The Sandman Vol. 4 (The Sandman, #4)

by Neil Gaiman

Written by NEIL GAIMAN Art by KELLEY JONES, MIKE DRINGENBERG, MATT WAGNER, GEORGE PRATT, P. CRAIG RUSSELL and others Cover by DAVE MCKEAN Volume Four of New York Times’ best-selling author Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed creation, with updated coloring and new trade dress. Ten thousand years ago, Morpheus condemned a woman who loved him to Hell. Now the other members of his immortal family, The Endless, have convinced the Dream King that this was an injustice. To make it right, Morpheus must return to Hell to rescue his banished love — and Hell’s ruler, the fallen angel Lucifer, has already sworn to destroy him. On sale JANUARY 26 • 192 pg, FC

• ISBN10: 1401230423
• ISBN13: 9781401230425
• Publish Date: 8 February 2011 (first published 1 September 1992)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 19 May 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: DC Comics
• Format: Paperback (UK Trade)
• Pages: 192
• Language: English

Reviews

[moraa]

I think hell is something you carry around with you. Not somewhere you go.

Sandman is 30 years old. 30! And it’s not that I can’t enjoy something published before the 2000s but how well literature (a graphic novel in this case) ages is another matter altogether.

Also, thank the - (who are we thanking from this book again? The Dream Lord?? okay, let's go with that) - thank the Dream Lord my reading burnout/slump is finally ebbing.

I don’t have much to say about this because I hold by what I said in my earlier reviews. Gaiman is a master of the craft and in terms of characters, Morpheus (the dream lord) and Death are the two I don’t want to let go of but still want to examine from every possible angle.

(also, Sandman – as a character – is just perfect. Imagine reading about any other over-televised DC hero/villain, yikes)

Anyway, these two panels, I think, speak to major themes contained in Season of Mists.

WARNING: Spoilers ahead

First,

It started off cute. I said to myself, “Lucifer can’t quit hell. What kind of madness is that? I mean, it’s his job for, like, eternity - no retirement, not pension, no leave days… right?”

Spoiler alert: wrong!

Second,

Say what you will but that says volumes more about humanity than it does Lucifer. Who thought the devil himself would be the one to administer your daily dose of philosophy, eh?

In all seriousness, Lucifer is immortal so he’s had quite a bit of time BUT the only reason I come to sympathise with his character is the arc Gaiman chooses (some fall but some are pushed and the “battle-weary angel who maybe-shouldn’t-have-fallen-but-maybe-deserved-some-punishment” etc you know what I mean)

Looking forward to the remaining volumes (and other Gaimain works of course)

[adastra]

In the Season of Mists, the Dream Lord deals with the succession of hell after Lucifer has quit his job. A great volume that introduces many concepts and ideas, and is also quite important if you ever consider reading the Lucifer spin-off...