Neil Gaiman's Sandman: Favorite Volume

[Sakura Kaijuu]

I just wanted to know what anyone thought of Sandman. I think it's one of the most brilliant things I've ever read. Every time I read it I notice some new aspect in it.

My favorite is Brief Lives. Mostly because of Delirium, because she's my favorite character. I like seeing Delirium being so devoted to one thing for so long. I also just like the interaction between Dream and Del. I think it's adorable. It also touches on some of the most interesting parts of mythology and it starts to tie the climax together.

And I love Jill Thompson's artwork.

I know that it's technically a comic book, but it was the first comic to ever win a literary award, and one of the ones that really changed the philosophy of the graphic novel as a real part of the world of normal books.

[Not a Ninja]

I'd have to agree with you there, everyone loves Delirium.

[less]

I'll admit that it's been a while, but "Worlds' End" and "A Game of You" always had a special place in my heart. Voted for the latter, because the nostalgia for that one is stronger.

[neko-sennin]

1- "A Game of You" - Because I used to have series of dreams that tied together when I was a kid, and the concept of entire worlds dwelling in the back of your mind sounds so much like my childhood.

2- "World's End" - Because of the creepy tales in it, especially the one about the guy living in the "dream" of a city. Also because of the way I happened to read this volume. I was on my way home from work one afternoon when this nasty rainstorm hit, and I retreated into a nearby Borders. I had been reading the series all summer, and this just happened to be the next volume. I waited out the storm reading a book about people waiting out a storm. Pretty trippy, huh?

3 - "Fables & Reflections" - Because, let's face it, I love Neil Gaiman short stories.

4 - "Dream Country" - In part because of the cool twist on the "Midsummer Night's Dream Story" but also because of "The Dream of 1000 Cats" which is one of my all-time favorite Sandman shorts.

5 - "Season of Mists" - Because I'm pretty sure we see more Death in this volume than any other. :)

The others are all really awesome, too, but I think those were my favorite volumes.

[Dream Brother]

Gotta be Brief Lives. The interaction between Del and Dream is priceless.

[Comic Book Guy]

Volume 3: Dream Country

Calliope
A Dream of a Thousand Cats
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Façade

These short stories are win. Especially Dream of a Thousand Cats and Midsummer Night's Dream.

Running up would be Volume 6: Fables and Reflections.

I went out of my way to track down single issues of the Sandman short stories. They're that damn good.

As for a FULL storyline, then Volume 4: Seasons of Mist. Sandman meets other pantheons over owning hell. Win.

[Chee]

I have only read 1 through 3 so far, and the second one is so far my favorite.

[Cardboard Tube Knight]

Read a little bit of Seasons of Mist, I think its the most interesting part so far really. But I am loving Sandman on the whole.

[Comic Book Guy]

Being the owner of the Absolutes, the extras are quite something.

But it is costly.

But the recolouring is fabulous.

[Pintsize]

Oi, I want the Absolutes so badly, but it'll probably be a few years before I can scrape up the cash.

And I love all the volumes of the Sandman, but the one I find myself reading through the most times seems to be The Wake. It really was a satisfying conclusion to everything, excellent way to finish a comic.

[Comic Book Guy]

Oi, I want the Absolutes so badly, but it'll probably be a few years before I can scrape up the cash.

You better hope they're still in print or in market circulation.

[delirium]

Brief Lives, easily.

It's where my name comes from. It was love at first sight. Del is just so tragically beautiful. I can't resist.

[Amnesia]

Hard question. Art-wise, I loved the Kindly Ones. Story-wise, it's all together very good. Liked particular, one-issue stories or arcs more than just volumes... But overall, I think it's a tie between World's End, the Kindly Ones, and Brief Lives.

[Pintsize]

You better hope they're still in print or in market circulation.

Don't scare me like that, CBG. :uwah

[Medea]

The Wake, by far.

I adore the whole series, of course, but it's the only volume I actually bought (my brother owns most of the rest), because the funeral scene is just so incredibly poignant and cathartic, and I love the way everything ends and yet... doesn't. At all. Also, Exiles is probably my favourite short after Ramadan and Dream of 1000 Cats, if only on account of the juxtaposition of the two Dreams.

[hymnia]

Of the series proper, I'd say Brief Lives was my favorite. And I see it's currently leading the poll. That doesn't surprise me. It's been ages since I've read the series, but I remember BL as the storyline that best captured that mix of elegiac tone and whimsical, clever storytelling that, IMO, made Sandman the brilliant story that it was.

However, I also loved the spinoff Death: The High Cost of Living as much as, if not more than Brief Lives.

Joie