Last summer, I hardly set foot outside my house. I hardly saw the sun, didn’t hang out as much with my friends, didn’t see much of my parents (even though we live under the same roof) and sorta forgot how it was to have conversations with real people.
Okay fine I’m exaggerating a little… Okay fine a lot…
But I really was in a world of my own. Or more like in the world of The Sandman.
Yes. I spent my long break with some friends who don’t really exist (Ugh it upsets me to say that). I read several graphic novels, Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series among them, and I can now say that it is definitely my favourite comic book series of all time.
The series originally ran from 1989 to 1996 and is to this day one of Gaiman’s best works (in my opinion). The story chronicles the adventures of the series’ protagonist, Dream, or Morpheus as he is otherwise known (he never actually gets called ‘The Sandman’ in the stories by the way, and no he does not sprinkle sand in people’s eyes to make them sleep). Dream is one of the seven Endless, the other Endless being Destiny, Death, Destruction, Despair, Desire and Delirium. They aren’t Gods, but are rather the personification of the things themselves. That’s called anthropomorphism, isn’t it? Well, all seven are siblings and though they each have their own role to play in the series, their roles most often centre around the The Dream King’s quests.
The Sandman is a great fantasy series for anyone who wants to transport themselves into another universe, where there is no limit to the imagination and where dreams are powerful enough to affect reality. I think that’s the core essence of Sandman. It just takes you anywhere you wanna go. And if you find it hard living in the real world, like I do most of the time sometimes, Sandman allows you an escape.
To me, Sandman is not just a comic book. It’s literature as well. Gaiman, with all his brilliant knowledge in the art of storytelling, brings diversity to the stories by adding characters that might be familiar to us, and having them interact with the Endless. Picture Shakespeare in a tavern, as he strikes a bargain with Dream. Even Lucifer is featured in several story arcs. The stories are rich because Gaiman incorporates myths into Sandman, but doesn’t fail to somehow make them his own. Norse Gods like Loki and Odin, the Egyptian Goddess, Bast, and Orpheus, who within Sandman is Dream’s son, are among the many characters who appear in the series. A certain caped crusader (one that I like very much) even makes an appearance albeit briefly.
There are a total of ten books in the Sandman library (excluding the spin-offs) and as a side note, I’m really happy that my collection is finally complete. Wanna see? Sure you do.
From the first book, Preludes and Nocturnes, we sort of already get a glimpse of Dream’s role as a tragic hero even though that role is not fully established until later on. He is stubborn, and sometimes cruel – he sends a woman to hell for eternity for rejecting him in Season of Mist – but we also see his softer side, like when he rescues a former lover from years of captivity in the short story Calliope in Dream Country. We also occasionally get a glimpse of his dry sense of humour. Dream may be the prince of stories, and you would think that someone with that title would be fun and carefree but that’s far from how Dream really is. He takes his responsibility as an Endless very seriously and would sacrifice anything for the dreaming (his domain). I think by allowing Dream to make mistakes, Gaiman has made him a character that’s not perfect and therefore more human. But it is also the ramifications of his mistakes and his inability to change that ultimately seal his fate.
One of the many things I love about Neil Gaiman, is the way he pays attention to detail. He adds layers and sub-plots within Sandman that tie back to the central theme, and there are many references throughout the series to things that seem to have been set up from the very beginning. He does this so well, it makes me wonder if he knew all along exactly how he wanted the series to end. If he did, wow… what a writer… The layers within the story arcs add to the complexity of the plot and definitely give the series more depth.
I was pretty sad after I’d finished The Wake. Because after reading Sandman and after going on a long journey with Dream (who I actually have a crush on but shhh don’t tell anybody it’s a secret), I suddenly realized just how mediocre my life is. Yeah, Sandman is that good. Reality suddenly seemed boring and colourless. Ah well. I’ll get over it one day. At least I have dreams, and dreams make me happy.
Another thing that makes me happy! The possibility of Sandman coming to the small screen! Neil Gaiman himself thinks it’s a good idea. Watch the short interview with him here.
