Sandman. Sandman. Younger brother Of death. Eternal, which will be even when the last God passes through the gates afterlife. The Eternal, who saw what the Earth dreamed about when it burned like a hot ball in the middle of an icy space. Sandman is a wonderful comic created by Neil Gaiman.
Sandman or Sandman(nevertheless, among Russian fans it took root original name) famous series comics that propelled Gaiman to the shelves of best-selling authors. "Preludes and Nocturnes" are the first 8 issues that came out in the period 1988-1989, which were then combined under one cover. Finally, the book was released in our country, which will be a wonderful gift for any fan Gaiman, lover of the comics genre, fan scary stories.
Before I say a few words about the content and noteworthiness of the comic, I would like, of course, to be glad for the quality of the publication. Dust jacket. Strict black hardcover, on which the titles are embossed with "silver". Thick glossy paper. Color without marriage. Publisher's preface and author's afterword. Brief biographical articles about everyone who worked on the comic. An article about the creation and fate of comics. And, in fact, detailed comment, which, after reading the story, will give the joy of new discoveries, and will so fully explain the details that you didn’t even pay attention to when you met, that 230 pages of pictures will suddenly swell up to an abstract collection of works.
Comic " Sandman"tells us the story of Morpheus - the lord of dreams, who in itself is a certain concept, a certain metaphysical essence, a certain law of nature, but ... out of his stupidity, having the habit of being an anthropomorphic personality. For which, from the very first pages, it is paid by the fact that it turns out to be captivated by a magical order, consisting of charlatans and half-and-half of real magicians. The first comic, The Dream of the Righteous, gallops across Europe, will tell us about Sandman's 70-year imprisonment and his miraculous (as always, human factor; carelessness) release. The only problem is that: a) for 70 years without the Lord of Dreams and the Dream Kingdom, it has become very dilapidated, which could not but affect the world of people (psychosis, illness); b) magical gopniks squeezed three artifacts from Morpheus, without which Sandman is not a Jedi. Actually, in search of these, he will hold the next 6 issues. + 1, final, in search of the meaning of being.
What is good about the Sandman comic? Firstly, this is a great story (told for a dream to come - I, personally, struggled with sleep yesterday while I was reading). Secondly, beautiful drawing, which complements the fact that the artists were not afraid to play with the space of the page, subtly and imaginatively placing frames. Thirdly, a real encyclopedia of American comics, which, however, is almost impossible to guess.
Main character, as is typical wonderful stories about bad boys, handsome, dangerous, and in general that other asshole, endowed with charisma, talent as an orator, cool clothes and, to a heap, universal power. Almost Doctor House. Or Alucard from the Helsing anime. And, again, as is typical of similar stories, it is impossible not to love this cutie, because. it doesn't do anything negative. (True, here one can argue about how much revenge is a noble cause. But those whom he takes revenge on cause only a feeling of disgust.) Although, I read only the first volume of ten. People who know will tell you, maybe he will show himself again.
Everything about Sandman is stylish. Heroes. Gestures. Speeches. Sometimes it is even too pathetic, but the story about Heaven and Hell, about Eternity and Being - oblige.
Gaiman, as it is the main attribute of his work, places his character in a world woven from hundreds of story threads. Allusions, references, direct quotations from literature, comics, cinema, music are provided to the reader on every page. And speaking of this book as a comic book encyclopedia, it is filled with equivocations and direct references to the world of comic book superheroes. In principle, the world of people in the "Sandman" exists in the universe of Batman, the Justice League and others like them. But, if in Gaiman's comic book "1602" - such a population was made deliberately, clumsily, then in "Sandman" without a good commentary or profound knowledge 80% of the characters are missing the question. And, personally, I cannot but applaud this. So cool, so skillfully Gaiman, I would even say, overpopulated the comics with characters, giving each one his unique, necessary role. The Dream World is populated, to a greater extent, by characters and concepts. High Literature. Well, how can one write about Hell without commemoration and cutting according to the patterns drawn up by Dante?! Sisters-things, multifaceted in mythologies and folklore, come to life violently, in Shakespearean style.
In total, as I said above, there are 8 stories in the book. Each of which looks independent and complete, each of which is just an episode in a coherent and fascinating story. Each story is not like the other. Here is a silly, in the spirit of the old, old comics, the beginning. And a tense chamber thriller "Passengers" - 5th issue. And, following him, a very cruel 6th "24 hours". About how people create horrors much worse than nightmares. Lyrical and heartfelt like a perfect haiku, the 8th story "The Rustle of Her Wings" is a story of life told by death.
Good, very good comic. What a pleasure it was to read it.
Publisher: Eksmo
Year: 2010
Close your eyes. It is night outside the windows, and the orange light of street lamps intertwines with the darkness in a moving, continuously changing pattern. Don't let the noise of rare cars distract you: they have no place here, under lowered eyelids, on the roads leading through dreams.
Dreams. The most wonderful of worlds where everything is possible, where beauty and ugliness, good and evil, nobility and betrayal often take on the most bizarre forms, where forgotten gods and monsters from wardrobes, where Cain kills Abel over and over again, and the Martians move into a neighboring apartment. Everything is possible. Just close your eyes.
This world has a master. In Egypt, he was called Bes, in Greece - Morpheus, among the Romans - Host. The owner of dreams. Granting oblivion and sending nightmares. Civilizations rise and fall; works of art are created from dust and turn to dust; philosophical, religious teachings melt in the memory of changing generations, but he remains the same. Wise. Eternal. Sandman, Death's younger brother. The one who was before and will be after, because the realm of dreams is infinite and not subject to the influence of time. See him? A gloomy, pale, taciturn young man in a wide black cloak with an ornament in the form of flames. Stars shine in the bottomless pits of the eyes...
This is how Neil Gaiman saw Sandman, one of the greatest storytellers modernity. However, then he was still far from greatness and glory - in September 1987, when the story of The Sandman begins, the future creator of American Gods, The Door and Coraline was a little-known, but promising author. By that time, he had already managed to make a mark in the comics industry with the graphic novels "Black Orchid" and "Squeaky Cases", which did not gain much popularity, but attracted the attention of publishers to the young writer, to his ability to generate new ideas, create original ones, for nothing similar images and situations. That's why Gaiman, the "polite English guy", was entrusted with retrieving the old DC comic book character, Sandman, from the bottom of the river of oblivion and breathing new life into him. The previous image of the Sandman was a standard superhero of the 30s: a noble crime fighter hiding his face under a gas mask, lulling villains with a special gas. His name was Wesley Dodds, and he was obsolete even before the Second World War.
However, instead of resuscitating this worthy but uninteresting citizen, Gaiman, with his usual elegance, slipped the publishers a completely new character. Of course, some hints of the predecessor remained - for example, Morpheus's battle helmet, suspiciously resembling a gas mask - but this is nothing more than " Easter eggs”, sweets that the author scatters on the path to lure the gullible reader into the dark thicket.
The idea of making the main character of the comic book the master of dreams is one of Gaiman's greatest creative successes: it gave him absolute freedom for creativity, removed any potential barriers and barriers, because everything happens in a dream all the time. The action can take place in hell, in heaven, on distant planets, in ancient castles, in modern cities or in sunken ancient cities. The most bizarre and incredible creatures, invented by the author or taken from various mythologies, films, books, comics - they are boiled in a huge cauldron of imagination, merging into an unimaginable (and impossible anywhere else) cocktail. It was here, having received a complete carte blanche, Gaiman's nuclear fantasy dealt the first crushing blow to the readership - and immediately conquered it.
Of course, comics are usually not done alone: many people work on each project, and The Sandman would hardly have achieved such success if it were not for talented artists Sam Keith, Mike Dringenberg and Malcolm Jones III. Their work is difficult to overestimate: the graphic embodiment of Gaiman's mind-blowing ideas turned out to be quite consistent with the content. The covers, created by Dave McKean, were a real breakthrough in the industry: before, comic book covers always contained an image of the main character and beat the climactic scene of the issue. What McKean did was art in itself. His "portrait gallery" that adorned the first issues of the series played with ideas and imagery as well as Gaiman's scripts, perfectly complementing the atmosphere of the stories hidden under the covers.
Such a powerful project simply could not fail to shoot - but even for the worldly-wise publishers from DC, its stunning success came as a surprise. It was the wild popularity of The Sandman that led to the fact that a new branch of DC was opened for him - the Vertigo publishing house, which subsequently gave the world many wonderful comics.
Talented people often feel cramped when working on common cause- everyone pulls the blanket over himself, and as a result, conflicts of interest arise. So Sam Keith announced his departure, completing work on the third issue. “I feel like Jimi Hendrix among the Beatles, I got on the wrong team,” he said, making way for artist Mike Dringenberg. Be that as it may, "Sandman" grew, developed, was full of experiments, plots and heroes. For seven s small years, from January 1989 to March 1996, 75 monthly issues saw the light. It was they who later entered the ten-volume edition, which finally, many years later, found its way to the Russian market.
Around the world, Sandman has long been considered a cult, recognized masterpiece of the genre, both transcending its boundaries and expanding them. We just have to get acquainted with this unique work of art - believe me, it is capable of much. Even the most ardent proponents of the "comic book-is-not-literature-it-fun-for-kids" theory will change their minds if they get their hands on a volume that tells the adventures of the Dream Lord. And for fans of the talent of Neil Gaiman, such a book will be a real gift, because here is everything we love this author for: unexpected plot twists, graceful but unceremonious handling of mythology, history and literature, characters that are firmly embedded in the memory and a decadent, but, paradoxically, still optimistic view of the world. Or rather, worlds. There are a great many of them here.
So, here it is, the first volume - "Preludes and Nocturnes". The first eight stories of the Dream Lord, the first eight chapters of the great saga. The owner of the realm of dreams, the Sandman, was captivated by people and spent several decades in captivity. Finally, he managed to escape, but the long-awaited freedom did not bring much joy: over the years, much has “rotten in the Kingdom of Denmark”, much has changed in the world of dreams not in better side. Long-defeated enemies raised their heads, new ones appeared. The attributes of power - helmet, bag and ruby - are lost, and Sandman will have to work hard to get them back. It is about how he regains his former strength that the book tells. These are really "preludes", because the first volume is a prologue to subsequent ones, it introduces the reader to actors, realities and laws of their interaction. These are really “nocturnes”, because the night here is all-encompassing: it is not only on the clock or in the sky, it is in souls, and in hearts, and even in hopes. Only at the very end comes the dawn. These are stories that should be told at night, before going to bed.
There are eight of them. The first, The Dream of the Righteous, follows the tradition of classic English horror. The gloomy atmosphere of the dungeons, ancient estates where occult sects gather, ancient magical books - and in the end dire consequences base human ambitions.
The second, Negligent Masters, plays with biblical, Greek and English folklore while introducing many characters from other comic book series into the story. This standard for the genre technique gives screenwriters the opportunity to special efforts develop new storylines.
The third part, "You will see me in a dream" - is again a horror, only now not classic British, but more modern, heavy, brutal. Here appears the well-known to the domestic moviegoer "Konstantin, the creature ... John Constantine", a demon hunter, a heavy smoker and a cynic. Even such hard nuts sometimes have nightmares.
The fourth chapter, "Hope in Hell", plays on the first part " Divine Comedy» Dante. The Sandman descends into the Underworld and meets with its masters. Dark fantasy in the classic Gaiman spirit: magic fights, demons speaking in verse, and a huge number of references to a wide variety of literary works.
The fifth stage, "Passengers", is again a superhero comic. Familiar to everyone from the stories about Batman, Arkham Mental Hospital - and its extraordinary patients.
The sixth novella, "24" is the darkest and most violent passage in the book. Outwardly decent people gather in a small eatery, each of whom has his own secret, his innermost desire. Among them is a creature that can help in the implementation ... in its own way. Psychological thriller, turning into a crazy bloody carnival - Stephen King, Richard Lymon or a young Clive Barker could well have written something similar.
The seventh story, The Sound and the Fury, is the climax of the first volume. The Lord of Dreams Converges in mortal combat with his most formidable adversary. However, both the battle and its outcome are nothing like what the naive reader expects.
The eighth (and final) chapter is "The Rustle of Her Wings." Sandman meets an older sister, Death (she appears as a snarky young goth - this characteristic image was invented by Mike Dringenberg), who, as befits an older sister, will teach a useful, albeit sad, lesson to her confused brother. "The Rustle of Her Wings" is not related to the previous episodes, it serves as an epilogue to the first volume and a prologue to all subsequent ones. This is the door leading from the vestibule into the depths of the vast palace, full transitions, secret rooms, ghosts, memories and secrets.
Perhaps it is difficult to say about "Preludes and Nocturnes" better than Karen Berger, Chief Editor publishing house "Vertigo" and the person personally responsible for the birth of Sandman:
“The first book of Sandman stories in many ways reflects the work of a talented writer who gradually honed and improved his abilities and just as gradually developed the original concept - the creation of a series dedicated to dreams and dreams: personal dreams, night visions and imagination. The concept expanded and the result was a series of truly contemporary, unforgettable stories.
The way it is. Gaiman experiments, tries on the tooth different genres and shapes, jumping from path to path, leaving behind a winding chain of breadcrumbs. Only at the very end of the book does it become clear: behold, he embarked on his path, felt in the darkness for the handle of his door. And he will open it and drag us along with him to the "Dollhouse" - the second volume of the cult epic, which we will talk about next time.
And now it remains to say only about the quality of the Russian edition. In principle, here you can fit into two words: it's great. Excellent paper, chic (as far as possible) translation, a large number of comments, explanations, memoirs of the creators - all this makes the book "The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes" a real feast for the soul. It is pleasant even to hold it in your hands, and if you start reading, you can not tear yourself away. Some people say it didn't work out. They say they're sleeping with open eyes. They say sometimes moonlight, one can distinguish a tall figure standing next to them pale man in a black cloak with flames embroidered on the floor.
Quite unusual feelings overcome when you pick up a comic book. Still, there is no special habit for such publications. Almost a curiosity. In the order of the first acquaintance, you quickly flip through the book page after page, as if trying to revive the pictures drawn on the sheets, but no magic happens - only color spots flash before your eyes, more and more overwhelmingly black. The comic seems like a children's book - a minimum of words, a maximum of chaotic images (though not at all childish). And even the fact that Neil Gaiman himself had a hand in all this is not very inspired. It seems - and how can you read it at all ?!
However, there is one amazing thing in all this - you start reading and ... everything suddenly changes, fills with meaning. After reading the most banal phrase and throwing a superficial glance at the picture, suddenly descriptions begin to form in the head by themselves and the eye clings to details that were not noticed at first: descriptions of clothes, facial expressions, interiors - everything that has its place in ordinary books and that takes time . Here it is also written, but it is written not in letters, not in words, but in images, and therefore it is perceived instantly. One gets the feeling that a book, an ordinary traditional book, was given to you in some finished form and injected through a vein. She does not need to dissolve and be absorbed - she immediately enters the bloodstream and rushes straight to the heart.
Literally after a few pages, you can catch yourself putting the volume aside and overcomes the desire to quickly return to it and “see” what happens to the characters next. Like the next bright episode of the movie series.
Himself main character- Sandman, Morpheus, Lord of Dreams, and you never know what else they call him - surprisingly similar to Gaiman. The second, however, does not deny that love for dark clothes he passed on to Sandman from himself. Thus, it can be assumed that the author did not just write his character, but breathed life into him, putting a part of himself into it.
The plot of the comic is very diverse. Each release is a small experiment on the genre, on the characters, on the presentation. Here Sandman, like Macbeth, is talking with three witch sisters, but here, like Dante, he descends to the gates of Hell and goes through his circles to appear before Lucifer and take what belongs to him. And here is an incredibly scary fragment - "24 hours", in which completely strangers are at the mercy of the madman and the madness sent down upon them. There is a fellow traveler who escaped from a psychiatric clinic, and his victim is driving. There is a theme of kinship in the last chapter - Death and Sleep.
Grains, or in this case it would be more appropriate to say - grains of ideas, thoughts, unusual decisions by the generous hand of the author-Sandman are scattered everywhere. This world is addictive and captivating. I would like to see a sequel as soon as possible.
Score: 9
So "Sandman" is one of Gaiman's first creations in the comics genre, a story that literally won the hearts of people, climbed into them and remained forever. It was thanks to The Sandman that the world knew that there was such a guy - Neil Gaiman, and Sandman himself began to be called not just a comic, but a graphic novel. And now, after twenty years, he got to us in the form of the first volume of Preludes and Nocturnes. It contains the first eight issues and, as you might guess, this is the very beginning of the epic, in which we get to know the main character. And here the first surprise awaits us: the Sandman is not a superhero, but "only" one of the seven Eternals. For this reason, we do not see the becoming young hero, who is only trying to curb the power that came to him, but we get to know Sandman, who was imprisoned by mere mortals. You heard right, the main character was captivated, like some young demon, and, having escaped to freedom, Sandman will have to regain his lost tools: a helmet, a bag and a ruby. It is the search for tools that the first volume is devoted to. Together with the Sandman, we will go down to Hell, visit John Constantine, the Justice League International and fight Doctor Destiny. And we will also meet Sandman's older sister - Death herself. Don't be afraid, Neil's Death is not a terrible old woman with a scythe, but not at all a scary young goth who loves the movie "Mary Poppins". Gaiman's "Sandman" is generally filled with hundreds of allusions, parodies and references to films, books, world events and comics. Especially for comics. And here, of course, any reader may have problems, because Gaiman's knowledge base is amazing. But not everything is so bad, because in addition to excellent quality, the Russian edition also contains excellent notes by Mikhail Nazarenko, which will help the reader not get lost in the world created by Gaiman.
"Sandman" is not perceived as just a comic, as there are no usual supervillains, pretentious fights for the life of the city and inscriptions like "BAAAAAAAAH". Instead, Gaiman filled his work with a through plot, dialogues and a special atmosphere. Here it is worth saying thanks to the artists who drew illustrations, albeit not shining with splendor, but no less chtoli Gaiman ones. The only negative of this creation is that, like all good things, it ends quickly. Reading "Sandman" makes you want to look ahead, read the book in one sitting. Although…. Is this a minus?
Score: 9
I don't think it's a huge exaggeration if I call Neil Gaiman one of the best storytellers of our time. And the fact that he, as an author, is talented in everything is clearly demonstrated by the graphic epic "The Sandman", the first parts of which were published almost ten years before the wonderful collection of short prose "Smoke and Mirrors".
If we talk about comics, in this direction I prefer the works of Alan Moore. A recent acquaintance with Preludes and Nocturnes convinced me that it is not Moore alone who is rich in the world of serious graphic novels. And since domestic publishers do not often indulge in such books, the planned release of all ten volumes of The Sandman will be a wonderful gift for both fans of Gaiman's work and connoisseurs of extraordinary comics. In the West, "The Sandman" has long earned its fame. Along with Watchmen, Moore is on the New York Times bestseller list. The nineteenth edition of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was awarded the World Fantasy Award. We hope that it will not be left without due attention with us.
The history of stories "The Sandman" tells about the adventures of the lord of the realm of dreams, Morpheus, one of the Endless (The Endless) - creatures that rule over the world. Although Sandman himself thinks otherwise. "We Endless are the servants of the living," he will say. “We exist because they know deep down that we exist. We are not their masters, rather they are manipulating us."
The beginning of the story could be its end, because Morpheus is captured and imprisoned. Strange events are taking place in the world: some have lost sleep at all, while others cannot wake up, people's fates are changing, habitual life crumble...
After being released, Sandman must regain the lost attributes of power, without which it is impossible to restore the former order of things. On the way he will meet Not ordinary people and hordes of demons, dangerous psychopaths and nonhumans. Disturbing, tough stories of the adventures of the hero, the author has sustained in the best traditions of mysticism, horror, fantasy and thriller. Add to that a graphical twist from Sam Keith and Mike Dringenberg. Mental-visual immersion in the world of dreams is provided to the reader.
At some point, you realize that you can’t stop and continue to follow the ups and downs of the plot. The only drawback so far is the expectation of the next volumes. True, there is a network translation and the original. I could not resist the temptation to find out what's next, and believe me, it will be even more interesting. The first volume is only a prelude to the main action.
Score: 8
"Sandman", perhaps, can rightly be called calling card Neil Gaiman. Bizarre interweaving of styles, various references to Shakespeare and Campbell, ancient Egyptian mythology and comics of the 40-80s freely placed on the pages of the comic book and earned "Sandman" a cult status.
However, it will be difficult to form an impression of the entire cycle from the first volume. Still, in the first issues, Gaiman was seriously limited in his choice of means, since, first of all, it was necessary to win over the readership and fit The Sandman into the mythology of the DC Universe. Therefore, on the pages of Preludes and Nocturnes, readers are expected to meet with John Constantine, D "John D" Johns, Dr. Crane and other DC characters less known to us.
The stories that make up the first volume are unusually diverse, each new chapter is made in its own genre. Here there was a place for classic English horror, and modern English horror, and dark fantasy and much, much more. In Gaiman's own words, only the last chapter, "The Rustle of Her Wings," is exactly his story, which is what Neal was aiming for from the very beginning when he took on the comic.
The Sandman is truly an event in the world of comics. He is able to pretty much shake the position of adherents of the idea that a comic is just a collection of stupid pictures for children. However, at the same time, Sandman is hardly a must-read thing. Firstly, if everything is in order with the narrative part, then the graphics are already hopelessly outdated and inferior to modern comics. Secondly, Gaiman's style itself can scare some people - there are enough rather vile and rather scary moments in the comic, however, Gaiman's fans are no strangers to such things.
I would like to specially note Russian edition The comic is just amazing! Coated paper, dust jacket, detailed comments by Mikhail Nazarenko at the end - comic book fans in our country could only dream of such an approach to business! Unfortunately, you have to pay for pleasure, and the price of The Sandman can scare off many readers who are interested in it. However, believe me, one of the most unusual and interesting comic cycles of our time is worth reading.
Score: 8
P.S. It is impossible not to note the excellent quality of the publication. It's nice to hold in your hands.
Score: 8
It so happened that I started comics with the graphic novel “V for Vendetta”, so all my extramural prejudices about “coloring pages with a stupid plot” withered before they really blossomed. And even the failure with the disgusting, entirely built on scratching complexes and old grievances, the comic book "Wanted" did not turn me away from the genre.
And the Gaiman cycle about Sandman is put on a par with Vendetta and Watchmen. Graphic novel "Dream in midsummer night” won the World Fantasy Award - a case for a comic book is completely unthinkable.
So, in 1916, the magician Burgess (Crowley served as the prototype) and his secret society they wanted to capture Death, but they captured her younger brother. Unarmed and naked, imprisoned in a crystal sphere, Dream was waiting for an opportunity to free himself, and time went on as usual, year after year, and the absence of the Lord of Dreams gradually changed the world for the worse...
The plot is intriguing, and Son is a very charismatic character.
But "Preludes and Nocturnes" is a very apt title for the first book. An attempt to find one's own voice, a carefully varied melody, obsessively intertwined fragments of old themes - and finally, a truly Gaimanian chord in the finale. Judging by the older sister, Sandman still has relatives :)
A few individual stories:
The Dream of the Righteous is a classic English horror, and the beginning is a gothic novel. First encounter with Sandman under sympathetic circumstances.
"Negligent Masters" is made in the spirit of the comics of the 70s. Acquaintance with the house of Sleep and its colorful inhabitants. Aurk? - as the gargoyle Gregory would say.
"You will see me in a dream" - classic noir, V leading role not Sandman at all, but a fighter against evil spirits John Constantine. (The same “Konstantin” played by Keanu Reeves in the 2004 film. Only in the original he is blond and English, it turns out) Well chosen musical accompaniment stories - "Mr Sandman", "Sweet dreams". "Dream lover"...
"Hope in Hell" is a damn effective dark fantasy in the spirit of Howard and Lovecraft. An excellent translation of the poetic magical duel.
"Passengers" is the most difficult story to perceive due to the abundance of alien cultural context. Too many superheroes unknown to me and incomprehensible jokes!
"24 Hours" - Gaiman leads random visitors to the cafe through all the circles of hell and turns them inside out, literally and figuratively. The creepiest and most sickening story in the book.
“Sound and Fury” is a duel with a villain, and, knowing the result, you still experience it.
"The rustle of her wings" - best story books. As Gaiman himself writes in the afterword. “only this story became completely mine, only with it I realized that I was starting to find my own voice.”
In general, the first book sins too much with the desire to please the reader and become profitable. Captivity, release, search for artifacts, battles, revenge and gaining former strength in the company of proven superheroes from DC comics in supporting roles.
However, Gaiman is Gaiman. And he doesn't know how to write bad stories. 8 out of 10
Score: 8
My first comic. Far from the first Gaiman. I am very, very sorry that this story did not result in a novel.
The first chapter was intriguing just enough to give the next a chance, and until the middle of the volume, the story dragged on more and more. But then just imagination stopped working. It became fresh. Or not, it wasn't enough. Not enough meager dialogues and pictures of dubious aesthetic value, little drawing of characters and the world, few details. There was only a chic atmosphere, but I wanted more text, more depth In short, I wanted a full book. Too bad the comics aren't mine.
Score: 7
the sandman #1-8
The second wave of Sandman washed over me after a wretched graphic novel based on Nowhere. I longed for the freakish, mystical, dark Gaiman, after which it is both scary and interesting to sleep. Oh those dreams.
Even a second reading gives a powerful effect - I fell out of everyday life, reflecting on history, recalling my first Gaiman binge when I rushed forward without making out the road. Now I simply would not have had the time and strength to run, but I was able to stretch the pleasure.
Gods, Gaiman is awesome. "Preludes and Nocturnes" is an introductory part, in which there is imprisonment, and revenge, and even a quest to search for objects. And how many glorious heroes are here: I was glad to see John Constantine, Lucifer, Scarecrow, Harvey Dent, Doctor Dee. And what cruel stories are there, like "24 Hours", when the fate of random people is ruled by a madman who does not know peace.
I'm glad the occult guys missed the spell and called Sleep instead of Death. Although I can talk about Death for a long time, in any case, she is a nyasha. It's nice to see a brother and sister together, and his reasoning about her gift, which does not bring her a drop of human love, is generally priceless. It seems that Morpheus speaks simple truths, but in the Gaiman universe this is given a gloomy charm that is impossible not to succumb. I succumbed with joy =3
Morpheus, aka Dream, aka Sandman - oh gods. I have no words. Goosebumps run from him. This is not at all the character that you will empathize with in his quests, and he is not even a positive / negative hero, he just is, and he is eternal, endless and beautiful in his lack of a sense of humor and deliberate gloom. There is something unexpectedly pleasant in the fact that the owner of dreams turned out to be a skinny, perpetually disheveled dude in black. His desire to reclaim his attributes and exact revenge is understandable; how lovingly he squeezed his sandbag when he returned it =3
I often want to kiss Gaiman. Now, especially. I will re-read it more than once, and with regard to Sandman, I am sure of one thing - he will not cease to please me even after the nth reading.
P.S. The new digital version of the comic was especially fun =3
Score: 10
Bribed reviews of the work as "the greatest graphic novel in history." Decided to take a look. Moreover, I love Gaiman's work and have read almost all of his books with pleasure. As a result, I overcame "Preludes and Nocturnes". What can I say - very disappointed. What do we have. Several stories about supernatural being(disappointment number one - I prefer ordinary people in heroes, I somehow feel more strongly for them). The main character - the god of sleep Morpheus at times resembles Jack-from-the-shadow Zelazny. Gaiman's style is felt - the gods, Parallel Worlds, but all this is presented one-dimensionally and flatly - the myths known to everyone and everyone about the loss and gain of power are being processed fallen angel or god (this topic was covered by many, the same Zelazny). Drawing - stereotyped, for an amateur (here is disappointment number two - I don’t like this style) and in terms of directing (choosing scenes for conveying movements and actions) - to put it mildly, not ideal (and in some places just miserable). Killed the appearance of Batman in the first chapter (alas, the authors could not do without it kindergarten). I read the first volume and realized that I won’t read further - it’s not addictive. I remember reading "Navsikayu" at one time - I could not tear myself away, and the aftertaste was excellent - I pondered the key ideas of the manga for several days. Here it is contraindicated to think, it is better to read fluently, as pure adventures. I think the target audience of the work is boys under 14 years old. I am glad that I got acquainted with this sensational comic book, however, alas, the story is clearly not for me.
The story begins with a bunch of small magicians who planned to capture Death, but mistakenly summon her brother. This mistake will prove fatal for Morpheus is not inclined to forgive his enemies and is truly terrible in anger.
After a long imprisonment, the Dream has lost its power and he will have to restore it by returning his three artifacts.
To do this, he will have to meet with John Constantine and demonstrate that despite the fact that he is cruel to his enemies, he can be merciful towards people.
He will have to descend into Hell, play the oldest game in the world and inflict a deadly insult on Lucifer himself (who in due time will avenge very exquisitely).
He has to fight for the consciousness of people all over the world, with the insane Doctor Destiny (who is distraught, not without help from the Morpheus stone).
In summary, I note that this is the first and last volume of this Saga, tightly tied to the DC universe, all other volumes in terms of mood and construction will rather resemble latest release of this volume.
This volume is a starter volume, an accelerating one for subsequent events, but no less ingenious because it was written by the Master's hand.
Sandman. Sandman. Death's younger brother. Eternal, which will be even when the last God passes through the gates of the afterlife. The Eternal, who saw what the Earth dreamed about when it burned like a hot ball in the middle of an icy space. Sandman is a wonderful comic book created by Neil Gaiman.
Sandman or Sandman (nevertheless, the original name has taken root among Russian fans) is the famous comic book series that brought Gaiman to the shelves of bestselling authors. "Preludes and Nocturnes" are the first 8 issues, released in the period 1988-1989, which were later combined under one cover. Finally, the book was released in our country, which will be a wonderful gift for any fan of Gaiman, a lover of the comic book genre, a fan of scary stories.
Before I say a few words about the content and noteworthiness of the comic, I would like, of course, to be glad for the quality of the publication. Dust jacket. Strict black hardcover, on which titles are embossed with "silver". Thick glossy paper. Color without marriage. Publisher's preface and author's afterword. Brief biographical articles about everyone who worked on the comic. An article about the creation and fate of comics. And, in fact, a detailed commentary, which, after reading the story, will give the joy of new discoveries, and will so fully explain the details that you didn’t even pay attention to when you met, that 230 pages of pictures will suddenly swell up to an abstract collected works.
The Sandman comic tells us the story of Morpheus, the lord of dreams, who in itself is a certain concept, a certain metaphysical entity, a certain law of nature, but ... out of his stupidity, he has the habit of being an anthropomorphic person. For which, from the very first pages, it is paid by the fact that it turns out to be captivated by a magical order, consisting of charlatans and half-and-half of real magicians. The first comic, "The Dream of the Righteous", gallops across Europe, will tell us about the 70-year imprisonment of Sandman and his miraculous (as always, the human factor; carelessness) release. The only problem is that: a) for 70 years without the Lord of Dreams and the Dream Kingdom, it has become very dilapidated, which could not but affect the world of people (psychosis, illness); b) magical gopniks squeezed three artifacts from Morpheus, without which Sandman is not a Jedi. Actually, in search of these, he will hold the next 6 issues. + 1, final, in search of the meaning of being.
How good is the Sandman comic? Firstly, this is a great story (told for a dream to come :) - I, personally, struggled with sleep yesterday while I was reading). Secondly, a beautiful drawing that complements the fact that the artists were not afraid to play with the space of the page, subtly and imaginatively placing frames. Thirdly, a real encyclopedia of American comics, which, however, is almost impossible to guess.
The protagonist, as is typical of wonderful stories about bad boys, is handsome, dangerous, and generally an asshole, endowed with charisma, oratory talent, cool clothes and, to a heap, universal power. Almost Doctor House. Or Alucard from the Helsing anime. And, again, as is typical of similar stories, it is impossible not to love this cutie, because. it doesn't do anything negative. (True, here one can argue about how much revenge is a noble cause. But those whom he takes revenge on cause only a feeling of disgust.) Although, I read only the first volume of ten. People who know will tell you, maybe he will show himself again.
Everything about Sandman is stylish. Heroes. Gestures. Speeches. Sometimes it is even too pathetic, but the story about Heaven and Hell, about Eternity and Being - oblige.
Gaiman, as it is the main attribute of his work, places his character in a world woven from hundreds of story threads. Allusions, references, direct quotations from literature, comics, cinema, music are provided to the reader on every page. And speaking of this book as a comic book encyclopedia, it is filled with equivocations and direct references to the world of comic book superheroes. In principle, the world of people in the "Sandman" exists in the universe of Batman, the Justice League and others like them. But, if in Gaiman's comic book "1602" - such a population was made deliberately, clumsily, then in "Sandman" without a good commentary or deep knowledge of the issue, 80% of the characters remain missing. And, personally, I cannot but applaud this. So cool, so skillfully Gaiman, I would even say, overpopulated the comics with characters, giving each one his unique, necessary role. The Dream World is populated, to a greater extent, by the characters and concepts of High Literature. Well, how can one write about Hell without commemoration and cutting according to the patterns drawn up by Dante?! Sisters-things, multifaceted in mythologies and folklore, come to life violently, in Shakespearean style.
In total, as I said above, there are 8 stories in the book. Each of which looks independent and complete, each of which is just an episode in a coherent and fascinating story. Each story is not like the other. Here is a silly, in the spirit of the old, old comics, the beginning. And a tense chamber thriller "Passengers" - 5th issue. And, following it, a very cruel 6th "24 hours". About how people create horrors much worse than nightmares. Lyrical and heartfelt like a perfect haiku, the 8th story "The Rustle of Her Wings" is a story of life told by death.
Good, very good comic. What a pleasure it was to read it.
Download Neil Gaiman's Sandman.
