The Sandman: Endless Nights is a follow-up to the Sandman series written by Neil Gaiman. It depends if you want to try the Sandman series you may try reading this first as to get a glimpse or an idea about the whole Sandman story.

*****
In "Endless Nights" Gaiman wrote seven chapters, each devoted to one of the Endless, a family of brothers and sisters ( namely Dream, Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, Destiny and Destruction ).

It was his way of telling their own story in relations to the different representations of the aspects of life.

Each tale is stylistically written in a different way, and allows Gaiman to work with different talented artists like Milo Manara, Miguelanxo Prado, Glenn Fabry to name a few.

****
"Death and Venice" tells the story of a man's encounter with Death and how he helps her open a door to a world in a different time. This is probably my favorite chapter of the book

"I shall see her again, i know that in my heart, one last time..Until then i shall continue to send people to her"

"What I've Tasted of Desire" is tragic love story of a woman who "wants like a forest fire." The object of her desire is the chieftain's son. They eventually became lovers until a horrible event made the story turn darker. Desire who is neither man or woman is intelligently portrayed through the art renderings of Milo Manara.

"The Heart of a Star" Neil Gaiman takes us to one of the earliest Endless tales, here Dream is seen with one of the very first woman he ever loved. Readers will have a glimpse of the Endless world. While Dream introduces his girl to his other siblings like Desire and Delirum.

"Fifteen Portraits of Despair" isn't really a narrative but a collection of portraits made by Barron Storey, designed by Dave McKean with each image being represented by bits of text that narrates every moments of Despair, like the man who losses his job and continues to pretend to his wife to still have one, a young woman who killed herself and so on, it is as Dark as any one can expect.

"with this pain, i thee feel..."Her kiss is the black dog that follows you in the darkness"

"Going Inside" is a multi facet story that revolves around Delirium, it tells the story of a rescue mission involving a young girl by the most uneven host of characters.

"On the Peninsula" Delirium agrees to help his brother Destruction to dig in an excavation site that they believe lies hidden underneath is the Future.

"Endless Nights" doesn't tells a story because as how it goes only Destiny knows our stories and so on and on. And everything is written in a book he carries all the time. The Artwork by Frank Quitely in this chapter is by far the best among the rest in this book, that is if you will ask me.

*****

This is a must read for Sandman fans, and helps first time readers a wonderful start for those who would like to try out Neil Gaiman's graphic work but were doubting about collecting the ten-book series.
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Volume 2 of the Sandman series. ( it includes issues #9-16 ).

I enjoy Preludes & Nocturnes and i find The Doll's House as notching it up higher in terms of great storytelling and visual feast.

The Doll's House follows a girl named Rose Walker who later learned the real identity of her grandmother, Unity Kincaid ( the hapless girl who spent a great majority of her life in a deep slumber in Preludes & Nocturnes ).

And later on trying to find her long lost brother Jed, at the same time Rose is being monitored by Morpheus aka Dream with her possibly being the "Vortex" that threatens the world and the dreamworld as well.

Hatched through the story are fantastic single-chapter sub plots and short stories that take us away from the action but also help refine the Sandman as character from long way back. The story telling is executed perfectly; never dragging and always perfectly paced.

I particularly like the totally unrelated story ( but it could be in the upcoming volumes ) "Men of Good Fortune", about Hob Gadling, a 14th century man who tried and succeeded in defying death, saying that "It's a mug's game. I wont have any part on it" ( referring to death ).

He then attained immortality. And from his initial conversation with Dream they agreed to meet at the same place once in every hundred years, eventually they both became friends.

But nothing will beat the great storytelling, horror and humor of "Collectors".

In this chapter, Rose Walker and Gilbert find themselves among a Cereal Convention but in reality was a "Serial Killer Convention, where lifelong criminals ( grass widow, psycho killer, candyman, nimrod, dark angel etc ) are gathered and engages in panel discussions in topics like "We are what we are", "Women in Serial Killing" "There is no sanity clause".

It's a humor laden chapter and a harrowing one as well.

The Corinthian: "the good doctor likes to skin people, Nimrod is a bone hunter. He can bone joint and gut any animal in minutes. For myself i have a penchant for eyes. And you know what we're going to do now, Philip?...We're going to take turns"

Not to mention Gilbert's retelling of a supposed to be original version of "Little Red Riding Hood".

*****
Over-all as i said, it keeps getting better. My sandman experience is turning out to be a great one, calls for more urgent needs to get my hand on the following volumes.

The artwork is outstanding, a "Visual Feast" as Bunnylette would say and i agree.

As one online review would say

"This is arguably one of the highlights of the Sandman series and sets the standard for what follows. The Doll's House seems to expand and improve with every reading and should take pride of place on the bookshelf of anyone who likes a good yarn, comic reader or not"
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The shortest so far from the 5 other Sandman volumes that i've read. This volume is a collection of four stand alone stories that explains some aspects about the Endless namely Dream and Death. Although not a continuation of the Sandman storyline, still it offers readers a lot in regards to the over all scope of this monumental Sandman series.

Calliope - a short story about a struggling one hit writer Ric Madoc and his obsession to reach top form again, doing so he receives a present from cult filmmaker Erasmus Fry, in the form of a muse, whom he abuses and rapes after drawing inspiration from her and writing bestsellers, directing movies and unto the peak of success. Until Dream, who is the muse's former flame, escapes from his captor and decided to free up his muse and gives Madoc a lesson or two about not having any ideas at all.

A Dream of a Thousand Cats - an imaginative tale that shows a gathering of cats and their dream of a world where cats are the masters and human as its servants, a frightening possibility that one feline speaks of, if only all the cats in the world will believe that it is the case ever since the beginning of time.

A Midsummer Night's Dream - won the World Fantasy award for best short story, tells the story of William Shakespeare and his wandering theater troupe and it's performance in front of an audience that looks like not any audiences they have played for in the past.

Facade - is a short story related to another Sandman volume, the Kindly Ones. Former superhero known as the Fury, Lyta Hall now lives in almost seclusion. In the end with the help of "Death" her powers becomes the solution to how she will be freed.

Although i really want to read this volume because i was so curious about Midsummer Night's Dream, although it turned out quite well, i can say my favorite is "Dream a Thousand Cats", the artwork is creepy, the theme so dark and the message frighteningly chilling.

While Calliope reminds me of people who would sell their soul, in exchange for a burst of creativity, makes me wonder who among us right now has a muse somewhere hidden in their bedroom whom they keep imprisoned and abused. Yes another creepy tale.

Plus the inclusion of the sample script by Neil Gaiman will teach you a thing or two about how to write and imagine a story that is ought to be written as a comic book.

All the more makes this a must read for everybody.
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Brief Lives is the 7th collection of Neil Gaiman's acclaimed The Sandman Comics series. It was the 4th volume that i've read so far and probably the most insightful one in terms of explaining to me the relationships between each member of the family of the Endless.

Brief Lives starts with with an old man named Andros climbing up a rocky hill into an almost obscure island, among the small inhabitants of that island where some of Andros' family playing the modern day version of "the priests of Orpheus", it is then revealed that they were guarding and taking care a severed head which seems to be alive and at the same time talking.

Same with almost the previous Sandman volumes, each will start out with a scene that may resonates with the reader as they advance through the story, here the mysterious "talking head" will play a great part in the mysterious past of Morpheus aka Dream.

But the events of Brief Lives progresses on when Dream's youngest sister Delirium ( childlike in any sense of the word ) decided to find the Endless' missing "prodigal" brother Destruction, who about 300 years ago has abandoned his realm and responsibilities.

Delirium travels through the different realms of her older siblings to ask for help in locating their brother, after being churned away by both Desire and Despair telling her that they should respect their brother's decision, Delirium then was able to convince Dream to help her find Destruction in the waking world.

Dream accepted to help childish little sister Delirium so he can take his mind off the pain caused by the latest break up of a relationship with an unmentioned female.

Their quest costs the lives of many people who would be entangled in their search, because of what will be revealed later as result of 'mechanisms' Destruction set up before he left his realm. Eventually, the pair do track Destruction down, with the help of Destiny who in turn told Morpheus to ask for the help of an oracle.

The oracle that will help Morpheus and Delirium's quest for their brother turns out the severed head in the opening chapter, the Oracle's name is Orpheus, none other than Morpheus own son.

In exchange for the information, Orpheus demands a "boon of his father": where he wishes to die; and bound by his sense of obligation to his son, Morpheus cannot do anything but consent to his wish of dying and finding peace. Thus the shedding of family blood.

****
As i said, Brief Lives offers a great deal about the relationship of The Endless, in spite of their different realms and responsibilities, a feeling of love bounded by hundred of years of existence still exist with each other, Destruction's fondness of both Delirium and Despair is both touching and endearing.

The conversation between Dream and Destruction towards the end that explains Destruction's decision to leave offers a hindsight on the start of the existence of the whole Endless family.

Destruction: "As the universe came into being, Destiny came with it, alone on the darkness...before the living thing came into existence, our sister was there waiting"

Dream: "And when the first living thing awoke to life, i was also there"

And how Destruction's decision that he doesn't want any more part in it.

Destruction: "The Endless are echoes of Darkness, and nothing more. We have no right to play with their lives, to order their dreams and their desires"..

And with that Dream and Delirium watch as their brother descends to another world.
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I'll skip Volume 3 (I can't find a copy of Dream Country). Season of Mists begins with a sort of family gathering of the Endless, until it boils into an argument when Desire reminded Dream about a former flame whom he had banished into hell more than ten thousand years ago. Dream, driven by guilt of being wrong bid the Endless family goodbye to travel into hell and bring back his former love.

 

 

Expecting a tough challenge from Lucifer Morningstar, he was then surprised to see that Lucifer had gone weary of leading hell, has sent the demons away and having no desire to rule his dominion anymore gives the key to his realm to Morpheus.

Unsure of what to do with hell, Morpheus aka Dream become entangled with a problem because he has no desire to own and rule hell.

Now the gods and evils of different mythology have come to Morpheus world in order to seek what once was Lucifer's. The key to hell, and the rightful power that is associated with it.

In a magical and wonderful storytelling Gaiman weaves these different characters in the palace of Morpheus, each one earning an audience with Morpheus, bribing and pleading with him their own case.

In the end Morpheus must make a decision that will change the realms of hell forever.

*****

This sandman series i'm currently hooked in, keeps getting better and better by each volume.

In Season of Mists, readers will get introduced to the whole Endless family, Desire, Death, Delirium, Destiny and so forth. What i like about the book is the way it shows Morpheus' ability to admit that he had done wrong. And the path he will go through to try and correct that mistake.

The climax where he finally apologizes to Nada is one of the strongest part of the story.

( The story about Nada and Morpheus was told in the opening chapter of Vol. 2 The Doll's House ).

*****
Written in between is sort of bonus short story ( but is relevant with the whole story of the dead leaving hell and coming back to Earth ) "In Which the Dead Return; and "Charles Rowland Concludes His Education".

It tells of a haunted boarding school where in Charles Rowland meet the ghost of a previously murdered boy named Edwin Paine. ( their characters will appear in another DC Comics called "Dead Boy Detectives" ).

*****
Morpheus as a character is at the top of its league in this chapter, new readers can start reading Vol. 3 and end up getting to know him real well. It is this pain and pride that kick-start this beautiful tale, of cruelty, of the subconscious of man, and eventually to betrayal and redemption. In the end the answer on who will rule hell lies in God's willingness to sacrifice one of his own just to put the balance in the world.

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Volume 1 of the Sandman Series ( a collection of the original issues 1-8 ) written by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg and Malcolm Jones III, Robbie Busch and lettered by Todd Klein.

Also my introduction to the world of Dream aka Morpheus and Oneiros. One of the Endless. Dream, the representation of dreams.

*****
As this is the very first Sandman series, i find it fairly good, the introduction of Dream when he was captured by Roderick Burgess ( in an attempt to get Death ) in "Sleep of the Just" was simple yet effective.

Well it only means one thing, from volume 2 to the last, the Sandman series is bound to get better and better as Gaiman's writing style and the artistic style of those responsible for the Sandman graphic novel becomes more attached to the story and develops more interesting plots and characters as well.

I particularly like "Dream a Little Dream of Me" mainly because of the participation of John Constantine, a cool and comical protagonist of the comic series Hellblazer. Wherein he helped Dream locate one of his valuable possession, a pouch of sand which came into the hands of John's former girlfriend.

Preludes & Nocturnes is all about the introduction of Dream, his capture, imprisonment and his attempt to locate his totems of power, which were dispersed following his capture: a pouch of sand, a helm and a ruby. A journey that will take him across the world and into the infinite abyss of Hell.

In "24 Hours" an interesting encounter with John Dee, a.k.a. Doctor Destiny, ( supervillain from the Justice League of America series). John Dee came into the possession of Dream's ruby after getting it from his mother Ethel ( a former mistress of Roderick Burgess ). John Dee reminds me of Tolkien's creature Gollum, where in they find themselves fighting the evil forces that influence what they possess. As the ring is for Gollum, here its the ruby for John Dee.

Eventually John Dee succumbs to the tempting promise of power of the Ruby and used its power to initiate a rampage that drove people worldwide mad.


The final chapter "The Sound of Her Wings" introduces as to character of "Death" also a part of the Endless family, here she gave Dream a better understanding and direction for his future journeys.


****

By Gaiman's own admission that "there's a lot in this first collection that is awkward and ungainly", but the promise alone is enough guarantee that "Preludes & Nocturnes" is a must read. There were a lot more good than bad, considering this was written when Neil Gaiman was still struggling to find his niche ( well he eventually did in a big way ).

The ingredients for a great graphic novel was laid out in here, the horror alone of "24 Hours" is enough to keep you hooked and the darkness of Dream's character, the mystery, interactions with various DC characters all make up for one thrilling and great reading experience.

I can't wait to start Volume 2: The Doll's House.
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