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First New Gaiman Sandman In 7 Years

meltoast writes "On September 17th, DC is releasing the first new installment in the Sandman series in over 7 years. Endless Nights is written entirely by award winning Neil Gaiman and drawn by seven different artists. Pre-order from ... well... where ever you want."

175 comments

  1. Fan boy alert! by mao+che+minh · · Score: 3, Interesting
    I liked Sandman (it pioneered many things within "comicdom"), but damn if The Dark Knight Returns wasn't one the greatest works of literature of modern times (also published by DC Comics). I want to see a Frank Miller written, Jim Lee illustrated graphic novel of Batman - such a thing is what dreams are made of.

    I would also love to see a cross over story arc of Spider-Man and Batman with John Romita Jr. and Jim Lee alternating between titles (Jim Lee doing Spider-Man, and Romita Jr. doing Batman). You wouldn't have to search for writers, because every stellar comic writer of recent times would be fighting tooth and nail to pen this.

    Talk about a fanboy's disgustingly drenched wet dream!!

    OK, so I am a big nerd, so sue me.

    1. Re:Fan boy alert! by Snowspinner · · Score: 1

      Bah. Miller's art is every bit as groundbreaking and influential as Lee's - he got his start as an artist, and I've no problems with him doing his own art.

      That said, I think Miller's pretty much out of ideas on Batman. The Dark Knight Strikes Again was total crap - and shipped obnoxiously late too.

      Also... can we say offtopic? =P

    2. Re:Fan boy alert! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I liked Sandman (it pioneered many things within "comicdom"), but damn if The Dark Knight Returns [darkknight.ca] wasn't one the greatest works of literature of modern times

      ummm, i think you need to look up the definition of literature again...i don't think picture books with some words in balloons quite qualifies as literature. and yes, i am aware that some of the plotlines can be fairly decent. still doesn't make them literature tho.

    3. Re:Fan boy alert! by Lord+Dreamshaper · · Score: 1

      Miller's Dark Knight gave us a preview of how comics could appeal to more mature audiences, but it was still about spandex clad superheroes...Watchmen took us further from typical superhero fare, but Sandman is what starts to show non-fanboys that comics is far more than pulp version of the Batman TV series...that's it's not all tits and spandex for 13 y/o (not there's anything wrong with that either :) ...besides...how else do I justify my /nick and .sig that covers up my lack of having-a-real-life?

      --
      When all of your wishes have been granted, many of your dreams will be destroyed - Marilyn Manson
    4. Re:Fan boy alert! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ok, so what is literature? Just words? Does literature have to be "good" to actually be "literature"? Or can it just be any non-picture book? Seriously, what do you consider literature?

    5. Re:Fan boy alert! by Snowspinner · · Score: 4, Interesting

      They can't be?

      Art Spiegelman's Maus won a Pulitzer, and is regularly assigned in universities.

      Dark Knight is less studied, but Alan Moore's Watchmen gets a fair amount of critical attention. And Sandman gets quite a good deal of critical attention, and would probably be assigned almost as much as Maus if it weren't for the fact that the whole series costs roughly $200, which is a bit excessive for textbooks.

    6. Re:Fan boy alert! by Neop2Lemus · · Score: 1
      I read alot of lit (Greco/Roman/English) and I'd like to know what DKR is IF it isn't lit.

      Alice in Wonderland came with Illustrations, didn't it?

      --
      Needle Nardle Noo
    7. Re:Fan boy alert! by Golias · · Score: 1
      Not only was DKSA complete horse shit, but the pre-release hype inspired me to re-read my Dark Knight Returns comics... and discover what a quirky product of cold-war-era ennui it really was. Even more that Dr. Strangelove.

      Most of the things he was railing against in DKR are no longer around, which makes the propaganda angle of the book really stand out a lot more.

      The Watchmen was also very much a product of the times, but it seems to hold up a lot better for some reason. YMMV.

      --

      Information wants to be anthropomorphized.

  2. BFast?? by l810c · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    WTF is bfast.com? I've seen them a lot in my web server logs lately getting 404's and such. Why don't they have a homepage? How about a Paypal link so I can send you a quarter instead of funneling us through this Bfast?

    1. Re:BFast?? by justMichael · · Score: 1

      I honeslty don't remember what bfast.com is, at one point I went looking and decided to add them to my block list for JunkBuster all I get now is a little message saying that URL was blocked.

    2. Re: BFast?? by generic-man · · Score: 1

      Something like "Be Free Ad Serving Technology." They provided redirection services when I was a Google affiliate (which provided me a whopping $0.00 in income; I was just below their threshold when they cancelled it).

      A quick Google search suggests that BFAST is a brand owned by ValueClick, an advertising company.

      --
      For more information, click here.
  3. I liked his earlier stuff by Dancin_Santa · · Score: 5, Funny

    But Sandman is where it all went bad. And then the whole thing with his anti-Napster stance came along and blew his credibility out of the water.

    He really should have stopped at Justice, which along with Puppets were the zenith of his career.

    1. Re:I liked his earlier stuff by Snowspinner · · Score: 2, Funny

      Justice? Puppets?

      What are you talking about - neither of these are Gaiman works I'm at all familiar with, and I'm a pretty dedicated Gaiman fanboi. Nor do I know of any substantial anti-Napster stance he's ever taken - he's generally in favor of protecting his copyrights, but not absurdly so at all - he's repeatedly been in favor of people buying his books used or borrowing them from friends, and is quite friendly to the fanfiction community.

    2. Re:I liked his earlier stuff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      uhm...
      James Hetfield and metallica....
      Enter Sandman... from the Black Album which, also in my opinion was the beginning of the end ...and Justice for All
      Master of Puppets...

    3. Re:I liked his earlier stuff by Snowspinner · · Score: 1

      Ah. Well, that was either an obscure grab for a funny, or badly offtopic.

    4. Re:I liked his earlier stuff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's right...Metallica is great music...Superhero comics are great art AND great literature. No need to go to the art gallery, or the symphony, or even a local club. Media conglomerates will provide you with the artistic education you need to fully appreciate life. Be happy.

    5. Re:I liked his earlier stuff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How can anyone be *so* thick?

      You haven't learnt anything from the Sandman books. Go read them again.

      The Metallica joke was funny.

    6. Re:I liked his earlier stuff by PCM2 · · Score: 1
      This is a hilarious troll, but ...

      Am I the only person on Earth who thinks that the whole Sandman series is woefully, outrageously overrated? I mean, it's just as silly as any superhero comic book that's ever hit the stands, but painfully, agonizingly pretentious.

      Good comics:

      ...and there are many others. But Sandman? Why are we still harping on Sandman, all these years later? Have we not yet grown out of our moody, pretentious, "they're graphic novels, goddammit!" Goth phase?
      --
      Breakfast served all day!
    7. Re:I liked his earlier stuff by bastard42 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Why are we still harping on Sandman, all these years later?
      Umm... this is slashdot. We are running a rehash of a 30 year old operating system if we're lucky. The creators don't even approve.

      We know what we like and we like what we know.

      Thanks,
      chris

      PS I've bookmarked this so next time I have money for comics I can check your recommendations out.

      PPS No, I'm not making fun of linux. Or BSD.

      PPPS Between my brother and I, we can't keep a full set of the Sandman because they seem to be loaned out:)

      PPPPS AFAIK, nothing above a PS is a proper acronym.

    8. Re:I liked his earlier stuff by bitrott · · Score: 1

      Yes you are. And you're a cultureless pratt. Sandman isn't "Goth", that's just to show that your havn't read the bloody books. Yes Morpheus and his lot often incarnate as goth types, but that really has jack shit to do with the stories he's telling. Yes those books you listed are good, but where's that get us? You're trying to prove sandman's pretentious by telling us about other quality titles. Get a point please. Also, Sandman is anything but pretentious. It's involved to be sure, but so's anything worth reading.

    9. Re:I liked his earlier stuff by gamgee5273 · · Score: 1

      You should try to meet Gaiman one of these days. He might actually agree with you. Sandman is more about storytelling than anything else - and that is what Gaiman excels at. The entire storyline to the comic (it is a comic - Gaiman wouldn't disagree with you) does a wonderful job in its story. You need to look beyond the goth trappings.

    10. Re:I liked his earlier stuff by PCM2 · · Score: 1

      My point, actually, is that Sandman is overrated. It's oh-kay. Nothing mind-boggling. I do actually like some of his earlier stuff better (Metallica trolls aside) -- Miracleman, for instance; but then, Alan Moore laid all the groundwork for that.

      Come to think of it, I think most of Alan Moore's recent stuff, outside From Hell and maybe the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, is pretty overrated.

      P.S. And I suppose the fact that a writer's characters "often incarnate as goth types" is some kind of literary device? Jesus man, take off the Sailor Moon costume and get a life, fanboy.

      --
      Breakfast served all day!
    11. Re:I liked his earlier stuff by ErikZ · · Score: 1

      Er, I can't remember the last time I mind-boggled. Isn't that a bit high of an expectation for a comic book?

      --
      Democrats or Republicans. They are both taking us to the same place and they are not afraid of us anymore.
    12. Re:I liked his earlier stuff by bitrott · · Score: 1

      Overrated from what? Who are you talking to? Do people start masturbating frantically in front of you when you ask them about Gaiman and Moore? And if you're not impressed with what's AT LEAST excellent writing, you can't really be interested in what's good.

      P.S. HAHA. Name calling in a friendly debate. Funny. Sod off.

  4. Pardon my Ignorance.... by JoeLinux · · Score: 0, Troll

    ...But what is the Sandman? I used to be into comics, and just as I got out, those came in ...what are they about?

    Thanks...

    The last one I read was Watchmen.

    On another note, I'm looking forward to the Punisher movie next year, 'cause Frank Castle/Punisher KICKS *SS!

    1. Re:Pardon my Ignorance.... by phobafiliac · · Score: 1

      sandman, as far as i can gather (is a comic fanboy) is some guys character that he changed at will. i believe the sandman has gone thruogh like four drastic concept changes. he was orignalyl a crime fighter w/ a gas mask. the latest rencarnation (the hell like charecter) is well... im not sure... ive only read one story about the original sandman. i am problay wrong. feel free to correct any of my errors,\.

      --
      take what i say with a grain of salt, a dash of pepper, a pinch of oregano, and an itty bitty little drip of faygo
    2. Re:Pardon my Ignorance.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I dont know what the sandman is, but my fish tank filtration system is called The Sandman

    3. Re:Pardon my Ignorance.... by Snowspinner · · Score: 4, Informative

      Sandman is a 75 issue comic series, which ran from late 1988 to 1996, published by DC. Gaiman is in a lot of ways a protege of Moore, and some would argue (Myself included) that he more than surpassed his mentor.

      To quote from the introduction to one volume, "there are seven beings that aren't gods, who existed before humanity dreamed of gods and will exist after the last god is dead. They are called The Endless. They are embodiments of (in order of age) Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delirium."

      The Endless are personifications fo the ideas they are named after. Sandman begins in 1989, when Dream escapes from a prison he has been in since 1916, when a magician captured him.

      The series can be bought in 10 graphic novels very easily on Amazon.

    4. Re:Pardon my Ignorance.... by Malacca · · Score: 1

      Assuming you're not a troll, Sandman was/is a comic written by Neil Gaiman about Morpheus, the ruler of the realm of dreams. It borrowed a lot from folklore and mythology, ran for 75 issues and was the flagship for DC comics' Vertigo line. Critically acclaimed, it won a World Fantasy Award for short story before the powers-that-be banned comics from eligibility. For more info: neilgaiman.com

    5. Re:Pardon my Ignorance.... by nimblebrain · · Score: 4, Informative

      It's an interesting foray into the supernatural, taking lots of cues from mythologies around the world, and creates its own mythological panorama and pantheon of demigods and strange creatures.

      The stories mostly focus on Dream, one of the seven Endless whose domains are the life, death, sleep, trials and emotions of mankind. Dream is the one who feels his responsibilities most deeply, and much of the series revolves around his interaction with mankind, and with his somewhat dysfunctional siblings.

      It has spawned off a few series from parts of the mythos it has constructed. There's the Books of Magic, the Books of Faerie, and one of my favorites, Lucifer.

      Most of the modern reprints (I'm gathering they're reprints) have some interesting introductions at the beginning by all sorts of famous (in the comic/SF/fantasy arena) folks.

      You likely don't have to order them online - even most "regular" bookstores are starting to set up small graphic novels areas, and I haven't seen one of these yet without a Sandman or ten, and used bookstores often have a few.

      They're a much different style from the superhero comics, however. It's a lot of myth, mystery and drama, but not much in the way of action. Definitely find out if it's to your tastes before ordering any.

      Other comics, like The Invisibles are very interesting, with lots of action, but absolute noodle-benders, and will have you wondering what on earth (or planet of your choice, for that matter) they were smoking.

      --
      Binary geeks can count to 1,023 on their fingers :)
    6. Re:Pardon my Ignorance.... by phobafiliac · · Score: 0

      alright! i didnt think i was completely crazy. my first post did have some truth to it. the character sandman dates back to 1939 read about all about it here

      --
      take what i say with a grain of salt, a dash of pepper, a pinch of oregano, and an itty bitty little drip of faygo
    7. Re:Pardon my Ignorance.... by YOU+LIKEWISE+FAIL+IT · · Score: 1
      he was orignalyl a crime fighter w/ a gas mask.

      This is the "golden age" Sandman, a member of the JLA. They are not related, except by a passing ret-con in Gaimans Sandman issue #1. I believe his series was recently revived as Sandman Mystery Theater.

      The Sandman referred to here ( as I'm sure other people will point out ) is one of several anthropomorphic personifications, in this case Dream. Gaimans comic tells a long and quite cool story regarding Dream and his siblings, Desire, Death, Destruction, Despair, Delirium ( nee Delight ) and Desire.

      I highly recommend this series in its anthologised graphic novel format ( The Sandman Library ). It is one of the few comics I read religiously apart from Lone Wolf and Cub.

      -- YLFI

      P.S. Death got her own spinoffs as well. These are very cool also.

      --
      One god, one market, one truth, one consumer.
    8. Re:Pardon my Ignorance.... by McCarrum · · Score: 1

      (Carefully Avoiding Spoilers)

      The four preview pages (linked below) start this story before the fall of a certain Endless. With luck, it'll help provide the missing gaps to the mythos as I've *always* wanted to use the Endless as the core of a pen and paper RPG.

      I'd go into depth with my interpretation of what and how Destruction and Delirium became what they are now (part of my initial game) but that's just too geeky .. .. still, this IS slashdot :P

    9. Re:Pardon my Ignorance.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You know, as I read other people's decsriptions, I can't BELIEVE I used to read this kind of stuff. Not only that, but I thought it was meaningful and important, with something to say.

      I was an idiot, but the person writing and penciling this sort of classical riff probably believes that even more strongly. At least that wasn't me. Phew.

    10. Re:Pardon my Ignorance.... by Merdyn · · Score: 2, Interesting
      I know that this has been answered by quite a few people, but I haven't seen anyone who has mentioned this aspect of the Sandman series.

      Gaiman's Sandman is all about storytelling. Gaiman used the comic to explore what exactly storytelling is and what it means to humans. This is why there's so many references to so many different mythologies (Judeo/Christian, Greek/Roman, Egyptian, Norse, etc.): because myths were the dominant way to transmit stories before the printed word was cheap.

      It also explains his inclusion of two issues dealing with Shakespear. Most of Shakespear's plays are derivatives (i.e., Romeo and Juliet originates in Greek mythology, ). However, two of them, Tempest and A Midsummer Night's Dream, are orginal stories, which is why Gaiman chose to deal with them.

      The character Sandman (i.e., Dream, Morpheus) is by his nature a storyteller. Dreams are the stories that he gives us (and cats, according to one story in the series).

      So basically, the Sandman is a story about stories. At one point, just to try it out, Gaiman experimented with going something like five levels deep (i.e., you're reading a story about a guy telling a story about some people telling stories, where one person tells a story where one of the characters tells a story).

      It's this investigation of storytelling that is at the core of Sandman. While I'm also a big fan of TDKR and Watchman, I have to say that Sandman has thus far been the high water mark for literature in comic form.

      BTW, another, albeit less prevelant, theme of Sandman is nature of rules. Should rules be followed blindly? What are the consequences of doing so? Can making the best choices within a set of rules lead to the worst consequences? Can storytelling die?

    11. Re:Pardon my Ignorance.... by ed1park · · Score: 1

      Thanks. I just ordered the first 2 books from amzn. I look forward to seeing what this is all about.

  5. Spoilers? by l810c · · Score: 4, Informative

    Here's a link to the first 4 pages.

    1. Re:Spoilers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ooh ooh ooh, can i have karma? pretty please! please! please!

      pick me, pick me! i'm awesome!

      look, look! i found a link, the holy grail of karma! mod me up, i demand it, for i have brought you a virgin link sacrifice!

  6. 1602 by r_arr · · Score: 1

    Don't forget he's also written that for Marvel recently

  7. Actually, a note on pre-orders. by Snowspinner · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'd be careful where you pre-order from. If you buy from a bookstore, you won't be getting your copy on September 17th - you'll be waiting another week or two. The book is being distributed via comic book distribution, and so it will hit comic shops first, since that is what Diamond distributes to. From Diamond's initial distribution, it will make it to book warehouses and to bookstores, but if you absolutely want it on September 17th, buy from your comic shop. You might have better luck with something like Amazon, but people are still expecting the book to hit comic shops first (Neil Gaiman's blog had something on this earlier today, but it's late, and I don't feel like linkdiving)

    They need the money more than Borders or Amazon do anyway.

    1. Re:Actually, a note on pre-orders. by puck71 · · Score: 1

      As evidenced by the fact that Barnes & Noble's page says "This item will be available on October 28. Place your order now and we will ship the item when it arrives. Your credit card will not be charged until your order ships."

  8. Pre-Order by ttyp0 · · Score: 1
    1. Re:Pre-Order by meltoast · · Score: 1

      I didn't do it! My original submission didn't include a link there, which is why it says "where ever you want"!

      --
      if you don't feel better tomorrow, we'll just cut your legs off about here. - Theodoric of York
  9. wrong title, what else is new? by elmegil · · Score: 4, Informative

    The last Gaiman Sandman story was _The Dream Hunters_ with Yoshitaka Amano. I know this, because I bought the book for my wife. That was October of 1999 (from the copyright of the book), which was only about 4 years ago.

    --
    7 November 2006: The day Americans realized corruption and incompetence weren't addressing 11 September 2001
    1. Re:wrong title, what else is new? by Galvatron · · Score: 1

      I'm sure they meant to say "Sandman comic." Dream Hunters was a Sandman story, but it was illustrated prose rather than a comic. It's late, cut them a little slack.

      --
      "The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than that of whether a submarine can swim" -EWD
    2. Re:wrong title, what else is new? by The-Bus · · Score: 1

      IIRC, this was a book with illustrations, not a comic book (or "sequential art graphic novel").

      --

      Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.

    3. Re:wrong title, what else is new? by elmegil · · Score: 1

      Right. They said story, not comic book. As for the previous post's "cut the editors some slack", me thinks their about as slack as they can get already.

      --
      7 November 2006: The day Americans realized corruption and incompetence weren't addressing 11 September 2001
    4. Re:wrong title, what else is new? by elmegil · · Score: 1

      Ok, fine, they didn't say story. It's early :-)

      --
      7 November 2006: The day Americans realized corruption and incompetence weren't addressing 11 September 2001
    5. Re:wrong title, what else is new? by Upphew · · Score: 0

      It's late, cut them a little slack.

      by Galvatron (115029) * on Friday September 05, @09:37AM

    6. Re:wrong title, what else is new? by Galvatron · · Score: 1

      Well, the time posted is UCT, and as most Slashdot readers are American, we're some 7 hours earlier than that.

      --
      "The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than that of whether a submarine can swim" -EWD
  10. Awesome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Cuz that's what I voted for.

  11. 1602 from Marvel as well. by Sans_A_Cause · · Score: 3, Informative

    He's not just doing Sandman: look for the new series "1602" from Marvel out now. Supposedly a "Victorian cyberpunk" series featuring the Marvel Universe characters. Preview here.

    1. Re:1602 from Marvel as well. by phobafiliac · · Score: 1

      *sigh* 1602 is the marvel universe as if it manifested itself in the 17th century. having read the first issue, it is well done and i cnat wait for the next 7 issues.

      --
      take what i say with a grain of salt, a dash of pepper, a pinch of oregano, and an itty bitty little drip of faygo
    2. Re:1602 from Marvel as well. by Snowspinner · · Score: 1

      At the risk of nitpicking, 1602 is not about the Marvel universe "as if" it manifested in 1602. Gaiman has made clear in interviews that it is not an Elseworlds or a What If story - rather, something has happened in the real Marvel universe to cause this to happen - part of the fun of the series is trying to untangle what happened to put things this way.

    3. Re:1602 from Marvel as well. by phobafiliac · · Score: 1

      like i said "as if it manifestied" as in what if, as an elseword, either way it going to be great storyline.

      --
      take what i say with a grain of salt, a dash of pepper, a pinch of oregano, and an itty bitty little drip of faygo
  12. $2.99 preview by bigbigbison · · Score: 3, Informative

    For those that just can't wait, the $2.99 preview came out today. It has the sandman story. The hardcover had this story plaus stories of the other endless. I went ahead and bought the preview even though I know I'll end up buying the hardcover eventually.

    --
    http://www.popularculturegaming.com -- my blog about the culture of videogame players
    1. Re:$2.99 preview by deanc · · Score: 1

      Not only that, but the last comic book shop I went to said that if you bought the preview comic, if you returned it after the book came out, they would give you a $2.99 discount on the book.

      I resisted.

    2. Re:$2.99 preview by bigbigbison · · Score: 1

      I have to admit that I bought it. I was able to justify it to myself by saying that it was "collectable" because they only shipped a number proportional to the number of hardback books that were ordered. Of course I will probably never sell it, but it was a good argument at the time!

      --
      http://www.popularculturegaming.com -- my blog about the culture of videogame players
  13. What! No Frank Miller? by NetNinja · · Score: 1

    Frank Miller is the man!

    The Dark Knight returns! Ronin! Electra and Bullseye!

    1. Re:What! No Frank Miller? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yeah too bad dk2 reeked.

    2. Re:What! No Frank Miller? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm liking Robocop so far, tho..

  14. This is excellent news!!! by Whitecloud · · Score: 5, Interesting
    THE SANDMAN: ENDLESS NIGHTS will be a delight to fans of Gaiman's work and newcomers to the graphic novel medium. Whether haunting, bittersweet, erotic or nightmarish, the seven stories in this book - one for each of the Endless siblings - reveal strange secrets and surprising truths about the Sandman and his family. Each story is illustrated by some of the greatest comics artists from around the world. /i>

    This is like Led Zeppelin reforming for a concert! No wait, its better than a rock bank reunion, as it's got guest artists that are superstars to! People have mentioned other great comics, Dark Knight, and Watchmen, but Sandman is a collection of modern fables and urban myths, woven into reality... plus a writer only gets better with age, like a fine wine developing over the years, the prose is laced with new passages of wisdom, new nuances of meaning... like a dream of a rock band reforming, with Led Zep jamming with Louie Armstrong... September 17th? excellent!

    --

    Do you need a website upgrade?

    1. Re:This is excellent news!!! by Whitecloud · · Score: 1

      whoops, got click happy before checking that italic tag, overwhelmed by the fantastic news :)

      --

      Do you need a website upgrade?

    2. Re:This is excellent news!!! by gmhowell · · Score: 1

      Led Zeppelin could only reform with the help of Sandman's sister. Unless, of course, you are lame enough to think their is another (living) drummer good enough to wipe the sweat from Bonham's kit.

      --
      Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
  15. What is sandman by robinsc · · Score: 4, Informative

    Sandman is a graphic novel about morpheus the god of sleep ( a very modernised and un-greek god ). Neil Gaiman's books and Novels generally deal with very dark themes - think of him as Terry Pratchett sans the humour :)

    --
    Linkedin http://in.linkedin.com/in/robinsaikatchatterjee
    1. Re:What is sandman by stor · · Score: 1

      My memory is hazy but didn't Gaiman collaborate with Terry Pratchett on the comedic novel "Good Omens?"

      Cheers
      Stor

      --
      "Yeah well there's a lot of stuff that should be, but isn't"
    2. Re:What is sandman by Ed_Moyse · · Score: 1

      Yes he did (and it's excellent).

    3. Re:What is sandman by Zoolander · · Score: 1

      The thing about Morpheus is that he and his family (The Endless) aren't gods, but sort of embodiments of the basic forces of the universe. In the Sandman mythos, these are Destiny, Death, Dream (Morpheus), Despair, Desire, and Delirium (formerly Delight). There is also a seventh member, Destruction, who no longer takes active part in the matters of his realm. So Morpheus isn't a god, but gods are born in his realm, and come back there to die. What I like about this series is that it's about these characters with practically infinite powers who nonetheless have to deal with very human problems. I won't tell anything for those who have missed it, but as the story progresses from a simple horror story (although very nicely done), to the real theme of the arc, I practically guarantee that you will be hopelessly hooked!

      --
      Meep.
    4. Re:What is sandman by The-Bus · · Score: 1
      My two favorite Sandman tomes:
      • Season of Mists (Book 4): Sandman travels to Hell to find a love that he had forsaken hundreds of years ago. Amazon.
      • The Doll's House (Book 2): An introduction to the Sandman with slightly better art than the first volume. Oh yeah, and there's a serial killer convention too. Amazon

      Eventhough I have linked from Amazon you probably want to support your local comic shop and get it there.

      While you're there, pick up a tome or two of Bone, Hellboy, Powers, Batman: Dark Knight Returns, and The Watchmen.

      --

      Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.

    5. Re:What is sandman by bitrott · · Score: 1

      That was a totally crap one sentance description. Try again.

    6. Re:What is sandman by Miles · · Score: 1

      Neil Gaiman can be funny--check out The Day I Swapped My Dad for 2 Goldfish, not to mention his hand in "Good Omens". Possibly also his new (but unread for me) "The Wolves in the Walls," another children's book.

  16. I guess he got tired of being "Mr Amos" by Machina70 · · Score: 0, Troll

    And is going to try and revive his old fan-base.

    Goodluck, no matter how great his work is, he'll always be the guy who sleeps with Tori Amos to me. :-)

    1. Re:I guess he got tired of being "Mr Amos" by Snowspinner · · Score: 2, Informative

      /blink

      Ummm... yeah, considering that his last two novels hit the NYT Bestseller list, he's actually got very little to gain from going back to comics, where he'll certainly make less money than his novels make.

      To say nothing of the fact that there's no evidence he ever slept with Tori Amos - he's been married for years - he has kids in college.

    2. Re:I guess he got tired of being "Mr Amos" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      lol he never slept with Tori Amos! put the pipe down.

    3. Re:I guess he got tired of being "Mr Amos" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the guy who sleeps with Tori Amos is her husband/sound engineer Mark(I think, I'm spacing...).

    4. Re:I guess he got tired of being "Mr Amos" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      for a time, it was my dream to sleep with tori amos. but, strangely enough, neil gaiman sleeping with tori amos came in a close second =)

      - hbz

    5. Re:I guess he got tired of being "Mr Amos" by Kerouassady · · Score: 1

      Where the hell did that come from? That's not true at all.

    6. Re:I guess he got tired of being "Mr Amos" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      This should be modded-up. It's bad when horribly false information makes the main page, and the correction doesn't.

      Neil Gaimain is an old friend of Tori Amos, and they refer to eachother sometimes in their work. He also talks about her, occasionally, in his blog. However, there's no reason to think they have ever slept together, and they certainly aren't now, living thousands of miles apart and leading separate lives.

      Also, Neil Gaiman is a hugely successful author. When he stopped doing comics, he started doing other things, and those other things are winning all the major awards and hitting #1 on most best seller lists. He's one of the most successful authors writing today, and as such is currently much more successful in his field than the incomparable Tori has ever been in hers.

    7. Re:I guess he got tired of being "Mr Amos" by Daniel+Dvorkin · · Score: 1

      The only way I can think of that anyone got that idea is that Tori Amos is a huge fan of his work and has given Sandman glowing (some might say "gushing") reviews. But there's no reason to believe they ever had an affair.

      OTOH, it is kind of cool to see celebrity gossip about geek icons like Neil Gaiman instead of the usual Hollywood crowd. ;)

      --
      The correlation between ignorance of statistics and using "correlation is not causation" as an argument is close to 1.
    8. Re:I guess he got tired of being "Mr Amos" by hcduvall · · Score: 1

      I think he might be winding you up...

      Anyway, Tori Amos is friends with Neil Gaiman. They make a couple references to each other here and there. Neil uses Delirium for that, and Ms. Amos has a few lyrics here and there that refer to him.

    9. Re:I guess he got tired of being "Mr Amos" by geekwench · · Score: 1
      Riiiiight...

      I believe that you might thinking of her relationship with Nine Inch Nails' frontman, Trent Reznor. Her summation of that pairing:

      "Sometimes, I think Trent just needs a cup of hot chocolate and a blankie." -Tori Amos on Trent Reznor
      Don't we all, sometimes. Add my copy of "Dream Country" (and some Bailey's to the cocoa), and you have the ideal recipe for a Very Happy GeekWench.
      --
      Doing my level best to piss off the religious right wing...
  17. It's comics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's comics, DC comics, and a writer that influenced Miller. So, an offtopic mod? No, this post is right online with the discussion. PS - I agree Mao, you hit the nail on the head. Right on brother, roght on.

    1. Re:It's comics by Snowspinner · · Score: 2, Informative

      Gaiman didn't influence Miller - Miller predates Gaiman. Gaiman's earliest comics publication, Violent Cases, came out a year after Dark Knight Returns.

  18. Is source available? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Proprietary format comics are evil. PROVIDE THE SOURCE!!!

  19. hype by phobafiliac · · Score: 0

    pardon me, but why is this getting a story on /. ? what about George Perez JLA/AVENGERS crossover? this story has been waiting to be published for 20 year! twenty. (and no, im not new to slashdot)

    --
    take what i say with a grain of salt, a dash of pepper, a pinch of oregano, and an itty bitty little drip of faygo
    1. Re:hype by Snowspinner · · Score: 1

      Because JLA/Avengers is of interest only to comic geeks, whereas Gaiman is a NYT bestselling author who's come back to comics, and this release stands a serious chance of being a bestseller - indeed, if sales in comic shops counted as well as sales in traditional bookstores, it would probably be a sure shot.

      Not to knock JLA/Avengers. I'm excited about it. But its sales will not surpass Endless Nights.

    2. Re:hype by phobafiliac · · Score: 1

      oh... see, i didnt know he actully wrote books... im a comic geek.. books are something i jsut sorta collect cause they look neat .. honest....

      --
      take what i say with a grain of salt, a dash of pepper, a pinch of oregano, and an itty bitty little drip of faygo
    3. Re:hype by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, and this site isn't for geeks. It's for posting literary news of interest to the mainstream reading public.

  20. Re:What? you're crazy by minusthink · · Score: 1

    this isn't a troll. this is just a lame pun.

    --
    "when life gets complicated, I like to take a nap in a tree and wait for dinner" - Hobbes.
  21. Read Gaiman, then Bendis by jcsehak · · Score: 4, Informative

    Sandman is the best comic series ever. By far. Gaiman created his own mythology (that's IMHO up there with the Greco-Roman one - well not like he didn't pull from it), and wrote some fucking amazing stories around it. Go to your local library right now and check out the whole series - many have them in graphic novel form.

    I stopped reading comics when Sandman ended -- nothing could come close to matching it for me. Then I started up again when I picked up a copy of From Hell, maybe the best $35 you could spend on a single GN. Also good is Road to Perdition, but who really does it for me is Brian Michael Bendis. He's a writer on par with Gaiman, except he's more into precedural crime-type stuff. His GNs Jinx and Goldfish are kick-ass, and also Fire and Torso. He also does Powers, which is great fun to read, Alias, and does or has done Daredevil. Check out his stuff at www.jinxworld.com.

    Oh and for a grippingly entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny story about trying to get a screenplay made into a movie, check out Fortune and Glory, also by Bendis.

    --

    c-hack.com |
    1. Re:Read Gaiman, then Bendis by robsimmon · · Score: 1

      Interesting--you stopped reading comics when I started. My girlfriend at the time got me into the Sandman after it finished. Aside from the Maxx (by Sam Kieth), which I was introduced to by the MTV series, I had trouble finding anything else that interested me. Things are much better now, however. In additon to Powers: Top Ten (and its spinoff Smax) and League of Extraordinary Gentleman by Alan Moore, Finder by Carla Speed McNeel, Y the Last Man by I forget, and Astro City, by Kurt Busiek.

      Lone Wolf and Cub--a Manga originally published in the 70s but recently re-released, is also amazing (if drawn-out by the end).

  22. OMG.... by Nazmun · · Score: 1

    1)Sign Up to BFAST
    2)Write story with bfast affiliate link
    3)Submit Story to slashdot
    4)??????????????????
    5)Earn commissions from everyone who buys by clicking on the slashdot link.
    6)Profit!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    --
    Hmmm... Pie...
  23. Re:What? you're crazy by nocomment · · Score: 1

    Wouldn't that be a gaipun? I wouldn't have though troll either but hey it's /. ;-)

    --
    /* oops I accidentally made a comment, sorry */
    /* http://allyourbasearebelongto.us */
  24. BTW, Explaining what BFAST IS by Nazmun · · Score: 2, Informative

    It's basically a commission based affiliate agency for site owners. Basically you place a link (text, banner, etc.) and you get payed a commission for every visitor you send through your link that completes a predetermined action (sign up to something for free or by a book, cd, video, etc.).

    --
    Hmmm... Pie...
  25. Umm, I am a Borders stockholder. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I need the money just as much as the local comic book store owner. Yacht payments aren't cheap, you know!

  26. the site's already slashdotted by weileong · · Score: 1

    does anyone have a summary of the info on the page etc.? What's the story about etc.?

  27. Re:What? you're crazy by minusthink · · Score: 1

    you need to be stopped. :D

    --
    "when life gets complicated, I like to take a nap in a tree and wait for dinner" - Hobbes.
  28. Lord have mercy by Cooper_007 · · Score: 1
    You can practically hear their webserver screaming in agony.

    I suspect this is the first time DC's gotten a nice, hard Slashdotting. I wonder if they'll have a comment on that sometime in the future... (Letters page perhaps?)

    Did anybody manage to get a hold of the actual text?
    --
    Yeah, I still RTFA. I'm new here. Sorry.

    1. Re:Lord have mercy by GloomE · · Score: 2, Funny

      Maybe they can have Slashdotting as one of their evil character's supernatural abilities.

  29. Neil remains largely untouched by his fame by Nova+Express · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The thing that impressed me most about Neil when I interviewed home for Nova Express back in 1999 (he had just started working on American Gods), was how generous he was with his time and how his tremendous success had left him largely untouched. Despite his enormous popularity, he was quite generous about signing things for a never ending stream of people, and seemed genuinely interested in talking to every one among the legions of his fans at Armadillocon. Certainly there are others who have let far less success go to their head.

    There are lots of cool people among my fellow SF scribblers, but Neil has remained one of the coolest, and not to mention perhaps the most level-headed. And then there's his considerable talent...

    --
    Lawrence Person (lawrencepersonh@gmailh.com (remove all "h"s to mail)

    http://www.lawrenceperson.com/

    1. Re:Neil remains largely untouched by his fame by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Along the same lines, I went to a book signing he did for 'Coralina' in NYC a little while back. I didn't get my book signed, as he only made it through the first 100 or so people (the ones that got numbers). Apparently he stayed until after close to get through all of them. Apparently it took him so long to get through all of those because he wasn't just signing the books, he was drawing little pictures, etc, in each one.

      That impressed the hell out of me. Even if I didn't get one. :)

    2. Re:Neil remains largely untouched by his fame by sandmistress · · Score: 1

      I attended a Neil reading in 1999, and I have to say, I've never been more impressed by a "celebrity." His reading at the Brattle Theater in Cambridge, MA was amazing. He was friendly, funny, and engaging. He's an enthusiastic writer, and if tying his love of mythology and literature in to his writing makes him pretentious, I don't really care. The Sandman series encouraged me to learn more about the mythological references he used.

  30. $200 excessive for textbooks? by brokeninside · · Score: 1

    If I had purchased new copies of all of the books for my Economics class this semester, the total would have been well over $200.

    1. Re:$200 excessive for textbooks? by Snowspinner · · Score: 1

      Yes, but Sandman would be assigned in English departments, where we have such concepts as "mercy" =)

    2. Re:$200 excessive for textbooks? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or more importantly, where much of the material is (mercifully) now in the public domain.

    3. Re:$200 excessive for textbooks? by ameoba · · Score: 1

      I thought it was because English professors know their student's will be waiting tables when they graduate. ...at least it's better than being the art major that has to wash the dishes.

      --
      my sig's at the bottom of the page.
    4. Re:$200 excessive for textbooks? by Lemmy+Caution · · Score: 2, Funny

      An English major waiting on tables is making more money than an unemployed CS grad sitting at home posting on Slashdot.

    5. Re:$200 excessive for textbooks? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The person washing dishes will make more hourly than the person waiting tables, who frequently gets a lower hourly rate but makes it up in tips --- sometimes.

      Minimum wage for waitstaff is often something around $2.50/hour, in the US.

  31. Shoot! by OpenSourcerer · · Score: 1

    Can't think of any SCO puns.
    Hell!
    Can you say a beowulf cluster of ....

    1. Re:Shoot! by Starla1979 · · Score: 1

      Imagine a Beowulf-cluster of Beowulf-cluter trolls... oh wait.. Slashdot...

  32. Re:What? you're crazy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Bad puns must be punished!

  33. Humorless explanation by Binary+Gibbon · · Score: 1

    It was a joke. 'Enter Sandman' is a famous Metallica song off 'the black album', Metallica, known by many as the album where Metallica turned mainstream. (Don't flame me, please, I love the album!) ...And Justice For All and Master of Puppets are earlier Metallica albums.

    Thank you.

  34. Neil Gaiman is a writer. by erfmuffin · · Score: 1
    Neil Gaiman is a writer.

    A real writer.. not a journalist or a pulp fiction pimp.. but a real storyteller. I like most (but not all) of his works, but the Sandman series is the only american comic book series I seriously invested in. Its his masterpiece. Even my comic-phobe girlfriend couldn't put them down.

    His novels are excellent as well, but the visual nature of his storytelling lends itself really well to the comic medium.

    This is the best news I've heard all day! But a catch 22.. looks like slashdot just melted dccomics.com... doh!

    1. Re:Neil Gaiman is a writer. by 5.11Climber · · Score: 0

      "His novels are excellent as well, but the visual nature of his storytelling lends itself really well to the comic medium."

      The visual way in which he writes is the reason that I totally enjoyed the 3 novels of his that I've read, Stardust, Neverwhere and American Gods.

      I had always been interested in "Sandman" but never picked them up for some reason. However, after reading these novels, I'm definitely going to read the entire Sandman series!

      --
      Arf!
    2. Re:Neil Gaiman is a writer. by clifyt · · Score: 1

      "Neil Gaiman is a writer.
      A real writer.. not a journalist or a pulp fiction pimp"

      You haven't read his stuff for very long have ya?

      A few years back, I was going through all my ancient books from when I was a kid and found two books by him...both in the pulp side of things, one as a 'journalist'. One was a fan book for Duran Duran (yeah...I think that was my sisters...yeah) and I can't remember the other (something about Douglas Adams maybe???)...both HORRIBLE!!!

      Then again, I loved the Sandman as well as some of his new novels, so I'm glad I had forgotten how bad we was before :-)

  35. Spyware by Y2K+is+bogus · · Score: 1

    WTF is Slashdot posting articles with damn spyware links in them? service.bfast.com is a spyware/tracking service. The submittor could have just as easily submitted the URL to the B&N website.

    It *is* up to the Slashdot editors to edit articles. Posting an article with a spyware link in it is slouching on the job!

    1. Re:Spyware by meltoast · · Score: 1

      I didn't do it! Honest...my original submission didn't include a link there, which is why it says "where ever you want"!

      --
      if you don't feel better tomorrow, we'll just cut your legs off about here. - Theodoric of York
  36. New Sandman or Morpheus? by Skyshadow · · Score: 3, Interesting
    I thought that Sandman was concluded nicely with two of the last three stories in The Wake arc -- the Wake Epilogue and Exiles.

    At this point, it seems like the whole Morpheus story was so well settled that even prequals do the ending somewhat of a disservice. Even The Tempest, the last Wake story, seemed like a bit of a shame; the story should have ended with Master Li's thoughts at the end of Exiles (echoing the Roman ghost riders: Only the Phoenix arises and does not descend. And everything changes. And nothing is truly lost.)

    Anyhow, I don't mean to sound as stupidly fanboy as I do, and I don't mean that I don't welcome the chance to dive into some more Sandman, but I suppose I do sort of long for authors to know when they've reached the end of their time with their characters, when they've reached the best end they're going to find...

    --
    Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
    1. Re:New Sandman or Morpheus? by jesse.k · · Score: 1

      The stories in endless nights are one for each member of the endless and take place in the past.

    2. Re:New Sandman or Morpheus? by Cylix · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I'm a bit different I suppose.

      I never want it to end if it is something I enjoy. Take for instance, Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner), if by chance they kill off my favorite character I might just have to make those responsible suffer.

      It is a comic book for god's sake and if the author has ran out of creativity... take him out to pasture and shoot him.

      I think a great example would happen to be with the Simpson's. It has been around for a while and they manage to keep making me laugh.

      There are probably only two infinite sources in the world to date, creativity and taxes, I expect both to be around for a while longer.

      --
      "You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours." -- Yogi Berra
    3. Re:New Sandman or Morpheus? by Ed_Moyse · · Score: 1
      Hmm. I know what you mean, but actually I think comics are significantly poorer because of the way they tend to run on for ever and ever (in fact, this is one of the reasons I watch so few TV series, but that's another topic).


      It is impossible to sustain a really good story indefinitely, and most have a "natural". Sure it's upsetting when it's over: recently I was really upset when "The Life of Pi" (too lazy to link - check amazon) ended, but it would have been a worse novel if it had carried on any longer. As it was, that is as close to a perfectly written book as I've read in ages, and I think that Gaiman knew exactly what he was doing when he said that one condition of writing Sandman was that he could end it.

    4. Re:New Sandman or Morpheus? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey, I thought "The Tempest" was a beautiful concusion. But I agree with your main point: a work should have a conclusion.

      And I respect an author more when they don' go back for sloppy seconds. God, what Heinlein did in his last 10 years ... how awful! Asimov went back, too, but it wasn't really so bad.

      Alfred Bester wrote two novels, went away for deades, and came back. He didn't write "The further adventures of Gully Foyle". He wrote some other stuff, that I didn't like as much, but he didn't go back to te old well.

    5. Re:New Sandman or Morpheus? by robsimmon · · Score: 1

      "The Tempest," as the second of the plays Shakespeare wrote for Morpheus, was integral to the storyline. I don't see it as extraneous.

    6. Re:New Sandman or Morpheus? by gmhowell · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Fuck Kyle Rayner, fuck him in the earhole. First, the real GL of sector 2814 was killed in a pathetic DC move to increase sales. Second, if you could be screwing Jennie Lynn Hayden, would you be trying to restart the GL Corps? Thought not.

      Where's Kyle Sinestro? Oh, that's right, there isn't. Because Sinestro would pound Kyle into a little ball of jelly.

      --
      Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
  37. Re:What? you're crazy by nocomment · · Score: 2, Funny

    I tried posting ten puns to slashdot to try to get them modded up, but unfortunatelly no pun intendid

    --
    /* oops I accidentally made a comment, sorry */
    /* http://allyourbasearebelongto.us */
  38. Will not pay $4 Cdn for a comic/graphic novel by YECoyote · · Score: 1

    I quit buying comics when they jacked the price up to $2.25 for a comic. The Sandman was the very last series I purchased. If DC Comics, or whoever else, is going to charge me 4 bucks, then I'll keep my money in my wallet. The same reason I don't pay $22 for a CD is the same reason I don't pay $4 for a comic. Rip-off industries, GO HOME!

    1. Re:Will not pay $4 Cdn for a comic/graphic novel by Kerouassady · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Well, inflation will do such a thing. I remember the last Impact Comics story arc from DC being the last 99 cent comic. Using more modern printing techniques to get better color accuracy and retention caused prices to generally increase in the late nineties. Then the market dropped out due to the glut of speculators and most comic makers are seriously hurting. Plus the rise of indies and successful creator owned companies caused a lot of renegotiation between writers, artists, and the major companies giving better royalty deals and contracts in general, which is good considering how most of them were crapped on for so long. I don't mind paying $5.95 for a graphic novel if its a good graphic novel. I mean, a newly released hard cover book of size runs $20-$30. That's the nature of the beast. Marvel actually makes more money off licensing its characters and their interest in Marvel Studios than they do from comics. And the best thing you can do is spend the money on the good stuff and not on the drek that is most mainstream comics these days. DC has proved, though, that it may be changing as they, and Marvel, are starting focus more on quality storytelling and not just action filled crap and character shattering mega-events. They are also noticing that, like video games, their core market is aging and is grasping onto writers rather than characters. It is mighty scary that Batman, over the last 6 months, has been one of the best written comics out there. And Marvel notice with their Marvel Knights like with people like Garth Ennis and Kevin Smith, that fans are now gravitating towards solid, consistant writers rather than fantastic characters, over-stylized art, and flashy covers and story arcs. I wish Frank Miller would just go back to giving us more Sin City and fantasticly unique stories like 300. I think that DK2 being the first comic he'd done for a major company in about a decade shows that he is a writer that has grown out of working in that box. He said in an interview that Sept. 11 hit him hard creatively and caused him to dramatically change the events of the story and was what caused it to ship so late.

  39. All i knew about gaiman by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Was that in SimCity2000 if you 'ruminate' in the libraries there is a quote from him in there.

  40. support your local comics shop by m@ltese · · Score: 1
    Don't go to a corporate mega-store!


    Find and support your local shop with the Comic Shop Locator Service

    hijinx comics

    --
    to mail me, first remove the evil spam.
  41. Marvel 1602 by mmca · · Score: 1

    Written by Neil Gaiman drawn by Andy Kubert.
    Sets the marvel universe in the year 1602.
    If you enjoy Gaiman's work its worth checking out.
    Here are a couple of pages

  42. Re:fish post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yes, cunt smells like fish. I fingered a girl once, and my hand smelled like fish for 3 days.

  43. Offtopic?!? by l810c · · Score: 1

    Here's a cool new comic...
    Here's a link to buy it.
    I'd love to have a Slashdot effect on My bank account, but I don't post the stories.

  44. www.the-master-list.com by mmca · · Score: 1

    www.the-master-list.com
    is a good resource for finding your local comic shop.

  45. Ugh, typo. by YOU+LIKEWISE+FAIL+IT · · Score: 1

    That first "Desire" should read "Destiny".

    --
    One god, one market, one truth, one consumer.
    1. Re:Ugh, typo. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      sounds like poncey, self-important teenage boy crap

      Then you're in for a surprise :-)

      The myth structure he built around these "Endless" is actually pretty insightful. And the tales are interesting, connecting to a lot of "real" mythology and different parts of cultural heritage. His rendition of Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream" is my favourite. Quite upside down the situation there.

      Sorry, there's no need for Dopey because the much more diverse Delirium is there already.

    2. Re:Ugh, typo. by YOU+LIKEWISE+FAIL+IT · · Score: 1
      Is there a Dopey?

      Dave Sims, of Cerebus fame parodied The Endless as The Clueless. Their ranks included Sulk ( Despair ), Sleaze ( Desire ) and Swoon ( Dream ). There were probably some more. I don't know. I don't read Cerebus.

      --YLFI
      Dee stands for lots of things.

      --
      One god, one market, one truth, one consumer.
  46. Sandman Annual #1 was one of my favs. by Saint+Stephen · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Of course, there are so many poignant comic books, but one of my favorite from the 1985-1990 period was Sandman Annual #1. It came out during the first gulf war.

    The story was about a sultan of Baghdad around 1000 AD, when Baghdad was the absolute pinnacle of civilization, knew the most mathemtatics, and was the most advanced culture in the world. But he saw in the deserts the ruins of Sumeria and Egypt and knew that all great civilizations fail. So he summons Sandman by threatening to break open a glass ball imprisoning 9,999 demons, djinn, and efreeti that Abraham captured -- unless Sandman preserves Baghdad unchanged forever. Sandman agrees, but with the provision that it'll only live on forever in the Dreamworld. The Sultan agrees, and wakes up in the dirty, broken, real-world city that Baghdad has become.

    On the last page, you find out it was all just a story an old man was telling a little boy to keep his spirits up while the Americans are bombing Baghdad during the war, and you see what a wreck the story is, &c. &c. &c. Super-cool story. (BTW, I supported the war and still do, but I still appreciate a good story).

    That and the Animal Man comic where Wile. E. Coyote becomes Jesus Christ and takes on the suffering of the whole cartoon world so that the cartoon animals will stop blowing each other up are two of the many that stand out from that period.

    Around 1990 is when I stopped following comics though.

    1. Re:Sandman Annual #1 was one of my favs. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "On the last page, you find out it was all just a story an old man was telling a little boy to keep his spirits up while the Americans are bombing Baghdad during the war, and you see what a wreck the story is, &c. &c. &c. Super-cool story. (BTW, I supported the war and still do, but I still appreciate a good story)."

      If you support the war, you *must* appreciate a good story...

    2. Re:Sandman Annual #1 was one of my favs. by tapin · · Score: 1
      The story was about a sultan of Baghdad around 1000 AD, when Baghdad was the absolute pinnacle of civilization...

      Sorry about going all Comic Book Guy, but wasn't that Sandman #50, "Ramadan"? I thought the Sandman Special #1 issue was "Orpheus".

      "Ramadan" was actually the first Sandman (maybe second) comic I ever picked up, since at the time I was really into collecting holofoil comics and their ilk. Didn't understand a word of it (hey, at the time I was really into superheroes -- don't even ask about my music tastes). Took me five or six years to come back to it and enjoy it... but of course now I've got pretty much everything Gaiman's written that I can get my hands on.

      (Er... and yeah, yay new Gaiman Sandman.)

    3. Re:Sandman Annual #1 was one of my favs. by The+Grassy+Knoll · · Score: 1

      Somebody mod this up "+1 Funny", please!

      .

      --
      They will never know the simple pleasure of a monkey knife fight
    4. Re:Sandman Annual #1 was one of my favs. by The+Grassy+Knoll · · Score: 1

      Er, I meant the comment from the AC:

      "If you support the war, you *must* appreciate a good story..."

      not the original post...

      Dang slashcode

      .

      --
      They will never know the simple pleasure of a monkey knife fight
    5. Re:Sandman Annual #1 was one of my favs. by fritzomatic · · Score: 1
      On the last page, you find out it was all just a story an old man was telling a little boy to keep his spirits up while the Americans are bombing Baghdad during the war, and you see what a wreck the story is, &c. &c. &c. Super-cool
      Are you sure about that? I thought the storyteller /was/ the Sultan, still alive after about 1200 years. (There was enough chronology to figure out approximately when the deal was made, but I don't remember it now). I base this on the fact that the storyteller and the sultan are drawn alike.
  47. Good comics. by Lemmy+Caution · · Score: 1

    Even better than Lone Wolf and Cub is Osamu Tezuka's "Adolf." All of Tezuka's stuff is worth looking at - a lot of it looks really youngish at first, but then turns out to be anything but.

    Also recommended from the deep-end of the pool: American Splendor (check out the new movie that just came out.)

  48. Other recent Endless work by sixpaw · · Score: 1

    As someone pointed out, The Dream Hunters was released a bit more recently, and while it wasn't by Gaiman himself, Jill Thompson's shojo-style Endless GN (At Death's Door) came out just a month or two ago and is heartily recommended for anyone who enjoyed the original series -- it may not be as deep as much of Gaiman's work, but it's every bit as entertaining and well-written. Bill Willingham has also done various small one-shots, mostly with Merv Pumpkinhead, and of course several other writers have dipped onto the well too (Mike Carey, etc). The Endless book looks fantastic, but I still want to see Gaiman do something with Donna Barr... (Oh, and the man also gave what may be one of the finest award speeches I've ever heard, last year at Worldcon. "Fuck. I just won a Hugo...")

  49. Re:fish post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    first of all, you haven't fingered a girl. if you have, you should have gone to jail for rape. second, wash your hands (or even shower!) more often than once every three days. fucking cretin.

  50. Re:Is Linux a Machination of Satan? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ummm I don't think the Lord of the Flies refers to Satan...

    Wasn't he actually a rotting pig's head on a stake out in a jungle island?

  51. U R TEH GHEIMAN OMG ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It is with great pleasure that I bend over in your general direction.

  52. Re:fish post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He could not wash his hand because his mama yanked his hand out and sent him to his room for three days.

  53. LIberace by pr0nbot · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I dreamt about Liberace last night... is he the Gayman Sandman?

  54. Manara by slim · · Score: 1

    Milo Manara illustrating "Desire"?

    Buy stocks in Kleenex!

  55. Another New Gaiman Project by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    if anyone cares....
    http://www.scifidimensions.com/Jul03/16 02.htm

    ~A~

  56. Don't BFast, Amazon's $2 Cheaper. by bingo_tailspin · · Score: 1

    Seriously, Gaiman rocks. I'm reading American Gods right now and it's very consuming. Sandman, MiracleMan, Neverwhere, etc, he doesn't stop putting out original quality stuff. He's also got a blog http://www.neilgaiman.com. Isn't Amazon always cheaper than bn? The O'Reilly books especially.

  57. Try buying your books online. by glrotate · · Score: 1

    Got my econbooks for nearly half off this semester. Econometrics and IO for $45 each.

  58. A couple of NY area appearances by hcduvall · · Score: 1

    Both with the NY book fair. Most of this info comes from his own site (www.neilgaiman.com), which has one of the most entertaining blogs around.

    At the street festival (early):
    http://www.nyisbookcountry.com/content/f air.asp

    And at an earlier ticketed signing:
    http://www.ticketweb.com/user/?region=ny c&query=sc hedule&venue=equitablecenter

    Sorry to lazy to do more than cut and paste.

  59. I love Gaiman, but I Worship Moore by hcduvall · · Score: 1

    Can't say I liked Road to Perdition- well, visually anyway. But anything by Alan Moore is just as good as Gaiman, he's a great big influence, and he's a magician to boot. Promethea is his most consistent and unique title, though any of his America's Best Comics line are good (Top Ten, Tom Strong, League of Extraordinary Gentleman). A lot of his stuff plays better with a familiarity with superhero comics in general, as they play off those conventions.

    Gaiman related: I think Lucifer is the only offshoot that is well written, though Tim Hunter from Books of Magic is planned to have a restart with either Gaiman at the helm or with a stronger consultant hand.

    And for those who want less socially stigmatized "graphic novels", the stuff that the mainstream press likes more, Chris Ware, Love and Rockets, and quite bit more is around.

    Really, I occasionally tail off because comics are expensive, but theres a lot of good material out there. Gaiman's quality isn't such a lonely thing, just visit any decent sized comic store and ask the hopefully helpful help.

  60. Gaiman songs by Creepy · · Score: 1

    This is not really related to the comic book, but is related to Gaiman - here, I'll make it sorta-like a press release :)

    The Folk Underground, a Minneapolis self described "goth-folk" band has released a couple of songs written by Neil on their new CD Buried Things.

    Lorraine has collaborated with Gaiman in the past with her previous band, the Flash Girls. Here's a link to Gaiman lyrics

    They are currently opening for Puke and Snot at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival (or they opened for Puke and Snot, if you're reading this after Sept 21).

    1. Re:Gaiman songs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      neil just copys everything Alan moore does ten years after he did it

  61. So what IS literature? by Ungrounded+Lightning · · Score: 2, Informative

    ummm, i think you need to look up the definition of literature again...i don't think picture books with some words in balloons quite qualifies as literature.

    Are you claiming it's a different form of storytelling, or are you claiming it's in some way inferior?

    Words + images:
    - Stage plays
    - Film/television
    - "Comic books"/Ilustrated novels

    Seems to me that all have the potential to be great, that all have occasionally realized it.

    But of the three, only the last (plus perhaps the scripts of the other two) might also qualify as "literature" by being rendered entirely in a static printed medium.

    --
    Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
  62. Different authors (like Gene Wolfe) by devphil · · Score: 1
    but I suppose I do sort of long for authors to know when they've reached the end of their time with their characters, when they've reached the best end they're going to find...

    When it's time, say, to contact fellow authors and friends and say, "Here's the story universe, care to have a go?"

    I've never read any of the Sandman series (I'd like to, someday), so I'm not suggesting that it's time for Gaiman to consider such a step. But I don't have to, since he's made the invitation already.

    I've actually read one Sandman short story without knowing it at the time. Later, after I'd heard of the Sandman stories, I happened to reread the short, and noticed "first published in The Sandman: Book of Dreams" on the flyleaf. It was a short by Gene Wolfe -- one of my favorite authors -- and was an interesting retelling of one of his own short stories, from the viewpoint of another (dreaming) character.

    I don't know who else has guest-authored Sandman stories. Clearly Gaiman has good taste in picking them, however.

    --
    You cannot apply a technological solution to a sociological problem. (Edwards' Law)
    1. Re:Different authors (like Gene Wolfe) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Here's where you get a Sandman story ( or rather, a story about one of the Endless, Delirium)
      This is the book that has Sandman stories by other authors like Barbra Hambly, Tad Williams and Colin Greenland.
      Er, I hate being labelled an anonymous coward. I think I better sign in.

  63. sand and fury by MegaFur · · Score: 1
    Am I the only person on Earth who thinks that the whole Sandman series is woefully, outrageously overrated?

    Yes. Well, actually no, there are plenty of other people like you. But I'm not one of them. Besides, even if I were, I'd still like Sandman (see below).

    Why are we still harping on Sandman, all these years later? Have we not yet grown out of our moody, pretentious, "they're graphic novels, goddammit!" Goth phase?

    No, we haven't gotten out of our "Goth phase" because Death is such a hottie! :-)

    She's even super-cali-fragil-expi-alidocious!

    --
    Furry cows moo and decompress.
  64. It's interesting to see... by Tofino · · Score: 1

    So many posters in this thread either misattributing works of Grant Morrison to Gaiman, or simply mentioning Morrison's works as other favourites. Morrison and Gaiman are easily my two favourite writers today, comic or otherwise. If you like one, you'll like the other, but Morrison's style tends to be more abstractly philosophical, and often more disturbing. The three Animal Man graphic novels, which follow Morrison's 26-issue run, would be a good pick for Gaiman fans, though I recommend reading Crisis on Infinite Earths first for full enjoyment. And any in the Invisibiles series are a great choice.

  65. Yeah he picked up where Moore left off... by FreedomOfSpea-MMNnnf · · Score: 1
    Nearly completing the MiracleMan series before bankruptcy and legal fiascos with Todd (the Toddler) McFarlane, stopped him. He recently one the rights to the series in court back from McFarlane.

    Good for Neil. He deserves alot of credit. For me, I couldn't care less about anything being published unless it had an X (as in X-Men not XXX Robot Sailor Schoolgirls) in the title before Sandman came my way. Now my interests are completely changed. I'll read anythng under DC's Vertigo imprint, found Dark Horse to be amazing too (Concrete is especially under-appreciated, though critically recognized/awarded)

    --

    ~~I went to battle M.C. Escher, but drew a blank...~~

  66. I hope his comics are better than his novels. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I read about the first 50 pages of Neverwhere and could only make it through about 10 pages of American Gods. He's a terrible writer. Maybe I wouldn't have thought American Gods was quite as bad if I hadn't just previously read Frankenstein, but his writing felt like that of a highschool student.

  67. Neil Gaiman sleeping with Tori? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Are you sure you aren't thinking of Trent Reznor? Neil Gaiman is friends with Tori, but he is also married. Trent Reznor and Tori, on the other hand, are also friends, and Trent has sex with just about anything that moves.

  68. WTF is right! Re:BFast?? by meltoast · · Score: 1

    I didn't put that link in my original submission. I was considering amazon, but the session ID's in the URL were too cumbersome ... which is why I wrote "where ever you want" with no link!

    --
    if you don't feel better tomorrow, we'll just cut your legs off about here. - Theodoric of York
  69. Re:Is Linux a Machination of Satan? by jcast · · Score: 1

    FYI, Bill Gates supports contraception and abortion with his own money. That makes him even more evil than RMS.

    --
    There are reasons why democracy does not work nearly as well as capitalism.
    -- David D. Friedman