Sandman: Master of Dreams

The Sandman (Single Issues)

by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth

The first issue of the first volume of Neil Gaiman's horror/fantasy epic! An occultist accidentally traps Morpheus, the embodiment of Dreams, and holds him for 70 years. Finally free, Morpheus seeks his lost objects of power and rediscovers his place in the universe.

Genres: Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Horror, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

Nook

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Tawfek · Rating 5 out of 5]

*****10 stars of perfection
That is what i call making history.
The drawing first class, the writing first class, everything about this comic couldn't be better.
And to the dear readers like myself!
Forget the first attempt at making the sandman from Kirby, we can't even compare both of them together, this is a whole new level of excellence.
2016 Read.

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.25

I have been meaning to read this series for years, but I was so afraid it wouldn’t live up to the hype. It’s frequently considered one of the greatest of all time— it’s too early to tell, though, for me. It has started off well enough; dark fantasy, gothic 80s aesthetic... it is right up my alley! It’s written and illustrated well, but there were pages where too much was happening at once, and oftentimes the coloring gets a little muddy.

I’m going to continue with this, though, because I’m eager to see where Dream goes.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't even explain how this first issue made me feel..

It's such a great story and it took so long to kick in. The slow burn was perfect.

[Nomnivor]

Ich, ein betrunkenes Genie: Ich mochte die Serie nicht, also werde ich den Comic bestimmt leiben

Edit: Ich habe den Comic nicht geleibt.

[R J Royer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gaiman goodness

Gaiman expresses some very complex and complicated ideas here in this graphic novel and he does it perfectly. The story and art are amazing and work together perfectly.


Ilu eh

[Amin · Rating 4 out of 5]

کوتاه بود و در حدی بود که باعث بشه برم سراغ شماره ی بعدی

[Shrav · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry Gaimaniacs, I'm one among you too. But I had to do this.

I normally shell out 5 star ratings to my favourite author. Yet, for this first issue of The Sandman (the series that's touted as one of Neil Gaiman's best of best) I had to drop two stars because the story was choppy. Also, even after finishing the story, I'm still trying to place the characters, which were a little misty.

No biggie, I'm sure I'm in for a ride. One down 74 to go.

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like this issue deserves 5 stars. But I have already watched the show and the story is now familiar territory, so this issue doesn’t hit as hard as it should. Since I cannot know the unknown, I will stay safe with 4 stars.

But I will say that this is a fabulous story created in the 80s.

[Vonnielee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a free Kindle edition that I acquired years ago, attempted to read it on my Kindle and on a tablet, but it was difficult to view the panels and I gave up. A little bit ago, I attempted to read on my phone but gave up again because it just was too much. I have watched the Netflix series twice now and thought I would give this another try and I'm glad I did. I think that graphic novels in Kindle form really suck, but there was an update that allowed me to view each panel in full without scrolling or zooming in and out. Seeing the origins of the series have given me a better understanding of the storyline. I'm not certain if I will continue with the graphic novels of The Sandman but I'm glad I was able to read this one. The art is brooding and dark and beautiful, and the story highlights the childish behaviors of man.

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiolibro

[Ramón S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting beginning of Neil Gaiman’s approach to the Character of Sandman.
I want to read more of the series

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buenísimo. Ya continuaré el resto.

[Petergiaquinta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neil Gaiman’s Sandman just gets better and better every time I read it, and today I reread this first issue as soon as I finished watching the first episode of the Netflix series which has just begun streaming. The Sandman tells the story of Dream of the Endless, Morpheus the god of dreams and stories, and combines equal parts classical mythology with punk rock, Geoffrey Chaucer and Arthur Machen, the Gothic and the goth. Based on the first episode, the show seems good, too, and the first episode faithfully captures the characters, the mood and the tone of Gaiman’s graphic novel quite well. Truth be told, I was worried, because there is a lot to screw up here, but the show seems to have gotten it right.

Elsewhere on GoodReads I have called The Sandman the best graphic novel of all time, and I stand by that bold assertion. I began reading back in 1992 maybe, when a student loaned me a pile of the first issues and told me I needed to read them. He was right, and I faithfully went to the comic book store monthly after that for the next five years buying every issue until its conclusion. Since then, I have been waiting for an adaptation to the screen with much anticipation, along with fear and trembling.

These fears of mine go way way back to the late 1970s when The Incredible Hulk was my favorite comic, and I loved it more than nekkid ladies and Jesus combined. And so when CBS announced it would become a weekly TV series, I became quite excited, a feeling which lasted about ten minutes into the premier of that travesty of a shitshow starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. I was so disappointed that I pretty much swore off comics and television for the next decade or so. This was the greatest pop culture betrayal of my young lifetime. It was far worse than Bob Dylan embracing evangelical Christianity and releasing Slow Train Coming. It was just bitter sadness compounded with great disappointment.

Thus (perhaps?) you can understand my trepidation regarding Netflix’s release of Sandman Friday, especially after the last ten years reading about the various failed attempts at adapting it. I was excited, but I was worried because as rich and wonderful as Gaiman’s material is, it hasn’t always translated as well as it should in its jump to the screen. The uneven nature of American Gods on Starz is proof enough of that. But this first episode of Sandman did not disappoint.

I could quibble. I’m not really on board with how the show has introduced the Corinthian. And I really don’t understand why they have done what they did with Gregory. But those are minor points. An even more minor change, however, may become more important in the long run. There is no appearance in the first episode of Wesley Dodds, the crime fighting Golden Age Sandman, in 1916 when the pandemic of sleeping sickness sweeps the globe. And while that really doesn’t impact the storyline at all, it may signal something about the show’s eventual inability to truly capture the brilliance of Gaiman’s vision or the bold direction this comic took when first released.

The Sandman, published by DC as part of its Vertigo line in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, is groundbreaking both in the way that it redefined the superhero comic and the boost it gave the graphic novel to be taken more seriously as a literary form by mainstream readers. And really, maybe only Alan Moore’s Watchmen has the same stature and importance in comicdom. At the time, Gaiman’s story telling along with the artwork by Sam Keith and Mike Dringenberg was singularly original in the comics world, but Gaiman chose to place his stories and characters within the DC universe, and there are multiple cameos by figures like Dodds from DC comics, pop culture figures both wildly arcane and more recognizable, who take their place alongside those from the Midrash or Gnosticism. This is just one small part of the richness and texture that Gaiman has built into his Sandman comics which I hope they are able to sustain in the television show. Keep your fingers crossed, but the first episode, also titled “Sleep of the Just,” makes it seem like the show runners and scriptwriters are committed to carrying out Gaiman’s rich vision on the little screen.

[Vikas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb just awesome I wanted to read Sandman for such a long time so its to finally begin and what a wonderful beginning. Neil Gaiman is the thing. Well the story is given in the description but basically An Occultist tries to capture Death and instead captures some other entity who turns out to be Dream or rather God of Dreams and Nightmares. And he is kept in a glass globe for more than 70 years. Wonderful story.

Dreams are wonderful, so sleep and dream and when you are awake just keep on reading.

I have always loved comics, and I hope that I will always love them. Even though I grew up reading local Indian comics like Raj Comics or Diamond Comics or even Manoj Comics, now's the time to catch up on the international and classic comics and Graphic novels. I am on my quest to read as many comics as I can. I Love comics to bit, may comics never leave my side. I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.

[Gillyz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite writers. Although I've always wanted to read Sandman, I was a bit reluctant considering it has 75 volumes.
Last week however I decided to get all 75 volumes at once, now I have no more excuses :)

Loved the first volume, can't wait to read the whole series.

[Rolando S. Medeiros · Rating 4 out of 5]

''I will show you fear in a handful of dust.''

O anúncio da série de Sandman [Postscriptum de 2024: ainda não assisti] me impulsionou a fazer uma releitura, e vou aproveitar para ir atualizando aqui minha passagem pelas edições.

Nunca me interessei por heróis, por isso Sandman foi a primeira HQ pela qual eu consegui gostar verdade. Eu já lia mangás, mas até esse #1 de Sandman devia ter passado toda a minha adolescência sem ler uma unidade de quadrinho. Tinha um preconceito bobo com o formato. Foi então que Sandman, principalmente a edição definitiva que encontrei por aí, nas interwerbs, mudou essa história.

O Sono dos Justos é mais que um início com o pé direito. A abertura é interessantíssima, marcante, intrigante desde as primeiras páginas. Tem uma aura de horror permeando essas primeiras histórias que é muito magnetizante (como você pode perceber pela capa). Já ouvi dizer que para gostar de Sandman você devia entender todas aquelas referências a literatura, cultura popular, mitologia… mentira, eu me apaixonei por Sandman sem ter bagagem nenhuma de coisa nenhuma. Pensando bem, o mínimo de bagagem que eu tinha era já ter lido Deuses Americanos (também por causa da série), então talvez isso tenha facilitado, me deixando predisposto à mistura entre mundo moderno e elementos fantásticos que o Gaiman já mostrara para mim, naquele livro, gostar de fazer. Mas, nada além disso.

O objetivo dessa edição é apresentar o Sandman: aprendemos sobre suas capacidades, mitos ao redor de sua figura, e a importância dele por meio do impacto que sua ausência causa no mundo, influenciando muitos eventos importantes do Século XX.

A arte (Sam Kieth e Mike Drigenberg) tem aquele traço antigo forte (ou vintage, melhor dizendo), mas há painéis muito inteligentes e criativos; a escrita e os diálogos também são bem acima da média, tudo é muito cuidadoso, completo e instigante, principalmente o foco da edição: as histórias paralelas, ligadas unicamente pelo fato do Sonho ter sido aprisionado por um coven de feiticeiros. Eles queriam capturar outro membro de sua família, a irmã mais velha do Sonho, a Morte.

''For a moment Roderick Burgess is scared. He thinks of the effrontery of his action: to capture Death... to bind the Reaper... For a moment he hesitates. But only for a moment. The words of the spell toll inside his head. Burgess realizes that he couldn't stop now. Not even if he wanted to… ''

Detalhe para uma das primeiras cenas após a captura do Sonho, onde o desenho nos coloca visualmente, em primeira pessoa, no mesmo lugar que o Perpétuo, encarcerado dentro de um orbe com arte totalmente distorcida, enquanto a narrativa gira o mundo mostrando as consequências da falta do Sonho no mundo. Uma escolha muito inteligente, que une a escrita e o desenho em uma simbiose, e é uma das melhores cenas da primeira edição, junto da sequência das últimas páginas.

Gaiman mistura ficção e realidade, coincidindo fatos históricos e utilizando de pessoas reais para misturar tudo na sua narrativa. Prosseguimos, então, com um narrador onisciente, apresentando tudo que se passou enquanto o Sonho esteve aprisionado. O tempo, para aquele Perpétuo, é experimentado diferente, mas ainda o incomoda se ver preso, nu, dentro de uma caixa de vidro, sem comer ou dormir.

Daí, as consequências no mundo. Enquanto Daniel Bustamante começa a fazer de tudo para se manter desperto, tornando-se praticamente um morto que anda. Stefan, um adolescente na guerra, permanece tanto tempo em vigília que comete suicídio. Algumas pessoas ao redor do mundo, como Ellie Marsten acorda apenas duas vezes nos últimos dez anos, sempre clamando por sua mãe, e pensa ainda ter oito anos. Unity Kinkaid permanece presa num sono eterno, e para piorar, é estuprada, e tem um bebê, dado a adoção, tudo durante o sono.

A “Doença do Sono” se espalha, alguns apontam a causa para a guerra, outros para um vírus. Mas Roderick Burgess, o Lorde Magus, sabe muito bem a causa. A atmosfera sombria e melancólica dessas partes é incrível. Essa doença, também chamada de Encefalite Letárgica Epidêmica, realmente existiu e foi uma verdadeira epidemia na Europa.

Lorde Magus está a beira da morte, amargurado pelo envelhecimento. Sonho observa até que seu captor finalmente envelheça e morra, mas tira pouco prazer disso. Quem assume é seu filho, Alex, e a partir daí, por culpa de seu pai, tudo que Alex pode fazer é manter o Sonho preso e esperar até que ele se torne problema de outra pessoa, entregando as rédeas da organização para Paul McGuire, seu amigo de longa data.

Após mais de sete décadas de confinamento, um dos guardas pega no sono, e isso é a oportunidade de ouro que Morfeu precisava. Inicia-se então o clímax da edição: devido ao descuido do guarda, o Sonho finalmente consegue se libertar. Vemos ele pela primeira vez movimentando o enredo, demonstrando o seu poder como Perpétuo, mas, de certa maneira se aproximando das características humanas, já que seus primeiros desejos são se alimentar, se vestir e se vingar do homem que o prendeu. Mesmo além do tempo, o Sonho ainda é rancoroso e vingativo.

A sequência final é uma das melhores de Prelúdios e Noturnos (Primeiro Volume), com uma sequência labiríntica nos corredores da mansão onírica de Alex, numa belíssima montagem de envelhecimento e sentimentos humanos que fluem e passam, naquela perspectiva, em segundos.

Alex é seguido por um gato (que é o próprio sonho, e referência a uma edição futura) na estranha mansão. Ele desce até o porão, e a cada quadro ele vai rejuvenescendo (um paralelo com o desejo da imortalidade de seu pai), e quando dá enfim de frente com Morfeu, não passa de uma criança assustada. Em uma sequência de quadros maravilhosos, o Sonho finalmente fala diretamente pela primeira vez na edição, e é a vez de Alex cair em silêncio. Invertendo os papéis e encerrando em um ciclo perfeito.

O pesadelo do Eterno Despertar que Sandman joga sobre Alex é terrível, e a experiência do homem é reproduzida no leitor: você pensa que cada página é real, apenas para descobrir que não é. A sequência é de sonhos dentro de sonhos. No fim, o filho paga pelos pecados do pai, e a amoralidade do Morfeu, pelo menos aqui, torna a história dessa edição ainda melhor.

Devaneio vaga de sonho em sonho, alimentando-se com comida dos sonhos. Nesse meio tempo, as pessoas afetadas pela doença começam a despertar. Recobrando uma fração de sua força, ele decide recuperar as suas ferramentes, que Magus havia roubado, para reconstruir seu palácio, que agora não passa de escombros... É missão para as próximas edições.

Na minha opinião, Gaiman acertou em todos os aspectos. A escrita, horror, mistério, melancolia, sensibilidade, personagens. A vontade de devorar todas as edições de uma só vez é gigantesca, mas vou me segurar, para ir me atualizando aos poucos por aqui. Ah, e deixo minha recomendação, se também tinha o mesmo preconceito que eu com quadrinhos, vá ler Sandman!

[Sajjad Moradi · Rating 3 out of 5]

من خیلی اهل نقد نوشتن نیستم و چیزی هم قرار نیست بگم.
سَندمَن رو حدود 3 سال پیش دانلود کردم. اما تا امشب فرصت نشده بود که شروع کنم. قسمت 1 رو بالاخره خوندم و افتادم تو جاده ای که امیدوارم در انتها سفر خاطره انگیزی بشه. به یاد واچ مِن ، فرام هِل ، پریچِر و غیره

[Katherine (Kat) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Saba jahangiriyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

خیلی جالب بود داستانش😍❤💛

[Sam Infinity · Rating 3 out of 5]

The issue in which an immortal entity and the living personification of dreaming (otherwise known as Dream, Morpheus, and other names) gets summoned, robbed and then imprisoned inside a transparent prison. His captors never get the answers they sought after but they get far more than they bargained for.

The Good:
1 The story has some outstanding historical realism and gothic fantasy. Niel Gaiman uses a lot of allusions to events and people of the recent and distant past. Like the horror of the first world war, the trauma of losing one’s child in battle, and the influence of cult figures like Aleister Crowley. And then he crafts a dark and unfamiliar world on top of the familiar one. And in doing so, Gaiman is both subversive and entrancing in tone- he casts a spell on you. And the magic is just beginning.

2 The villains have depth. I feel Gaiman excels at creating great villains, they all have some form of humanity. For example, the villains here, Roderick Burgess and his son Alex have easy to understand and nuanced motivation. They aren’t cliché comic book villains, they don’t want to destroy the world out of pure evil. They are living with very human and authentic desires that we all endure. Like the ambition to be respected by one’s peers, gain a superior knowledge of the natural world, and not grow old and dye weakly. Their acts are monstrous, but they are only human.

The Bad:
1 The pacing is a bit of a slog. The issue is 41 pages long, and in those pages, 70 years pass, and multiple characters are introduced and then killed off; basically, it’s a lot for the story to contain. And because of that, it can be a little hard to follow. It feels especially redundant when one realizes that almost half of the characters introduced here don’t make a return appearance ever. Gaiman does an admirable job with the stories, but he was young and maybe a little too ambitious.

The End:

That’s it! Thank you for reading this far, for engaging with my opinion of this graphic novel, and for reading it if you choose to.

Thank you multiple Eisner award-winning DC editor and Vertigo founder Karen Berger! For granting almost total freedom of creative control to your writers. Including Gaiman and the many others who you worked with and helped inspire. You make this industry a better place for us all.

[3.5/5]

I'd also recommend: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

So it's the end of 2016 which was a shitty year so I decided hey! Why don't I try something new?

So I read the first Sandman and boy was it intense. I thought the illustrations had a certain dark beauty, enchanting but at the same time inclined to a bit of grotesque. Fitting for such a story I believe.

The story begins ex-abrupto, in 1917 where we see how the actions of one men influences the lives of many. It is a story or a warning for those striving to be more than men, more than their nature, but not in the good way. It is about hubris and of the forbidden art of things mortal aren't supposed to get involved in, especially if their intentions are selfish and malevolent. It also shows how they are punished.
In the end I think it was a great beginning for a great series.

[Shawn Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neil Gaiman decided to re-invent the character from DC Comics Universe. It was originally published in the 1940s but never been popular and well-liked. So, in 1980's, Neil was contacted by the female editor to suggest ideas and change the whole storyline, which he did. He was so creative with all characters, folklore, and all kinds of the mythos.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this is the frequently praised Sandman by Neil Gaiman. While the overall concept and vibe of this story are intriguing, I feel like the progression throughout this issue doesn't really pick up until the very end. Maybe that improves in subsequent issues. Will have to see.

[Alex Mayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quick read. I have heard a lot about Sandman but have never taken the time to look into. I am glad I did.

[S.M. Boyce]

Vivid, beautiful, and gripping. Both the artwork and story are spellbinding.

[Arbaz Fahad · Rating 4 out of 5]

My introduction to the sandman universe. The plot seems really interesting. Raring for more.

[saakshi⁷ (taylor’s version) ☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh my God, this is so good!!!! move, im in love 😭😭😭 FINALLY something in the fantasy genre that i CAMNOT WAIT TO CONTINUE OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!! ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

i just got done with two vivas, plus its literally raining + the amount of thunder, lightning and darkness right now omg. I AM IN THE MOOD FOR SOME DARK SCI FI FANTASY SHIT. LOVE THAT FOR ME!!!!!!

[Surabhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything about this book is stunning. The artwork, the use of mythology, the questions of morality and time. Something like this makes you appreciate the vast expanse of the imagination of human beings as a species.

[Farhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had nightmare. This Gaiman guy is creepy.

[Amirhossein Sharghi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing...Neil Gaiman always delivers
The story is full of creativity.
I can not put the respect I have for him into words.
But he is the God of all stories...
And you must read this