Sandman Universe (etc.) - any good?

[Matteo]

Something that passed me by (but then I don't really follow comic book news) is that back in August last year Neil Gaiman kicked off a new series of four books related to The Sandman - apparently he picked the authors and artists. First was a introductory single comic (The Sandman Universe) and that was followed by House of Whispers, The Dreaming, Lucifer, and The Books of Magic.

I loved The Books of Magic and bought each issue as it came out. I particularly liked how the character developed over the second series of 75(?) issues - the first was four issues - and into the subsequent later stories/series. The new series goes back to the point after the original four issue series - so it's a re-boot of sorts. Not sure I'd be so keen on that but am prepared to be convinced otherwise.

I never bought the Lucifer comics but recently read the Peter Carey run in the collected trade paperbacks and that was excellent. Again, the new series seems to ignore that and re-boots from the point where he exited Hell in Sandman (as does the Peter Carey run) - I could be wrong on that point...

The Dreaming was a comic I picked up on for a while, then stopped, then a few years ago managed to buy a long run (until the end) - most of which were great. Not sure how this new run goes but again it seems to take off from the end of the Sandman regular series.

House of Whispers I have never read and know little about.

So, any Chroners here that have read any of these new series, and what's the verdict?

 

[Vince W]

I've been reading it. It's pretty good. However, you really need to have read at least some of Sandman in order to fully appreciate it.

 

[Matteo]

Thanks Vince.

I have read all the Sandman (several times) - though was a latecomer (for reasons that escape me now) reading the collected pbk editions in the mid 90s. It's the rebooting that makes me hold off. Maybe I'll wait for the collected editions.

 

[Vince W]

Might be for the best. I'm wavering on a couple of titles but I'm going to give them a couple more issues before I decide to drop them.

 

[Guttersnipe]

I've only read The Books of Magic, which features a character who both looks like and precedes Harry Potter. I think it was definitely worth the read, especially since it raises the question of the future of magic more so than that of technology in the DCU, and I'm not sure if that's been done often.

I would also recommend Gaiman's collaboration with Yoshitaka Amano, Dream Hunters. It's breathtaking.

 

[Vince W]

I dropped the lot after about four issues each. I think they were hoping readers would be excited enough by the volume of material to overlook the lack of quality.

 

[Matteo]

Thanks for tip @Vince W (can't say I'm so surprised). I'd been thinking about getting some of the collected editions recently but now I'll give it a miss.

I did, however, pick the glorious (and massive) Books of Magic omnibus.