Dream, as he is so often called is essentially a good guy, but terribly flawed. He is unlike any of his other siblings who (while not all entirely pure at heart) may have already dealt with the travails that beset our titular Sandman. Dream is cold, apathetic towards others at times and removed from his own existence. He is a victim of his own doing and chained by the rules he wilfully abides by at his own peril. This makes his turmoil all the more relatable and real. Dream makes so many grave mistakes and causes himself more pain and suffering rectifying his misdeeds. This makes him all the more sympathetic. I absolutely and unabashedly saw a lot of my own reflection in Dream (almost like my own dark mirror of sorts). Which is why perhaps this story resonated with me so deeply in my soul. Originally published in 1989, The Sandman is the series that launched co-creator and writer Neil Gaiman into superstar status, with the main comic and its spin-offs winning 26 Eisner Awards during their runs. If you have seen the Netflix series, the show covers the first two trades – Preludes and Nocturnes and The Doll’s House – along with two stories from Dream Country. So you still have plenty of comics to keep you busy while waiting for the second season to drop. These beautifully illustrated graphic novels would make the perfect gift for any fan of Gaiman's work or fans of the DC comic universe. The artists that helped shape this world into the visual masterpiece we see today are Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, Kelley Jones, and so many more. Combined with Gaiman's writing, these creative minds have created a literary world beyond our imaginations.

There are many reasons why this series is an amazing piece of art and I love it. First of all, the characters are amazing. Sandman is weirdly, at the same time, one of the most deep, complex and relatable characters. He's very moody and throughout the series, we see him multiple times dealing with depression and trying to find a way to distract himself and feel better. His problems are of cosmic importance, but somehow they are also very human problems, like dealing with a bad break up or arguing with relatives. Another interesting aspect of Sandman's personality is how much he follows the rules. That's not very important for the biggest part of the series, but it's very important in the 9th arc. In this arc, he has the opportunity to make things better by ignoring the rules, but he refuses to do so, leading to major consequences. As the story begins, an occultist attempting to capture Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. After his 70-year imprisonment and eventual escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power. On his arduous journey, Morpheus encounters Lucifer, John Constantine, and an all-powerful madman. Book One collects The Sandman #1-20.Chris Bachalo is an artist whose body of comic book work covers a wide spectrum of genres; ranging from fantasy and science fiction to super hero and action-adventure. His work for DC Comics includes stints on the critically acclaimed Sandman series, Death: The High Cost of Living, and Shade: The Changing Man for DC’s Vertigo imprint as well as the creator-owned projects The Witching Hour, with co-creator Jeph Loeb, and Steampunk, with co-creator Joe Kelly. His other comic book work includes among others Wolverine & the X-Men, Captain America, and the quirky Generation X, which he co-created with Scott Lobdell for Marvel Comics. In addition to his comics work, Chris has provided artwork for publications such as MAD Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, and Playstation Magazine, and for companies such as Activision, EA Games and Def Jam Records. Chris is a Canadian citizen and was born in Portage La Prairie, Canada. He currently resides in Southern California with his wife, Helen, his son, Dylan, and his Siamese fighting fish, Spike Four. Book Three contains issues #38-56, which includes the arcs “Brief Lives” and “World’s End,” plus the rest of the stand-alone short stories previously collected in “Fables and Reflections.” Book Three also includes Vertigo Preview #1. That's really my greatest criticism with this series, and was enough to rob it of a whole point, taking it from a five to a four. That and some of the art wasn't always as good as I would have liked. You really get quiet an assortment here, and not all of it as good as others.

We follow his journey as the King of Dreams travels through the real world, the worlds of classic mythologies, actual Hell and the realms of the Endless, who are his siblings and the personification of Destiny, Destruction, Desire, Despair, Delirium and Death. When Sandman is on point, which it usually is, it is some amazing storytelling, and some truly memorable and magnificent comics. When its not, it really got on my tits far more than I would have liked. Enter the beautiful and poignant world of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. From the mind that bought us Coraline, American Gods, and, along with Sir Terry Pratchett, Good Omens. This graphic novel series explores the lives of seven metaphysical entities, collectively called The Endless. The main character of The Sandman is Dream, also known as Morpheus, and over the course of the series, you meet the rest of The Endless, Destiny, Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, and Destruction. Morpheus, the King of Dreams, Lord of the Dreaming, Dream of the Endless, has been captured and is imprisoned for close to a century. The repurcussions of his capture and eventual escape are felt across generations of dreamers, and that makes up the crux of this story. But it is also much, MUCH more. If you’ve never read the original The Sandman comics, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve at least heard about it. If you look up any of those guides for “ The Comics You Need Read“, there’s a pretty high chance that The Sandman will be on there, sitting alongside the likes of Watchmen and Maus.Each volume tells its own part of the story, and they are all wonderful in different ways. A throwaway comment or character will come brilliantly full circle volumes later, and all the story strands are intricately connected. I particularly loved Dream Country and The Kindly Ones. And The Doll's House. And Brief Lives. And all the other volumes... Centuries ago, one of the Endless gave up his duties and left his realm, never to be seen again. Now on a mission to find their missing sibling, Delirium and Dream encounter immortal humans and various deities as they try to locate the prodigal Destruction. But as their adventure draws Dream into a final, tragic confrontation with his son Orpheus, the eternal being learns the true meaning of fate and consequences. Neil Gaiman's epic continues in The Sandman Book Three, collecting issues #38-56 and a story from Vertigo Preview #1. Next, Book Two comes with issues #21-37, which includes the arcs “Season on Mysts,” and “A Game of You,” plus some of the one-off tales originally found in “Fables and Reflections.” This collection also includes The Sandman Special #1 and Vertigo: Winter’s Edge #1-3.