Book Description

Dr. Strange. Namor. The Hulk. The Silver Surfer. Set apart from others by nature and choice, this team of Marvel's mightiest loners embarked a string of strange adventures rarely equaled since - joined by some of the most off-kilter heroes of their time. Sorcery! Super-science! The war of the super-heroes! Learn how the "non-team" got its non-start in this multi-title compilation! Collects Dr. Strange #183, Sub-Mariner #22 and 34-35, Incredible Hulk #126, Marvel Feature #1-3, Defenders #1-14, and Avengers #115-118. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Wake up, sir. We're here." It's a simple enough opening line--althoughnot many would have guessed back in 1991 thatthis would lead to one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comics of the second half of the century.

In Preludes and Nocturnes, Neil Gaiman weaves the story of a man interested in capturing the physical manifestation of Death but who instead captures the King of Dreams. By Gaiman's own admission there's a lot in this first collection that is awkward and ungainly--which is not to say there are not frequent moments of greatness here. The chapter "24 Hours" is worth the price of the book alone; it stands as one of the most chilling examples of horror in comics. And let's not underestimate Gaiman's achievement of personifying Death as a perky, overly cheery, cute goth girl! All in all, I greatly prefer the roguish breaking of new ground in this book to the often dull precision of the concluding volumes of the Sandman series. --Jim Pascoe ... Read more

Reviews (73)

Sandman
I love this series and am slowly acquiring all the books in it. It's fairly expensive, but, if you like the Sandman series, it's a lot cheaper than buying each individual comic. This book isn't the best in the series, but it's still very good. It's not like most comic books. There's no superhero intent on defeating an evil supervillain for the good of mankind. A group of magicians want to capture Death but instead capture Dream. He stays caged for decades, and, when he finally escapes, he has to find his tools (a bag of sand, his helm, and his Dreamstone).

This first book relies too much on guest appearances made by DC characters, but Gaiman does manage to move beyond that by the eighth issue, "The Sound of Her Wings". I really enjoyed that issue, which has the first appearance of Death. She's the reason I started reading the Sandman series. I'd read The High Cost of Living, and I loved the idea that Death could be a perky goth girl who you could really get to like. Mike Dringenberg, who does the pencils for the eighth issue, does an excellent version of Sandman and Death. I don't really like Sam Keith's version of Sandman that much, but his depictions of horrific things, like Hell, are wonderful. I also liked "Dream a Little Dream of Me", in which Dream has to find his bag of sand and is getting help from John Constantine, and "24 Hours", in which Doctor Destiny has Dream's Dreamstone and is driving the world mad. I consider both of those issues to be top horror. It's definitely worth it to get this book.

Wonderful Book - Incredible series
It's a little sad after reading the Sandman books because you know you will never quite recapture the same feeling of going through such a great story for the first time when you pick them again. And trust me, you will be rereading these.

But the flip side of that is once you have read the series and go back, you see how fully realized Neil Gaiman's vision is. What seems like almost arbitrary bits of exposition are the seeds of future story arcs. "Season of Mists" the fourth book in the series, being just one example.

The main story begins when a necromancer who, intending to capture Death, captures her little brother Dream instead. He and his son keep him locked up for the better part of the 20th century. Once "Sandman" breaks out, he must restore his dream kingdom and reclaim his talismans of power. That takes him to London, Hell and a 24hr diner outside of Gotham.

What I love particularly about this series is that it is esoteric without being pretentious. This is what happens when someone who is remarkably well read is also a comic fan. Gaiman manages to invoke The Old Testament, William Faulkner, old DC Comic mythos, Shakespeare, Bobby Darin, Victorian Literature and Greek Tragedy, makes it relevant to the story, and then makes the concepts comprehensible to a fifteen year old. And that's just in this volume. I say the last because that's how old I was when I started to read these. At the risk of sounding overzealous, it has since challenged me to become as well read as the author.

I've read other reviews arguing that this is not the best one. I disagree only because I know that each volume speaks differently to different people. My humble advice is to start with this one and read them in order the way the author wrote them. I have bought this particular volume three times over the years due to lending it out to friends and not getting it back. Treasure this as well, enjoy and don't lend them out!

Dream a little dream of me
You can't begin to learn about the depth and intense storylines graphic novels conjure up without first paying homage to this, the granddaddy of them all. "The Sandman" series, reinvented and reinterpreted by author Neil Gaiman, took an existing mediocre superhero and transformed him into an otherworldly god. The success of the series is undeniable, and it has the unique additional factor of being equally interested to both men and women. A rarity in comics, I assure you. I had never really read any Sandman before, so I decided to begin at the very beginning. With "Preludes and Nocturnes", you meet the hero of this series naked in a glass container. My kind of show!

With his siblings Death, Destiny, Despair, Desire and others, Dream is one of the Endless that rule at the edges of humanity. In a makeshift ceremony, a cult attempting to capture Death herself find that they have instead captured Morpheus/ the King of Dreams/ the Sandman/ etc. After 75 years, Dream finds a way to escape his captivity, only to find that things have gone horribly wrong in his absence. Three of his tools in which he kept much of his magic have gone missing. Worse still, his very kingdom has disintegrated. To restore it, Dream much locate his items and defeat a villain that wants to use Dream's power to destroy humanity itself.

Oh it's definitely a disturbing tale. No question. There are elements in this story that will haunt you long after you put the book down. Oddly, Dream's visit to Hell is probably one of the tamer tales. Still, it's well written. There's nothing like a good quest tale to keep the reader wanting more. The final chapter in this series introduces the reader to Death, Dream's somewhat punk rock sister. Funny fact: Death's a big fan of Mary Poppins. Who knew? Drawing in elements of everything from Alice in Wonderland to 1950s and 60s pop songs that discuss dreams, dreaming, and the sandman (of which I think there may have been roughly 4 billion) as well as Shakespeare, ancient Celtic myth, and even the original Cain and Abel story, Gaiman goes wild. Remarkably, he does all of this and yet never looses his grip on the tale he's telling. Things are never so wild that they get completely out of hand.

The art in this book is created by the fingers of three meticulous artists. Of them, I had a hard time deciding which I liked best. I'm not an able reviewer of graphic artists, so I can't say who did which story and what style goes with whom. What I can say is that as the stories continue, Dream himself grows and changes. Though he retains his essential look, he goes from contemptuous to thin and drawn to Robert Smith. The last story in the collection, "The Sound of Her Wings" is probably the weakest of the book. While it's wonderful to see Death so perky and mischievous, I was disappointed by the story's hero suddenly looking so much like the lead singer of The Cure. Instead of the Endless master of night and dreams, we have a pouting teenaged kid. Go figure.

Just the same, this is an excellent starter graphic novel. For the person uncertain as to whether or not accept this art form as actual "literature" (and it's going to be many many years before this mindset becomes standard) this book may not convince them wholeheartedly, but it will at least give them something to think about. A great dark tale with a great dark sexy hero. No wonder the ladies like him so.

Whatever you do, don't buy this book...
... at least not if you're only getting started in comics. I say this because the Sandman series is among the finest comics you will ever find.

In fact, "comic" is too small a word. So is "graphic novel," which is most often used by adults who are trying not to feel silly about reading comics. Sandman is one of those rare comics that transcend the medium. This is no mere comic book.

This is fiction, with artwork. This is visual storytelling, a modern descendent of humanity's earliest art forms. Don't let the "comic book" label fool you. This is a full-fledged book.

The entire 10 volume Sandman series centers around Morpheus, the Dream King. One of The Endless, he is one of seven eternal beings who are the embodiments of abstracts. Dream's older sister Death makes an appearance in the final chapter in this volume.

Other reviewers have criticized this volume for not being very representative of the series on the whole, and that is true. But this volume is a supremely important one becuase it lays the groundwork for everything that follows.

Not only that, it's very entertaining in it's own right. Chapters like A Hope In Hell, The Sound of Her Wings, or 24 Hours are extraordinary examples of comics at their best. Any one of those stories makes this volume worth owning, but you get all three of them, plus five more chapters as well.

If you already read comics, then by all means buy this book (and the other nine volumes, too). But if you're just getting started in comics, you should seriously think about starting somewhere else.

Because once you've read Sandman, you're going to be spending a lot of time in a mostly fruitless search for more books that are as good as this series.

Seriously. It's that good. 10 out of 10

Good series, slow start
I'm a late-comer to the Sandman series, but it's become one of my favorites. I read these collections of the original comics out of order, as I encounter them, and started with some of the later collections.

That's why I found this Sandman such a surprise. I really didn't like it that much. I think it suffered from two big problems. First was a problem of the comics business: there's nearly no such thing as a new series. The big publishers, at least when Sandman first came out, felt the need to graft new characters onto old story lines, perhaps to spark initial sales. Sandman really didn't benefit from that surgery.

Second and more understandable is that a new series, esp. something so different from DC's usual, needs a little time to find itself. The good news is that, by the end of this collection, the Sandman story line really did seem to come into its own. The last piece in this book, 'The Sound of Her Wings,' is the Sandman I've come to enjoy. I'm just worried that new readers might be disappointed by this book and not come back to the later, better work.

This isn't bad by any means, it's just a fitful start to an exceptional series. After this, it just gets better. ... Read more

Book Description

Throughout his adventures across the mythic Hyperborean world, the barbarian called Conan crosses swords with many colorful and dangerous characters, somehow always finding himself on the wrong end of a wizard's wrath, or staring down the hungry jaws of a nightmarish beast. Proving himself more than a match for whatever came his way, Conan has become one of the most enduring and strangely endearing characters in all of popular culture. The stories in this edition feature more tales of thrilling adventure and chilling betrayal as only writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema could deliver. ... Read more

Book Description

Alchemy: the mystical power to alter the natural world, somewhere between magic, art and science.When two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, dabbled in these powers to grant their dearest wish, one of them has lost an arm and a leg...and the other became nothing but a soul locked into a body of living iron.Now they are agents of the government, slaves of the military-alchemical complex, using their unique powers to obey their orders...even to kill.But their powers aren't unique.The world crawls with evil alchemists.And in pursuit of the ultimate alchemical treasure, the Philosopher's Stone, their enemies are even more ruthless than they are... ... Read more

Reviews (5)

This is the best manga series in my opinion
Don't automatically assume that the manga is based on the anime because you've seen it on Adult Swim first. The anime "Fullmetal Alchemist" is based on the manga, which was later released in the United States. Now that that's out of the way...

This is truly a great manga. Each character is unique. They all have distinct personalities, different talents, beliefs, everything. This is a good thing, the storyline is more engaging that way. Speaking of the storyline, it's great. It is the same as the anime with a few differences, but remember that the ANIME is based on the MANGA. The artwork is really well done.

If you're thinking about getting this manga, take my advice. Stop thinking, and get the manga. Don't listen to people who haven't even gotten the facts straight. This manga series is the best, in my opinion, and it IS great. It will leave you wanting more.

People Listen to what you are saying!!
Lately I have been thinking about buying this first volume of Full Metal Alchemist, but the more I look at it the more dismayed I get. The reason for this is not because I think that the plot needs any work, nor do I think that the book is too pricey. The reason I am dismayed is that everywhere I look I see contradictions. I look at the product descriptions and they say the manga came first,(by first I mean if when they were first coming up with the idea in Japan, did they print the manga, or air the anime originally) but if I read on it always reads something like "...from the anime to the manga." As a customer I am confused, because I want to have the original format in my hands, but with quotes like the one above I can't make any sense of what I am going to buy. As a manga fan however I am outraged, and for one reason only: If the manga came first then SAY THAT!! As I have said before I want the original format in my hands, but the way I'm looking at it it seems as though the anime came first. In conclusion I will say to the people who have written reviews on this product that you have to look at what you are saying, and look at what the facts are, and again I don't think I can stress my point enough; If the manga came first then don't have anything saying otherwise, and vice versa.

Great book to add to your collection
Being a huge fan of the anime series, I had to get a hold of this book. The artwork is very good, being able to see the story flow from one panel to the next. The translation is good, but there were some discrepancies. For example, how the silver pocket that all the state alchemist possess in the anime are in fact gold and how Fuhrer King Bradley in the anime is referred to as the President in the manga. Not really a big deal and doesn't really change the overall quality of the story. The story tends to be slightly more comical than the actual anime and Edward seems more sadistic in this version. Overall, I would still highly recommend this to all FMA fans and anyone who's willing to get into anime for the first time.

The first transmutation
~F1Rst REV1EW~

"Fullmetal Alchemist" has already made a huge success on the [Adult_Swim] program.Because of that, fans of the series, or for those who couldn't stay up to watch the anime or pay $30 for the DVDs, can now enjoy the adventures of the odd Elric brothers from the format that started the franchise: manga.If you'd hope for more of the same drama/comedy hybrid with a unique premise that made "Fullmetal Alchemist" such a hit, you'd be both wrong and right.I say that, because some of the changes here can alter the satisfaction of an anime fan.

You would be right, because conceptually, FMA: The Manga remains the same (come on, it's a book...that was made into a show).Ed is still Ed, Al is still the bodiless metal knight wearing an apron, both are still young alchemists in an alchemy-fad world and on the search to find the philosopher's stone, which will enhance their transmutated abilities to recover their original bodies back after their failed and ill-consequential attempt of reviving a dead human: their mom.The manga also looks as amazing as the anime.This first volume covers up episodes 1, 2, 5 and 8 of the anime series (not in order), with the Elric Brothers stopping a false prophet, train hijackers, and saving a mine town.You'd probably know all this if you've seen the anime.Viz Media does an above-average on the translation, and as always, the company does not believe in japanese sound effects, so they translated those as well.

You would also be wrong, because despite being the same FMA by its essence, the situations and character developements have been altered in the manga, possibly drastic enough to make it look like a whole new FMA.First off, the manga took place in the present, and anything that happened during the past after the tried human transmutation from the anime happened in the current; the whole past scenario doesn't even happen until a MUCH later volume.Second, it's the characters in the manga: Ed is more aggravated over his image, Al is more gullible, and while she isn't in the first volume, metalphiliac Winry became the dominatrix of constant abuse that many shonen babes have before her.Oh, and the flame alchemist Roy Mustang worries less about what he can do for having female soldiers wear skirts and worries more of what he can do for himself.

Some of the characters have changed for the better, leaving the angst and brutality of the characters from the anime in exchange for giving them more, dare I say it, "realistic" feelings that make them act more human, even if act ridiculous.Most characters, however, changed themselves to make them spiteful to the reader, and not in a good way.The villians are the real culprit on this subject, like Cornello, who in the anime is very demeaning and prideful over his ambiguous schemes, but here, he's too loose and when he blows some steam, I couldn't take him seriously.Also (again, not in the first volume), Barry the Chopper is the equivalent of the Killer Klown from Outer Space in the manga, while in the anime, he's the equivalent of Hannibal Lechter, expect more heartless and evil (I say that as a bad thing).At worst, the villians are pathetic.

Also in comparision to the anime, characters like the other elric brothers, and the sexy thief Jeanne, don't exist here.And for the other homunculi (Sloth, Wrath, and Pride), they exist, but they'll look different then what you see in the anime, so for those lusting on anime Sloth should be prepared for the shock.

The story also goes through some changes from the anime, and personally, it's a mixed bag.The mood here seems less on drama and more on comedy.There are also moments where scenes in the manga are just not as acceptable as the anime: death scenes, tragic scenarios and such just doesn't hit me hard like it did in the anime.The manga doesn't take itself too seriously, so for certain moments, it's humorous, light-hearted, and easy to get into, but at the same time, it lacks the impact and confliction that made the anime so heartbreakingly enjoyable.

How would I know some of these facts and comparisons if I only read the first volume?I manage to check out some FMA scanlated chapters before buying this volume.

F1Rst REACTION: somewhat positive

In an estimate scale, I would give this first volume 3.5 stars.Heck, the first five volumes I'd give them 3.5 stars.As I said, this manga is not as serious as the anime, so this and later volumes might be too easy and rushed to be completely satisfied.Don't be discouraged of what I just said.This manga DOES get better after volume 7, because THAT is where the manga is truly a worthwhile read.Trust me, I have to go through the first two boring volumes of "Berserk" before I got to the meat of that title afterwards."Fullmetal Alchemist" will reach its prime, manga readers...just not right now.

Amazing
Being an avid watcher of the Anime, the manga is either just as good or better than the show. Amazing graphics and story. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The story of the Demon Zabuza and Haku
"Naruto vol. 4" continues the fierce battle begun in vol. 3, against the ninja-hunting Demon Zabuza and his deadly assistant Haku. The stage is set with Sasuke slain, Kakashi literally mystified and Sakura learning her own limitations.As everyone knows, when things look darkest for a band of heroes...it is time for a little payback.

Payback is what you get in vol. 4, but not exactly in the way expected.Naruto, full of rage over his friends death, unleashes the power of the Nine-tailed Fox demon.Kakashi shows that he is more than the Sharingan Eye, using an innovative attack to overcome the loss of vision.Sasuke lies on the ground dead, and there is lots of weeping.

The real story, however, is the love and loyalty between Zabuza and Haku.Compared to this, the trials of the four heroes are trivial.Haku sees himself as a weapon to be wielded by Zabuza, and the true test of his loyalty comes when Zabuza's feelings are made clear.Its some powerful, emotional stuff.

Along with the conclusion of this story arc, vol. 4 also sets up the next adventure for the Naruto gang. This time, they head home to face the challenge of the examinations for chunin, the next level of Ninja. Several groups of older kids come into town to face the examinations, and run foul with Naruto and friends.Cue the music and start the fights!

Insert Title for Review (haha)
When I read this one, I can't say anything surprised me at all. But that's only because I've seen the anime already. I have to say, this manga impressed me even after already seeing the anime. Sure I didn't cry my eyes out like I did in the anime but the shounen-ai scene with sasuke and naruto about sasuke 'dying'... Well lets move onto the blood. The blood was alot cooler than it was in the anime. In the anime, the blood was stupid and purple. In the manga, it was all over the place and dark. Really Dark. Just like blood is supposed to be. And it wasn't drawn out annoyingly like it was in the anime.
The best thing about the manga is you don't have to listen to the annoying music. That made this book so much more intresting, and out of the four I own, I like this one most.
The best thing about this volume is the cover art. If you've seen the cover art on other three, you'll notice SOMEONE is making a stupid face, pose or it just looks weird. The cover art for this volume is beautiful.
Only thing I can complain about is... some of the anime characters are scarey when they're first introduced. The once adorable Shikamaru is now scarey. Very scarey. He looks like evil Betty from Kung Pow. And Temari, once pretty, now ugly. I hope they fix that...

don't write it off just yet...
Ok, so maybe this was a bit of an anticlimax following the huge cliff hanger at the end of volume three.However, loads of new characters are introduced in this volume which give rise to a whole new level of story telling and character development.There are currently 22 volumes of naruto waiting to be translated into English and this volume sets the stage for what is to come.It's a really good read, and if you can't wait for the next volume, there are plently that have been scanlated available on the net, so go check it out...it's definately worth it!

doggies? get out.
Death of a friend, breaking of a seal, final confrontation...here it comes, the final showdown!!!! Dogs? Ninja Dogs? Come on. After all that build up, you give us ninja dogs? It's like listening to a joke you know that's going to be good. You are sitting there waiting for the punchline, and you are ready to clutch your stomach because it's going to be a belly laugh. Then suddenly a clown in a cheap custom jumps out from behind the curtain and starts juggling balls; while the comedian takes a break. By the time he comes back and finish telling the joke, you can't get that cheap clown out of your mind. The joke fizzles, and you felt you got robbed.
Am I going too far? Maybe. Masashi Kishimoto did an awesome job of setting up the story in Volumes 2 and 3. Volume 4 was going to be the climax, the punchline that makes you gasp for air. Enters the clown.

Contains spoilers (if you haven't read Vol. 3)
This volume is awesome.
It picks up where Vol. 3 left off, with Sasuke dead, mid-battle with Zabuza and Haku.

This whole volume is just...great. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

This comic is a great look at the mutant controversy.
For people (like me) who read X-Men for the parts on mutant prejudice, this is one must read! The plot is based on a group trying to eliminate mutants. They develop a machine harnessing Professor X's telepathic abilities with which they can weed out mutants from humans. The X-Men are forced to stop the plan, and ally with Magneto. The book is definitely aimed at a slightly mature audience. There isn't as much action as a comic, but there is lots of fighting for mutant equality through talking and encounters. Also, the illustrations are touching. Anderson catches the darker side of the X-Men that works well with the story. If you find this, it's a good buy.

The essence of X
"God Loves, Man Kills" is Marvel Graphic Novel Number 5. Written by Chris Claremont and Brent Eric Anderson, the book is lettered by Tom Orzechowski and colored by Steve Oliff. In this science fiction adventure, the superheroic mutants known as the X-Men face a complex struggle against William Stryker, a powerful televangelist who is masterminding an ominous plot. Complicating this conflict is the presence of Magneto, the mutant whose own agenda is at odds with those of both Stryker and the X-Men.

This X-Men adventure features Professor X, Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Colossus, Ariel, and Nightcrawler. This is an excellent story which, in my opinion, captures the essence of the X-men mythos. "God Loves" is a thrilling mix of action, interpersonal drama, and philosophy. The authors effectively develop the core idea of the mutants as a misunderstood and persecuted minority. There are some really heart-tugging scenes--these are characters you can really care about. The artists deliver some unforgettable visuals.

Stryker is a truly monstrous, horrifying figure. But his effectiveness is a character lies in the fact that he is so similar to many real-live Religious Right figures. Stryker is a Bible-quoting preacher who uses his vast wealth and political influence to wage a campaign of hate against a particular minority group. With a copyright date of 1982, "God Loves" strikes me as eerily prophetic, and still chillingly relevant.

The plot of "God Loves" is similar in certain aspects to that of the 2003 film "X2"--I don't think it's any accident that the mutant-hating villains in these stories have the same name. But despite the parallels "God Loves" still stands on its own as a powerful, well-written X-Men story. I consider it one of the essential masterpieces in the graphic novel genre.

More X-greatness from Chris Claremont and friends
At the time that I write this, Amazon has not properly identified this item for whatever reason. This is Essential X-Men Vol. 5. The volume is notably thicker than previous entries in the series, apparently because the paper is thicker. This should come as a welcome change for those who have complained about the flimsiness of the paper in the Essentials series - though I never found it to be a problem.

This volume contains The Uncanny X-Men issues 180-198, plus annuals 7 & 8. The bulk of the issues are penciled by John Romita Jr. and inked by Dan Green; a combination which we've already seen in the latter section of volume 4, although the art style is more distinctive here, maybe the artists were honing their technique? And Kitty looks noticably different here, even from earlier issues drawn by the same artists; but then, fans have grown accustomed to the repeated changes in Kitty's appearance as different artists have taken over the magazine.

There are two issues focusing on Storm, titled Lifedeath and (surprise!) Lifedeath II. These are penciled by Barry Windsor-Smith, and they have a look completely unlike any other issues of the magazine (esp. the latter which W-S also inked). Their tone is also atypical, more melancholy than usual - perhaps because of the influence of the artist, who also contributed to the plotting, as was usual with Claremont's X-Men.

Most of these issues display the virtues that are associated with Chris Claremont's long run as writer of The X-Men; chiefly a focus on the characters and their relationships with each other. Among other things, volume 5 shows Kitty's relationship with Peter go through some zig-zags; Storm loses her mutant powers and heads off to her old home in Africa to try to find new meaning in her life; and, wonder of wonders, Magneto - the X-Men's archfoe, whom they have repeatedly combatted since way back in the very first issue - has had a change of heart and has joined forces with Professor Xavier. Actually, this is not too much of a surprise because he experienced a moral crisis at the end of issue 150.

I have just two real complaints. One is that for a while, increasingly throughout the first half of this volume, the writers show a preoccupation with magic and sorcery, which reaches its peak with issues 190-191, which show Manhattan being taken over by the sorcerer Kulan Gath, and magically reduced to primitive barbarism. These two issues in particular have (to my mind, anyway) a rather grim and unpleasant tone. And since our heroes are mutants rather than magicians, they become increasingly helpless throughout these stories and have to be repeatedly bailed out by people such as Peter's sister and Nightcrawler's girlfriend, both of whom secretly practice magic of one sort or another; or by Warlock, a member of the New Mutants who is actually an alien from another planet.

If you find yourself getting depressed at this point, I recommend jumping ahead to Annual #7 (the annuals are included at the back of the volume) which offers a welcome change of tone. After the Kulan Gath sequence, though, Claremont and his collaborators seem to have worked out their fixation with magic, and the following issues return to the character-driven type of story that made this such a great magazine for so long.

My other complaint pertains to the writers' increasing fixation on the theme of anti-mutant prejudice and persecution. Although present in the X-Men since back in Stan Lee's days, the presentation of this theme here starts to become shrill and overbearing. In earlier times there were major characters who were non-mutants, yet were intimates of Prof. Xavier and/or the X-Men, such as Dr. Corbeau and (especially) Moira MacTaggert. I found myself increasingly missing such characters, as the writers sometimes seemed to be slipping into a simplistic world-view in which all mutants are unjustly persecuted and all non-mutants are moral monsters. To be fair, there are some decent non-mutants here, but they are all walk-ons rather than major characters.

However, these flaws are not enough to to spoil the greatness that is Chris Claremont's X-Men. If you have enjoyed the first four volumes of this Essentials series, you owe it to yourself to read this one as well.

Classic X-Men story
This classic X-Men story from the golden years of Chris Claremont's legendary run on the book is one of the most well known and well regarded tales to ever hit the X-Men. The story revolves around William Stryker; a powerful bible banging televangilist with an agenda for mutantkind. The X-Men are thrown into the thick of Stryker's would be crusade, with Magneto waiting in the wings with plans of his own. Claremont's superb and powerful storytelling is at his best here, and maybe is his best next to the classic Dark Phoenix Saga. The art is great as well, although some may find it a bit too 80's. The basic story of God Loves, Man Kills, would be used in the X2: X-Men United movie which used a villian named Stryker, only instead of him having power through religion he had it through the military. Even though this story is out of print, you can find it in the X-Treme X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills 2 book.

Good Read, The Basis For X-Men 2 (Movie)
I've been a fan of the X-Men for some time and I was glad I picked this up. It's nice to read the true origin of the story found in the X-Men 2 movie. The art isn't as flashy as it now but it is still an enjoyable story with a good message. ... Read more

Book Description

As a superhuman lawyer, She-Hulk has tried some of the strangest cases on Earth... but all of that is about to change! Empowered by the Living Tribunal, Shulkie is heading into deep space to practice Universal Law! Guest-starring Adam Warlock, Gamora, and Pip the Troll!Plus: Out of all of She-Hulk's enemies, no one hates her more than Titania! So what's her beef? Where did all this hostility come from? What made little Skeeter MacPherran into the angry Amazon she is today? And what's about to make her one of the deadliest threats in the Marvel Universe? Special appearances by the Absorbing Man, Spider-Woman, and Doctor Doom! And finally, a major power boost has made She-Hulk stronger than ever - maybe even stronger than special guest-star Hercules! Feats of strength can wait, however, because this emerald enchantress is going to the books and relying on brains, not brawn, to get the Prince of Power out of some Herculean legal problems. ... Read more

Book Description

Now unto us is born...the magician! The Master of the Mystic Arts' earliest adventures continue as Strange stands as mankind's last, best hope against the dark otherworldly forces that conspire to steal the life of the conscious world - including Nightmare, Dormammu, Lord Nekron, and the Sons of the Satannish! Featuring the origin of Dr. Strange... and Strange and Clea's first kiss! Plus: Strange takes on a new, masked costume! Guest-starring the Avengers! Collects Doctor Strange #169-178, 180-183, Avengers #61, Sub-Mariner #22, Marvel Feature #1, Incredible Hulk #126, and Marvel Premiere #3-10, 12-14. ... Read more

Book Description

When the internationally famous barbarian hero returned to comics, with an all-new fresh start by award-winning writer Kurt Busiek (JLA/Avengers, Astro City) and dynamic artists Cary Nord, Thomas Yeates, and Dave Stewart, the result was instant sell-outs and multiple printings to keep up with the demand. Now Conan's earliest adventures are collected in a handsome 192-page collection. Catch all the action and savagery as he wars with the murderous Vanir, meets the Frost Giant's Daughter, and is taken as a slave by the ancient sorcerers of Hyperborea! This top-selling new series faithfully expands on original author Robert E. Howard's literary creation. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The immense popularity of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series is due in largepart to the development of his characters. In The Doll's House, the second book of the Sandman magnum opus, Gaiman continues to build the foundation for the larger story, introducing us to more of the Dream King's family of the Endless.

The Sandman returns to his kingdom of the Dreaming after nearly a century of imprisonment, finding several things out of place; most importantly, an anomaly called a dream vortex has manifested itself in the form of a young girl who unknowingly threatens to rip apart the Dreaming. And there's the smaller matter of a few nightmares having escaped. Among them is Gaiman's creepiest creation: the Corinthian, a serial killer with a miniature set of teeth in each eye socket. Because later volumes concentrate so much on human relationships with Gaiman's signature fair for fantasy and mythology, it is sometimes easy to forget that the Sandman series started out as a horror comic. This book grabs you and doesn't let you forget that so easily. --Jim Pascoe ... Read more

Reviews (27)

The vortex, immortality and "cereal"
In the second Sandman collection, the reader starts to realize that Gaiman has some long range plans for this series. The tale of Rose Walker, the dream vortex who must be killed to save The Dreaming, is a complex one. The Doll House introduces the reader to many of the characters who would have a major effect on Gaiman's plans for the series. Particularly excellent is the tale of Hob Gadling, who becomes Dream's friend when he becomes the man "Death will not touch." Their meetings each century are little history lessons so well executed they make you wish for more. The "Cereal" convention, with special guest lecturer the Corinthian, is a scary look at the fascination with serial killers and the final twist involving Desire gives the reader some insight into the relationship of Dream with his siblings. This book really shows what a truly original creation The Sandman is.

The best arc of the decade's best series
THE DOLL'S HOUSE is the arc that Gaiman himself says is where he realised what he wanted to do with the characters and where he wanted to go with the SANDMAN story. This edition begins with two stories that both stand apart from the rest of the series, but that also both have significant influence on THE DOLL'S HOUSE storyline and beyond. The first, "The Sound of Her Wings" introduces Dream's big sister in a profound and moving tale about the value of spending a day with Death as she goes about her business sending people to their next life. The next tale introduces Nada, Dream's doomed mortal love, who will play a significant part in a later arc, SEASONS OF MISTS. Then, THE DOLL'S HOUSE begins, a tale involving escaped dreams and nightmares, a human vortex and her granmother who had spent the bulk of her life asleep (see the previous PRELUDES AND NOCTURNS), and Dream's quest to prevent the dissolution of his kingdom. What makes Gaiman's writing so unique is that not only does he reject the comic book obligatory of big fist-fights to SAVE THE WORLD (and all that), but that Dream is not even the central character in these stories. Instead, Rose Walker is. It is she, not Dream, who is threatened and who goes on the emotional roller-coaster and it is to find out what happens to her that the reader keeps reading. In fact, Dream - the "hero" of this title - at what point nearly kills her to save his kingdom! Magnificent writing, magical artistry, this story is an absolute must. Buy it. Buy several. It makes a great gift.

The Sandman develops
It's never too late for a good story, and the Sandman saga is very good. This collection moves that story forward, mostly in the person of Rose.

This book compiles a sequence of regular-sized comic books. The first story here stands by itself - a tribal tale of a place that could, some day, descend from our own time.

The rest of the book takes a very ordinary young woman and puts her in an extraordinary world. Taken part by part, it sounds fragmentary and disorganized: a nursing home, a bizarre convention, befriending a place, and facing mortal threat in an immortal world. The pieces all fit, though. They sustain a pace and a visual variety that makes this book hard to put down.

Best, however, is the glimpse of intrigue in the Sandmnan's world. We see a little of his own realm, and the plotting of his own minions. We also see his larger world, his sisters, and their covert push against the walls of his domain. This is just the second of a dozen or so collections - there is enough material here to drive that many volumes or more.

If you're new to comics, or just new to the Sandman, give this a try. If you already know the Sandman, you're in for one of the best books in the series.

How wrong you are...
I am having a hard time understanding the motives of people who claim that The Doll's House is too "rough around the edges", and "not as brilliant as later volumes". These people are not only wrong--they are completely misguided.

You want to know the truth? The Doll's house is probably the best volume of Sandman that there is.

I have read it four times. Yet there are moments in The Doll's House, where I find myself literally sweating from tension as my eyes follow the words on each page. When Dream finally catches up to the Corinthian, I still applaud. Whenever Barbie and Ken share the page, I still laugh, and then shudder as I think of their future. When I see the horrible things happening to Rose Walker's brother, I still have to look away, and when The two siblings are finally reunited, I still shed a tear. It's that good.

All of you people calling it "unfocused", and "flawed" have completely missed the boat, and need to do some serious swimming to catch up to the rest of us.

Doll's House introduces us to so many memorable characters, so many fascinating insights of humanity, and so much memorable dialogue, that it cannot be labeled as anything less than the pinnacle of the series. Whether it shares this spot with the likes of "Brief Lives" and "Season of Mists" can be debated, but no other episode of the Sandman series can capture every human emotion and channel it so perfectly.

Please do not start with this. Wade through Preludes and Nocturnes first, and consider this one your dessert.

Very confused
I don't understand why people consistantly refer to this title as the weakest entry in the Sandman series. I have read all ten volumes, and have to say that it is in fact one of the best. Of course, finding a bad Sandman book is like finding a bad Beatles album. It's really not about which one is the "worst", but which one is the least memorable; the one you are least likely to refer to over and over again and re-read just for the hell of it. And Preludes and Nocturnes is certainly one of the more memorable episodes.

Gaiman was new to his series, and he did not have very much direction. Preludes and Nocturnes leans towards classic horror, whereas other volumes, such as The Wake, and A Game of You, are closer to fantasy. So Preludes and Nocturnes is different then all the others. So what? There are so many classic moments that are contained within its pages, moments that stick in your mind and don't leave. Moments such as Dream's escape from his prison and the logic that followed, the introduction or Cain and Abel, John Constantine and his quest to find the pouch of sand, Dream's journey to Hell and his battle with Choronzon over the helm, the ENTIRE FRIGGIN CHAPTER OF 24 HOURS, and the final introduction of Death at the end--the sweet, good natured goth girl who just happens to be the same person we often see personified as a dark cloaked figure with a scythe. The list goes on and on and on.

Of course the same could be said for any of the other volumes, but that is exactly my point. Preludes and Nocturnes is not better then Brief Lives, nor is it worse. It exists to advance the story to its eventual conclusion, and it does a great job. There are some flaws--but everyone will find something they don't like in each of the volumes. Don't listen to those people who say "if you read this one first, you'll get the wrong impression of Sandman". Bull. If you don't like this volume, then Sandman is not for you, end of subject.

The worst thing you can do is skip this volume in favor of another, later chapter, such as Season of Mists. Start at the beginning--Gaiman did, and his work turned out just fine in the end. ... Read more

Book Description

An American graphic novel first! The complete 1300-page epic adventure from start to finish in one deluxe trade paperback. Three modern cartoon cousins get lost in a pre-technological valley, speanding a year there making new friends and out-running dangerous enemies. Their many adventures include crossing the local people in The Great Cow Race, and meeting a giant mountain lion called RockJaw: Master of the Eastern Border. They learn about sacrifice and hardship in The Ghost Circles and finally discover their own true natures in the climatic journey to The Crown of Horns. ... Read more

Book Description

Back in the day, Guts the Black Swordsman was a top slayer for The Band of the Hawk, an elite mercenary unit led by Griffith, whose calm demeanor and callow beauty belied his fighting prowess and steel will. While in a king's employ, the attraction between the king's daughter and Griffith and the growing favor of the king towards the Hawk leader raises the hackles of the king's jealous son, who plots to have Griffith summarily assassinated. But if the plot fails, the king's son will likely have to deal with Guts and his titanic broadsword, and the results of such confrontations are rarely pretty... or easy to clean up. ... Read more

Book Description

Contains an all new exclusive short story by George R. R. Martin!An adaptation of Martin's hit novel, bringing the world of A Song of Ice and Fire to life in comic book form. Night falls over the life of one noble knight and brings the dawn of his squire's knighthood. Dubbing himself "Ser Duncan the Tall," "The Hedge Knight" sets forth to the tourney at Ashford Meadow in search of fame and glory and the honor of upholding his oath as a knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Unfortunately for him, the world isn't ready for a knight who keeps his oaths, and his chivalrous methods could be the very cause of his demise. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Nice Interpretation
I'm a fan of Martin's series, "A Song of Ice and Fire", as well as his Dunk & Egg stories, and so I was understandably pleased to see that a graphic novel adaptation of the first Dunk & Egg tale had been collected. While no artist will fully capture the images and experience conjured by reading the story itself, the authors here have done a nice job. I was surprised (and pleased) at how the story was paced, and some of the interpretations of arms and armor, heraldry, characters, etc. was creatively done. Keep in mind, fans of fantasy, that there is very little of the fantastical in this story; only a dream sequence dealing with dragons, and a flashback, contain what could be considered fantasty elements, really. The rest is good old-fashioned knights and swashbuckling. Can't wait to see the next story.

Beautifully drawn
The book is beautifully drawn and a more than adequate graphic representation of the original Martin story. Unfortunately, like most books published these days, it suffers a little from bad proofreading / editing though the errors are not as many nor as glaring as some I have come across. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

You can't not enjoy this book
I was very impressed with this title. I didn't quite know what to expect coming into it, but the premise is very unique and extreme. As with any "end of the world" story, there are many extreme parts that could or could not happen. In this case we have a bunch of very hasty women fighting and killing for both leadership and out of the hatred for men. It is kind of weird to have a story where there is only one male character, being so used to a man being the hero, but nonetheless, that is not a problem. It is just a wonderful story, very unique ideas being put forth, and all around just a great read.

"This is why God created comic books."
The above quote from RevolutionSF.com graces the cover of this first collection of "Y: The Last Man" and for the most part it lives up to the quote. While the first chapter didn't wow me, it nicely sets up all the characters from Yorick (the last man in the title), Hero (Yorick's sister), Agent 355 (a female Nick Fury-type), and many others. The following chapters begin to weave all those characters' individual storylines together and just when you can't wait to see where this characters lives will intersect, the book ends.

Brian K. Vaughan is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers with great comics like "Y: The Last Man", the underrated "The Hood" and "The Runaways".

Much like Steve Dillon's work on "Punisher", Pia Guerra's art may look simple but it works beautifully with the book. The art tells the story perfectly, which is all you can ask from a comic book artist.

I hope, in the future, DC will release "Y: The Last Man" in a hardcover format, with a better page quality, as it definitely deserves such treatment.

Excellent book, get this one and the sequels!
A friend gave this book (along with its first sequel) to me and my wife as a joint birthday gift -- what a great gift! The story's concept is thought-provoking (see the plot summary above or some of the other reviews for more details on the premise); the action, pacing, and characters are all great; and the art is really good. The protagonist, Yorick, is particularly appealing.

I don't read a lot of comics (I pretty much only read a few trade paperbacks a year), so I probably would have never found this one if left to my own devices, but I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in a good story and a fascinating mystery. If you're a fan of the post-apocalyptic genre, you need to read this one. I can't wait to see how the plot develops as the series progresses!

If you're looking for novels with similar premises -- albeit with the gender roles reversed from Y: The Last Man), I'd recommend Herbert's "The White Plague" and Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale."

One of the must reads for a true comic fan
This comic should take a place in history nest to the likes of the Watchmen and Preacher. It is a completely high-minded concept, and it is also very original. The story is filled with concepts that I never would have thought of but also make since. When I finished this book, I emmediately wanted to go buy the next part. Plus, Who hasn't asked themselves what they would do if they were the last man on earth?

could not put it down
I started reading this because the premise seemed interesting and I trust DC vertigo, but I didn't expect to like it this much. I literally had problems putting it down. I left a party early so I could find out what happened next. That makes more sense when you read it, these guys are masters of the cliffhanger. Definatly worth your time. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

More than the name implies
The first part of this book is exactly what the name implies. A wake for the great Dream of the endless. This is actually pretty boring. The latter half is really excellent. The first story is one of depression over a lost friend. The second, "Exiles", is a wonderful story of a man exiled in a desert, who gets lost. He is in fact in one of the "soft places", and meets both reditions of Dream. The art work and writing are beautiful. The story is sad, and so stylized as to seem like ancient legend. Gaiman is a great surrealist, and this story is his greatest example of this. The book concludes with a story of the death of Shakespeare. This, too, is a melancholy story, where Dream explains what would have happened had Dream not given him his special gift. This seems like the perfect way to end the series, Shakespeare died--the greatest dreamweaver of them all.

Plotless fluff, but really good plotless fluff!
A connundrum here. This book really doesn't tell a great or ingenious story, as other Sandman collections often do. But it remains good. It can be divided, basically, into three parts.

The first part is the story of the wake. It is brilliantly illustrated, done entirely in pencil. Not much happens in it, but we get some nice insights into various characters from accross the series, as each of them makes their own comments on the death of Dream. This part also contains a story about Hob, which is, again, not brilliantly original, but still a nice piece of work.

The next one is an experiment that doesn't quite do anything. It tries to be a sparse rendition of a Chinese poem, and suceeds, but seems somewhat empty, and unrelated to the rest of the story. The only real justification I can see for why it had to be part of _The Wake_ is that it includes Daniel, but still, it seems like it should have happened earlier in the story. It's a sequal to an earlier story, "Soft Places," which was a good story, but hardly one of the best in the series.

The last part of the story is "The Tempest," a sequal to the acclaimed "A Midsummer Night's Dream." It is differant, in many ways, than it's predicessor. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was the story of a performance. This is the story of a writing. It is, in many ways, a fitting end to the story, with quite a bit of fun symbolism.

But despite the cleverness of its parts, _The Wake_ is somehow lacking much of the spark that has always been so clear in _The Sandman._

Sandman's long epilogue
Throughout the course of his acclaimed comic book saga, Sandman, Neil Gaiman always worked at his own pace. Thus, it is no surprise that the falling action that follows The Kindly Ones, the grand finale of the series, should last six issues and be a story arc onto itself. No matter, though. Gaiman possesses an immaculate sense of precision and rarely did any part of his saga stretch on longer than it had to. With The Wake, Sandman's long epilogue, Gaiman continues to dazzle readers with his beautifully surreal people and places and his inspiring deliberations on life, death, family and the significance of storytelling.

Sandman features a family of Greek God-like entities called The Endless, each of which have some sort of responsibility in regulating the conscious experience of mortals. In The Wake, the remaining members of the clan, Destiny, Death, Desire, Despair and Delirium hold a wake and funeral for Dream (Sandman's protagonist more often than not), who died in The Kindly Ones. Almost every character that played a part in the series attends. Meanwhile, Daniel, the child who inherited the mantle of the Dream King, prepares to meet his new family. There is a certain grace, warmth and thoroughness with which Gaiman addresses death, mourning and the welcoming of a new family member that makes this tale sure to cause readers to reflect on his or her own experiences with the aforesaid. Michael Zulli is the most grand and majestic illustrator to ever grace the pages of Sandman and his style certainly works for the story. Truly, the memorial services for Dream make-up one of the best pieces of the Sandman saga.

That story only lasts for first three issues, though. The remaining three of this volume are single-issue stories. "Sunday Morning" revisits one of the series' most interesting characters, the immortal Hob Gadling. In "Exiles" a banished Chinese wise man embarks on a strange path that leads into Dream's realm. The issue, which is told in Analect-ish verse, has little to do with the greater story, yet it is always delightful to see Gaiman mesh Sandman with indigenous story-telling traditions. "The Tempest," the series' final issue, revisits William Shakespeare, whose employment under Dream was chronicled in early issues. This tale elaborates on the dream king's need of the dramatist as he writes his final play. The Kindly Ones was Sandman's riveting climax and the first three issues of The Wake are the place to say goodbye to the main characters, but as far as giving the final word on what is perhaps the most important theme of Sandman, the importance of stories and their telling, "The Tempest" is its true conclusion.

A sad (but entirely appropriate) ending to an epic story
Wow. This makes the third time I've read this series from beginning to end, and each time, I fall deeper and deeper under its spell.

First of all, this is the final book in the 10 volume Sandman saga. Although the back of each book says that you can read them in any order, I would recommend that you at least read volume 9 (The Kindly Ones) before attempting to understand what is happening in this one. Better still would be to read the entire 10 volume series from beginning to end. Lots of loose ends are tied up with this book, and you'll find it far more enjoyable if you understand the subtle way that Gaiman connects everything together.

Having said that, I'll say that the chapters in this volume will touch you like nothing else you've ever read. With the Sandman's death in the previous volume, those left behind must find their own path into the future. Indeed, Gaiman seems to use this volume to showcase various opinions about what happens to people after they lose a loved one. And he does this on a grand scale.

Not content to merely use the characters we've grown familiar with in previous volumes, Gaiman takes every person in the entire world (including you, the reader!) into a sadly poignant dream. In this dream, the Sandman has died, and you (and everyone else) are mourners at his wake. People mill about waiting for the service to begin, talking of small and petty things, all the while wondering why they have been summoned to this location. As the wake and funeral unfold, we are treated to a unique view of how Sandman's death affects the acquaintances he has made over the years. We see happiness, sadness, confusion, disbelief, and anger, just like we would see at a real funeral. For me, however, seeing queens of fairieworld, gods and goddesses, witches, and other fantastic characters deal with their grief (or lack thereof) makes for an incredibly touching experience. It's almost as if you come to realize that yes, even the most magical amazing creatures in existence can feel emotion over the death of someone close to them.

In juxtaposition to this scene, Gaiman gives us glimpses of the new Sandman trying to adjust to his new position. He's caught in a difficult situation. On the one hand, he has to take over where his predecessor left off. On the other hand, he has to deal with people and creatures who haven't quite decided to accept him. I found this a great contrast to the funeral scene. Rather than people learning to say goodbye to someone, we see everyone trying to say hello to someone new.

After the funeral, my favorite chapter in the entire series takes place. Hob Gadling and his girlfriend attend a renaissance festival. Long ago, Hob was given eternal life by the Sandman, and over the centuries, the two became friends. So while attending the festival, Hob is given the choice by Sandman's sister to give up his eternal life. Hob thinks about it, realizes that he still wants to live, and says no thanks to the offer. I think I like this chapter because it shows someone who seems to be tired of everything life has to offer, yet who still wants to live, if for no other reason, than to see what comes next.

The final two chapters almost seems like addendums, but they work as closing chapters as well. In their own way, these final two stories are also about endings and goodbyes. The final one, showing Shakespeare putting down his writing pen for good, seems to represent Gaiman, who became involved in a long commitment to write a series of stories, then found he couldn't stop till he had reached the end of the tale.

So, do I recommend this volume of Sandman?

After reading the above, do you really have to ask?

A Final Farewell
With appearances by most of the characters that have appeared in this series, this is a fitting epilogue to one of the greatest stories ever told in this medium. While the new personification of The Sandman waits, his family performs the final ceremony for their departed sibling. Like all wakes, it is a time for stories, for people to renew lost acquaintances, and to say goodbye. Michael Zulli's wonderful art gives the reader a clear picture of the events and Gaiman's final farewell to the character is most appropriate. ... Read more

Book Description

Featuring the popular characters from the award-winning Sandman series, THE SANDMAN: ENDLESS NIGHTS reveals the legend of the Endless, a family of magical and mythical beings who exist and interact in the real world.Born at the beginning of time, Destiny, Death, Dream, Desire, Despair, Delirium and Destruction are seven brothers and sisters who each lord over atheir respective realms.In this highly imaginative book that boasts diverse styles of breathtaking art, these seven peculiar and powerful siblings each reveal more about their true-being as they star int heir own tales of curiosity and wonder. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

A great gift for SANDMAN fans
ENDLESS NIGHTS is, well, a dream come true for fans of Neil Gaiman's comic book series THE SANDMAN. Endless Nights is a collection of 7 short stories written by Gaiman and featuring fan-favourite artists such as Glenn Fabry, Bill Seinkiewicz, Frank Quietly, & P. Craig Russell among others.

Each of the 7 stories focuses on one of the 7 members of The Endless (Death, Destiny, Dream, Despair, Desire, Delirium, & Destruction) beings which came before anything and will be around after all the gods are dead and gone. My personal favourite was the story about Dream. It offers a lot of history on The Endless and has more than a few surprises for fans of THE SANDMAN series. A let down was the story on Death. Gaiman himself has written somewhat similar stories for Death so it had a "been-there-done-that" feel to it. A big surprise is the Desire story, which reads like an old Norse legend. Great twist ending, too.

Bottom line is this is a must have for all SANDMAN fans. Buy this book now!

And for new readers I wouldn't say Endless NIGHTS is the best jumping off point to the SANDMAN universe (that would be vol 1) as people who've read THE SANDMAN series will get more out of it. However, it's not necessarily a bad starting off point either. If you know Gaiman's work from novels or other comics, ENDLESS NIGHTS will intrigue you as they are stand-alone stories that have aspects that do blend in to other SANDMAN stories. Just be sure to come back to it for a 2nd reading after you've read the other 10 vol. of SANDMAN.

Up and Down
Gaiman goes for diversity here, made especially clear by his choice in artists. And as with any mixed bag, you'll like some more than others. I prefer the clear lines of Milo Manara, P. Craig Russell, and Frank Quitely, and found Gaiman's storytelling more to my liking there than the abstract episodes (art by Bill Sienkiewicz and Barron Storey). The Delerium story is told in a delerious style, yes, I get it, but I'm not blown away. Glenn Fabry does the art for a tale that reminds me of those old EC science fiction stories - no real explanation, just an anomaly and human reactions fused in. I liked it. Miguelanxo Prado provides some Sandman backstory and depicts the Endless back in the day.

Would I recommend this book if you haven't read other Sandman books? No. But if you have, want more, want to see some beautiful art, and don't want to miss one of Gaiman's best stories ("What I've Known of Desire"), definitely take the time for this collection.

Buy the hardcover version if you can
For those of you ready to take the plunge in making purchase of this excellent graphic novel, do yourself a favor and spend the few extra bucks on the hardcover version. For starters the hardback is slightly oversized and the thick, glossy paperstock wonderfully frames every panel of this diverse and beautifully illutrated book.

Fans of Neil Gaiman will find much to be delighted about in this return to his beloved, 'Sandman,' series. Made up of 7 chapters, each chronicles one of the Endless (Death, Desire, Dream, Despair, Delirium, Destruction and Destiny) in a self-contained story superbly illustrated by a different artist. Particular standouts are Milo Manara's contributions in 'Desire,' the subdued tones of Miguelanxo Prado in 'Dream,' and Barron Storey and Dave McKean's gritty work in 'Despair.' As a volume of bonus material post-Sandman, this book is a wonderful treat for fans and certainly lives up to the quality we've come to expect from Gaiman and company.

Enjoyable for the most part
First, let me say that I am a big fan of Neil Gaiman. That having been said, I enjoyed Endless Nights, but couldn't stay with the stories about Delirium and Despair- the artwork was just too distracting. Not that it is bad, mind you. For me, it's just too abstract to work with following graphic stories panel after panel. I would still recommend this work for Gaiman fans. My satisfaction with most chapters easily outweighs any disappointment in a few others.

like visiting old friends, & they don't have much to say
As a whole, this Sandman collection is weak. Death & Dream have the strongest stories by far. The Delerium & Despair tales are tepid & confusing. Desire & Destruction have so-so appearances & Destiny's story is pretty much redundant.

It's hard to give this collection 3 stars- I was really looking forward to it. The first 10 Sandman books are beautiful. I treasure them. And this was the first 'spin-off' (as in not directly, sequentially linked to the others) that appeared promising. It was fairly enjoyable- it just wasn't on par with the others storywise (the artwork is lovely).

If you've read everything else, by all means read it. I'm just happy I checked it out of the library.

If you're new to Sandman start at the beginning, with 'Preludes & Nocturnes'; I doubt you'll regret it. ... Read more