They took some great stories and provided them a proper packaging. A great way to read and reread the series.

If you like sandman, just a little, so you MUST have this absolute, its needless to say that it is unworldly beautyful, the kind of item that any sandman fan have (they don't have the option: "not to have", if (s)he don't have, (s)he isn't a real fan). It's full with Extras more than 100 pages of mindblowing Sandman's extras.
Really a Top "Must Have" I already have garanteed tne other 2.

I always love Mr Gaiman;'s work. Sandman is probably his opus given the size and the eclectic nature of the themes. The Endless as interpreted by a Master like Gaiman represent an amazing world that weaves the deepest recesses of the collective consciousness, mythology, history and keep it living enough to be interesting. Aesthetically, the books are great and the artwork is just as eclectic as the are the themes. I wish I was exposed to this stuff as a kid...

This is the second collection of Sandman comics taking us up to issue #40 (of #75). There are a few single issue comics (all good), but for the most part this volume is comprised of two large story arcs. The first is Season of Mists, which I liked a lot and was 7 issues. It told a tale of Lucifer deciding to quit Hell and leave. He kicks everyone out and gives the key to Dream, who then is swamped by all the other gods/entities who now want the key to Hell. Here we also get to see all, except one, of the Endless for the first time, which was cool.

The second half of this volume was taken up by a story arc A Game of You, which were six issues in length. So this story dominated the second half of the volumes, as did Season of Mists with the first half of the volume. This arc actually is exactly what I would expect from The Sandman, it's about a girl's escape into her fantasy land she created as a little girl, which of course The Sandman created, because it was created out of dreams. So this was the first story that really was a believable scenario of Dream, if he existed. The only problem was it was created from childhood dolls on one hand, which were goofy, and on the other hand it was extremely violent. It was a weird mix that just didn't fit together that well. I think this was a story if read from text would have come out superb, but with the goofy graphics it just seemed weird, and didn't come off that well.

I still liked the second volume, even with the second half dragging a bit with A Game of You. And I'll say I liked the first volume in this series better. But this volume was still pretty darn interesting. Easily recommended!

This collection started off very strong, but weakend somewhat with the second story-arc. The first one, "Seasons Of Mist", was excellent, and deals with Lucifer abdicating Hell and handing the keys over the Dream. What follows is creatures and deities from (almost) every pantheon vying to claim it (inlcuding Gaiman's first work with the Norse Gods, which he handled very well in American Gods). His best stuff yet, and I'm now looking forward to finishing this series and picking up the Lucifer trades, as that is the series that, for all intents and purposes, follows-up Sandman.
The second major story , "A Game Of You", just didn't seem very engaging to me. It follows a bit player from an earlier story and feels very much like Gaiman's take on popular fantasy like Oz and Narnia (though I kept getting a Labyrinth and Neverending Story vibe off of it, too). It's probabaly about two chapters too long (coming in at six) and is the only thing keeping me from giving it five stars.
In between are several one-shots where Gaiman uses historical figures, both famous and little-known, to further flesh out the relationships among The Endless, and they are all pretty enjoyable.

I already have reviewed Gaiman in a book, The Neil Gaiman Reader, edited by Darrell Schweitzer,and read individual Sandman episodes in comic books in libraries. I found the Absolute books to be marvelous, beutifully illustrated and colored books, which, by being so complete, made the stories readily complete and illustrative of his broad imagination. Just think, Marlowe and Shakespeare in a comic!I intend to buy more, especially as Amazon makes them more easily available.

The only problem I had with this book was that Orpheus's origin tales was not included like it was in the Fables and Reflections story arc, but I quickly got over it with the amazing art and rich stories because I haven't read any sandman tales except for the Fables and Reflections paperback and the Absolute Sandman Vol 1.

The only problem I had with this book was that it was not as dark and gritty as the first volume but i quickly got over it with the rich stories and colorful art. Looking forward to Vol 3 when that comes out.

I was originally going to get the entire Sandman series in the originally 10 vol set, but then I read how much better these vols. were. They are and worth every penny. The new color brings the story even more to life then ever before. If you read the Sandman series and wanted to own it, it doesn't get better than this.

Few comics deserve such an extraordinary loving treatment as Gaiman's Sandman is receiving in these irresistible Absolute editions (this being volume 2 of what I believe is projected to be 4). Not only does it include wonderful extras ( a bonus story, bonus art, original scripts and pencils) but the volume itself is lovely. The faux leather case with its Mickean cover lends it a wonderful air, as a volume in Lucien's Library. The art, with its recoloration under Gaman's direction and oversized, likewise gives the reader a level of clarity never before enjoyed in the original.

One can go on and on about this volume, but I found it, in a word, irresistible. If you or someone you love is a fan of Sandman, this volume and/or the first in the Absolute Sandman series is a gift that will surely not disappoint, indeed it will surely be treasured for years to come.

I was truly amazed at the presentation of the first The Absolute Sandman & the second did not disappoint. I recommend this for any fan of the series. This volume as the first leaves you wanting the next one. The collected art work was joy as well. If you dig Gaiman, Sandman, or both buy this book. You'll be happy you did...

A must have for any comic fan. Looks fantastic on the bookshelf. Great value for money!

Sandman is already one for the ages. I've read and re-read them half a dozen times and make new discoveries each time I do. This new format will be something you will enjoy and go back to all the years of your life. It is beautiful. An absolute work of art. A great gift to give yourself!

Sandman is already one for the ages. I've read and re-read them half a dozen times and make new discoveries each time I do. This new format will be something you will enjoy and go back to all the years of your life. It is beautiful. An absolute work of art. A great gift to give yourself!

If you like Sandman this is a perfect way to have the stories neatly stored in one place, with juicy extra material to go along with it.

If you like Sandman this is a perfect way to have the stories neatly stored in one place, with juicy extra material to go along with it.

The second in a series of 4 hardcovers recollecting the stories of Sandman this faux-leather bound book comes beautifully packaged with gorgeous cover art by Dave Mckean and a sturdy slipcase.

The art is significantly larger, printed closer to the size it was originally drawn, and is recoloured to Gaiman's specifications. The new colouring makes a huge difference, the art, which appeared scrappy, muddy and unclear in some of the earlier printings, is much clearer and the colours positively glow.

There are numerous extras, a never-before-reprinted illustrated story, a collection of Sandman art (published as the Gallery of Dreams comic I think) and copies of the original script and pencils for an issue... plus a few other bits.

I would recommend this as a gift or for a collector, but really the first volume would be better. The Sandman stories do stand alone and don't necessitate a specific order of reading but its nice to have the first in a set first, you know.

The one problem I've found is apparently common with Absolute books... the glue from the slipcase covered one of the corners of the books sticking the pages together. I unstuck them but couldn't avoid tearing a few; the black top coating of the page peeling away. As they are heavy they also often get the corners of the slipcase slightly bashed.

Despite this I would recommend these over the trade paperback collections. While they are overall more expensive the Absolute books are far more enjoyable and much more beautiful... and the price on Amazon.com is half what you'd pay in a shop, even with shipping to the UK!

After reading the first Absolute Sandmane volume, I wasn't sure the story could stay so interesting, but I was wrong. The plots of the series' Season of Mists and A Game Of You really drew me in, and the smaller stories in between each of them were also very interesting and entertaining. Gaiman truly has an amazing imagination, and the various artists really bring his creativity to life in this incredible book.

First, let me say, Neil Gaiman is one of the most thoughtful, reflective writers there is. In this book, he's teemed with some very moody artists as well, for some great stories.

I assume if your looking at this, you don't need to be sold on the story. While buying the Absolute volumes (there should eventually be four, in order to collect the entire series) is roughly twice the price of the paperbacks, the quality cannot be beat. Each page is blown up larger than any other oversized hardcover, and the binding is sewn tight, so no worries there.

The book can be a little heavy to read, but the hardcover looks amazing, and there's about fifty pages of extra scripts, proposals, and sketches.

This volume collects Season of Mists, where Dream inherits Hell, and saves Nada, A Game of You, with Barbie and the Porpentine, and Fables and Reflections, single issue tales from Dream's past.


While some of the best sandman stories (Brief Lives, The Kindly Ones) are yet to come, these stories shouldn't be missed.

This book Im sure is great....the first book is incredible, great quality... the story PERFECT... I really love this book.