Sandman Preludes and Nocturnes

Frank Miller. Alan Moore. Neil Gaiman - These three changed the face of comics. Frank Miller updated the Batman mythos with Year One and The Dark Knight Returns, and took the Caped Crusader back to his dark roots (indeed the last two Batman films owe everything to Miller's vision), giving him a maturity that was sorely needed. Alan Moore expanded the canvas on what was possible in terms of graphic storytelling, subject matter and depth (read his groundbreaking work on Swamp Thing and Watchmen) and Neil Gaiman gave comics their very own dream world and mythology.

And it all started with the Sandman. Though Gaiman had written several comics before (Violent Cases; Black Orchid) this was the first time that he had committed himself to an ongoing series. He wanted a story that could encompass a plethora of gods and monsters, nightmares and dreamscapes, and not tie himself down to a particular genre.

There had been an earlier Sandman, back in the ‘40's -a caped crusader with a doughboy mask and gas-gun dispensing justice in 4-colour panels- but Gaiman had in mind something much more elusive, deeper. Enter Dream, of the Endless -the eponymous Sandman.

The Endless are 7 "anthropomorphic personifications" of Dream; Desire; Delirium; Destruction; Despair; Destiny and Death. They are not Gods, but are more than Gods and shape the lives of all that have the capacity to dream, desire, etc.

The Sandman comics chart the "life" of Morpheus, or Dream of the Endless and those that encounter him, and "Preludes & Nocturnes" is a trade paperback which collects the first 8 issues of the series.

We first meet the Sandman imprisoned by magic in a glass cage by human captors, who hoped to capture his sister, Death. There he stays for over a hundred years until he manages to escape and punish his captors. He then spends the majority of the trade paperback trying to track down his "totems of power" (a ruby, a pouch and a helm) that were stolen when he was imprisoned. On the way he meet's John Constantine -himself a magician of great power-, incurs the wrath of Lucifer and finally meets his sister, Death.

Its interesting to see how the writing develops over the course of the trade paperback. At first it's stumbling and shambling as Gaiman tries to tie the story into established DC continuity -unsuccessfully- before he finds his stride. Issue 8 in the paperback ("The Sound Of Her Wings") is regarded by many as the high watermark of the series as it introduced Death and showed a maturity that had not been seen before. For me, however, the previous two stories "24 hours" and "Sound and Fury" are also of note. These are among the scariest and darkest stories I've read where "Dr Destiny" takes control of the customers of an American diner and explores their deepest nightmares and blackest fantasies before being stopped by Morpheus. With these three stories Gaiman set the standard for mature horror and laid the groundwork for all his subsequent issues in terms of imagination and storytelling.

The first 5 issues were pencilled by Sam Keith whose work previous had been on more superhero orientated comics, and to me it shows. The panels are very cartoony and it's hard to take the concepts seriously -especially Morpheus' trip into hell to regain his helm. In the hands of Mike Dringenberg hell would have been a much scarier place.

Keith left after 5 issues feeling as if he was, in his own words "Jimi Hendrix in the Beatles". For me it was if it was more like "Peter Tork (of Monkees fame) in the Beatles". However when Mike Dringenbeg took over with issue 6 we get to see exactly what the Sandman is capable of. Together with inker Malcolm Jones III we see a much more thought provoking and imaginative approach to the story. Some of the panel progressions are beautifully thought out and really allow Gaiman free reign -. The stories are more mature in their execution and outlook -and a helluva lot darker.

But don't let this put you off - This is as dark as it gets. Sandman covers every conceivable genre of storytelling, and with a depth of maturity that has astounded thousands of readers. Gaiman has won many awards for the Sandman and with good reason.

If this is your first visit to the wonderful world of the Sandman, please don't be put off by these issues - they show promise and definitely hint at the pleasures to come. For me, the last 3 issues are worth the price of admission alone. And if your view of comics is one of gaudy men in tights with impossible powers and bulging muscles be prepared for something completely different. After reading the Sandman your whole outlook will never be seen again!

Note: These trade paperbacks are meant for mature readers. These are not comics for kids.