Is Sandman overrated?

[Black Manta]

For the first time I reread the whole series, and while it's a really good comic, I don't think it's great. It got off to an incredible start. Issue 1 is one of the best introductions to a series ever. Then the first story arc continued the greatness as he interacted with the DCU to get his stuff back. The story line involving Nada and the rescue from Hell was also great. There were a few story that were scattered throughout the series that stood out.

But there were some plot issue. Every comic has them, but this series only had one writer, and there was a lot of foreshadowing. Gaiman actually referred to Overture 20 some years before he wrote it. The first problem I saw was the way Dream treated Lyta. Dream has to know something about her at some point, being a descendant of Greek gods can't be that common. The way he just states that he's going to come for her kid could have been handled so much better. It's like he was asking for trouble.

And then there's Loki. After Loki is found out hiding in the castle, Dream kind of leads him away. I don't think we see him again until he and Puck kill Daniel. What motive do they have to kill Daniel? Dream was helping Loki by keeping him hidden. I almost want to say that Dream is orchestrating his own death, but if that was the case he could just go to his sister.

Also I'm not sure what to think of the Endless. Despair died at some point and someone else came Despair? And Destruction quits and it has no effect on reality, so if all the Endless quit wouldn't reality just keep chugging along? And Delirium was once Delight? If she could change so drastically could the others as well? What changed her? How did Despair die? I guess some of this could be addressed in the new series.

The Furies come after Dream since he killed his son. In a sense I can see that the Furies were probably just looking for an excuse to flex their muscles, but they were attacking the dream realm rather than Dream himself. If the dream realm was destroyed would that impact reality? And if that's the case, wouldn't the other Endless have a duty to protect the dream realm and hence reality itself? And why couldn't Death kill the Furies to protect her brother? The way that part of the story ends just feels like a cop-out.

Finally, some of the art, IMO, was awful. Lyta's sitting up in bed and she looks like a character from Total Drama Island. I know that some of the stories had a dreamness to them. That's fine, but the things that take place in the real world should look like the real world.

[Carabas]

For the first time I reread the whole series, and while it's a really good comic, I don't think it's great. It got off to an incredible start. Issue 1 is one of the best introductions to a series ever. Then the first story arc continued the greatness as he interacted with the DCU to get his stuff back. The story line involving Nada and the rescue from Hell was also great. There were a few story that were scattered throughout the series that stood out.

But there were some plot issue. Every comic has them, but this series only had one writer, and there was a lot of foreshadowing. Gaiman actually referred to Overture 20 some years before he wrote it. The first problem I saw was the way Dream treated Lyta. Dream has to know something about her at some point, being a descendant of Greek gods can't be that common. The way he just states that he's going to come for her kid could have been handled so much better. It's like he was asking for trouble.

And then there's Loki. After Loki is found out hiding in the castle, Dream kind of leads him away. I don't think we see him again until he and Puck kill Daniel. What motive do they have to kill Daniel? Dream was helping Loki by keeping him hidden. I almost want to say that Dream is orchestrating his own death, but if that was the case he could just go to his sister.

Dream was indeed committing a long, convoluted suicide because he realised he was no longer suited to carry out his duty, and didn't know how to change.
And his sister doesn't actually kill people. Also, she wouldn't have anything to do with it, and probably would have screwed his head on straight. And he was of course having none of that because he's a big, gothic drama queen.

The Furies come after Dream since he killed his son. In a sense I can see that the Furies were probably just looking for an excuse to flex their muscles, but they were attacking the dream realm rather than Dream himself. If the dream realm was destroyed would that impact reality? And if that's the case, wouldn't the other Endless have a duty to protect the dream realm and hence reality itself? And why couldn't Death kill the Furies to protect her brother? The way that part of the story ends just feels like a cop-out.

It's really not that kind of story. It's a fantasy/fairy tale tragedy, not a superhero crossover event.

[dancj]

For the first time I reread the whole series, and while it's a really good comic, I don't think it's great. It got off to an incredible start. Issue 1 is one of the best introductions to a series ever. Then the first story arc continued the greatness as he interacted with the DCU to get his stuff back. The story line involving Nada and the rescue from Hell was also great. There were a few story that were scattered throughout the series that stood out.

It's been too long since I've read it to comment on your individual issues, but they sound like the kind of thing that doesn't bother me. I'm generally happy to go with a story and forgive plot holes.

In general, Sandman is excellent - and it was part of the evolution of comics to where they are now. As a result of that, it can never stand out now the way it stood out back then.

For me, some storylines and issues completely stand up and are fantastic - Dream of a Thousand Cats, Three Septembers and a January, The Kindly Ones, Facade (I think it was called - with Element Woman), Calliope etc.

Others are massively overrated or just not that good - A Midsummer Night's Dream, most of The Wake,

Finally, some of the art, IMO, was awful. Lyta's sitting up in bed and she looks like a character from Total Drama Island. I know that some of the stories had a dreamness to them. That's fine, but the things that take place in the real world should look like the real world.

I don't know the particular panel you're talking about, but I will agree that there's a lot of bad art in Sandman. I couldn't name the bad artists offhand other than Jill Thompson.

There are some great artists there too though - Charles Vess, P Craig Russell, Shawn McManus, Glynn Dillon, Marc Hempel and Kelly Jones all did great art.

[dancj]

I almost want to say that Dream is orchestrating his own death

Gaiman's description of the book is “The Lord of Dreams learns that one must change or die, and makes his choice.” - so yes, he is.

[caj]

I wasn't a big fan of Season of Mists but it was extremely popular with most readers. But I really liked the other storylines and thought it was such a unique and different book than any comic series I had ever read.

I do agree that some of the art is pretty bad, especially during The Kindly Ones. Great story but the art was so cartoonish. Brief Lives had pretty bad art as well. Mike Dringenberg, who drew most of The Doll's House, was by far my favorite artist of the book.

[Black Manta]

Dream was indeed committing a long, convoluted suicide because he realised he was no longer suited to carry out his duty, and didn't know how to change.
And his sister doesn't actually kill people. Also, she wouldn't have anything to do with it, and probably would have screwed his head on straight. And he was of course having none of that because he's a big, gothic drama queen.

At the end Death tells Dream to take her hand and he dies. Unless I'm missing something, she definitely killed him. She also offered to kill Hob as well. Reading the issue, I think she could have stopped the Furies.

[Vordan]

No. It’s still one of the GOAT stories. The art for the Kindly Ones is awful though, I can’t argue that.

[Bor]

At the end Death tells Dream to take her hand and he dies. Unless I'm missing something, she definitely killed him. She also offered to kill Hob as well. Reading the issue, I think she could have stopped the Furies.

Its not really like that. Death does not really “kill” them as much as act as a guide to where they are going next. Other people/things kills them and then she is there to guide them on. Just like dream does not actually make people go to sleep and dream as much as they go to bed and then enter his realm.
The same with Hob. Because of the deal between dream and death he can avoid death as long as he chooses to stay alive. When death offered to take him it is not her as much as his choice to die that would kill him.

[My Two Cents]

In the realm of comic books Sandman is a masterpiece
Compared to other works of literature and art, its a door stop; at best.

[kilderkin]

My simple answer, no, it's not overrated at all

The art is patchy but as a read imo it is fantastic

Reasons, it explored ideas not touched upon in comics before, it's almost a self contained mythos within a mythos itself, it has a conclusion but allows things to carry on by virtue of the characters endless state

As an ongoing at dc, imo it is only rivaled by Moores american gothic swamp thing

[Gurz]

It's not overrated, as far as i read it's amazing. Sandman is what got me into comics. It's as good as it goes, just briliant. It has been so long since i read what i read about Sandman... Someday i will read all of it from the start, i have all the absolutes.

[Ilan Preskovsky]

I consider it the single best ongoing comic book series ever so, no, I don't think it's overrated. I do understand why people might not like it, though: it is a very particular kind of comic book ad if you don't fall under Gaiman's spell, I'm sure it would leave you cold.

[Lee Stone]

My simple answer, no, it's not overrated at all

The art is patchy but as a read imo it is fantastic

Reasons, it explored ideas not touched upon in comics before, it's almost a self contained mythos within a mythos itself, it has a conclusion but allows things to carry on by virtue of the characters endless state

As an ongoing at dc, imo it is only rivaled by Moores american gothic swamp thing

I agree with this.

[dancj]

I do agree that some of the art is pretty bad, especially during The Kindly Ones. Great story but the art was so cartoonish.

The art for the Kindly Ones is awful though, I can’t argue that.

I couldn't disagree more. IMO, The Kindly Ones had by far the best art of the initial run.