This series is designed as a way to call attention to things, practices, places, activities, or anything else you might not be aware of that I think are worth checking out. I try to cover as wide a variety of topics as I can. This week is graphic novels.
There are plenty of graphic novels that you should read, but for this week I’ve chosen to focus on only one. Neil Gaiman’s Sandman is a perfect introduction to the world of graphic novels for those who think they are above them. Though the days of comics being solely simple stories aimed at children are long gone, they have yet to be accepted as serious literature by society at large. Sandman is easily one of the finest examples of the art form. Though as it begins it seems like another simplistic, villain of the week type of series, by the end of the first volume its gargantuan ambitions become clear. It quickly becomes positively transcendent, an epic delving into the meaning of life and death, morality, and the nature of man, densely packed with elements of classic literature and world mythology. Though it can be enjoyed on a surface level, the reader willing to put in the effort to seriously study its ten volumes will be richly rewarded. Over the course of its 75 issues, it was awarded 26 Eisner awards. These works really cannot be oversold, they’re just that good. If you’ve never read then, don’t hesitate to check them out, and if you’re already a fan and have some money to burn, Vertigo recently released the entire series in a beautiful, five volume Absolute Edition that would make a fine addition to any library.
In coming weeks I’ll do a more complete roundup of graphic novels worth reading, but, as far as I’m concerned, Sandman is the cream of the crop.
Sleep well,
DTE
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