Milk Tray Guy
70s Man of Action
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2017
- Messages
- 19,448
- Reaction score
- 9,824
- Points
- 103
Just finished reading The Sandman: The Dream Hunters (trade), by Neil Gaiman.
In 1999, three years after the original Sandman ended, Gaiman was invited by Karen Berger (former Executive Editor at Vertigo, and the series' original editor) to write something to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the saga's start. He came up with The Dream Hunters - published not as a comic but as a novella, with illustrations by Y. Amano. It was a success, winning the Bram Stoker Award for Best Illustrated Narrative in 2000.
In 2007 frequent Gaiman collaborator P. Craig Russell decided to illustrate a comic adaptation of the story, published in 2008 as a four-issue mini-series; this is the version I've read.
The story seems to take place in 17th/18th century Japan (although the period isn't stated). There are four principal characters; Dream, the monk, the fox, and a scheming onmyoji (basically, an alchemist/magician) - the last three never being named. As with his previous Sandman work, Gaiman intertwines mystical, mythological, and religious references and imagery seamlessly. That said, it works fine as a standalone (for any who have read the other volumes there are some nice nods). It's a tale of love, revenge, and destiny*; there's a strong sense of inevitability as you read. And whilst those anticipating a happy ending won't be disappointed, neither will those anticipating a sad one.
Gaiman originally declared his story was based on a Japanese folk tale - although he later admitted that wasn't true ("its faux pedigree [just] a whimsical part of the whole", Russell later commented).
Russell's artwork is generally a bit hit 'n' miss for me, but his style works here, being well-suited to both the tale and the period.
With Dream as enigmatic as ever, and the other characters - although nameless - being well-drawn (in every sense), this is a charming, impactful story.
7.5/10
*Destiny of the Endless never appears or is mentioned in the story - although some of Russell's illustrations do have Dream holding a very large book. The implication is pretty clear.
In 1999, three years after the original Sandman ended, Gaiman was invited by Karen Berger (former Executive Editor at Vertigo, and the series' original editor) to write something to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the saga's start. He came up with The Dream Hunters - published not as a comic but as a novella, with illustrations by Y. Amano. It was a success, winning the Bram Stoker Award for Best Illustrated Narrative in 2000.
In 2007 frequent Gaiman collaborator P. Craig Russell decided to illustrate a comic adaptation of the story, published in 2008 as a four-issue mini-series; this is the version I've read.
The story seems to take place in 17th/18th century Japan (although the period isn't stated). There are four principal characters; Dream, the monk, the fox, and a scheming onmyoji (basically, an alchemist/magician) - the last three never being named. As with his previous Sandman work, Gaiman intertwines mystical, mythological, and religious references and imagery seamlessly. That said, it works fine as a standalone (for any who have read the other volumes there are some nice nods). It's a tale of love, revenge, and destiny*; there's a strong sense of inevitability as you read. And whilst those anticipating a happy ending won't be disappointed, neither will those anticipating a sad one.
Gaiman originally declared his story was based on a Japanese folk tale - although he later admitted that wasn't true ("its faux pedigree [just] a whimsical part of the whole", Russell later commented).
Russell's artwork is generally a bit hit 'n' miss for me, but his style works here, being well-suited to both the tale and the period.
With Dream as enigmatic as ever, and the other characters - although nameless - being well-drawn (in every sense), this is a charming, impactful story.
7.5/10
*Destiny of the Endless never appears or is mentioned in the story - although some of Russell's illustrations do have Dream holding a very large book. The implication is pretty clear.
Last edited:
