The fourth Sandman collection finally follows up on the promise that Lucifer made to destroy Morpheus back in the opening collection. Destiny summons the Endless to a meeting, where we meet Delirium (who used to be Delight) for the first time and get some more information about the missing brother of the Endless. During the meeting Desire baits Dream about the treatment of his lover Nada, whom he banished to Hell for spurning him. Dream realises he/she is right, and resolves to travel to Hell and rescue his former lover, despite Lucifer's vow.

Season of Mists takes Dream on a journey into Hell and a confrontation with the Morningstar...but not the type of confrontation he was expecting. Dream ends up, slightly bemused, as the keeper of the key to Hell, and is soon being petitioned by gods and representatives from many pantheons (including the gods of Chaos and Order, and deities from the Egyptian, Norse and Japanese pantheons) anxious to get their hands on the finest plot of real estate in the multiverse, at the same time as he is also trying to find his missing love, and Death is attempting to repair the damage caused by countless legions of the dead suddenly being released back into the mortal world.

After the short story interlude of Dream Country, it's good to be back to a solid, long story arc. Although it's a reasonably long tale it's not the most dynamic story in the Sandman canon, and unusually most of it takes place in the Dreaming with only a few scenes set in the real world, and a longer chunk set in Hell. This allows us to see a bit more of the Dreaming and its inhabitants, but the meat of the story is seeing how the different pantheons interact together and who actually has the best claim on Hell.

As usual, Gaiman fills the story with neat little details and touches. The notion of there being a library in the Dreaming where all the books writers dreamed of writing but never got round to it is a fascinating one, and it's amusing to see books there such as Tolkien's The Lost Road (which was supposed to be a big story about his island kingdom of Numenor, but he abandoned it after a few pages). Elsewhere there are nods back to earlier stories: when Dream fears he may be destroyed in Hell, he decides to make time for a brief drink with his friend Hob Gadling, although they are not due to meet for another ninety-nine years. He also looks in on the newly-born son of Hector and Lyta Hall and gives him a name, Daniel, to Lyta's rage and horror. Elsewhere there's nice touches about the various gods, such as Chaos being personified as a young girl and Order as a carboard box, and Thor trying to impress some of the female deities present with his hammer, which gets bigger if you rub it (which is mythologically accurate)! Finally, we get a glimpse into the Sandman's collection of artefacts he has accumulated over the years, and see the skull of the Corinthian, a city trapped in a bottle and an old pocket watch, all of which are explored in future stories, in some cases years down the line.

As with previous collections, Gaiman interrupts the linear narrative of the story to give us a self-contained story in the middle of the collection which nevertheless comments on the action around it. A young boy left alone at boarding school for the holidays (after his father is among the hostages taken by Saddam Hussein in the build-up to the Gulf War) is suddenly joined by all those who died in the school over the previous century or so. It's a rather grim story, but ends on an interesting, optimistic note.

Season of Mists (****) isn't quite up there with the best of the Sandman collections. It is a tad overlong given its relative lack of actual incident, but for expanding our knowledge and understanding about Hell and the Dreaming, for introducing important new characters (particularly Daniel, Cluracan and Nuala) and for resolving the Nada storyline, it does a great job. The graphic novel is available from Titan in the UK and Vertigo in the USA, and forms the opening part of The Absolute Sandman, Volume II, available from Vertigo in the UK and USA.

This is my favorite comic book story. I was already a Gaiman fan, having read "Good Omens". But the intense intelligence and respect for the form of mythology in particular and story-telling in general, not to mention one of the all time great jumping off points (Lucifer's abdication of Hell), create a story that is breathtaking in it's scope and imagination.
AMAZING!
And I haven't even mentioned the stunning artwork, just beautiful, iconic and evocative.
All the "old gods" are represented and much intrigue and deal-brokering ensue.
These themes (the meaning and relevance of mythology) are further explored in at least 2 of his subsequent novels and many of his short stories.
This is still the definitive statement. Check it out, you will not be disappointed!

I've heard much about The Sandman series for many years, and so last summer I finally decided to experience it for myself. The first volume was adequate, but it didn't "wow" me as much as I expected. Probably because, by this point in time, Gaiman's concepts had been copied and recopied so many times by so many other writers that the original held little distinction.

I took solace in the fact that Volume III of the series was to be the one that set The Sandman beyond anything else in the comic book medium that came before or after. Sadly--for me--it didn't electrify. Good? Certainly. Great? No.

So, believing the opinions of several friends can't be wrong, I still pressed on. Volume IV, Season of Mists, proved to be the one. This is the volume that completely and utterly "wowed" me. From the beginning to the end, this was a tightly woven story packing emotional, philosophical, intellectual, and conceptual punches that did not fail to capture both my imagination and respect. The character of Morpheus is visually interesting, but it was not until this volume that he began to fascinate me as a well-rounded character.

The premise is simple in Season of Mists. Morpheus realizes he long ago made a mistake for which he must atone. It is how he deals with coming to this decision and the ramifications of going about executing it that astonished me. Gaiman's imagination is limitless in Season of Mists, pulling from established myths and legends as well as creating his own.

The art, like all of the volumes, is rather hit or miss. Luckily, the image of Morpheus is so striking and the stories so good that the art is easy to overlook.

Finally, I wouldn't consider myself a fan of Harlan Ellison by any stretch of the imagination, but his introduction to this volume is delightful and is alone worth the price of the entire book.

~Scott William Foley, author of Dr. Nekros: The Tragedian (Volume I, Episode I)

Spurred by the three Fates, Destiny calls a meeting of the Endless. This ends in Dream taking crud for getting pissed at an ex-girlfriend and sending her to Hell.

Spurred by the three Fates, Destiny calls a meeting of the Endless. This ends in Dream taking crap for getting pissed at an ex-girlfriend and sending her to Hell.

His older sister tells him off, so he goes to rescue her, knowing that Lucifer is likely to slay him. A bit nastier than that though, Lucifer abandons Hell and gives it to him, instead, without the old girlfriend.

Dream has to deal with all the mythologies that want this funky piece of supernatural real estate, while Lucifer gets to go and be a beach slacker.

Spurred by the three Fates, Destiny calls a meeting of the Endless. This ends in Dream taking crud for getting pissed at an ex-girlfriend and sending her to Hell.

Spurred by the three Fates, Destiny calls a meeting of the Endless. This ends in Dream taking crap for getting pissed at an ex-girlfriend and sending her to Hell.

His older sister tells him off, so he goes to rescue her, knowing that Lucifer is likely to slay him. A bit nastier than that though, Lucifer abandons Hell and gives it to him, instead, without the old girlfriend.

Dream has to deal with all the mythologies that want this funky piece of supernatural real estate, while Lucifer gets to go and be a beach slacker.

As everyone knows who reads his stuff, Gaiman is as original as. In this installment, the Lord of Dreams (one of the Endless, all of whom begin with a "D") goes to Hell prepared to do battle with Lucifer in order to obtain the release of an ex-lover he condemned there some ten thousand years ago. But Lucifer surprises him by evicting everyone from the underworld, shutting the place down, locking it up tight, and handing the Dreamer the key. What happens in a Creation with no functioning Hell? For one thing, the dead come back (not "to life" -- just back). For another, a great many deities from an assortment of pantheons, not to mention the evicted demonic tormentors, want to get their hands on the vacant property for their own reasons. As I said: Extremely original. And very well worked out, too. Another strong hit from a true Big Leaguer.

For a short read, each episode is superbly written. Gaiman is the best of his genre.

After reading all of the Sandman collections, "Season of Mists" is with out a doubt my favorite.(it's also the first one I read) "Season of Mists" begins with a family meeting between Sandman's family "The Endless". During this meeting Sandman's older brother, Destiny announces that he has recently been visited by the fates. He says that the fates told him that "Something IMPORTANT will happen. Something that sparks a chain of events, causing much change and upheaval" Sandman's sister death then asks "And what is that occasion?" Destiny simply answers "THIS meeting that is all. The rest is up to you" After these statements Destiny's prophecy quickly unfolds when the family sits down to dinner. Sandman's sister, Desire attacks Sandman by opening an old personal wound, his past love life. If you read the books prior to "Season" you'll discover that Sandman sentenced is old flame, Nada (a formed African queen) to the tourments of hell because she refused to give up her mortal life to be his queen. Insulted by Destiny, Sandman storms off to sulk outside on the balcony. Death later comes out to give Sandman a royal tongue lashing (one of her shinning moments in the seires)and tells him that what he did to Nada was selfish and wrong. Sandman soon realizes that is big sister is right and he sets off to free his former love. Sandman and Lucifer(the lord of hell) have some bad blood(established in prior chapters) and when Lucifer is informed that Sandman is comming to his realm, he says that it is a day that they will both remember. When Sandman arrives in hell he is surpized to find the place empty. Lucifer soon greets Sandman to tell him that he has quit his job, let every soul free, and has decided to give the key for the gates to Sandman. This is where the true conflict of 'Seaons" starts. What is Sandman to do with this new realm? and with all of hell's souls now free, Where is Nada? Sandman soon finds that his troubles have only begun when gods and godesses of new and old flood his realm to lobby for posession of the key to hell. Who will Sandman choose and how will he save Nada when a powerful demon holds her for ransom? "Seasons of Mists" is the best written and most exciting chapter in the Sandman collection and one of the best graphic novels I've ever read. If you're a Sandman fan you MUST read this book. read it!

Highly disappointed with "Dream Country", I found myself a bit hesitant about opening the pages to this next chapter in possibly the most imaginative fictional character ever created. "Preludes & Nocturnes" made me salivate for more of Gaiman's creation, while "The Doll's House" set the foundation for future stories and possible interludes, but when it came to "Dream Country" I found myself taking several huge steps back. It followed a different beat, the characters were nowhere to be seen, and it felt like a colorful collection of short, un-compelling stories. I was hurt, and it took me quite a bit of time to open Gaiman's next chapter, but not to worry, my fears ended as I started to read the first few frames ... Gaiman was back, and no door was going to be closed for this next collection entitled, "Season of Mists"!

Gaiman has this unique ability to bring worlds of near non-parallel existence together in a way that we could never imagine. His darkness is back from the opening page when we meet one of his brothers - Destiny. What is great about this opening is that fans of Gaiman's previous chapters will instantly have satisfaction in knowing that the cold spell known as "Dream Country" is over, and we are pulled back into Dream's world. Gaiman re-introduces us to our heroine through his family, by introducing us to his sisters and brothers. While we do not know the purpose of the meeting, we see how the family (perhaps not unlike your own family) interact and co-exist. Like a glass of aged wine, the story progresses with comfort and ease, with Gaiman never quite giving us answers only leading us further down his darkened road. We see humility with our Master of Sleep, Sandman, when he is reminded of a past love that he sentenced to Hell ten thousand years ago. He wants her back, and due to the meeting (thanks to Destiny), he decides to get her back. Nearly reminiscent of "Preludes & Nocturnes", we head back to Hell, but this time, Lucifer himself has a trick up his sleeve.

Lucifer presents Sandman with the ultimate gift, the Keys of Hell, and it will be his decision on what to do with the "gift". What creates the meaty center of this epic tale are what choices the Sandman is presented with by each one of the possible suitors looking to inherit the keys to the almighty Kingdom. Gaiman intricately weaves different Gods from different myths and stories to give us such a vast universe of truths and legend. Gaiman grows the small world we began with into something extraordinary, a world with more open doors than one could ever imagine. We, the readers, are given hints towards the future, as to the strange occurrence of Dream's missing brother, the troubled love between him and Nada, as well as the angels that are determined to change Hell. Loki is even traded for a favor that I am sure Gaiman will explore later.

"Season of Mists" rebirths the excitement that was originally developed in the first two collections that introduced us to Dream. These stories are dark, disturbing, challenging, and utterly fantastical. There is an amazing blend (of which only Gaiman could create) of imagination, creativity, fantasy, and honesty within these stories that immediately pulled this skeptical reader back from the "Dream Country" void. The images are crisp, vibrant, and completely within the realm of this series - for those that couldn't enjoy "Dream Country", "Season of Mists" will bring you back to the world that you loved. Gaiman and his collection of illustrators bring us back to the world that we loved and missed with the last collection. The disturbing truth of Hell, the infinite life of Dream's family, as well as the colliding worlds around that all pine for a track of land to call their own. This collection opened a whole new world to the series, demonstrating that there is a world outside of our own that may have magic, but the undertones are very similar to ours. Sibling rivalry coupled with competitive land developers are just a few of the channels that Gaiman bring to us in "Season of Mists".

I haven't mentioned this in my other reviews yet, but I have to with this collection because it became more obvious to me as I read and saw Dream in each of the stories. I am an enormous fan of what Gaiman has chosen to do with this character - he has given Dream a constantly changing face. What I mean is that Gaiman always has new artists creating his work, thus providing us this true feeling of being in a dream where nothing remains the same. I love to see other's thoughts on what Dream may look like, and while we revert back to the "original" form to demonstrate consistency, it is these subtle changes that make these stories more enjoyable each time you turn the page. The Sandman may be only one person, but he wears many eccentric faces.

Overall, for those that felt that Gaiman fell off his stride in "Dream Country", you will not be disappointed with this outing. We go further into the mind of Gaiman to see his demons, his Gods, and his darkly religious undertones. What I loved about this collection is that while there is this idea of religion, Gaiman seems to bring it to us in all different shapes and sizes. There are Gods, but he skittles around the idea of one larger entity. I loved the idea of "Chaos" and "Order", and the shapes that they chose to take. I deeply enjoyed the poetic ending that seemed to bring purpose to it all - it seemed that Destiny did make an impact, even with just one small event. "Season of Mists" easily ranks as my second favorite in this series. While I do believe that there isn't one that could quite match the veracity of "Preludes and Nocturnes", this one comes very close. For anyone that wants to explore the world of Dream, I would use this as a reference due to the humanity of his character in these stories. He has a conflict, and it is how he chooses to deal with the issues that make him purely Gaiman. I was impressed from page one!

Grade: ***** out of *****

Guard your nipples against the corpse-ified bullies of yore: that's what I learned! No, seriously this is an AMAZING book. As if one twist in the middle of the book(after some well-built suspense) wasn't enough to make the story seem grandiose, another twist near the end comes along and makes it epic.

We return to an old character in this volume(which is genius, of course; cliffhangers SUCK!!) and meet a new one. The best thing is, you sympathize with ALL gaiman's characters(even the mischevious ones). And more references to mythology and even art are thrown in, as expected (watch Susano-o-makoto's expressions and poses).

Excellent volume, Mr. Gaiman! I'll get 5 on my next paycheck, but for now I'm working on American Gods!! :)

The Sandman is an incredible series on so many levels. If you've not read yet, please do (and please start with the first volume; you'll want to read them all eventually anyway, I guarantee). Some of the tales are deep, some profound, and this collection shares in all of that and at the same time is simply so much fun(!): Satan decides to close Hell down and hit the beach--he gives the keys to Morpheus, lord of dreams, who is then besieged with deities from all the world's pantheons, each of which wants the prime real estate for their own uses. What a premise!

And what execution!

The Sandman is up there with anything else printed in the late 20th Century. Begin reading it today.

Neil Gaiman, Sandman: A Season of Mists (DC Comics, 1992)

There are many of my acquaintance, and many I've read (including Steve Erickson, who wrote the intro to the third Sandman volume), who believe that A Season of Mists is the crowning achievement in the Sandman series. I am not one of them; I think Dream Country is a tad better. A tad, mind you; A Season of Mists is a lovely thing as well, and like all of Gaiman's graphic-novel output, deserves to be read.

This fourth book is where Gaiman really breaks Sandman away from its horror-comic roots and turns it into the kind of twisted-fantasy thing it is ultimately remembered as. A pretty odd statement for a book that deals with Morpheus going to hell to fight Lucifer for a soul he condemned ten thousand years before, but there you go. Here, for the first time, we meet most of the Endless (one is still elusive), we see a (temporary? We don't yet know) change of heart for Lucifer, learn more about some of the other pantheon's in Gaiman's universe (and are introduced to others), and get some interesting clues about the land of Dream itself.

If you've followed the Sandman series this far, you will definitely enjoy this one. If you haven't, either start at the beginning or star with Dream Country, the third book in the series, but not related to the overall storyline (and thus it can stand alone). ****

This is what comics are supposed to be: thoughtful, well-drawn, and entertaining. The Sandman series stands above most other comics, and this collection stands above most other Sandman work.

Referring to an earlier story, the Sandman realizes that he has made a mistake, and caused immense pain to someone who never deserved it. He sets out to correct his error, not that anything will take back the pain already inflicted. That's when all hell breaks loose.

I mean literally. Not with Bam! Pow! fight scenes, but with delicate and varied art, with invocations of many mythologies, and with Gaiman's ability to put another twist into any plot. The final surprise, this time, is at least one more miscarriage of justice, maybe several, but perhaps in the name of a higher justice. Resolution is as ironic as it is inevitable, and not quite satisfactory in any way. Well, solutions to complex problems never are.

This volume collect several of the original comics, each drawn by different art teams. That's especially effective in this collection, and adds to the dreamlike shifting quality of the story. P. Craig Russell's art in one episode is especially enjoyable. McKean's cover art and other odd bits contribute their own elusiveness to the total.

The series of Sandman collections read well in order, and almost as well out of order. If you're new to the Sandman, this might be a great place to start. It stands well by itself, and shows just how good this series can be.

//wiredweird

The fourth book in The Sandman Chronicles, Season of Mists picks up where the second volume, The Doll's House left off, continuing the story of Dream and his siblings. Unlike the previous books, Season of Mists focuses mostly on immortals (or those close to it) rather than mortals. Only one of the chapters of the book even took place on earth, and that was dealing with the dead, not the living.

Because of this slightly different format, Season of Mists introduced a lot of rather colorful characters. Some were the relatively familiar faces of Norse, Egyptian, and Eastern gods, angels, and demons, while others were new characters, delightful and colorful in their own way. I particularly liked the contrast of Order and Chaos and, of course, the faeries, but that was a given to anyone who knows me at all.

I promise, though, I won't dwell on them here. I love Nuala, but in Season of Mists she really plays a very small roll.

The central plot of Season of Mists is the abandonment of Hell. Lucifer closes it, turning out all the souls, and then gives the key to Dream to do with as he will. This, naturally proves far more complicated than it originally seems.

Most of the story is concerned with the direct repercussions of this, particularly among the (relatively) immortal creatures of mythology. The result was one of the most fun chapters I've read in a long time-the chapter where they all come and present their cases to Dream, trying to win Hell for themselves. The interactions were entertaining, and the different ways that they tried to persuade Dream to give them the key to Hell, along with their reasons for wanting it and plans for it, were as varied and entertaining as they are.

I have to admit, that I was a little disappointed with the ultimate decision, and I wish that I could have known who Dream would have chosen if no one had interceded, but I do admit that the decision that was reached was the only one that could be reached. It did, however, raise an interesting point when Hell was given to its new owners and re-populated. I'm not sure that I agree that it's worse to be tortured to be redeemed and made a better person than it is to be tortured for no reason, but I can see how, with eternal torment, this might be the case. It is, after all, easier to bear unpleasant things if you can be righteously angry about them.

Woven in with the main story of the "battle" for Hell, was a secondary plot line. It was, for a while, seemingly forgotten once the key to Hell was handed over to Dream, but Gaiman did not forget about it, and the conclusion to that was even more satisfying, in my opinion, than the conclusion to the main story. I was glad that Nada was not forgotten in all the distractions.

I know that there is more to Season of Mists than I've gotten out of it, but I've only read it once and, like the other books in The Sandman, it is one that must be read multiple times in order to be fully appreciated. It is also a book I hope to return to sometime in the future.

This is by far my favorite Sandman volume, along with "The Kindly Ones". It really solidifies the title as a classic. I haven't read much better, in any form of literature, and I've read a lot. In this volume, Morpheus travels to Hell to free a lover he once wrongly damned ten thousand years ago after seeing the error in his ways (pointed out by his sister, Death). He arrives to find Lucifer about to leave. He has tired of his duties, and he leaves him with the key. Morpheus then has to deal with emissaries from dozens of old mythologies (Odin, Thor, and Loki from Norse legends, Anubis and Bast from Egypt, etc.) who want Hell for themselves.

My favorite part is when Morpheus confronts the woman he once condemned and is forced to confront and atone for his sins. It marks the change in Morpheus' character that ultimately leads to his redemption for all the terrible things he did in the past in the name of his pride and ego. This is truly a literary accomplishment.

I have read comic books all my life, and I'll keep reading them till the day I die. But I must admit it wasn't until recently that I bothered to pick up any of Neil Gaiman's Sandman books. So it must have been fate that I happened to be in Borders one day and the book caught my eye. Having heard about Season of Mists particular storyline I decided to buy it. What immediately followed was the beginning of an automatic obsession with the series, and spending countless sleepless nights reading the story again and again.

In Season of Mists, Morpheus (the Lord of Dreams from the first three Sandman volume's) travels to Hell to save the soul of his past lover. But upon his arrival Morpheus discovers that Lucifer is tired of ruling hell, frees all the demons and souls of the damned, locks up shop, and give's the key to Morpheus. With the key in his posession dozens of other wordly entities arrive in Morpheus' dreamworld to claim the key as their own...

All in all I'd recommend this book (and this entire series) to any comic book reader. It is a definite must have!

If seeing Lucifer, Thor , Angels, demons and so on is enough for you , ok, but for me end of story was dissapointing and predictable, and pencils were AWFUL!

If seeing Lucifer, Thor , Angels, demons and so on is enough for you , ok, but for me end of story was dissapointing and predictable, and pencils were AWFUL!

So far I have read 1 to 6 in this series.And each time I have found a connection with my life.Each time I read ,I forget my existence in this world, find myself one of the dreams.Each time I learn something,I remember something,I dream something...
Neil is really good,he combines his knowledge of history,myths,art,language with his imagination so well.I like most of the comics,but this is special ,you can enjoy X-men or Spiderman,but you can never ever compare it with sandman.Let the lord of dreams welcome you.Let him come in to your dreams :)

In which our hero reveals that he may not be oh-so invincible after all. In which he tries to undo a great wrong once performed on an innocent woman. In which the legions of Hell itself are released into space and Lucifer decides to go into retirement. And finally, this is a book in which a huge course of events has been begun simply because a brother and a sister have a quarrel. "Season of Mists" is the fourth in the collected Sandman chronicles and as such it's an interesting story. We get to see almost all the Endless siblings gathered together (save one) and we journey from Dreams to Hell and back again. With this novelette it seems as though Gaiman is beginning to move away from the series' horror-story beginnings into a whole new realm. It's a refreshing change of scenery.

Destiny has called his siblings, Desire, Death, Dream, Delirium (formerly Delight), and Despair together after a visitation by the three sisters (the crone, the maiden, and the matron). As a result of this meeting, Desire taunts Dream with the fact that he once sentenced an innocent girl to an eternity of Hell simply because she didn't want to stay with him. Dream is initially angered by this accusation but when Death concurs with the usually malicious Desire, Dream has to face facts. He has grievously wronged his once beloved Nada. He anticipates great problems when he returns to Hell to rescue her, but is instead greeted with an empty world. Lucifer himself explains that he's given up the job and as punishment to Dream (who once bested him on his own turf) he gives his guest the key to Hell itself. Suddenly every mythological god you can think of (Norse, Egyptian, manifestations of order and chaos respectively, etc.) is scrambling to get possession of that key. Dream can only give it to one group and his beloved Nada is being held as a bargaining chip by one of the factions. Smart stuff.

There are some wonderful mysteries introduced here that we've not seen much of until this time. For example, there seems to be a missing member of the Endless who, in this collection anyway, remains unnamed. There are also two infant children born, both of whom have direct ties to the Dream lord. One is a child of dreams, the other his former lover. Either good or bad things may come of this. I enjoyed the fact that characters from previous collections (like Hob, the man who lives forever and the ever malicious Cain with his schlimazel of a sibling Abel) make at least a token appearance in this book. Gaiman doesn't forget past storylines or people. It's part of what makes him such an interesting writer.

As for the story itself, it's passable. It does seem a little strange that despite the closeness between Dream and Death, she's only brought up his colossal mistake some ten thousand years after the fact. But I loved the flow of ideas in this book. I enjoyed the range of gods that come to feast with Dream and the variety of ways in which they attempt to reason with him. There's a nice range of different artists in this collection as well, and their skills are honed perfectly with each and every story. Maybe I found the brief odd tale about the schoolboy in the haunted dormitory a little out of place (why was Death wearing legwarmers?) but if you removed it I fully believe that "Season of Mists" would be near perfect.

Some might call this collection simplistic. Others might berate it for its scope. But gol durn it, I like it. I like almost everything about it. It's just another great series of Sandman tales, reaching a little further into the mythos and getting a little more interesting each and every time. A fine fun set.

"The Sandman: Season of Mists" is the fourth volume of ten. In this epic, Dream travels to Hell in a quest to free a woman named Nada that he condeemed to Hell over ten thousand years ago. He goes on this quest, because he took the advice and encouragement of his eldest sister, Death. When Dream arrives to Hell he finds that there is no one there and that Lucifer no longer wants the burden of ruling Hell weighing down upon him, so he gives the key to his domain to Dream. Initially, Dream is honored, but he soon realizes that the power of this key is corrupting him. In his kingdom of the Dreaming, Dream sits and ponders what he should do with this key. At this time, Dream is visited by a horde of characters from mythological realms to the Silver City to the very depths of Hell itself. Dream's decision in this story is incredibly important not only to the people who have traveled for the key, but to the universe that surrounds them.

Anyway, this book is probably right up there with "The Doll's House," which still, in my opinion, is a masterpiece. "Season of Mists" should be in every comic book readers collection along with all the other "Sandman" books.

With this fourth instalment to the Sandman series, Gaiman finally takes the time to introduce us to Dream's elusive siblings, the Endless. Although we briefly encountered several of them in The Doll's House, Gaiman allows us to spy in on the family dynamics as all six (or is it seven; note the one empty chair) sit around the table together and bicker and argue as most families are wont to do. The brief little write up for Desire, Despair, Destiny, Delirium, and Dream in the introductory chapter is most welcome, but why not one for Death?

Although the art was generally good, I found it a little off, at times. In particular, I didn't like the depiction of Dream or Death. I much better preferred how they appeared in Preludes and Nocturnes. To compound this problem, the text oftentimes had inconsistent images of both Dream and Death. I'm not sure why Dream sometimes appeared strikingly different in different cells on the same page, and I must say I found such occurrences distracting.

I have no complaints on the story, however. Gaiman raises the bar here, and deeply immerses the text with the various myths held by civilizations past and present. Gaiman is obviously very familiar with these themes; his firm control of the narrative and adept insertion of these various complicated mythologies provides the reader access to people and places no other graphic novel does. Further, only someone with as puckish a sense of humour as Gaiman could contrive a situation where the Norse God Thor would put the moves on the Egyptian cat Goddess, Bast. Thor appears to be quite the party animal, too: drinker, swearer and maker of rowdy jokes.

Like the other texts in the Sandman canon, I highly recommend Season of Mists. It is with this tome that Gaiman flaunts his `literariness' and proves that comics are capable of high art, too.

...While the first volume was easily the weakest, right next to "World's End." Still, any of these books are so much better than those Marvel superhero special FX fests you see in Hollywood movies.

The covers by Dave McKean are gorgeous, and if you're a sucker for worldly mythology, this is the book for you. It's a wonderful story that sets the tone for what's coming in the end of the Sandman. "Death: at Death's Door" is a cute retelling of this story from Death's point of view, which does not do it justice since it's much shorter, condensed and does not recreate the epic sense of mythology that the Sandman is.

i start reading Sandman with this volume, reading the 24 pages spanish comic. Since the spanish comic was discontinued in my country, and never was brought again in his 24 pages format, I just stop reading the Sandman, but over the years i kept wondering, what happen with the pale faced guy of the story and with his deadly sister.
Finally in a travel to the US I saw the entire Sandman series on a library, and I bought a couple of tomes, and after that i just couldn't stop reading Sandman's books. The story it's so intrigating and fascinating that after you read a chapter you want to know what's going to happen right away. That plus the Dave McKean's artwork makes it one of the best, ifnot the best, comic and book of his genre in the last dacades.
Maybe, there has been many exellent stories in the fiction style, but what Gaiman does it's admirable, not only 'cause of the creativity developed in the entire story, plus the variety of tales in the series, but also because of the workteam that participates, including remarkables inkers, drawers, painters?, and all kind of graphic artists.
So when you read the Sandman you're reading clearly not just another fiction story, but one of the best co-production in the fiction genre.

It is appropriate that Season of Mists opens with the first round-table meeting of the Endless, the title character's family who all rule over some "realm" of conscious experience. This story arch marks the point where Sandman went from being a super-smart horror series to a Middle Earth for the alternarock generation. No more would scary monsters and gruesome imagery be the defining features of Neil Gaiman's adult-orientated fantasy comic book. Instead ambiguously defined gods and semi-gods, such as the Endless, and their (mis)adventures in the modern world would be the driving force behind Sandman. This type of literature would become Gaiman's specialty and was probably always his primary interest. Likewise Season of Mists sees Gaiman write with greater ease and elegance than ever before, making this the best piece of the Sandman saga thus far.

In Season of Mists, Sandman AKA Dream AKA Morpheus, the series' main character and the member of the Endless who controls the realm of dreams, ventures into Hell to free a former lover he condemned there thousands of years ago. When he arrives, he finds Lucifer preparing to abandon his post, evicting all of the damned and demons and locking the gates. He gives the key to Hell to Morpheus. Afterwards, a horde of deities, from Anubis to Odin, storm Morpheus' realm, called "the Dreaming," wanting to bargain for the key.

Gaiman's examination of the mythologies and religions of mankind is somehow admiring, thought-provoking and humorous at the same time. His use of characterization is marvelous and his sense of suspense is always second to none. Meanwhile, Mike Dringenberg, the artist of most the saga, creates marvels for the eyes with his portrayals of surreal settings such as Hell and the Dreaming. Although latter story archs would surpass it, Seasons of the Mist was a bold new step for Sandman and showed many of the traits that made it such a great series.

Like Alan Moore did with Victorian literature in "League of Extraordinary Gentleman", Neil Gaimen does with religion/mythology, skillfully blending, merging and melding Egyptian, Japanese, Norse and Christian lore with his own Sandman creation. "Seasons of the Mist" is the magnum opus of the series and the focus is again back on Morpheus, King of Dreams. We meet all but one of the rest of his family, the Endless, as Gaimen simultaneously sustains an exciting, coherent narrative while pulling in plot elements from the first three volumes and setting up key storylines for the remaining six.

Simplified, the plot has Lord Morphus acquiring the key to Hell from the fallend angel, who has desided to quit his position. A parade of Gods, Deities and other mythological types visit to plead their case for acquiring this key piece of psychic real estate.

This is the most consistent (and arguably the best) volume in the series. It will have you scampering for the rest of the books as Gaimen crams so much backstory that one cannot fully appreciate what is happening without referring back to what has happened before. I recommend starting with volume 1 "Preludes and Nocturnes" before jumping ahead to this one and also having a good mythology book (I recommend the Dictionary of Ancient Dieties) at your side. There is alot of depth and fun in this one.
Highly recommended!

As with its predecessors, Season of Mists is intellectual, tinged with wry humor, old myths long forgotten, and even philosophy (though expertly hidden).

It opens with Destiny and a beautiful description of his realm. He soon after calls a 'family meeting', the first one they'd had in quite some time. This triggers a chain of events (one event in particular) that, more or less, make up the whole novel.

This novel challenges common belief about heaven, hell, death, souls and everything in between, opening our eyes to new possibilities. It transcends reality, shifting you into a whole new world you have never even thought possible.

With a remarkable, unorthodox plot, characters far more interesting than the norm, fantastically rendered art, and smooth, amusing dialogue, this series has set a whole new standard for comics everywhere (particularly this novel, it skyrocketed The Sandman to a whole new level of thinking).

To put it shortly, pick it up and read it. It's more than worth your time. :)

It begins with a family get togethar of the Endless. Then we have Dream going to Hell to rescue a lost love. Dream recieves the key to Hell. Then we have deities and principalities and angels arriving vie for the key to Hell. Tehn an annoying intelude at a boarding school. Then Dream makes his decision to who the key should go. Great fiction, great art.

This book depicts the Dream going through various trials to free a former lover whom he is punishing in hell. This prompts Lucifer to flee hell, and he gives the key to Dream. This prompts a land rush between dieties to obtain hell, which makes for some interesting writing when gods interact. This also opens up the way for the wonderful "Lucifer" book series from DC-vertigo. This is one of the better sandman novels

Gaiman takes a look at the nature of Hell in this thought provoking volume of The Sandman series. As Dream enters Hell to correct a heinous act he committed 10,000 years before, Lucifer confronts him. Dream prepared for battle finds instead Lucifer emptying Hell of its denizens and locking the gates. Finally he hands Dream the key to hell. Responsibility, a theme Gaiman often returns to throughout the run of the series, is at the center of this story. Dream is now in possession of what is referred by his sister as "the most desirable plot of psychic real estate in the whole order of created things," and now Dream must decide what should be done with it, and there is no shortage of suitors. Throughout the story (particularly in the conversation between Lucifer and Dream) Gaiman makes some excellent points about the nature of Hell and the afterlife. While I truly enjoyed the storyline I had difficulty with the simplicity of the ending, which is literally deus ex machina and the focus on the Christian concept of Hell (Lucifer) that seems to lack the overall worldview that is usually found in Sandman.

Gaiman takes a look at the nature of Hell in this thought provoking volume of The Sandman series. As Dream enters Hell to correct a heinous act he committed 10,000 years before, Lucifer confronts him. Dream prepared for battle finds instead Lucifer emptying Hell of its denizens and locking the gates. Finally he hands Dream the key to hell. The nature of responsibility, a theme Gaiman often returns to throughout the run of the series, is at the center of this story. Dream is now in possession of what is referred by his sister as "the most desirable plot of psychic real estate in the whole order of created things," and now Dream must decide what should be done with it and there is no shortage of suitors. Throughout the story (particularly in the conversation between Lucifer and Dream) Gaiman makes some excellent points about the nature of Hell and the afterlife. While I truly enjoyed the storyline I had difficulty with the simplicity of the ending, which is literally deus ex machina and the focus on the Christian concept of Hell (Lucifer) that seems to lack the overall worldview that is usually found in Sandman.

i don't want to say that neil gaiman is overrated, but neil gaiman is overrated. This book is good, yes, maybe even great, but it is by no means the most intelligent and mindexpanding thing you will ever read. The way gaiman strings together his sandman universe is magnificent, but I felt that this story had something lacking. the use of religous icons from other cultures was great, the interlude story about the boy in the boarding house was cool. As for Gaiman's theories about hell and its purpose, that's just his opinion and it wasn't very insightful to me. But this is a good sandman book, as sandman books go, and if you are a gaiman or sandman fan it won't kill you to pick this baby up.

My first impression of this book was that it was really wierd. My next impression was that it was really disgusting. Then I finished it and thought about it for a while and my overall impression was wow. It's something the likes of which I'd never seen before. It made me think about why it was in a comic medium. (Could the disgusting scenes have been half as effective in print? They make a point.) It made me think about the way it approaches mythology...it's just an amazing, amazing book, though episode 4 doesn't have very much to do with the rest of the story and since it's my first Sandman book, some scenes didn't make much sense, like the one with the Halls. I also think it could have been a teensy teensy bit lighter, but that's just me.

No comments. This man is a genious, and these few pages divided into little squares are more than enough to prove it. As a matter of fact, I could say the same about most of Gaiman's work, particularly in the Sandman stories. If you like comics and have never read Gaiman's, do so. And if you don't like comics, give it a try. You won't regret!

Gaiman created a fantastic new mythology with "The Sandman" This is no ordinary comic book, the only fights in this book were with words. Where else can you see Satan quit because he doesn't like ruling hell and end up complimenting God on those great sunsets. Gaiman is amazing, try some of his books without pictures (Neverwhere & Good Omens) I can't wait for his next book!

Well, what can I say about it? It was the first Sandman book I ever read, and I think it's wonderful! The characters are well defined, all different, extremely imaginative, real to the point of being frightening and always fascinating. I'm ashamed (but not very) to admit that I'm in love with Dream (but then I would say so is everyone) and in this book he has everything...strength, anger, weakness, bewilderment, vulnerability...this book is amazing. Go read it.

This book is absolutely incredible. It calls into question any assumption, any certainty, any declaration you could make. It begins with a conclave of the Endless, where the reader sees a portrayal of the forces of Destiny, Death, Dream, Desire, Despair, and Delirium. The interplay of cruelty and compassion in this portion of the story sets the stage for the rest of the book. A charming Lucifer adds flair to the story, as do the varied emissaries of the pantheons of world religions, modern and ancient. This particular book, of all the Sandman books, is a turning point for the story. Dream of the Endless, the hero but not a superhero, truly begins the process of his humanization, by learning regret and forgiveness, and gains a kind of nobility in this. The only complaint I could make about this book is that one episode, Episode 4, is slightly overdone, and has less relevance to the story than most of the others. Even this, however, is masterfully written, and makes the skin crawl with the horror of living dead. Definitely worth reading, one of the best. Also a good introduction to the series, even though it's the fourth book. I read this one first, before even Preludes and Nocturnes, and it's a satisfying intro to a satisfying series, an epic within an epic.

This collection varies more widely in the scope of its artwork, the richness of its characters, and the depth of its story than any other Sandman collection. Neil Gaiman is, of course, on his own level of story, and I think we should save a place on the 'classics' shelf for this beautiful, colorful, emotional tale.

Neil Gaiman just may be the best writer in the world. SEASON OF MISTS deals with Morpheus' (the Sandman) regret over his treatment of an ancient lover, whom he has consigned to Hell. It also deals with the ennui of Lucifer, who is getting tired of Hell after ten billion years. Gaiman's Lucifer is chillingly charming--at one point, he quotes Milton's famous "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven." When another character misattributes the quote, Lucifer replies "WE didn't say it. Milton said it. And he was blind." Gaiman's mythology is refreshing, brilliant, and most of all NOT LIKE OTHER COMIC BOOKS. He is a postmodernist fantasist--his work is closer to James Joyce than Stan Lee. Gaiman is also one of the new breed of English comic artists--along with Grant Morrison (DOOM PATROL), Alan Moore (WATCHMEN) and Frank Miller (SIN CITY, THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS), he has re-written the rule that comics can't be intelligent, literate and, most of all, entertaining for adults. SANDMAN: SEASON OF MISTS is a highly recommended work, as are all of the SANDMAN books.

" Season of Mists" is an epic focal point in the relationship between Dream( a.k.a. Morpheus, Sandman) and Lucifer Morningstar, the first prince of Hell. Sandman devotees will remember Lucifer's determination to destroy Dream back in " Prologues and Nocturnes", the first collection of books in the Sandman anthology. In the " Season of Misits", Lucifer offers Dream the most coveted real estate in the universe-- Hell-- in the hope of wrecking his existence. The collection goes through every step Dream takes in solving his problem and also cites the consequences of an empty, ruler- less Hell.
New readers will get an excellent glimpse of the Sandman universe with the excellently scripted prologue. All in all, " Season of Mists" is a challenge for the rational and conventional mind.

I was first drawn to Sandman by the covers. The beautiful cover work drew me in... the story captured forever. Neal Gaiman has a way of writing that breaks the normal conventions of comics and brings new life to the genre. "Season of Mists" follows the Sandman's journey into a Hell as beautiful as any Heaven. Dieties from every major theology/mythology/etc confront Morpheus, all desiring the key to Hell that the Sandman now owns.