Sandman: The Dream Hunters 58
| Sandman: The Dream Hunters | |
| author | Neil Gaiman and Yoshitaka Amano |
| pages | 96 |
| publisher | DC Comics, 11/99 |
| rating | 10/10 |
| reviewer | cacl |
| ISBN | 1563895730 |
| summary | A beautifully written and illustrated fairy tale |
The Scenario
In researching his writing for the movie Princess Mononoke, Neil Gaiman ran across an old Japanese fairy tale called "The Fox, the Monk and the Mikado of All Night's Dreaming" in a compilation by Rev. B. W. Ashton. For the tenth anniversary of the first edition of the Sandman graphic novel series, Gaiman had been asked to write something, and he decided to retell this old story in his own way. The twists of fate that combined the desire to write this story with the artistic talents of Yoshitaka Amano need to be roundly thanked for the beauty of the work that resulted.
As I greedily unwrapped this book, a little like one of the bad children in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the illustrations on the inside of the cover presaged the treat that was going to be the reading of this book. The inside covers and fly pages are illustrated with these simple, elegant ink drawings that at one time flow and define the pages between them.
After starting the book, I did not stop. I walked on sidewalks, slamming into people, stubbing my toes, stopping in my tracks occasionally, until I could find a bench to finish the reading. I sat there, with my rear growing cold, and my hands red from the chill, devouring this lovely story. When I finished, I sat for several minutes, watching people walk by, until I shook my head and resumed the dirty details of my daily life.
These pages are an archetypal story of love, heroism, evil, magic, faith and revenge. A fox sacrifices herself to save the monk with whom she has fallen in love. The monk, in turn, sacrifices himself to save the fox, who then seeks revenge on the evil mage who caused the death of the one she loves. "The onmyoji who did this to you will learn what it means to take something from a fox."
Several characters from the Sandman universe appear here, old favorites like Cain and Abel, Fiddler's Green and the Gryphon, among others. Gaiman wisely chose not to saturate the story with other characters, even though a part of me cries out for Death to have at least made a cameo. Still, having tried to squeeze too many recurring characters in would have detracted from the original beauty of the tale, and I was glad to see such wisdom in this writing.
What's Bad?
If you don't like mythology, folklore, fairytales, or art, you may not enjoy this book. Because there are so many illustrations, as one might suspect, the price of the book is fairly high. If you've read Gaiman before, and absolutely hated him, avoid this book. If you've seen Amano's work before and hated it, avoid this book. If you meet either of these two prior conditions, go to your doctor and ask for enough drugs that you become human again.
What's Good?
The most impressive part of this book is that Morpheus becomes a central character without overbearing the framework of the original tale. This makes sense, since Gaiman had picked this story carefully for having a Sandman type character already in it. His inclusion of other Dreaming elements is also relatively smooth and they take on an Eastern tenor that is convincing and elegant.
Amano's illustrations are breathtaking. I'm not a serious fan of Japanese animation. I watched Voltron religiously, but that was pretty much it. I realize now I just wasn't seeing the right Japanese artwork. Amano has created a series of images that are as varied as they are beautiful, and the depth they add to the story is irreplaceable. Stark grey images with flat, monochromatic landscapes can appear on one page, while the next is a brightly colored, magical hodgepodge of elements that quicken the pulse. Delicate strokes and dainty pastels make way for violent brush marks with somber, solid colors on the next page.
So What's In It For Me?
A great book. This is something to give to the next idiot who says, when you tell them you sometimes read graphic novels, "Oh comic books." It's not a computer book. It will not explain how to hack Perl code or tell the difference between GPL and SCSL. However, as a human, you need to grow, and this is food for the brain and soul. This is the type of work that will help you in ways that you cannot measure, but are perhaps more important than those you can.
Buy this book and read it. Buy a copy for a friend, or a family member. This is a great tale with gorgeous art. You cannot lose by having this around you.
Other important links...
Buy this fine text at fatbrain.
You should also read Good Omensbecause both Hemos and I think it is one of the funniest books out there.
Visit the Vertigo Site
And for good measure, spend some time again with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Yoshitaka Amano interview (Score:2)
here is a very recent interview with the man himself. It revolves around his relationship with Squaresoft and the Final Fantasy series.
For all of you that are not in the know, Mr. Amano created the character designs for the Final Fantasy series up until number six. He is now back in the saddle and working actively on number nine. Yay!
--
Dead-horse flogging (Score:3)
Everyone applauded when Gaiman wrapped up the series without being tempted to stretch it on forever. Let it die.
Looking for a comic? Preacher used to be the best, but that was before Warren Ellis brought out the too-wonderful-for-my-pathetic-words Transmetropolitan.
Neil Gaiman's Book, Neverwhere (Score:2)
I really enjoyed this book. You start with the feeling that you don't know what's going to happen, and when you finish.. you can't really believe what happened. Truly a trip into the 'Alice through the looking glass' side of life.
Aghg... decisions... (Score:2)
Good Review -- Great Book, Great Author (Score:2)
This new book is worth it. I had it on pre-order from buy.com for a month but eventually couldn't wait and ran out and grabbed a copy from the local comic book store. Amano first off is a brilliant illustrator, his style works with the essence of a picture and focuses on only the elements neccessary to convey meaning. This sort of subtle minimalism goes hand in hand with Gaiman's flair for protomythology. Some might argue that the tale is too simple, but having read most of Gaiman's work, it is the elegance of the simplicity that puts the seal of approval on this book.
Go read this book, heck, go read the Sandman. You won't regret it.
How can anyone hate Gaiman? (Score:3)
I'm gonna sound like a raving fanboy here, but how can anyone hate Neil Gaiman? I've seen people who are indifferent to his tales, but hatred?
Truly, Gaiman is one of the greatest fantasy writers ever. The fact he writes comicbooks usually distracts people to that fact, but let it not be said that geniuses are recognised by the mainstream while alive.
That's not to say I liked everything Gaiman wrote, but I never hated any part. The Sandman series in its entirety is a moving, magnificent story; a story for adults, and not a story for violent, sex-crazed children in men's bodies as most so-called "adult" stories are. I'm proud to say the ten hardcovers spanning the story of the Sandman sit on my shelf and are a delight to read to this day.
For those who don't know Neil Gaiman: for gods' sake, do yourself a favour. The Sandman is available in softcovers, so picking one every two weeks or so will definitely not break your budget. I suggest you either start at the beginning ('Preludes and Nocturnes'), although the style was not as defined back then. (The stories remain great, though, just not entirely mature.) Otherwise, try picking Fables and Reflections or The Doll's House. If that doesn't hook you, nothing will.
To get you in the mood for Gaiman's style, here's a short story [whatisthematrix.com] he wrote for The Matrix [whatisthematrix.com] . Too good to be true? You bet.
Finally, Yoshitaka Amano. This guy is a god. Check out his artwork [amanosworld.com]. I have to say, he has to be the best artist to come to the Sandman world ever, and that's saying a lot.
"The wages of sin is death but so is the salary of virtue, and at least the evil get to go home early on Fridays."
Just About the Best (Score:1)
Re:Dead-horse flogging (Score:1)
Oh, and Preacher is still great (and almost done. The final arc starts next month.) Transmet is, of course, the best comic being published. Best near-future I've ever read.
Original Amano Works (Score:1)
Does anyone from the vast /. readership know an address or phone number for Mr. Amano's are dealer? I'm honestly interested in purchasing one or more of these paintings, but have had no luck reaching anyone at Vertigo about this.
As a note, this book is fantastic. I couln't reccomend it more, although many of you might want to wait for a trade paperback version rather than the cher hardcover.
--MaxRe:Neil Gaiman's Book, Neverwhere (Score:1)
That same trip to London I learned a new word: palimpsest. To me, that word best surmises what makes Gaiman's worlds so wonderful.
What's amazing about Gaiman is not just his understanding of existing mythologies, but his insight into how mythologies evolve. He recognizes that real mythologies borrow both from history and the world around us. The world of Neverwhere (or Sandman for that matter) is a world of the totally new and layered on top of the extremely familiar, which for me makes them incredibly believable.
Re:Aghg... decisions... (Score:2)
Re:Dead-horse flogging (Score:1)
Neither the anthology, the spin-off or the statuettes are Gaiman's work. Gaiman has kept telling Karen Berger (editor of Vertigo) 'No' every time she tried to convince him to come back to Sandman. He's said yes this time because he was genuinely inspired. I respect that.
"The wages of sin is death but so is the salary of virtue, and at least the evil get to go home early on Fridays."
How could anyone dislike Gaiman? (Score:2)
I don't like Gaiman. I never have. It's my belief that he's vastly, vastly overrated. I could tell when he started writing in Good Omens, because Pratchett's otherwise excellent prose started dropping in quality.
Obviously, I'm in the minority here. That's OK.
The main reason I dislike Gaiman's works is that I don't like dealing with cosmic entities and vast melodrama in my comics. I can't relate to them, they hold no interest for me. Not my cup of tea. This is the same reason I vastly dislike Green Lantern and the Silver Surfer, to pick on Marvel and DC both.
And his portrayal of Death _offends_ me. I mean, c'mon! A Goth chick? What's next, a bouncing beeble? I happen to think the visual representation he's chosen is really an insult to the personification of Death.
I _LIKE_ the skeleton-in-a-black-robe-with-a-scythe. It works, it's universal, and it doesn't drag the whole Goth angle into it.
This may also be impacted by my vast dislike of Goths.
Ah well. Lots of people like Gaiman and his works, and the man has sparked a renaissance in thinking, intelligent comics.
More power to him.
Redhawk
Re:Aghg... decisions... (Score:1)
I'm waiting for the TPB. Hardcover comics are just painfully expensive. But meanwhile, are there any other Gaiman goodies now?
Another Nice Story After Ten Years (Score:2)
Manga also divides among "boys" and "girls" styles (although the respective names escape me at the moment), and The Dream Hunters appears to me more of a girls tale, focusing as it does on relationships.
However, it also resonates with themes found consistently in Sandman -- mythologies, choices that lead to unexpected outcomes, duty and responsibility, and probably more.
I enjoyed The Dream Hunters and look forward to more of Gaiman's work.
Re:How can anyone hate Gaiman? (Score:1)
I do know that one of Peter David's "But I Digreess..." articles in an old issue of CBG
(we're talking like four or five years ago) totally railed one of the issues of Sandman's The Kindly Ones storyline
But, Peter David was looking at the issue from the viewpoint of a "single issue reader", not a reader of the whole collective storyline. So it makes a lot of sense that he wouldn't appreciate the work.
My point is that I bet there's a lot of people out there who think Sandman was crap. They probably also collected Youngblood.
-Felix (aka Omega Red)
Re:Dead-horse flogging (Score:1)
Re:How can anyone hate Gaiman? (Score:1)
As for Peter David railing an issue of The Kindly Ones; I think this is the kind of stuff that happens when you're not reading a story with the proper perspective of time. I have been reading Sandman as it came out since issue #35, and at times I felt as if the story was going nowhere, or that it wasn't as good as it used to be. Now, when I reread all 75 issues more or less in a row, they form a cohesive whole, and it's as pointless to pick at a single issue than it is to pick at a single paragraph in a novel.
Any people out there who think Sandman is crap? I won't flame. Let's say, I'm looking for perspective.
"The wages of sin is death but so is the salary of virtue, and at least the evil get to go home early on Fridays."
Re:How can anyone hate Gaiman? (Score:1)
A fair few of them collected Acme Novelty Library, Love & Rockets, Cages etc. The more you get into comics as an art form, the less impressive it seems. Just as if you've read widely, his prose seems a little ordinary.
now Nausica on the other hand...
Cian
Re:How could anyone dislike Gaiman? (Score:1)
I won't pick on your opinion, because I respect it. I don't agree with it, but I respect it.
I must say I somewhat agree with you on Good Omens. I think Neil Gaiman is not that good of a writer of pure written fiction... Yes, he writes well, and his flair is for the overall story arc. He's also good with short vignettes, and all that stems from the fact he's written for comics from the get-go. Quite simply, I don't think Gaiman's imagination translates that well into the purely written medium. That's alright; I never expected Mozart to write fiction to save his life, for instance.
Pratchett, on the other hand, masters the written word, and it shows. Often. It makes sense that Prachett's prose would be somewhat dragged down by Gaiman's.
However, I find it interesting to see these two authors work together. It's obvious they had a lot of influence on one another; there's recurring themes that always come across in both their works: very somberly in Gaiman, and out-there ludicrous in Pratchett. Contrast Gaiman's Death to Pratchett's Death: both incarnations are meant to give more 'meat' to the concept of an anthropomorphic death. Gaiman chose to play Death as the exact opposite of tradition (and I think it's fine), and Pratchett designed Death to be a traditionalist; even if he ends up cooking hamburgers in Ankh-Morpok.
Which is better? Bah... I just enjoy both without asking that silly question. Alright, a cat- and curry-loving Death with a scythe and a pale horse named Binky has more of an appeal to me. :)
"The wages of sin is death but so is the salary of virtue, and at least the evil get to go home early on Fridays."
Re:How could anyone dislike Gaiman? (Score:1)
PS. I like both TP and NG, so I don't think this is me being biased.
Of Geeks and Goths (Score:3)
I discovered Gaiman and started reading Sandman about a year ago, long after he had ended the series. My reason? I saw an image of Gaiman's Death on a website, and the first thing that occured to me was "My God! I know that girl!"
My last roomate before shacking up with my permanent partner was not only the splitting image of Death as portrayed by many of Sandman's various artists (short, skinny goth girl with pitch black hair and clothes and almost bleached white skin), but had the same kind of voice. She made all the same kinds of remarks and responded to situations in awfully similar ways.
The next thing that occured to me was to wonder how many of us know someone who could pass as a character in Sandman. Although Death brought up the strongest associations for me, most of the other characters could have fit in my life at one time or another.
That is what mythology is about, and it's Sandman's great strength.
Re:How can anyone hate Gaiman? (Score:1)
"The wages of sin is death but so is the salary of virtue, and at least the evil get to go home early on Fridays."
Re:Dead-horse flogging (Score:1)
Missing the point (Score:1)
Indeed, if you are looking for a comic, look elsewhere. Don't read this and expect a comic book. It is much, much more than that.
Re:Dead-horse flogging (Score:1)
Well, that last part sort of says it all, doesn't it? You're judging things without knowing anything about them. If Vertigo really just wanted to milk things, they would have assigned another writer to Sandman and continued the series. But they didn't. They've actually been quite respectful of Gaiman's creations, and most of their Gaiman-related projects have been well done. John Ney Reiber's Books of Magic was excellent, as is Caitlin R. Kiernan's The Dreaming. (Kiernan's miniseries The Girl Who Would Be Death also deserves notice.)
Re:Wow! Where should I start reading Preacher then (Score:1)
Personally, I'd say you can skip 'Doll's House' and 'Game of You,' which were really slow and unclear, but your mileage may vary. I really enjoyed 'Season of Mists,' which as a stand-alone graphic novel is equal to legendary works such as 'Watchmen' or 'Dark Knight Returns.'
Single issues will be (a) hard to find, and (b) more expensive, even at currently deflated prices.
gomi
and get all the transmetropolitan you can find RIGHT NOW.
Re:How could anyone dislike Gaiman? (Score:1)
Both Marvel and DC, to go on a tangent from the Cosmic Theme thing, really handle Cosmic Themes poorly -- it's hard to say who does it worse. Some good Cosmic Theme Melodrama can be found in anime (Grey comes to mind), or (for a closer shore) Watchmen.
gomi
Re:Dead-horse flogging (Score:1)
Oh, and a small nit: DC does try to milk every cent out of anything that does as well as Sandman, but Vertigo is the one's who ensured that Gaiman's work was respected.
Re:How can anyone hate Gaiman? (Score:3)
So, I think of Gaiman the same way I think of Mike Oldfield or Peter Greenaway -- they're all people who can do incredibly good work, but who seem to have moved in directions that I don't like much. Oldfield tries to write pop tunes; Greenaway turns his back on characterization; Gaiman writes stories that rarely have much emotional impact.
You might also like (Score:1)
Re:How could anyone dislike Gaiman? (Score:1)
I may be wrong, though.
Re:How could anyone dislike Gaiman? (Score:1)
What's a 'bouncing beeble'? Will goth chicks dig me if I own one?
And I don't think that the Personification of Death is too easily offended, so I wouldn't worry about that.
Unless of course *you* are the Personification of Death, in which case I apologize profusely, (backs away slowly), and can only express the utmost humble agreement, and, and um, Respect, and, uhhhhhh, (wets self), Fear, and ummm...Bye! (bolts)
Re:Another Nice Story After Ten Years (Score:1)
The words you're looking for would be "shojo" and "shonen."
Re:How can anyone hate Gaiman? (Score:1)
But, oh man, Acme Novelty Library. I can't take a concentrated dose of Ware's worldview, he's mastery of the craft of illustration is incredible.
And hell, I'll add Richard Sala's Evil Eye to the list of comics what should be read by folks. And Moore & Campbell's From Hell is, imho, possibly the best work ever done in the medium.
Vertigo, Shade, Cerebus (Score:1)
Cerebus was enormously entertaining to me for a long time, but mostly, I later discovered, due to everything *but* the story line. I bought the mag religiously for the author's intro at the beginning and the reader's letters at the end. I found both enormously entertaining, and enjoyed the story as well, but as these elements were later removed, I found I was not as 'loyal' as I thought I was and soon stopped buying it. I left out the third reason I bought it, which was simply the over-all look and feel. It's one of the most tastefully produced books ever put out.
Now I use 'em for coasters.
Go figure!
And Furthermore... (Score:1)
I don't buy Cerebus any more as I mentioned above, but I'll always respect Dave Sim for sticking to his guns about keeping Cerebus reasonably priced. I think the phonebooks are too pricey, but hey that's me.
Publishers:
Try putting out some manga at working class prices. That's right. You heard me. Price 'em to sell. Get off your high and holy Art Fag horses and crank that shit out. They're buying Pokemon, aren't they?
Wake up!
(belch!)
Excuse me.
Re:How can anyone hate Gaiman? (Score:2)
It's easy. You picture him in your mind, take a really deep breath, hold it and push, until steam comes out your ears and you look like one of those crazed monsters from the old Hot Rod t-shirt cartoons.
It doesn't make for a very serious or long-lasting sort of Hatred, but it's the best I could come up with on short notice, and clearly shows that it's at least technically possible to hate Neil Gaiman.
Re:And Furthermore... (Score:1)
Back in the good ol' days when I worked in bookshops and a couple of comic shops, I was continually astonished by the twelve-year-olds who'd buy any shit with a glossy cover and a #1 on it. When X-Men #1 came out with five covers, I was working in a cool shop called The Alchemist's Head (RIP), and watched a steady stream of kids coming in and buying three copies of each over.
On this side of the atlantic, you can get (relatively) cheapo British reprints of the US reprints of the japanese originals. They're not worth it. Really.
You might consider checking out Pulp, a mag that publishes a chunk of stories -- including the rather excellent and hilarous Heartbroken Angels for a (relatively) reasonable price. It's published by Viz; more details here [pulp-mag.com].
Re:And Furthermore... (Score:1)
Don't mistake a few losers for the rest ... (Score:1)
There are, as in any group of people, some real losers in the Goth scene, and again as normal, they're often the most noticeable. Think of the way outsiders view us slashdotters, for example.
Re:How can anyone hate Gaiman? (Score:1)
But compared to stuff from Vertigo that was coming out at the time (Shade, Doom Patrol) it was pretty shallow.
I prefer his non Sandman work. I thought Mr Punch was really good, though Cages (Dave McKean's solo work) is far better written than anything Gaiman has ever written.
Neverwhere the series was awful. Cliched characterisation, unlikely dialogue and acting (admittedly not all his fault, but his script can't have helped) at a Kiddie drama level.
Re:How can anyone hate Gaiman? (Score:1)
The last ACME book was superb. Desperately sad, but brilliant.
From Hell was stunning, as was Cages (comic done by Gaiman's sometime collaborator, Dave McKean). Both put Gaimain's entire work to shame imho, and stand up to any work from any medium in the last ten years.
Richard Sala's okay, but I'd rate Love & Rockets, Eightball, or even Edward Gorey over him.