By: Neil Gaiman Publisher: Vertigo Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Label: Vertigo Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 612 Publication Date: November 01, 2006 Release Date: November 01, 2006
Product Description: THE SANDMAN, written by New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman, was the most acclaimed comic book title of the 1990s. A rich blend of modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven, THE SANDMAN is also widely considered one of the most original and artistically ambitious series of the modern age. By the time it concluded in 1996, it had made significant contributions to the artistic maturity of comic books and become a pop culture phenomenon in its own right.
Now, DC Comics is proud to present this comics classic in an all-new Absolute Edition format. The first of four beautifully designed slipcased volumes, THE ABSOLUTE SANDMAN VOL. 1 collects issues 1-20 of The Sandman and features completely new coloring, approved by the author, on the first 18 issues, as well as a host of never-before-seen extra material, including the complete original Sandman Proposal, a gallery of character designs from Gaiman and the artists who originated the look of the Sandman, and the original script to the World Fantasy Award-winning THE SANDMAN #19, "A Midsummer Night’s Dream," together with reproductions of the issue’s original pencils by Charles Vess. Also included are a new introduction by DC’s president Paul Levitz and a new afterword by Gaiman.
The absolute comic book! This is the best comic book all the time.
If you do not buy, buy now.
Absolutely for the Gaiman Fan I am not a writer, or journalist or professional book reviewer. I am a reader, an avid fan of comic books and a collector of Neil Gaiman's works. This Absolute Sandman is just that, a breathtakingly beautiful edition (in 4 volumes) of Gaiman's epic masterpiece. I highly recommend it for the true fan of Sandman, but if this is your first foray into Gaiman's Sandman then you may want to pick up the trade paperbacks before you dish out the $70-99 price tag for this edition. For me its a great value to have, but if you have not followed Sandman since the start it may not be the best value for you. That said, Vertigo created these beautiful tomes for the loyal fans who want to add all 75 issues to their book shelfs. The stories contained involve the Lord of Dreams, a being far older than the gods of myth. In this volume he has been imprisioned by sorcerers hungry for power (they thought they were capturing Death, Dream's older sister). He manages to escape after being imprisioned for many decades. When he does he has his revenge on his captors and then goes about finding the badges of his office, his ruby, his helmet and a small bag of sand. The artwork is gritty and fits the milieu perfectly. This is a perfect example of modern urban fantasy, at which Gaiman excells like no other writer.
Absolutely beautiful! The Absolute editions of the Sandman series are absolutely gorgeous. I think that the only thing extra that they could have done to make it really top-notch is if they had gilded the pages. Having heard complaints about others, I think that it is safe to say that these are what ALL DC Absolute editions should aspire to be!
The over-sized format and re-coloured artwork is wonderful. It is truly an experience to read this series all over again through the Absolute editions...highly recommended!
Great Service! It came very quickly and was in beautiful condition. I would definitely purchase from here again!
Beautiful, and A Great Price First of all, I will admit that this was my first time reading the Sandman, when I got this version. I was drawn in and the $70-ish price tag is, as well as way cheaper than you'll find at book stores, a great deal. The amount of content is staggering, and even if you've read all the Sandman comics, the extras are pretty great as well.
If you're not sure if you'll enjoy the series, go out to a library and see if they have Preludes and Nocturnes, the first mini-collection, and see if this is your style. I took a plunge and just got this immediately, and it was very well worth it. Actually, I got Volumes 1 and 2, so I guess I'm really lucky I enjoyed these.
Regardless, Sandman contains some of the best fantasy stories I've ever read, and Neil Gaiman is a genius that has it shining through in these stories.