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Preludes & Nocturnes

(The Sandman #1)

Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author),

Sam Kieth (Illustrator)

Mike Dringenberg (Illustrator)

Malcolm Jones III (Illustrator)

Todd Klein (Letterer)

Karen Berger (Introduction/Editor)

4.24 · Rating details · 201,487 ratings · 5,984 reviews

New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman's transcendent series SANDMAN is often hailed as the definitive Vertigo title and one of the finest achievements in graphic storytelling. Gaiman created an unforgettable tale of the forces that exist beyond life and death by weaving ancient mythology, folklore and fairy tales with his own distinct narrative vision.

In PRELUDES ...more

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Hardcover, 233 pages

Published December 1st 1998 by Vertigo (first published 1989)

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Oct 29, 2018 Patrick rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-would-blurb, graphic-novels-you-should-read

So here's the thing...

I wrote the introduction to the 30th anniversary edition of The Sandman.

How absolutely *stupid* is that?

It's been half a year since I got the invitation, and months since I actually finished writing the introduction, but I still can't believe it.

To celebrate, I thought I'd write a review here. But rather than just my usual messy gush about how I love some story, I got permission from the publisher to re-print part of my introduction I wrote.

Share and enjoy...

**(What follows ...more

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Jan 18, 2014 Patrick rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-would-blurb, graphic-novels-you-should-read

First off, let's be clear, I'm a big soppy fan of Gaiman's Work.

Secondly, I've read the Sandman series several times before. So this is more a record of my fond re-reading and musing about this story rather than some sort of objective review.

But if you've read any of my other reviews, that won't come as a surprise.

I think it's been a full ten years since the last time I've read this series. And, given that my memory is, well... to put it plainly quite shit, I get to experience the series with ...more

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May 21, 2016 Bill Kerwin rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, graphic-novels, gothic

I thought it was time I added The Sandman. It fits precisely into my systematic program of reading. “Hold on!” I can hear all you folks out there saying. “ Your 'systematic program of reading'? Why you're one of the most eclectic readers I know!”

I can understand why you might feel that way, but there is a little method to my madness. Although it is true that some of the books I read (progressive political analyzes, slim 20th century verse collections, cat books, classic spiritual treatises, or t
I thought it was time I added The Sandman. It fits precisely into my systematic program of reading. “Hold on!” I can hear all you folks out there saying. “ Your 'systematic program of reading'? Why you're one of the most eclectic readers I know!”

I can understand why you might feel that way, but there is a little method to my madness. Although it is true that some of the books I read (progressive political analyzes, slim 20th century verse collections, cat books, classic spiritual treatises, or the occasional literary novel) do not fit within my grand plan, most of them do.

About ten years ago, I realized that many books I liked were from emerging, belittled or despised forms or genres: the Elizabethan popular stage play, the budding 18th century novel, the gothic romance, the Victorian bourgeois novel published in serial form, the novel of sensation, the decadent experiment, the adventure tale, the sea story, the spy story, the ghost story, the pulps (both mystery and terror), the space opera and other science fiction and fantasy of the '50's, the detective novel, and the modern horror tale. Whereas the writers of “literary fiction” are often too concerned with critical opinion, judiciously curbing their personal obsessions and producing unreadable “writerly” prose, the humble genre writer is more likely to give his “inner crazy” free rein, and either tell his eccentric story in no-nonsense fashion or--on occasion--let his plots and prose burgeon untrammeled, like a blooming meadow garden. At worst, the result is amusing, or odd; at best, it is something original, something new.

Not long ago, it occurred to me that—being too much a creature of words—I had neglected an obvious example of an emerging genre: the comic book of the late 80's, on its way to becoming the “graphic novel.” Since I'm already in love with Gaiman's American Gods, I decided to begin with The Sandman.

I am glad I did. The first eight numbers of Gaiman's series are, on the surface, a traditional quest story. Morpheus Lord of the Dreamworld, imprisoned for years by a sorcerer, goes searching for the objects of power—his helmet, his jewel, his pouch of dream-dust—so that he may once again exercise full power over his realm. But the stories it tells, and the genres in touches, range widely, from an Edwardian tale of an Aleister Crowley type sorcerer, a pulp EC Horror Cain and Abel anecdote, a contemporary British horror story of drug abuse, through a mythic descent into hell featuring an epic duel with demons, until it climaxes in a ghastly ordeal of modern horror (with a little meta-fiction thrown in) in which an escaped madman in a diner, in possession of the Dream Lord's mind manipulating jewel, brutalizes the restaurant's clientele for hours. The final number (“The Sound of Her Wings”)—perhaps the most elegant of the eight—is however, a kind of whimsical coda, introducing us to Dream's sister, the irreverent and down-to-earth Death.

I thought everything about this saga—story, dialogue, art—was well executed...except for one small detail. Gaiman chooses to make a reference to the DC universe (the Justice League of America, to be precise) in a way that breaks the spell of what otherwise would be a completely self-contained, transcendent and mythic journey. But that's the kind of thing that's bound to happen in emerging genres. People take risks.

Anyway, I'm hooked. On to Sandman, Volume 2: “The Doll's House”. ...more

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Jan 03, 2015 Sean Barrs rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: comic-graphic-novel, fantasy, darkness-horror-gothic, 5-star-reads

Mr Gaiman, thank you for the dream.

See what I did there? But in all fairness this is a dream. This comic is just everything I want a comic to be. It’s dark and brutal; it’s profound and sophisticated: it’s imaginative and creative. I just love everything about it. It’s superb. Let’s begin with the characters:

Dream

description

So the protagonist is a god, a very old god. And he represents one of the key elements of life itself: hope. He is everything the mind longs for. He is the reason to carry on livi ...more

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Jun 17, 2013 Alejandro rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: comic-book, horror, magic, paranormal

FanTABulous preluDe!

Creative Team:

Writer: Neil Gaiman

Illustrators: Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg & Malcolm Jones III

Covers: Dave McKean

Letterer: Todd Klein

A PRELUdE TO dREAM

It is NEVER “only a dream”, John Constantine.

Definitely there is stuff that if you read again, you’ll get it differently, but even so, you’ll get it differently if you re-read it again in a different order.

I am re-reading again the first four TPBs of The Sandman since I was able to buy the rest of TPBs of the series ...more

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Dec 16, 2014 Shelby *trains flying monkeys* rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: liburry-book, read-2014, comix-graphix

I need to admit something. I've never "gotten" Neil Gaiman's books. They confuse the hell out of me. I really never know where he is going with a story. *gasp*

This one was some freaky ass shit. Some old guy wants to perform a ceremony to capture "Death". Yeah..okay.
Anyways, he ends up capturing our guy Dream.
Dream bides his time. Then he wants his domain back. Then some more freaky ass shit goes down.

I see a whole lot of fangirls and boys on these books. Don't kill me yet. I hav ...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Bradley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

Re-Read 1/3/20:

Just as good as the previous reads. :)

Original Review:

I have to say I enjoyed this much better the second time around.

Both times I really got a kick out of the Crowley sidestory, and I still have no idea who or what the original sandman comic was all about, nor do I particularly care, but this reimagining is a real work of art.

It's not even the art, per-se, although I did enjoy seeing Bowie as Satan. It fits him so well. It was the story. It seemed to stumble about for a short wh ...more

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Mar 25, 2008 Brad rated it really liked it

Shelves: graphic-novel, horror, fantasy, speculative, popular-culture, weird

Since joining goodreads, I’ve been baffled by the Neil Gaiman love fest. American Gods, Neverwhere, Stardust, The Graveyard Book, they appear to be universally loved, and I’ve been skeptical of this emotion that borders on worship. These books are good and all, and I recognize their general accessibility, but I don’t personally find any of them mind blowing literature. Gaiman’s prose is no match for China Mieville’s or Iain M. Banks’ or Ursula LeGuin’s (and countless others who write speculative ...more

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May 22, 2012 Kirstine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: comics-and-graphic-novels, fantasy, 1-men, own, reviewed, r-2017

"I am anti-life, the beast of judgement. I am the dark at the end of everything. The end of universes, Gods, worlds... of everything. And what will you be then, Dreamlord?"

"I am hope."

This is my favourite quote from this book, and one of my favourite quotes in general. It's beautiful. And true, thank god, so true.

I really liked this book. I've wanted to read The Sandman for a long time, and after this I'm beginning to grasp why it's become so popular.

You can tell that this is a prelude to the ...more

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May 11, 2014 Will M. rated it liked it

Shelves: graphic-novels, 2015, fantasy

One of those graphic novels that are so famous and hyped up that it makes you want to read them. The consequence though would be that expectations tend to rocket up. I am more disappointed than entertained.

I've read 2 novels of Neil Gaiman. I hated Stardust, while Ocean was a mediocre read for me. I DNF(did-not-finish) American Gods and Graveyard Book because I got bored. The Sandman was not that great for me. I think I have to conclude soon enough that I honestly don't see what's so good about ...more

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Sep 22, 2018 Johann (jobis89) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

“I am hope.”

A man named Roderick Burgress wants to prevent death in the world by summoning and capturing Death – but what he ends up with is Dream instead. Dream is imprisoned for 70 years and loses his tools that give him his power. Upon Dream’s release he must embark on a journey to retrieve his tools before the world falls into turmoil.

I’ve been so psyched to read the Sandman series since I first heard about it on bookstagram. It’s considered by many to be the pinnacle of graphic novels - an ...more

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Aug 31, 2019 Ms. Smartarse rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Ms. Smartarse by: Roxana Chirilă

Shelves: part_of_a_series, graphic-novel, action-adventure, fantasy, cover-love, rave, late_xx_century, psychological

Dream (a.k.a. the Sandman) is mistakenly captured by a creepy cult, that had been hoping to bind Death. Attempting to make the most of their failure, the cultists try to persuade Dream to do their bidding, but he refuses to even acknowledge them. Instead, he bides his time until his captors make a mistake... 72 years later.

failed capture

I loved the story, especially the first chapter where the effects of Dream's imprisonment on humanity are depicted. For all that I'm not big on horror and gore, I was positive ...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Lyn rated it liked it

Preludes and Nocturnes is the first entry of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman series and in it he introduces the main protagonist, Dream, also known as Morpheus, and also unveils an imaginative storyline.

Written in collaboration with graphic novel artists Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, and Malcolm Jones III, the medium illuminates his creativity and expands the reader’s perceptions of his vision.

The Sandman concept promises an occult, fantastic journey into dreams, Hell, and an intimate association wit ...more

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Jan 03, 2020 Trish rated it it was amazing

Why, hello. Sandman, Morpheus, Lord of Dreams. This is the first we see of Gaiman's Eternal (one of seven god-like beings).

In this first volume we see how ~~Alastair Crowley~~ High Mage Burgess accidentally captures Dream instead of his sister Death and imprisons him for the next 70 years or so. However, you can't just remove an Eternal as they have responsibilities. Thus, the world and everyone in it suffers severely. Since Dream refuses to give Burgess what he craves, he remains a prisoner until l Why, hello. Sandman, Morpheus, Lord of Dreams. This is the first we see of Gaiman's Eternal (one of seven god-like beings).

In this first volume we see how ~~Alastair Crowley~~ High Mage Burgess accidentally captures Dream instead of his sister Death and imprisons him for the next 70 years or so. However, you can't just remove an Eternal as they have responsibilities. Thus, the world and everyone in it suffers severely. Since Dream refuses to give Burgess what he craves, he remains a prisoner until long after Burgess is dead. Then, an opportunity presents itself and he breaks free.
The problem? When they locked him up, they took three objects from him that hold part of his power. Fans of a certain young wizard will recognize the idea of storing part of your soul/power in objects - and no, I don't mind if the author actually took her idea from this one and made it her own. Because this is different. Because Dream is ... well, eternal as the name suggests (so he doesn't store parts of himself in objects for the same reason as YouKnowWho). He doesn't die until the end of all things when his sister turns off the lights and closes up shop behind everyone. Instead, it's about his abilities. And, naturally, he needs to get the objects back in order to repair the damage done to the world during his absence.
Thus we follow him on a quest to retrieve a pouch filled with dream sand, a ruby and his mask.

Since this is volume 1 of 10, I think we all can guess how the quest goes. However, as is most often the case, the way is much more important than the final destination (excuse the pun).
And along the way, here, we meet other DC characters such as John Constantine or Lucifer Morningstar before even someone as powerful as an Eternal gets dressed down by his older sister. *sniggers*

Seriously, I love Dream but I LOVE Death. She is so cool (and not just because of her love for Mary Poppins).

*clears throat*
Back to the main story though: The art is nothing spectacular. Sometimes it's borderline ugly even. I'm told it is the typical art of 1989. I wouldn't know. But the story. Oh, the story! It's solid as hell (sorry, another pun). It's riveting, thrilling, funny in a very macabre sort of way, and deeply mystical. There are A LOT of references to history, mythology, movies / TV shows and other DC comics. I had to look up one or two such references, but mostly I understood because Neil Gaiman probably wanted to ensure anyone could follow and enjoy this tale.

So don't hold your breath regarding the panels, but don't let that discourage you; do get sucked into the Realm of Dreams by the quality of the writing. I definitely will and can't wait for the next adventure.

...more

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Jul 26, 2016 Celeste rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novels

I first read this a couple of years ago, and it was one of the first graphic novels I read. Even though I love me some Gaiman, I have to admit that I didn’t love this. It seemed so incredibly dark when I first read it. Since that time, I’ve read many more graphic novels, most of which have been dark. I decided to revisit this series to see if I still found as dark as I did originally.

Yes. Yes, I do.

The plot of the first few issues didn’t bother me. Dream’s story and search were compelling. Wher ...more

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May 28, 2009 Anne rated it really liked it

Shelves: neil-gaiman, comics, graphic-novels, read-in-2009

I liked the beginning, when Dream was captured. The mystical elements held my attention. However, the middle of it kind of grossed me out. Especially the part in with Dee in the diner. EWWWW. The end of Preludes and Nocturnes totally made up for it, though. I loved Death! How cool is she?! Whoever came up with the idea to make Death a peppy little goth girl was a genius!

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Jul 10, 2009 Brooke rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novels-read

In the foreword and the afterword, both the editor and Gaiman indicated that this isn't the strongest volume in the Sandman series; Gaiman was still finding his vision for the series, it's essentially a fetch quest, etc. I'm inclined to agree with them, although it was still enjoyable (as any video game fan will tell you, a fetch quest can still be fun, but it's not the strongest narrative device). I'm halfway through Volume 2: The Doll's House and I'm already finding the story much more interes ...more

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Aug 29, 2014 Hershey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fun-fun-fun, graphic-novels, heights-of-awesomeness, 2015-reads, fantasy, favourites

Once I was all done with this book, my very first thought was "This book is really weird."

Neil Gaiman, as all of you know, is a God at creating the most intricate and best of all story worlds. Honestly, every time I pick up his books, I never have a single clue with where he's going to take the readers with his story lines. Reading the blurb seriously does not help. Gaiman's works always have depth and much more stuff going on than what the blurb normally says.

So, I finally have gotten around to ...more

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Sep 08, 2014 Sh3lly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-more-than-once, read-2015, fantasy, 4-stars, graphic-novels-comics

Decided to re-read this since my library had it. I haven't read this since the 90s. I don't remember anything about it so far. It's kind of like all brand new and sparkly. And creepy. Yes, definitely creepy, in a good way.

And now here's a random Bowie gif that reminded me of this for some reason:

I'm keeping my original rating. This was fantastic. I like how he worked a few superheroes into it and (view spoiler) This is adult comics at its bes ...more

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Jan 07, 2017 Anuradha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: all-the-stars-in-the-universe, comics-graphic, dissssstopia, literary-gasm, masters-of-mystery, drama-drama-drama, it-s-a-kind-of-magic, may-the-force-be-with-you, thrillllllls-and-chillllllls, men-i-fell-in-love-with

POPSugar Reading Challenge: #39. The first book in a series I haven't read before

The air is musty, tired, old, it smells of lost dreams and rotten fabric.

I would have to sell my kidney and part of my liver to acquire this. Fortunately, I have a friend who has a copy, so my organs are safe. Now, whether or not he sold his organs to buy this is unknown to me, but I am glad he has the book.

Now, I am no longer a Gaiman virgin; I've read a fair few of his riveting stories. And yet, his knowledg POPSugar Reading Challenge: #39. The first book in a series I haven't read before

The air is musty, tired, old, it smells of lost dreams and rotten fabric.

I would have to sell my kidney and part of my liver to acquire this. Fortunately, I have a friend who has a copy, so my organs are safe. Now, whether or not he sold his organs to buy this is unknown to me, but I am glad he has the book.

Now, I am no longer a Gaiman virgin; I've read a fair few of his riveting stories. And yet, his knowledge, and also the way he uses his knowledge of mythology and combines it with humour and fantasy never ceases to baffle me. Also, because I haven't per se reviewed a comic or a graphic novel before, I must take this opportunity to admit that it's a lot harder than reviewing a novel or any other book with just words, mostly because there's so much more going on! I've read comic books for a long time now, and though I see myself as more of a Marvel girl, I found myself rubbing my hands in glee each time I saw a familiar name.

I love pop culture references, subtle double entendres, and this book, much like every book by Gaiman is chock-full of them. Mortals, belonging to the Order of Ancient Mysteries, more specifically, Roderick Burgess, Lord Magus of the Order, accidentally captures Dream, in his attempt to capture his older sister Death and become all-powerful. Wych Cross, England. Roderick Burgess's waking dreams are full of the power and the glory. And of Death, of course. Especially Death.

"They will no longer make jokes Alex. When Death is at my command."

Of course, as is the result of such fundamentally system-altering act, things begin to get really weird. Of course, because it's Neil Gaiman writing for DC, it becomes weirder than weird. People fell asleep and did not wake up... They lived their lives like sleepwalkers; eating if fed, sometimes talking nonsense, dream stuff... People like Unity Kinkaid for whom the Sands of Time stopped flowing sometime half a century earlier lived like this for seventy long years. Not dead, but not really alive either. The Universe did try to compensate, the Universe knows someone is missing and slowly it attempts to replace him , what with Wesley Dodds, who sleeps the Sleep of the Just. With the death of Roderick Burgess 1863-1947 Not Dead, only Sleeping , his son Alex comes to power as the...master (?) of Dream, until, as luck would have it, Dream escapes. What are mortals to the Endless, after all?

"Confined in a glass box for three score years and ten. A human lifetime. Time moves no faster for my kind than it does for humanity, and in prison it crawled at a snail's pace... I was...I am...the Lord of this realm of Dream and Nightmare."

After punishing Alex as he very well should, "It was more tiring than I had expected. But he will never return to the life he knew. His is the nightmare everlasting...Eternal waking" , and chastising humans for being utter eejits, "What? You wanted Death? Then consider yourself lucky for the sake of your species and your petty planet that you did not succeed...that instead you snared Death's younger brother..." our hero tries to get his life (and by extension, that of humanity) back in order.

Dream breaks the fourth wall, so to speak, and his inner monologue is dignified, noble even, at the same time, very dry and humourless. "I have always been solitary, but here on the nightward shores of dream, loneliness washes over me in waves, lapping and pulling at my spirit." His thoughts are mostly deep and profound, "Beyond, outside my dreamworld there is infinite dust, infinite dark. And the dreamworld is infinite, although it is bounded on every side" and if I'd known him personally, I'd probably not have been too fond of him. He was, in simple words, boring. "The dreams that pass through the Gates of Ivory are lies, figments, and deceptions. The other admits the Truth. No one guards the horned gate anymore. I remember the Way of the Old."
Wise? Yes. You threatened, cajoled and pleaded for gifts that are neither mankind's to receive, nor mine to give. You had no thought to the harm you must have brought to your world... Lord, what fools these mortals be."

"I find myself wondering about humanity. Their attitude to my sister's gift is so strange. Why do they fear the sunless lands? It is as natural to die as it is to be born. But they fear her, dread her. Feebly they attempt to placate her. They do not love her. ... My sister has a function to perform, even as I do. The Endless have their responsibilities. I have responsibilities.

"It is never "only a dream", John Constantine. Here less than some other places...

All is real. Nothing is real.

And of course, my personal favourite. First food. Then clothing Because always, always, food wins the battle. As it should.

Kindly? Yes. "Through your dreams, my sleeping children, you had a passenger, and you never knew."

But boring? Also, yes. I left a monarch, yet I return naked, alone, hungry.

"I sift it (sand) through my fingers. Feel each grain of it. Inexhaustible. Endless. Like myself, like the few others of my kind. Endless."

Nevertheless, I found myself chuckling as he chalked out his, er, plan, to get his belongings back. Because, of course, who else was involved but the Justice League of America. "There are things I do not know about this 'Justice League'. More than mere humans, eh...? The Englishman, then, John Constantine. He has the pouch--or he knows where it is. And he is just a man. ... He is, after all, just a human. Just one human. What could possibly go wrong?"

Neil Gaiman seamlessly transitions between the inner monologues of his many...narrators, and the end result is beautiful. Take Constantine, for instance. "These things with faces like appendectomy scars were crocheting my intestines into body bags for the blind and dead. I told myself it was only a dream, but it did not matter. The bastards just kept on bloody knitting." He says of a nightmare. For something that is supposed to give me nightmares, I found myself grinning instead. I nearly peed myself when he makes a Swamp Thing reference. "I ought to introduce you to the big green bloke.You'd like him. He hasn't got a sense of humour either." Of course, because of my familiarity with John Constantine, and also because he's tons more fun than Dream, I had more fun where Constantine was the narrator. His inner monologue was human, sometimes redundant, yet completely relevant. "One thing I've learned - you can know anything. It's all there. You just have to find it.

'S weird: Smells are a hotline to memory.

"Uh, we'll stick together, won't we?" , he says at one point, because he thinks he's in a real life horror movie, and I find myself thinking "ya know, that's exactly what I would say."

He sasses Dream more than once, and because of Dream's stoic demeanour, it's hilarious. "Anyway, I was fond of Rachel once. She was, you know, the girl of my dreams. For a while.

"So. Where are you going now?" "To Hell..." "Hehhh. Aren't we all, mate? Aren't we all?

And of course, I should probably end with a bit of Constantine wisdom, because we all need it. You don't call him (Dream). His kind just turn up out of the blue. They call you.

Dream, in his Dreamland is assisted by many, including the proverbial (should I say Biblical?) Cain and Abel. "I'm Abel my Lord. From the first, hmm, story. The, er, victim."

"That's me, yer Worship. Purveyor of Penny Dreadfuls, Shilling shockers, blood and thunders and Fust-rate nightmares."

In the nature of Shakespearean jesters, Cain and Abel provide some much needed comic relief. You...Button Burster! You low-down, spying, peeking, prying, butterfingered-" , until of course, everything turns dark again. Even the pain feels better than the cold of death.

Hell is Hell, as it should be, We travel to the summit past vasty halls that echo of screams and grunts and sighs and dust. Up the stairs that run with sweet blood , but with his classic wisdom, Dream bests everyone. "What power would Hell have if those here imprisoned were not able to dream of heaven?"

There are many ways to lose the oldest game. Failure of nerve, hesitation... Being unable to shift into a defensive shape. Lack of imagination.

My favourite part, of course is with Dr. Destiny. "Dee is for lots of things. Death. Dust. Darkness. Demons." Confined to Arkham Asylum (there's a cameo appearance by the Scarecrow, ""It is a comfort in wretchedness to have companions in woe." Marlowe. Faust. Of course, he was talking about Hell. But it applies equally to Arkham. Heheh" by the way, and it is splendid) after his dirty deeds, Johnny Dee escapes, with a little help from his mother. In all his incredible insane glory, Dr. Destiny is a delight to read about.
"What are you waiting for?" "Oh, you know. The usual. The end of the world." There is something about these classic villains that make them so...lovable.

Of course, the materioptikon makes an appearance, though that's not his weapon of choice here. It's more powerful, more destructive than that "So go my little love. Touch the world. Eat their hearts and poison their dreams. Rip their nightmares into the daylight and scum their sleep with creeping fear." A part of me wanted to see him win, just for kicks, but well, that would've been rather sad after a point. Listen: you can hear the screaming. ... Listen. Listen: You can hear sobbing. ... Listen to the anguish of a world in which the bad things are coming out of the dark places. Listen to a world in pain. Listen. You can hear it. ... Listen to the rushing rivers of blood, flowing downwards in a warm torrent. The blood of the weak. Of the helpless. Of the mad. Listen. You can hear it. ... Silence washes like a river over Arkham. No sounds of screaming, no sobbing, no noises of pain or madness. Just peace. The only noise is the gentle, even cadence of people asleep. In, out, in, out. Listen. You can hear it."

Dee is, of course, full of his own kind of wisdom. "People think dreams aren't real because they aren't made of matter, of particles. Dreams are real. But they are made of viewpoints of images, of memories and puns and lost hopes." And of course, full of his dreams to become the king of the world. "I'm the King of Dreams. Of everything. But it's funny. I always thought when I became King...I thought there would be applause. I thought someone would say something."

Death, Dream's older sister, finally makes an appearance. I love her! From the way she reprimands her brother for being a self-pitying arse "You are utterly the stupidest, most self-centered, appallingest excuse for an anthropomorphic personification on this or any other plane. An infantile, adolescent, pathetic specimen. Feeling all sorry for yourself because your little game is over, and you haven't got the--the balls to go and find a new one!" to the way she handles the delicate nature of her job, "...Gets me down too. Mostly they aren't too keen to see me. They fear the sunless lands. But they enter your realm each night without fear." "And I am far more terrible than you, sister" , Death was pretty damn cool.

Here's some food for thought for aspiring writers: All Bette's stories have happy endings. That's because she knows where to stop. She's realized the real problem with stories. If you keep them going long enough, they always end in death. Or not. I just liked the quote, honestly.

And finally, the best part. Pop culture references.
"Said Tweedledum, "When you're only one of the things in his dream, you know very well you're not real."" Every kid needs Alice in Wonderland. Just like every story needs a raven reference. "The Raven Woman has decayed badly. She lives only in nightmares...

We see Paul McGuire reading Stephen King's IT at some point.

Ella Fitzgerald really is immortal. Dream a little dream of me... is apparently Constantine's theme song.

We also have appearances from the Golden Age Sandman, Etrigan, Mister Miracle and Martian Manhunter. Be still my beating heart. Also, I don't really know how to review comic books. ...more

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Oct 22, 2016 Carol rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: comics, read-2016, graphic-novel, fantasy

Ok, this is cool. (do people still say cool?) Preludes & Nocturnes is the first of twelve in THE SANDMAN series that I have put off reading far too long.....

It begins June 6, 1916 in Wych Cross, England.....

In an attempt to capture and bind DEATH to achieve immortality, the creepy looking and evil Daemon King, Roderick Burgess mistakenly apprehends her brother DREAM instead.....

DREAM (Morpheus) is robbed of his powers, but will not talk....."Confined in a glass box for three score years and ten.

...more

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Oct 31, 2013 Terry rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, comics, horror

3 – 3.5 stars

Ok, so, The Sandman. Ground breaking comic series from the early days of DC’s innovative Vertigo line. One of the many comics of the era that was trying to do new (or at least different) things with the medium and even went so far as to not only NOT be primarily a superhero book, but one that had elements that hearkened back to the old days of anthology comics in addition to telling the serialized life story of the ‘hero’. I know I’m in the minority here, and I will admit that my op 3 – 3.5 stars

Ok, so, The Sandman. Ground breaking comic series from the early days of DC’s innovative Vertigo line. One of the many comics of the era that was trying to do new (or at least different) things with the medium and even went so far as to not only NOT be primarily a superhero book, but one that had elements that hearkened back to the old days of anthology comics in addition to telling the serialized life story of the ‘hero’. I know I’m in the minority here, and I will admit that my opinion is based on one bad experience and a subsequent lack of desire to make further attempts, but to me The Sandman series of comics represents the apex of Neil Gaiman’s writing. As far as I can see it was in The Sandman that Gaiman not only made his name in the industry (a name that would ultimately pave his way out of comics and into not only the world of prose, but also as something of a genre celebrity), but it’s also where he developed the style, preoccupations, and motifs that would come to characterize, in one form or another, all of his later works.

“Preludes and Nocturnes” is the first storyline of the comic, taking up the first eight issues of the monthly run. In it we have Gaiman starting with the name of a golden age superhero and creating a new character based on its mythological antecedents. Taking a cue from Zelazny’s Amber chronicles Gaiman then built up a backstory for Morpheus, the godlike king of dreams, and made him part of a fractious and dysfunctional family known as ‘the Endless’…though most of that is (with one major exception) only alluded to in hints and asides in the first story arc and will be developed more fully later in the series, ultimately becoming the lynchpin of the tale of this version of the Sandman. What Gaiman does centre on in this arc are the horror anthology roots of his story as well as the set-up for Morpheus’ quest to regain his lost place and powers. It appears that some naughty occultists of the early 20th century (think Aleister Crowley and his Golden Dawn cronies) want to capture Death and rule the world. Instead they end up trapping her younger brother Dream, with disastrous results for many people who are no longer able to sleep, dream, or hope. Unable to extort power or promises from their silent victim they instead steal from him the artifacts he carried and leave him imprisoned both physically and spiritually on the mortal plane. Of course, things can’t remain thus and through the passage of time and loosening of vigilance Morpheus is finally able to escape and wreak vengeance on the mortals that dared imprison him. The next step is a standard quest narrative as the Sandman, weakened by years of imprisonment and the loss of his artifacts (into which he had poured much of his being and power…shades of Tolkien there), travels from the mortal plane to the realm of hell in an attempt to regain his tools and place in the cosmos. Standing in his way are both the triumvirate that rules hell and its legions of demons and the demented mind of a minor supervillain whose tinkering with the vast powers of Dream could end not only one of the Endless, but the world as we know it. We also get a coda to Morpheus’ quest in which we meet his older sister Death (an ironically upbeat reaper and perennial fan-favourite for the duration of the series who spawned a few spin-offs of her own) and get a glimpse into the role this strange family plays in the cosmos.

I like what Gaiman has done here, inserting many easter eggs and call outs to various elements of the DC universe (and the more esoteric aspects of our own), but still bringing to it his own point of view and building upon it his own mythology. Whether it’s a sly call-out to the origins of Morpheus’ golden age hero namesake, a visit to the JLI embassy to intrude upon the lives and dreams of two of its members, or the insertion of a pair of characters from an old horror anthology comic as members of Morpheus' retinue in the now shattered land of dreams, Gaiman has done his homework and incorporated it into some admirable worldbuilding. I definitely noticed that this first arc of The Sandman was fairly heavy in its use of horror elements with many gruesome deaths and a lot of macabre imagery (as opposed to the strong fantasy flavour that came to dominate the later story arcs). Knowing where the story is heading also made this read an interesting one, as references to characters and events that will come to loom large in the story of Morpheus are things that I certainly missed my first time around, though they now give an added depth and reality to what Gaiman has penned. Why only 3 - 3.5 stars? Probably because the more gruesome aspects of the story didn’t appeal to me as much and I know things are going to get even better. This was a good start, but Morpheus has a long, and interesting, road ahead of him. Also, even this early it’s obvious that Morpheus is a bit of a prig so I don’t always sympathize with him as the protagonist. He’s ultimately much more interesting as a vehicle for the stories of others than as the ‘hero’ of his own. Of course, given his role in the multiverse that is altogether appropriate. ...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Rowena rated it it was amazing

Shelves: graphic-novels

I really enjoyed this one, although some parts were pretty grotesque and hard to take. The story was very interesting, philosophical at times, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I found it quite funny that the Dream Lord resembles Neil Gaiman so much!

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Dec 27, 2019 K. Elizabeth rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: comics-and-manga, horror, 4-stars, imaginative, fiction, original-idea, reviewed, fantasy, kindle

Very interesting. I loved the artwork and colors used. The story, too, was quite original!

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Oct 16, 2011 Sam Quixote rated it liked it · review of another edition

I read this one some 10 years or so ago when I was slowly returning to comics and, having re-read it now, I still maintain that Preludes and Nocturnes is a poor place to start with this series - though it’s a decent book.

My first time around, I read Sandman totally out of sequence starting with Vol 3, then Vol 5, then a couple more volumes (I was just grabbing whatever was on the shelves that week!) and I read Vol 1 towards the end thinking what an unimpressive first volume it was.

I’d recommen ...more

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Mar 08, 2018 Ayman Gomaa rated it really liked it

Shelves: comics

English & Arabic Review :

I heard Neil Gaiman is one of the strangest authors with crazy imagination mind.
Now after i read to him he is stranger than i even thought :)

The Sandman Comic is so madness and captivating

At first i was like oooohhh this is weird
Then i was like WTF is going up here !
Now i am so dazzled and puzzled

Neil Gaiman created a freak dark brutal world
this comic was so dark so bloody and what the drawings was so fabulous and very good .

it starts with occultist who tries to English & Arabic Review :

I heard Neil Gaiman is one of the strangest authors with crazy imagination mind.
Now after i read to him he is stranger than i even thought :)

The Sandman Comic is so madness and captivating

At first i was like oooohhh this is weird
Then i was like WTF is going up here !
Now i am so dazzled and puzzled

Neil Gaiman created a freak dark brutal world
this comic was so dark so bloody and what the drawings was so fabulous and very good .

it starts with occultist who tries to capture death but instead he captured dream lord " Morpheus "
kept him in prison for 70 years until he escaped to find his realm has been destroyed
he intended to go search for his lost tools of power to get back his strength again

Now enter Neil Gaiman to make it so beautifully one of it kind

The story interacts with alot of Dc World members

To find his First tool he went to John Constantine

To find his Second tool he went to hell and meet Lucifer
To find his third tool he went to justice league members

Volume one includes issues from 1-8
it starts slow but then it was so captivating and chilling
issues No 3-5-8 was the best in my opinion .

I entered this weird world and now i am obsessed .

and i wish to see more of Dream's Sister Death <3

Arabic Review :

الواحد سمع عن كتابات نيل جايمن و غرابه العوالم اللى بيخلقها من دماغه
و اخيرا قدرت ادخل عالم من عوالمه عن طريق الكوميكس

رجل الرمل " سيد الاحلام" كوميكس من عالم غريب
فى البدايه ممكن تكرها و تحسها غريبة و خاصة انها تمس الهه و الجحيم
لكن بعد كده بتدخلك عالم تانى سوداوى دموى من ناحية و لكن ممتع جدا " انا مش مجنون" ما علينا
بما ان ده اول ريفيو عربى للكوميك ف انا حاحاول على قدر الامكان انى لا احرق الاحداث

الكوميك بيبدا ب شخص بيحاول يستدعى الموت حتى يعطيه حياة ابدية و لكنه يستدعى سيد الاحلام اخو الموت الاصغر
و يحبسه لمدة 70 عام على امل ان يوصل للموت او سر الخلود
بعد 70 عام يهرب سيد الاحلام ليعود لعالمه ليجده تم تدميره و اهماله بعدما تركه مدة كبيرة

ليبدا فى رحلة بحث عن ادوات القوة الخاصة به ليسترجع قوته و مكانة عالم الاحلام

لحد هنا القصة عادية و لكن نيل جايمان بيدخل عوالم دى سى فى بعض

يبدا سيد الاحلام رحلته و يرصد ادواته واحدة فى الجحيم يمتلكها شيطان
و اخرى بحوزة جون كونستاتين طارد الارواح و الشياطين " من اهم شخصيات دى سى " و تم انتاج فيلم عنه

و اخرى مع doctor Destiny من الد اعداء Jusitce League

القصة مبهرة و الرسومات كانت روعة
النهاية كانت رائعة مع دخول شخصية الموت التى كانت اكثر من رائعة

كوميكس غريب جدا لمحبى الغرابة xD ...more

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May 11, 2013 Algernon (Darth Anyan) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2013, comics

Sandman has been on my radar for years. In a way I'm glad I've waited, because now that I've read 4 or 5 of the author's other books, I have a better idea of his style and thematic preferences and I can appreciate better how innovative and original his approach to the sequential art medium is. Urban fantasy that doesn't limits itself to crime investigations and vampires versus werewolves, superheroes that are fallible and make mistakes, adult content that doesn't drown you in bad language, nudi ...more

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Oct 10, 2017 James DeSantis rated it really liked it

At first I wasn't sure if this was going to be for me. It starts off slow, weird, lots of words but very little meaning connecting for me. Then...after issue 2, we get into the goods.

So what's Sandman? Well besides being one of the most talked about and beloved series it's about the king of dreams. You know death right? You know Lucifer right? Well let me tell you, there's also DREAM and he's pretty much just as scary.

So after years of being imprisoned Dream escapes his shackles. Once doing so ...more

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May 09, 2020 Zitong Ren rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, adult, 2020, action, fantasy, diverse, graphic-novels

I honestly don't really know as to how to review this book.

I actually had no idea that this was essentially a superhero comic set in the DC universe. All I knew before going into it was that it is immensely popular and that Gaiman wrote it, who I know as a fantasy author. So in a sense, imagine my surprise when they mentioned Batman and the Justice League. I've actually never read any superhero comics before.

So yeah, there's that.

The artwork was actually so gruesome dark for essentially the en I honestly don't really know as to how to review this book.

I actually had no idea that this was essentially a superhero comic set in the DC universe. All I knew before going into it was that it is immensely popular and that Gaiman wrote it, who I know as a fantasy author. So in a sense, imagine my surprise when they mentioned Batman and the Justice League. I've actually never read any superhero comics before.

So yeah, there's that.

The artwork was actually so gruesome dark for essentially the entire novel right from the start, which threw me off a little bit. The only graphic novels I've read are the three volumes of Heartstopper and Pumpkinheads, which are both YA contemporaries, which is very different to this book.

I definitely would like to say I liked it, but I honestly don't know my feelings on the book since it's a first for me and I don't really know what to think. I just expected it to be a darkish fantasy graphic novel and instead got some incredibly graphic superhero comic instead and I dunno. It's a hard one for me to rate since I think I mostly liked it, but I know people always say that this is the epitome of graphic novels and I don't have anything to compare to, so like I can't say if this is my favourite comic or not when I haven't read any, if you get my gist.

The character work was certainly interesting, but I feel like I do prefer normal novels where you can really get into the head of a character to really see what they may be thinking about, than this format as everything really is on the dialogue and artwork.

I also can't judge if the artwork is phenomenal or not, as it is very different to the very limited experience that I have with graphic novels.

I'm just going to give it three stars for now, since overall, I liked it, but didn't love it. I'm sure if I ever get to more comics, which if I do, won't be a whole lot as it isn't really a genre I'm overly interested in at this point, I will likely change my thoughts on this, but until then, I feel like it is a three for someone like me who has nothing to compare it to and am simply going of personal taste and experience. ...more

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Mar 29, 2017 Obsidian rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: tbr-2017, favorites

There really is not much to say besides how much I loved this graphic novel from beginning to end. I am glad that I just went and bought the first three novels. My library didn't have this copy, but also the one I read (volume 2) was much older and with these new editions I bought, I can see a lot easier while reading.

In "Preludes and Nocturnes" I get to see how Dream got locked away and how that impacted the world. I wish now that I had read this volume before volume 2 since now certain things ...more

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
I Read The Sandman: Nocturnes and Preludes and loved it	1	3	Jul 08, 2020 01:43AM
does the sandman get better after preludes and nocturnes	2	16	Feb 27, 2020 02:52PM
Opinion: Preludes And Nocturnes is the worst volume of THE SANDMAN	1	29	Oct 02, 2019 06:14AM
I Read The Sandman: Nocturnes and Preludes and loved it	1	5	Sep 28, 2019 04:54PM
Graphic Novel of the Week Discussion Thread: "The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes" by Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith, and Mike Dringenberg	1	8	Sep 23, 2019 04:00AM

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About Neil Gaiman

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Dragons, demons, kings, queens, and the occasional farm boy (with a special destiny, of course): Fantasy literature has it all! To celebrate ou...

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Quotes from Preludes & Nocturnes

“You get what anybody gets - you get a lifetime.” — 2452 likes

“CHORONZON: I am a dire wolf, prey-stalking, lethal prowler.

MORPHEUS: I am a hunter, horse-mounted, wolf-stabbing.

CHORONZON: I am a horsefly, horse-stinging, hunter-throwing.

MORPHEUS: I am a spider, fly-consuming, eight legged.

CHORONZON: I am a snake, spider-devouring, posion-toothed.

MORPHEUS: I am an ox, snake-crushing, heavy-footed.

CHORONZON: I am an anthrax, butcher bacterium, warm-life destroying.

MORPHEUS: I am a world, space-floating, life-nurturing.

CHORONZON: I am a nova, all-exploding... planet-cremating.

MORPHEUS: I am the Universe -- all things encompassing, all life embracing.

CHORONZON: I am Anti-Life, the Beast of Judgment. I am the dark at the end of everything. The end of universes, gods, worlds... of everything. Sss. And what will you be then, Dreamlord?

MORPHEUS: I am hope.” — 710 likes

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