For Sandman's 30th anniversary DC decided to celebrate with a blatant editorial cash grab, once again launching (or re-launching) a whole universe based on Neil Gaiman's famous comic book. This one-shot is meant to be a preview of the four new series that are about to start this fall, and none of them leave a particularly good impression. This is Sandman passed through a calculating corporate lens, stripping Gaiman's unique and distinctive work for its most marketable aspects. Every segment feat...

Like DC Universe Rebirth #1 a couple years ago, The Sandman Universe #1 is a one-shot sizzle reel showcasing the upcoming line’s titles. And, like DC Universe Rebirth #1, The Sandman Universe #1 buh-looooooows!There are four new Sandman spin-off comics on the way for any emo goffs still moping around to get their jizz in a tizz: The Dreaming and House of Whispers in September, Lucifer and The Books of Magic in October. This issue gives us a peek into what to expect from those titles: there’s a r...

A confusing rant written much too late at night. Sometime ago, perhaps around the time of the New 52, or when it became evident to corporate and editorial that the reboot was a creative and commercial failure--a shift occurred. A crack formed in the DC Universe. It at first perhaps like the serpent's curse of Superman's symbol. Just a small little chip in the foundation. There was a lot of money being made in movies, tv and merchandising. Across the pond on the otherside of the Omniverse, The Ho...

The Sandman Universe gets bigger! This is a special one-shot introducing the storyline to be developed in the incoming DC Vertigo comic books: “The Dreaming”, “Books of Magic”, “House of Whispers” and “Lucifer”, forming the new “The Sandman Universe”.Creative Team:Creator: Neil GaimanWriters: Simon Spurrier, Kat Howard, Nalo Hopkinson & Dan WattersIllustrators: Bilquis Evely, Tom Fowler, Dominike “Domo” Stanton, Max and Sebastian Fiumara WELCOME TO A NEW UNIVERSE The next era of The Sandman

While being tonally consistent with the original Sandman series with illustrations that really gave me genuine 90s nostalgia, The Sandman Universe #1's main problem is its main plot: Dream is missing. It's been a joy to see those beloved characters like Marv, Lucien, Matthew and the brothers Cain and Abel (not Lucifer though, it pained to see him in that state), the band and the overall story is missing its biggest piece: The Endless himself.The Sandman Universe is more of an introduction to sev...

A beautiful expansion of the world.This is a single issue so I won’t break down my review into sections like I normally do but share my general thoughts without spoilers. I loved the Sandman series for it’s tone and it’s pacing and this single issue feels like that, there are some parts that feel more but overall it’s pretty great to recapture that feeling. The first section is wonderful and is exactly more of the stuff I want, Daniel and Dora and the characters in the dreaming will be a wonderf...

Yes, this is playing very closely to nostalgia, but you know what? I am in. The artwork is nice and for me it went into some unexpected places. The only hope that I have (especially for Lucifer) is that it somehow ties in a reasonable way

Many readers will be drawn here "with whispers that shone like silver foil and still-cooling eyeballs". It is indeed a welcome return to the librarian, the crows, and the godlike characters that never do what they are supposed to do (or, in other words, a "buncha myths and goddamn metaphors"). Read this - but don't read the blurb on goodreads. That's currently a precis of all five comic titles that will combine to create, er, something. I've always admired rather than loved the Sandman world, kn...

You can't have a great big world-spanning crisis in every bloody issue. The whole term will lose its meaning.

I'm giving this a 4 because reasons..I have fix feelings on the ending. Actually I have mix feeling everything they introduce in this.They didn't promise a Sandman Universe issue 2. They just introduce multiple series that some I care and some I dont. Is this an:Expansion.World building.Introducing us to the wider universe of DC after the Dark Knights Metal.Fleshing Out.A final farewell?!Cash grabs???Not sure. Im gonna edit this thing after I figure it out.

Goosebumps! So happy to be back in The Dreaming. Artwork is amazing!

I regretted the book the moment I arrived home.Damn you DC! Why the buyer's remorse? Well, I saw something with Gaiman's name on it, and my Pavlovian instinct to pick it up kicked in. But, this is Gaiman "at the helm" on a book which is a jumping on point for some new Vertigo books.Hell, I even fell for that. I usually complain about the way Vertigo is ran, but this actually sounded like a cool relaunch. This was an intro for four Gaiman-themed relaunches- books that have potential for continued...

"There is a place, where--for as long as a sleeper can sleep--stories are spun" WOW. JUST WOW. I've plunged into this without any background of The Sand Man, Lucifer, Tim's story, and the Whispers. But, dang. For a short issue, this one had flung me into a surreal world I'm definitely going to fall in love. The illustrations were beautifully drawn and the details! THE DETAILS GUYS It's so freaktastic and I can't wait for the next issue this September!!!! Definitely an unexpected fave

An interesting opening issue, however some parts weren't that interesting. I plan on trying all of the titles that'll come out of this, but The Dreaming and Lucifer are the two that seem the most interesting to me.

Despite the mostly positive reviews this seems to get, there’s a few detractors. Some say it’s a cash grab, as if all products for purchase aren’t for cash. I’m not sure how they determine that other than they walked into this cynical. The other criticism seems to be that this one-shot didn’t change their life and just acts as an introduction to the four series to be under this banner. All I have to say to that is, “duh.”Criticizing a thing for what it’s attempting to be is like complaining abou...

This is a showcase for the upcoming comic books based on Neil Gaiman's Sandman. So we don't have anything near an ending here. We got a lot of character or situations being introduced. And four new comic books where they'll unfold in the next months.We knew that Sandman wouldn't be left alone for long. Too much money involved. And we already had quite a few comic books based on it, four of wich are coming back: Books of Magic is one of my favorite Vertigo titles, and Lucifer one of my favorite V...

This was good. I wish I could say the same for the spinoffs that followed it. I can't because the spinoffs sucked(in case my sarcasm didn't translate into written words).

This was beautiful. Can't wait to read more of this world. Already have The Dreaming to read!

First of all, I didn't give the 3 stars lightly. The art is stunning and refreshing after reading the previous series with the style of the 80s-90s. It's just that the plot seems to become more complicated, meaning that maybe we will not have many appearances of Dream-Daniel.Of course I'll come back to these comics. It's Neil Gaiman and his writing has never disappointed me.I think though that I'll head back and read Lucifer's comics.His story is intriguing.

Blurb: In the beginning, there was the Word, and the Word was with Dream, and the Word was Dream. Pardon the biblical nature of the blurb, but I could not help myself. Neil Gaiman's Sandman has always been to me like the first religious sermon one receives as a child; beyond comprehension, but possessing a certain gravitas. Over the years the exploits of Morpheus and his curious creations from the Dreaming have given me endless hours of discovery and fright and I'm happy to say that this new ex