Every time I try to write a review for a Sandman comic, it just sounds like an outpouring of positive emotions and generic statements about what makes a good story good. I literally love this series, and to try and review it in a conventional way is rather difficult. So instead I’m going to show you some images and do my best to explain why this comic is so incredible. Morpheus, Dream of the endless night. Dream is a character, a concept and a force of nature. He is one of the defining pillars

The first volume of the Sandman was a fascinating experiment that enlarged the borders of the comic book world; this second volume is a fulfillment, a wildly imaginative narrative which is also a disciplined example of the story-teller’s art.In an excellent introduction by Clive Barker—one of the masters of modern horror—the author distinguishes between two types of fantastic fiction: 1) the most common form, in which “a reality that resembles our own” is invaded by the fantastic, which is event...

Note: This is part two of a rambling multi-volume re-read of the series. It will probably make better sense in context of other reviews... In this volume, we get several cool stand-alone stories and our first longer story arc with a non-sandman character. It's good stuff. Clever and fun and smart. Everything you'd expect from Gaiman. When I first read it, it wowed me. It was cool and real and mythic all at once. Reading it now, I look back on my first-read-through self and smile fondly, thinking...

Re-read 2/2/20:I STILL love the Corinthian and the convention best! Hob and Dream's unlikely friendship still warms my heart. Oddly enough, it is Fiddler's Green that really made me melt. :)Original Review:The Corinthian and the serial murderer's convention was rather special, and Rose Walker was somewhat interesting the first time reading this, but the second time? I think it was much better.It's all about how we are shaped and what we shape, from feelings of listlessness (Dream), making a new

I'm sorry Neil Gaiman..That first book in this series was kinda bland. I think you way stepped it up in this book. Yes, I know..you has some fangirls..err Kelly and Synesthesia..might want to send those to some fan mail..they got your back.This one featured Dream guy but it actually made some sense..or did I drink the kool-aid?? Am I dreaming now..Now I'm paranoid.I hate to give much away because these books aren't very long. So you gonna have to read these suckers. Oh! Wait! I will tell y...

An extraorDinary masterpiece! Creative Team:Writer: Neil GaimanIllustrators: Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III, Michael Zulli, Steve Parkhouse & Chris BachaloLetterer: Todd Klein dOLLS & dREAMS So, this is no man, no god, but something else. You know that this TPB is something else when Clive Barker does the introduction!While I only read (so far) four of the first TPBs of The Sandman, at least in this moment I have to say that this is the strongest storyline.The first time that I star

2.5 stars...possibly 3?I had forgotten why I stopped after volume 1. Now I remember.I see why everyone loves and reveres this title, I really do. It's just not my cuppa. It's just too dark and trippy for me, and the art isn't something that I actually enjoy looking at.I'm not saying it's awful...I just don't like it!I really wish I could say that I got all the deep introspective stuff that Gaiman was saying, but...Truth?I'm a few tiny steps away from being completely shallow and silly.Especially...

“For love is no part of the Dreamworld. Love belongs to Desire, and Desire is always cruel.”Morpheus, the King of the Realm of the Dreams, is back to his full power following the events of Volume 1. Whilst doing a census in his realm, he learns that four of the major players are nowhere in the realm of dreams (which is obviously quite dangerous). And to make matters worse, a Dream Vortex is thrown into the mix!This volume was a whole lot of fun. I actually struggle to write these reviews, becaus...

The Doll’s House, the second installment of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman series, is an entertaining offering of graphic novel collaboration. Gaiman’s imaginative storyline is brought to life by illustrators Steve Parkhouse, Chris Bachalo, Michael Zulli, Mike Dringenberg and Malcolm Jones III. Taking off from the introductory The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes, this volume follows a thematic plot about a “dream vortex” about which Morpheus must contend. Other vignettes featured continue to

There are, generally speaking*, two diametrically opposing views held by people who do and don’t read Sandman: Loyal Sandman readers tend to believe that people who don’t understand the book’s greatness are mouth-breathing knuckledraggers, and that the world would be a better place if said knuckledraggers’ fathers had expelled the genetic material that resulted in their creation via a round of fellatio rather than implanting it deep within their mothers’ wombs. Those who don’t read the book tend...

I'd forgotten how many of these early Sandman stories are grounded in horror. Parts of this are dark, disturbing and unsettling. The Corinthian is an excellent creation and nightmare. The Cereal Convention slayed me (Well, not literally.) I still enjoy how Gaiman repurposes obscure DC characters like Brute and Glob (or even Hector Hall and Fury from Infinity Inc. for that matter.) Sometimes the pacing is slow but I always enjoy the ride. I really like how even these one off tales like the story

6/8/2020: My third reading of this volume, which I think where Gaiman and the crew really begin to figure out what they're doing. Features some real highlights, to illustrate how story/dreaminf/imagination work across historical and psycho-socio domains. I have since my last reading become more of a horror comics fan, so better understand how both fantasy and horror fit into Gaiman's conceptual universe. I didn't get the horror piece before, but both scary and uplifting all fit for him. The artw...

Great addition to the series!!I loved the complications that’s come up due to Morpheus being out of commission for so long.This series has been unique, grim and fascinating to read so far. I love it!Looking forward to the next volume!

Back in in full power, Morpheus is ready to take inventory of the Dreamworld, and work on rebuilding it. A good thing he does too, as it turns out that the palace staff, a most terrible nightmare, and the mysterious Fiddler's Green are nowhere to be found. The foursome obviously can't be allowed to roam freely in the human world, so the Dream Lord makes plans to recover them ASAP. The Sandman doesn't actually get too much "screen time" this time around, but the intriguing events of the main stor...

What do you do when you encounter a run of bad comics? Return to the ones you’ve read and loved before for a re-read! So it’s doubly disappointing when a comic you thought you enjoyed way back when turns out to be kinda crappy – even more so when it’s an acknowledged classic like The Sandman! Morpheus has returned to the Dreamtime after being imprisoned for 70 years (see the first volume for how that came to be and how he escaped). He begins putting things to rights and sets off to round up his

Fascinating! I loved the first volume of 'The Sandman' and this one just gets better. It's deep, complex, trippy, and it's wildly imaginative. “Fictions are merely frozen dreams, linked images with some semblance of structure. They are not to be trusted, no more than the people who create them.” Of course, it's Neil Gaiman we talking about. I've gotten fond of his writings. The moody and surreal imaginations only he can pull of in style. The pacing with The Doll's House felt a little...

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. It dares to tell the st...

short review : WOW !!!long form : The Sandman series gains in confidence and daring, leaves behind most of the influences from the original DC comic and takes flight on its own with the second volume. The eight issue story arc opens with Tales in the Sand : a look at the distant past of the Endless entity known as Dream. Like one of the Greek gods, he falls in love with a mortal - Nada, the queen of a prosperous African tribe. Their union is doomed, and all that remains is a cautionary tale ab...

One of my favourite lines in film is from Bull Durham. Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon) asks Millie how the sex was with Ebby Calvin LaLoosh (Tim Robbins), and Millie says, "He kind of fucks like he throws, sorta all over the place." And that is EXACTLY how Neil Gaiman writes. He has mad creative talent. There is no denying it. But too often that talent is uncontrolled, chaotic and even bafflingly silly. The Doll's House, written back when he was just becoming Neil Gaiman (and probably had editors f...

In the second volume of the Sandman comics we meet some bards, some familiar faces from volume 1, and some of Dream's family members. Unfortunately, not the good kind.Morpheus is back in his realm but the mop-up has only just begun. His realm had been suffering from his long absence and some important things (some of which are essential nightmares) up and left even. So he has to find them and get them back before they can interfere with the Dreaming. All four of the creatures Morpheus has to cat...

Like most of these collections, there are several fairly strong stories but one which stands above the others. In this second installation, it is the convention of serial killers where Gaiman is able to tap into his sense of human nature and draw out something that is funny, terrifying, and well-written. Often, his archetypal main characters cannot hold a candle to the depth and complexity of the small throwaways such as Gaiman creates here.Perhaps he is afraid of alienating the reader, and henc...

The good news is that the artwork is getting a lot better. I’m starting to realise that Malcolm Jones III (R.I.P.) was an overpowering inker; I’d like to see Mike Dringenberg’s pencil art before Jones put his stamp on it. Under Jones’ inks, Chris Bachalo’s pencils are completely unrecognisable and Bachalo has a very distinctive style, so it would take a deliberate effort to disguise it.As for the story, well, while it didn’t grab me quite as much as the previous volume it was still very entertai...

Although I enjoyed Volume 1, Volume 2 is noticeably better in plot and intent. Volume 2 does away with some of the awkwardness of the first and pushes into original territory. The framing devices used with Desire and the Doll House are particularly nice.

The wandering jew and the devil was my favorite issue in this series yet. While some stories are really cool, sometimes it's really hard to continue reading. I want to see more of The Death for sure.

The Sandman, Vol 2: The Doll's House - Gaiman hits his stride with a chilling cereal conventionAfter reading the first three volumes of Sandman, I decided to re-read them again before moving onto volume 4. That’s because you really don’t recognize all the subtle hints, foreshadowing, character connections, and thematic elements that run throughout the stories. It’s just like visiting a big city such as New York or London for the first time - initially you go to all the most well-known sights and...

The Doll's House kicked ass. Most especially the section involving the serial killer (Cereal) convention. How fun is that? The answer is: LOTS!Featuring an introduction by Clive Barker and artwork that I often found to be stunning, I can't find any fault with it at all. Highly recommended for fans of graphic novels and/or dark fiction.

“For love is no part of the dreamworld. Love belongs to Desire, and Desire is always cruel.”― Neil Gaiman, The Doll's HouseSo here we meet Desire and Despair. Despair is seen just enough to make me want to learn more. Desire features more often, and they are alluring and awful. I sort of hate Desire, yet I want to know more about them. They help put into motion a horrific and often brutal story, seemingly for their own enjoyment. To toy with people, as if that's something they had any right to d...

Sandman feels like a heavy read. Sometimes when I see writers come from novels to comics I just don't think they get it. However, Neil Gaiman somehow crosses that line with ease, not too wordy, yet wordy enough to get me hooked. Doll's House is a very different beast than the last story. This is one big continuous storyline. Rose walker is the hero of this story. She is able to see things others can't in dream world. On top of that though she is also on the search for her little brother who she

The trouble is that this is better than the first one, but I don't want to rate the first one less than 5 stars because I love it. Can this one be 5 plus? The story is darker in this one. Grittier. The first one was easing you into the universe. The real storytelling starts here.

Just as amazing as Preludes and Nocturnes. Can't wait to get to the comic store to get the third.