The Sandman Universe #1
Art by: Sebastian Fiumara, Max Fiumara, Tom Fowler, Domonike Stanton, Bilquis Evely
Cover by: Jae Lee
Story By: Neil Gaiman
Written by: Dan Watters, Kat Howard, Nalo Hopkinson, Simon Spurrier
Published by: Vertigo (DC)
From Vertigo:Ā From the mind of New York Times #1 bestselling author Neil Gaiman comes a new world filled with dreams, nightmares and wonderful characters living together in a shared universe for a new story unlike anything weāve ever seen before.
As we round the corner to the 30th Anniversary of Neil Gaiman’s ethereal world, we are show more of the dark corners. Ā Kicking off with this book – it will be continued with 4 new series: The Dreaming, Books of Magic, House Of Whispers and Lucifer. Ā As a result, you will see some interesting new viewpoints that readers have been experiencing since Neil introduced Dream way back in ’88.
It’s hard to review a book that has six writers and five artists. Ā It’s a flurry of activity. Ā As well – it’s a smorgasbord of the creators that will be working all the new books. Ā However, I found the art was well suited to the story regardless of the artist. Ā To say its a beautiful book is an understatement. Ā And a Jae Lee cover to top it all of… it’s way over the top. Ā And that’s really what Mr. Gaiman’s books require since the stories are super layered and multi-faceted.
I’m going to focus on the story rather than the story-telling here. Ā With each new writer, there is a slight variation but nothing too big to worry about – they work as a team. Ā However, the story is very much a Sandman-style story. Ā I have a confession here: I just read the original Sandman for the first time before reading this book. Man – was I missing out. Ā However, new readers need not worry about having to go back to the beginning. Ā This story stands on its own. Ā What truly bothers me is that I can’t summarize the story here without giving away the juice. Ā And there’s a lot of juice here!
It’s not much to pick up this #1. Ā If you’re new to Sandman – it’ll give you a taste of the series and maybe hook you. Ā If you’re a Dream veteran – well – you’ve already had this on your pull-list for weeks. Ā So why do you need me?
Side Note: Doctor Who fans – if you enjoy this book – Neil Gaiman has written two episodes of the Doctor: “The Doctor’s Wife” in 2011 and “Nightmare In Silver” in 2013. Ā Widely considered some of the best writing in television.