The Annotated Sandman was just too tempting to pass up, especially with gift cards warming up my pocket.Leslie Klinger edited The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, so he was a good choice for this volume, which contains the first 20 issues of Sandman. The volume is chock full of copius same-page annotations covering historical facts, bits from the original scripts which never made it onto the page, and information from Gaiman himself. It's good stuff.
CAVEAT EMPTOR: This volume is entirely in black & white. That is not mentioned ANYWHERE in the solicitations, or the ads, or on the cover of the cellophane-wrapped book itself. Frankly, that's unacceptable, and border-line dishonest, and DC/Vertigo should be roundly smacked for not disclosing that fact ahead of time. Shame on you guys. It's not a deal-breaker for me, but a buyer shouldn't be surprised like that when they get home and take off the plastic. So if color is important to you, or you were planning on making this four-volume set your primary Sandman collection, this might not be for you.
You can click on the links above to buy it online, and you'll get it for only $30 and I'll get a couple of shekels. But really, you should get it at your local comics shoppe (assuming they have it, of course), as I did. It will cost a little more, but they deserve your business when possible.
I remember this run from eons ago when I was at college. Since this has entered comics' literary canon, would you recommend this on its own or as a companion to a color omnibus of Sandman?
ReplyDeleteStephen--I would say as a companion, because a) I like color and b) it's a pretty large book--12"x12"--which can make it a tad bit unweildy & uncomfortable for long reads. But your mileage may vary, and if color isn't an issue, or you can't afford two formats of the same series, this is a good choice--considerably cheaper than Absolute Sandman Vol 1 for two more issues.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice. I have to read this eventually.
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