wouter_dhondt's review
3.0
Sandman has awesome stories and some boring ones. The complete series ends with a very lacklustre trade. Completely otiose. A shame the last issue features Shakespeare, I didn’t like him at all in sandman. Pretentious storytelling.
I suggest stopping after the kindly ones on a high. If you do read this, you can stop after the wake, or maybe the Hob issue. Forget the last two.
I suggest stopping after the kindly ones on a high. If you do read this, you can stop after the wake, or maybe the Hob issue. Forget the last two.
sinkinglighthouse's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
karlk's review against another edition
4.0
A somber and contemplative, yet, hopeful end. Appropriate conclusion to the series.
fistofmoradin's review against another edition
5.0
A wonderful end. Loose ends are tied up and the world keeps turning.
kjboldon's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite things about the Sandman series: it ended well and worked well as a whole. The final issue, 75 The Tempest, is one of my favorite in all of comics, on its own AND within the series. It spurred me to read Shakespeare's play and see it many times. Of all Shakespeare, The Tempest is now one of my apocalypse-backpack books--the one Shakespeare play I'd take out of all of them. (But that is assuming my husband would have Hamlet in HIS apocalypse backpack. Otherwise I might have to take both. Still, if I had to choose, it would be The Tempest.)
tcgarback's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Critical Score: B+
Personal Score: B
Reading Experience: 📘📘(2/5)
This started out great and gradually got less and less enjoyable, though it stayed as smart.
The wake chapters are a little sad, and they don’t drag as much as one might reasonably expect. The art here is maybe my favorite of the series, a huge step up from that of The Kindly Ones, which was probably (ironically) the worst of the series.
The epilogue starts with a bit of contentious debate on slavery…that came out of nowhere, Neil. Then it proceeds to be about other things and is touching.
“Exiles” is a beautifully told, abstract, and dense read. Great fodder for a book club…if it’s a book club of philosophers who love to talk on and on about the meaning of life, death, and dreams—not exactly riotous fun.
Now “The Tempest”…oh, boy. I did not enjoy the previous Shakespeare issues, despite their universal acclaim, so ending the main series on a super long conclusion to the Shakespeare arc felt like a cruel joke. I couldn’t even get myself to read most of it. I didn’t want to end things with a light skim, but whatever. When I look back on this volume, I want to think of the actual wake chapters.
…
So now I’d like to give what at present is my rough personal ranking of the 10 volumes that make up The Sandman’s main series, favorite to least favorite. This does contradict my original ratings.
“A Game of You” A. This one really grew on me, because I thought it was just fine for the bulk of it, so it wasn’t until the end that I really loved it, and part of the end irks me, but I also cried and cried. This one is my fan favorite, my special one, and it’s imperfect. Touching, moving, wise, entertaining. Blends the greatest strengths of the series.
“The Kindly Ones” A. Almost an obligatory high rating goes to this behemoth. It’s got a lot of meat on its bones. A page-turner (yet challenging) and it seemed to raise my blood pressure. Didn’t blow me away in the end, but it was enough.
“The Doll’s House” A-. High highs and lowish lows. I wrote that I didn’t like this as much as the first volume, but in retrospect I love this one. Like, I love it a lot more than my original review claims. Takes on horror elements in fun, fresh ways. Cozy, feels like classic Sandman, old school in a good way.
“Season of Mists” A-. Classically structured and got better and better as it went, which is great because it started off like a Homer-fanboy headache. This one really shows off Gaiman’s expansive blended mythology.
“Preludes and Nocturnes” A-. A lot to take on for a first volume, but once I adjusted I was committed, even if this volume is all over the place.
“Brief Lives” B+. Part of me strained to push through this one, which doesn’t make a lot of sense because it has all the makings of an excellent volume. Maybe it’s a bit long? But wonderfully adventurous with a satisfyingly profound ending.
“The Wake” B. A mixed bag, and definitely feels like the people who won’t leave your house after the party is over. Still, the writing is so high quality and some moments got me emo. Death in red standing on the bridge…ugh.
“Dream Country” B. One excellent story, two fine stories, and one that I hated…yes, the Shakespeare one.
“World’s End” B-. Loved the frame narrative, enjoyed the weirdness of some of the stories. Otherwise tedious.
“Fables and Reflections” C+. Oof. Snore. Hard to get through, especially because I just wanted to get back to the main story. Still very well written stuff, I’ll admit.
Critical Score: B+
Personal Score: B
Reading Experience: 📘📘(2/5)
This started out great and gradually got less and less enjoyable, though it stayed as smart.
The wake chapters are a little sad, and they don’t drag as much as one might reasonably expect. The art here is maybe my favorite of the series, a huge step up from that of The Kindly Ones, which was probably (ironically) the worst of the series.
The epilogue starts with a bit of contentious debate on slavery…that came out of nowhere, Neil. Then it proceeds to be about other things and is touching.
“Exiles” is a beautifully told, abstract, and dense read. Great fodder for a book club…if it’s a book club of philosophers who love to talk on and on about the meaning of life, death, and dreams—not exactly riotous fun.
Now “The Tempest”…oh, boy. I did not enjoy the previous Shakespeare issues, despite their universal acclaim, so ending the main series on a super long conclusion to the Shakespeare arc felt like a cruel joke. I couldn’t even get myself to read most of it. I didn’t want to end things with a light skim, but whatever. When I look back on this volume, I want to think of the actual wake chapters.
…
So now I’d like to give what at present is my rough personal ranking of the 10 volumes that make up The Sandman’s main series, favorite to least favorite. This does contradict my original ratings.
“A Game of You” A. This one really grew on me, because I thought it was just fine for the bulk of it, so it wasn’t until the end that I really loved it, and part of the end irks me, but I also cried and cried. This one is my fan favorite, my special one, and it’s imperfect. Touching, moving, wise, entertaining. Blends the greatest strengths of the series.
“The Kindly Ones” A. Almost an obligatory high rating goes to this behemoth. It’s got a lot of meat on its bones. A page-turner (yet challenging) and it seemed to raise my blood pressure. Didn’t blow me away in the end, but it was enough.
“The Doll’s House” A-. High highs and lowish lows. I wrote that I didn’t like this as much as the first volume, but in retrospect I love this one. Like, I love it a lot more than my original review claims. Takes on horror elements in fun, fresh ways. Cozy, feels like classic Sandman, old school in a good way.
“Season of Mists” A-. Classically structured and got better and better as it went, which is great because it started off like a Homer-fanboy headache. This one really shows off Gaiman’s expansive blended mythology.
“Preludes and Nocturnes” A-. A lot to take on for a first volume, but once I adjusted I was committed, even if this volume is all over the place.
“Brief Lives” B+. Part of me strained to push through this one, which doesn’t make a lot of sense because it has all the makings of an excellent volume. Maybe it’s a bit long? But wonderfully adventurous with a satisfyingly profound ending.
“The Wake” B. A mixed bag, and definitely feels like the people who won’t leave your house after the party is over. Still, the writing is so high quality and some moments got me emo. Death in red standing on the bridge…ugh.
“Dream Country” B. One excellent story, two fine stories, and one that I hated…yes, the Shakespeare one.
“World’s End” B-. Loved the frame narrative, enjoyed the weirdness of some of the stories. Otherwise tedious.
“Fables and Reflections” C+. Oof. Snore. Hard to get through, especially because I just wanted to get back to the main story. Still very well written stuff, I’ll admit.
mimosaeyes's review against another edition
4.0
Feels like more of a short coda than its own story - it would have had to include a little more exposition about how the new Dream differs from the original one, for that. Nevertheless, this is a moving and elegant goodbye to a complex and compelling character. I also appreciate the effort at including the various other characters I find myself endeared to. Among Dream's siblings, my favourites are Delirium and Death, but I am also very fond of Matthew the raven and Irving the little yellow gargoyle. Also, just any cat that appears in any panel, ever.
Overall, this series has been expansive and imaginative. Some volumes have been less to my liking than others, but they all come together into a rich and fascinating whole. I maybe shouldn't have marathon-read all the books in a short span of time, but once I started, I just wanted to keep diving deeper into this fictional universe.
For posterity, by the way: my favourite books in the series are probably Brief Lives and The Doll's House.
Overall, this series has been expansive and imaginative. Some volumes have been less to my liking than others, but they all come together into a rich and fascinating whole. I maybe shouldn't have marathon-read all the books in a short span of time, but once I started, I just wanted to keep diving deeper into this fictional universe.
For posterity, by the way: my favourite books in the series are probably Brief Lives and The Doll's House.
levibaus's review against another edition
5.0
A phenomenal "conclusion" to the series. It was quite interesting seeing the "death" of an idea and how Gaiman describes such an event. Again, there were so many characters that we've seen before and it reminds me of all the good times I've had reading through the series. I am eager to read through the series again, but I think it would do good to give it a little time before coming back to this.
cadeunderbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.5