Tuesday, August 13, 2019

The Sandman Omnibus: Volume 2

The Sandman Omnibus, Vol. 2The Sandman Omnibus, Vol. 2 by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Our internet was down for 24 hours so I decided to chew through this massive omnibus I bought discounted on Prime day as a birthday present to myself. I read the individual trades years ago but it's been a long, long time. I'm pleased to say it holds up.

I didn't review this as I went so I'll just touch on some things. I don't revere Neil Gaiman like I once did. Once you read some Ray Bradbury, Peter S. Beagle, and P.G. Wodehouse, you see where he draws a lot of his voice from and even some of his subject matter. That being said, Gaiman crafted something magical with The Sandman.

In this volume, Dream goes looking for a missing sibling and draws the ire of one Lyta Hall. There is also the tale of the Inn at World's End, where a lot of dreamers were stranded during a storm in the dreaming. A lot of other stuff happens too but this is a 1000 page kitten squisher of a tome.

Much like the last volume, this one just got better with age. I'm going to trot out my favorite Gene Wolfe quote now: "My definition of good literature is that which can be read by an educated reader, and reread with increased pleasure." Sandman is definitely that. I've read (and reviewed) a couple thousand books since the last time I read through this saga and I picked up so many more references this time around. I have to think Gene Wolfe's executioners guild in Book of the New Sun had to play a big part in inspiring the Necropolis, for instance.

I love how Gaiman pulled in a lot of characters that hadn't gotten much attention in recent years, like Prez, and built whole issues around them. While The Sandman was primarily about the nature of stories for most of its run, it was also a love letter to some forgotten DC characters.

Gaiman's worldbuilding is ingenious in that he only hints at things rather than beating you over the head with them. I feel like there could easily be a hundred more issues of The Sandman built just around the hints he lays down, like the construction of Dream's helm and the gates of Dreaming.

Since my last reading, I'd forgotten great whacks of this but there are clues to the ending scattered in earlier tales. I also didn't care for the ending the first time since it wasn't the great Smackdown between Morpheus and the Furies I was envisioning but it was the only way to stop the Furies and save The Dreaming. I'm glad the book actually ended rather than sliding into mediocrity and cancellation like so many others. It's a good stopping point but hopeful enough that you won't mind coming back to it in another decade or so, which I intend on doing.

Still one of the best. Five out of five stars.




View all my reviews

1 comment:

  1. Vampires is not at all like in the movies or books. Sure, I understand. You are young you have the whole world open to you. You can be anything that you choose if you apply yourself and try hard to work toward that goal. But being a Vampire is not what it seems like. It’s a life full of good, and amazing things. We are as human as you are.. It’s not what you are that counts, But how you choose to be. Do you want a life full of interesting things? Do you want to have power and influence over others? To be charming and desirable? To have wealth, health, and longevity, I can help you solve any problem you are having
    (1) If you want your ex back.
    (2) If you want to stop having bad dreams.
    (3) You want to be promoted in your office.
    (4) You want women/men to run after you.
    (5) If you want a child.
    (6) You want to be rich.
    (7) You want to tie your husband/wife to be yours forever.
    (8) If you need financial assistance.
    (9) If you want to stop your divorce.
    (10 If you want to divorce your husband.
    (11) If you want your wishes to be granted.
    contact the Vampires Lord on his Email: Richvampirekindom@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete