do the penciling, inking and coloring for their comix. The result is a work of inconsistent art, ranging from enjoyable to unbearable. The only steady hand in the whole thing is Todd Klein, the letterist for all the Sandma...more
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Read in June, 2009
Reprints The Sandman #21-28. The Sandman is given the key to Hell when Lucifer decides to quit and is forced to make a decision on what he should do with it. This collection (like most Sandman stories) is built off of a previous tale and involves the Sandman's decision to save a former lover (Nada) from Hell where he condemned her. Gaimen always manages to tell a concise story while giving himself room for "fun" side stories like the tale of the Dead Boy Detectives (who later appear...more
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Read in December, 2008
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Read in January, 2009
Season of Mists is one single plotline throughout the volume without any real digressions. Enchanting as those tales can be, this is a really interesting volume. It picks up the tale of Nada, partially, which is again a thread from a previous volume woven into the main story. The part where Dream visits Hippolyta and tells her the baby is called Daniel is interesting, too, I can't wait to see where that's going.
The most interesting thing about this volume, for me, was meeting six of ...more
The most interesting thing about this volume, for me, was meeting six of ...more
Read in June, 2009
Like A Doll's House (Vol. 2), Season of Mists, collecting issues #21-28 of Gaiman's The Sandman series, was good but not great. The overarching plot here tells the story of Lucifer's abandonment of Hell, and the subsequent clamoring of deities from various traditions to gain the key to the realm. In general, this plot failed to grab me, perhaps because there was an almost total absence of human characters with whom to make an emotional connection.
Indeed, the story often felt like...more
Indeed, the story often felt like...more
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Read in April, 2009
I have enjoyed the previous volumes of this series, but this one outshines them. Like the other Sandman graphic novels, this is several issues of the Sandman comic which form a complete story arc. It continues the story of the eternal King of Dreams (who is also called "The Sandman" or "Morpheus" or many other things depending on who you ask).
In this volume, the Dream King must free someone from Hell to right an injustice he himself committed millenia earlier. ...more
In this volume, the Dream King must free someone from Hell to right an injustice he himself committed millenia earlier. ...more
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Read in April, 2009
The story revolves around taking responsibility for one's actions. In this case, it centers around the main character, Dream, who banished a past lover, Nada to Hell for rejecting him.
Besides Dream, we also meet his Endless siblings, who include Delirium, Destiny, Despair, Desire and Death. After a meeting with his siblings, Dream is finally convinced by Death that he must return to Hell and free Nada (Hmmm, he only left her there for 10,000 years. I guess that's enough punishment). ...more
Besides Dream, we also meet his Endless siblings, who include Delirium, Destiny, Despair, Desire and Death. After a meeting with his siblings, Dream is finally convinced by Death that he must return to Hell and free Nada (Hmmm, he only left her there for 10,000 years. I guess that's enough punishment). ...more
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Dream nervously descends to Hell (Lucifer had vowed to destroy him upon their last meeting) to make good a wrong he had done a former love many eons ago. When he gets to the Underworld, he is surprised to find that everyone is gone. Lucifer, as it turns out, has grown tired of running Hell and is looking to retire, setting off a chain of events that turns the supernatural world of gods, angels and other mythological beings into an uproar which Dream must set right. It works both as a graphic nov...more
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Read in March, 2009
The saga continues, as delightful as ever, even when the subject is a study on suffering. Gaiman proves how out-of-date and out-of-touch is the Religious Right. While they were posturing and telling us what to do in our private lives, the entire balance of power changed in the war between Heaven and Hell. Reviewers talk about Gaiman creating new or modern myth, but I think he continues the traditions of the old ones, not so much reinterpreting traditional stories, but channeling the current even...more
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Read in March, 2004
Date read is my best guess. This is the thing that shows how good a writer Neil Gaiman is. after a family squabble, Dream must go to Hell to make things right--but what if things aren't right in Hell? Soon Dream must face the worst possible fate--master of a second, coveted domain! Guest starring all sorts of mythological folk and some of the funniest Thor dialog ever. Kelley Jones does perfect art for the storyline and the plotting and dialog are some of the best ever in comics. Honestly, ...more
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Read in January, 2005
do not think my love for this series can be any greater. If only I could afford it, I would buy up the remaining six volumes immediately and just gorge myself on them, because really? So. Much. Love. However, as it is, I have to put aside €5 from my paypacket every week so that I can afford to buy one every month or so. Maybe this will work out better in the long run, so that I can savour these properly, because they deserve that. I adore how Gaiman blends the deities of so many different pant...more
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Typical comic book plot line really...though it had it's moments (Like finding out that dream had cast an ex lover into hell (that shows a different side indeed). In short, death guilts dream into releasing an ex lover from hell but to do so he has to go through Lucifer and...well i won't ruin it.
It also started to annoy me in this one how the endless aren't really gods but not quite human. They are very emotional, petty, squabbling things that go through all the sorts of drama that ...more
It also started to annoy me in this one how the endless aren't really gods but not quite human. They are very emotional, petty, squabbling things that go through all the sorts of drama that ...more
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Read in January, 2008
In this collection, we meet the Sandman’s family. The remaining Endless - Destiny, Desire, Death, Destruction, Despair and Delirium. Called by Destiny for a family gathering, Morpheus (aka the Sandman) realizes he must enter Hell to rectify a mistake made 10,000 years ago. But when he gets there, he finds that Lucifer Morningstar has abdicated his power in the Triumvirate and has forced everyone out of Hell. Upon locking up the final gate, he gives Morpheus the key to Hell and tells him that i...more
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Read in January, 2004
recommends it for:
Everyone
I used to stubbornly think that graphic novels had no intellectual merits other than for amateur entertainment (I know, pedestal). This series not only blew me away visually, but caused me to see graphic novels in a new light. Everyone should read this series.
Here's what i want to say, but someone else said it first and better than i could:
"Erudite, allusive, complex and ambitious, SANDMAN is undoubtedly the finest writing the mainstream comic book industry has ever seen. ...more
Here's what i want to say, but someone else said it first and better than i could:
"Erudite, allusive, complex and ambitious, SANDMAN is undoubtedly the finest writing the mainstream comic book industry has ever seen. ...more
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Read in April, 2008
What can I say about this that I didn't already say in previous reviews of Sandman books. Its genius, pure and simple. I'd be gushing to go on in this vein, so I won't.
In this book, Dream decides to correct a mistake he made a long time ago, and in the process he ends up with the key to hell. Enter many many gods and entities that want Hell (because its apparently very popular psychic property).
I can say that had I read this book when it was first out, I wouldn't have ...more
In this book, Dream decides to correct a mistake he made a long time ago, and in the process he ends up with the key to hell. Enter many many gods and entities that want Hell (because its apparently very popular psychic property).
I can say that had I read this book when it was first out, I wouldn't have ...more
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Read in July, 2009
Cool. I liked the angels a lot. Though, I like it best when they manage to keep character design consistent throughout a comics series; it annoyed me that Lucifer is scarier looking than he is the first time we saw him -- or is it less scary looking, I don't know -- anyway I liked the Goldilocks version from book 1 best. Makes an impression.
The story with the banquet and the offers and the just decisionmaking was a pretty typical type story. It was fine.
The standalone...more
The story with the banquet and the offers and the just decisionmaking was a pretty typical type story. It was fine.
The standalone...more
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quotes from this book
"To absent friends, lost loves, old gods, and the season of mists; and may each and every one of us always give the devil his due."
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