Those of us that got into comics later in life, rather than reading them consistently from the get go, are used to the standard lists of recommended reads. There’s Watchmen, of course, Maus, V for Vendetta, Preacher, Y: The Last Man, A Contract With God… there are many options, and while the various lists have different choices on them, after a while we start to see some similarities. As we start going through the still-forming comics canon, we go from comic to comic, typically appreciating what we find and seeing exactly what makes comics (in the Scott McCloud sense) its own unique art form. Eventually, though, we find a graphic novel, a miniseries, an ongoing, or even a one-shot in this list of greats that we love on a personal level, rather than just appreciate as an example of fine art. For me, that comic was Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. If you’re on this site, then I’m sure you’ve heard about it. Probably quite a bit. But, just as I have neglected critically-acclaimed books like American Flagg and Blankets, I’m sure a few of you haven’t read Gaiman’s magnum opus yet. Allow me to win you over.
These days, Neil Gaiman tends to be primarily considered a novelist, with books like American Gods and The Graveyard Book topping bestseller lists, and others, such as Stardust and Coraline becoming widely enjoyed films. After a couple of non-fiction books, though, one of Gaiman’s first big “foot in the door” moments was following Alan Moore on Marvelman. The next few years consisted of a variety of comic escapades, the culmination of which was his sprawling 75-issue epic The Sandman, running from 1989 to 1996. The series starred Morpheus, the embodiment of dream, and began somewhat rooted in the DC Universe, with appearances from Constantine, Batman, and Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s own Sandman. By the second arc, however, Gaiman’s ongoing series had already proved itself to be something else entirely, telling a complex tale centered upon beings that surpassed even gods and the repercussions their actions had on the world and themselves.
One of the common flaws that a lot of comic book writers have is the tendency to rely on too much narrative to get their story across, rather than let the sequential art – which is still a part of the writer’s domain as much as it is the artist’s – speak for itself. If you’ve read any of Gaiman’s prose, you might begin to worry; after all, Gaiman’s stories are greatly enjoyable because of the way in which he writes them, the stylistic choices he makes in order to make it seem like he is telling the story to you personally. Surely, you might think, this tendency – an absolute boon in novels and short stories – would only get in the way in a comic. But it isn’t so. Having started, more or less, in comics, Gaiman knows just how much narrative to use, retaining the charm – yes, even in the ghastly and horrifying parts – that is present in his more text-based work without getting to Claremontian (a.k.a. text-heavy, true believers!) in nature.
Sandman had many solid artists onboard across the years, such as Sam Kieth and Jill Thompson, but one of the main attractions about the book is the incredible cover work of Dave McKean. Every issue is covered by McKean, undoubtedly one of the greatest visual artists of our time, and you can spend a whole evening just going through a single trade and considering each cover and how they relate to the stories they are associated with. The old adage is true, you can’t judge a book by its cover – something many comic fans have learned the hard way – but McKean’s covers deserve special attention due to their jaw-dropping detail.
As much as I could talk your ear off about Sandman, I’d like to let the comic do most of the selling for me. Issue #50 of Sandman, titled “Ramadan,” is illustrated by P. Craig Russell, and is – in my opinion – the greatest thing that Gaiman has ever penned. Find the paperback “Fables and Reflections” in a library, find the issue in the bins at your local shop, get it for $2.99 on Comixology, or find it online through means I don’t endorse; whatever you do, read this comic. It’s Gaiman at top form, reveling in that storyteller-esque narrative style he is so well known for, without hampering the sequential nature of the comics medium. The writing is beautiful. The art is beautiful. The story is beautiful. Sandman #50 is one of the few comics I would give a perfect ten out of ten to, and for good reason. And don’t worry, you don’t need to read anything else to appreciate it, as it’s a completely stand-alone story. If you don’t enjoy this comic, that’s okay, but I would suggest skipping on the series as a whole, as this issue captures a lot of what the series is about. If you do enjoy it, though, I guarantee that you won’t regret reading the rest of the series.
