The Sandman Vol. 4: Season of Mists

by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author), Matt Wagner (Illustrator) George Pratt (Illustrator) Dick Giordano (Illustrator) Todd Klein (Letterer) Kelley Jones (Illustrator) Mike Dringenberg (Illustrator) Malcolm Jones III (Illustrator) more...

book data

6,343 ratings, 4.52 average rating, 133 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		60%
4		31%
3		7%
2		0%
1		0%

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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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03/21/09

Robert Jazo rated it:

bookshelves: comics, modern-fantasy

Read in October, 1992

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Taken as a whole, Neil Gaiman's series The Sandman is probably my favorite comic book series. On the surface it is the story of Dream, one of the seven immortal beings known as the Endless. Each one embodies a concept over which they have dominion: Destiny, Death, Dreams, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delirium (formerly Delight).

This is really just the jumping off point for Neil Gaiman's storytelling though. Since his main character is the "Prince of Stories", Gaiman...more Taken as a whole, Neil Gaiman's series The Sandman is probably my favorite comic book series. On the surface it is the story of Dream, one of the seven immortal beings known as the Endless. Each one embodies a concept over which they have dominion: Destiny, Death, Dreams, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delirium (formerly Delight).

This is really just the jumping off point for Neil Gaiman's storytelling though. Since his main character is the "Prince of Stories", Gaiman felt entitled to tell any story he wanted. Horror, comedy, high concept fantasy, mythology, and countless other genre's make an appearance. Yet despite this, all these disparate story arcs eventually connect and merge until at the end it truly feels as if it is the inevitable conclusion of everything that came before.
Frankly, don't have the words to sum up the series. Thankfully, Neil Gaiman was asked to sum up the Sandman in one sentence and did so brilliantly:

"The King of Dreams learns that all things must change or die and makes his choice".

That brilliance is why I love this series. Even among the cornucopia of pleasures that The Sandman provides, Season of Mists stands out. It starts simply enough. After a family meeting, Death basically uses guilt to convince dream to free an old lover that he cosigned to hell. He knows to do that he must cross paths with Lucifer, who he had offended earlier in the series. He girds himself for battle and prepares to storm the gates of hell itself.

Up to this point it is a pretty typical comic book plot. But when he gets to hell he finds it empty. He eventually finds Lucifer, only to find out that he has tired of his duties and decided to quit. He kicked all of the demons and tortured souls out of hell, which is causing no end of chaos. He then locks the gate and gives Dream the key, making him the new ruler of hell.

The key proves to be as devious a revenge as any could imagine, since there are many gods, demons, and manifestations of abstract concepts who desire it. Dream is trapped by his overwhelming sense of responsibility to consider all who desire the key. Meanwhile, the devil relaxes on a beach.(less)

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02/16/08

Kirsten rated it:

bookshelves: fiction, graphic-novels, own, read-pre-12-07

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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10/23/07

Keely rated it:

bookshelves: comics, fantasy, reviewed

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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02/11/09

Morgan rated it:

(review of isbn 1563890410)

Read in February, 2009

recommended to Morgan by: Kestrel Plump
recommends 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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01/19/09

Eileen rated it:

(review of isbn 1563890410)

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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06/18/09

Fizzgig76 rated it:

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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01/01/09

Skip rated it:

bookshelves: 2008

Read in December, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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12/25/08

Nikki rated it:

(review of isbn 1563890410)

bookshelves: graphic-novel-comic, speculative-fiction

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

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06/22/09

Patti rated it:

(review of isbn 1563890410)

bookshelves: borrowed, graphic-novels

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

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03/02/09

Sam rated it:

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 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. The problem is that the Sandman is not currently on good terms with the devil, and as powerful as the King of Dreams is, in Hell he's no match for Lucifer.

This story constantly twists and turns, and the repurcussions of the Sandman's actions reverberate through many mythical realms. The cast of characters in this volume was amazing and included (among many others): all of the Sandman's eternal siblings (e.g., Death and Despair), Odin, Egyptian gods, and Cain (of Cain and Abel).

While this story was enormous and epic, it also managed to be the most intimate of the volumes so far. I was impressed because getting close to the Sandman is no easy task. It makes little sense to talk about whether he is a good or bad guy; like dreams, he can be wonderful and generous or brutal and nightmarish. He is ancient and eternal. In so many ways, the Sandman is distant and alien from us. But in this volume, he is making decisions so frightening and difficult that they shake even the King of Dreams. We learn about his moral limits, and his relationship with his unusual family. And since many of the entities he's dealing with are as powerful as he is, the strategic and diplomatic aspects of these mythical power struggles become as important as demonstrations of raw power.

The art is always good in these graphic novels and effectively tells the story, but I'm giving this 5 stars based on the writing more than the art which I'd give maybe 4 stars.

This is a great read and just became one of my all-time favorite graphic novels. (less)

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03/10/09

John rated it:

bookshelves: graphic-novel

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

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02/26/09

Mark Russell rated it:

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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04/01/09

Mary added it (review of isbn 1563890410)

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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07/27/08

Trebro rated it:

(review of isbn 1563890410)

bookshelves: tradepaperbacks

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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04/26/08

Siria rated it:

bookshelves: 20th-century, fantasy, graphic-novel

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 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 pantheons in a way that makes them work, in a way that's often funny and tragic and thought-provoking. I don't think I can properly say that his characterisations of the gods are in-character, so to speak - they are deities, after all - but I grew up with myths and legends and folk-tales in the same way other people grew up with fairystories and Sweet Valley High books, and when I read this book, I recognised them again instantly, if that makes sense.

The resolution of the plot line was slightly... deus ex machina, I think; though I suppose that if you look at in a certain way, Gaiman certainly used the best possible of the dei, didn't he? *g*.

He also deserves full marks for the following exchange between Remiel and one of the souls in Hell, towards the end of the volume:

"No. That was the old Hell. That was a place of mindless torture and purposeless pain. There will be no more wanton violence; no further suffering, inflicted without reason or explanation. We will hurt you. And we are not sorry. But we do not do it to punish you. We do it to redeem you. Because afterward, you'll be a better person... And because we love you. One day, you'll thank us for it."

"But... you don't understand... That makes it worse. That makes it so much worse..."

I mean, that was visceral. Hello and welcome to one of Siria's major problems with organised religion in general and (Irish) Catholicism in particular.

And one of these days I am going to have to sit down and figure out exactly why it is that I adore Sandman so much, but can't find it in myself to like Gaiman's novels to the same degree. However, I think this entry is already long enough, and that's an issue for another post. *g*
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02/02/08

Teresa rated it:

bookshelves: graphic-novels, to-buy

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

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01/28/08

Talia rated it:

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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08/29/07

Andrew rated it:

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

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03/29/08

Jesse rated it:

bookshelves: graphic-novels, modern-fantasy

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

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06/19/09

Lizzie rated it:

(review of isbn 1563890410)

bookshelves: comics, david-s

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

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