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- Verified Buyer
Some time ago, I was desperate to get my hands on this particular TPB. It wasn't possible, but, at last, I own my own copy!I had read this some years ago, recommended by a friend really into American comics. Back then, I was not really interested in them, having gotten to a point of extreme boredom over superhero comics, that looked all the same to me, except for this or that good author (like Frank Miller, who penned "Year One" and "The Dark Night Returns"). My friend, however, persuaded me. He told me that not all American comics dealt with superheroes. There was one I'd love, called The Sandman, with dealt with mythology, with magic. Reluctantly, I gave it a try. I read book by book. The first one, I found, was not bad, but the art was too crude for my tastes (I still maintain that point of view). The story, however, was compelling. Now, on the second TPB, things got great. The art was improving, and the stories got better. In here, I found what is, to this day, my favorite Sandman story. Hob Gadling's tale of immortality was a breath of fresh air. Without spoiling it for anyone, it amazed me as I kept turning the pages. This particular story turned Gaiman into a hero for me. From then on, The Sandman had captured me, I was a slave to his magical sand. The serial killer convention was pretty creepy, and the seeds of Desire's plot were in here, but, back then, I paid no heed. Gadling's was my story. Now, after re-reading it, I read into more layers, more texture in the stories, and feel that Gaiman is actually a literary genius. Comic books (or, more recently referred to as "Graphic Novels") may be an artform frowed upon by some, but they can give some of the biggest writers of our time the chance to be known by the public.
