by Elton Gahr

Created on: May 27, 2009

If you pick up a Neil Gaiman book expecting something normal you are in for a surprise and that is equally true with comic books. Asked to create a new comic book for D.C. comics Neil Gaiman chose to create something that is nearly indefinable as a typical comic and yet on the other hand fits perfectly into the D.C. Universe. "The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes" Is the first graphic novel in this series and is a true treat to read.

The first thing you must understand is that "The Sandman" comic books are not for children, they are not even appropriate for children. These are books that cover adult topics and ideas. Don't let this scare you away though. There is very little in these books that are gratuitous. This is an examination of dreams and once that takes itself seriously.

The story starts early in the century. A man has discovered a book that he believes will allow him to summon and capture death. His plan is to entrap the reaper and force it to make a deal with him. He will become powerful and immortal. Instead though he accidentally summons the brother of death, the sandman, also called the dreamer.

The dreamer is the immortal ruler of nightmares and dreams and he is not amused by his capture. The plan fails as he refuses to make a deal and so they keep him trapped unable to allow him to leave for fear of vengeance. What they are able to get though are his three tools, the mask, ruby and bag of sand that he invested much of his power in. These are sold and disappear across the world.

The man who summoned him died and soon his son grows old and his insistence that the dreamer give him immortality grows more insistent. Then the sandman escapes, but his power is greatly diminished by his imprisonment, his castle in ruins, his servants gone and his tools stolen, the sandman must regain his power and that takes him on a trip through the mortal realm, to tell and even to visit the Justice League.

From the art to the story everything about the sandman takes you into an odd dream world that mimics our own and yet has its own set of rules. In this the first of the graphic novels we begin to see the rules. The sandman is the god of this realm, able to enter anyone's dream, to pull out the things that you dream of and use them for his own purposes, to eat and travel through the dreams and gain power from them. If you aren't interested in the typical superheroes and villains of comic books but love the idea of art and story mixing together or simply like Neil Gaiman then give this graphic novel a chance and you will find that there is far more possible in the graphic novel format than you had previously believed.

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