Enter The Sandman!

In honor of the new Netflix show that came out this weekend, which turned out brilliant in my opinion, I am posting about my all time, absolutely favorite graphic novel collection, The Sandman by Neil Gaiman. A friend back in high school introduced me to these graphic novels, and I was hooked right away. They were not as well known in those days, but now the stories and characters have found their way into the hearts and minds of many people. As a huge fan I'm delighted that they are loved by readers everywhere. 

About the graphic novels (just a bit, because you should read them if you're into fantasy comic books): The Endless are anthropomorphic beings known as Dream, Death, Destiny, Desire, Despair, Delirium, and Destruction. They are siblings. The Endless are not gods; but they are immortal, and, in a sense, more powerful than gods, having an intimate connection to humanity. Dream (Lord Morpheus) is the ruler of the dream realm, and the story begins with his capture by a wicked sorcerer, who holds him prisoner and steals his tools; helm, ruby, and bag of sand. The stories and characters evolve, and hoo boy do they take the reader on a fantastical journey into the depths of imagination and myth. My favorite volume is Fables and Reflections; Orpheus's Song. 

Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller. He is a great influence on my creative writing, and his stories help me find truth betwixt the lines. The Sandman lives top shelf in my library. I started collecting these graphic novels at sixteen, and I believe I bought the last volume in my late twenties. The thrill of finding a new one in a book shop or comic store was exhilarating. I couldn't wait to get home and disappear into the pages. All of the illustrators who worked on The Sandman are amazing; they brought the stories to life in my imagination. 

Every volume I own came from special book nook. Cave Comics in Newtown, CT is a favorite place to seek out new graphic novels, and one day, I was lucky enough to find this gorgeous resin statue of Dream.

From the left: Death, Delirium, Destiny, Desire, Despair, Destruction (cut off)

These books are not for very young readers, but if you like comics and love to sail off into fantastical stories, The Sandman graphic novels may be for you. As I mentioned, I think the show on Netflix is excellent- but of course, nothing is as good as the original work. I wrote another post over at FairdaysFiles.com about my collection of graphic novels if you're interested in more stories that will whisk you away on a wondrous journey.

Things change, but some things stay the same. Listening to great music on headphones and reading excellent comics will forever be a source of joy for me, and it brings me great pleasure to share these stories with you.  ~ Jess Haight