Graphic Novel, 234 pagesI tried and tried and tried to read The Scarlet Letter. I really did. But, try as I might, I just could not get into it. I know that it is an important piece of classic literature, but the whole time I tried to read it, I kept thinking, "Man, I am SO glad I didn't have to read this thing in high school." So, since I didn't have to read it, it is on the back burner for now, and I decided to read something almost instantly gratifying: The Sandman volume 1: Preludes & Nocturnes.
The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes is the story of the capture of the Dream King, Morpheus, by a dabbler in the occult. This dabbler promises that he will free Morpheus from his glass prison if he is granted power and immortality. Morpheus refuses and bides his time until he can exact his revenge.
After 70 years of imprisonment, Morpheus gets his chance. He is free but greatly weakened, and battles his way back to his kingdom. When he arrives, he sees that it is in ruin. Morpheus is so weak that he can't repair the damage to his home. His quest throughout this graphic novel is to find his three lost artifacts, imbued with the power of Morpheus' soul and stolen at the time of his imprisonment. This quest leads him through the human world, into Hell and a contest with a demon and then to the doorstep of the Justice League (looking as though they were slightly gone to seed).
After the exciting battle to obtain the final artifact from a deranged addict, who has been tinkering with and usurping the Dream King's power, Morpheus gives in to the melancholy that comes after a big emotional climax. His sister, Death, comes to him as he mopes in the human world, and he goes with her as she does her work for the day. In watching his sister work, Morpheus feels a renewed sense of worth and sets out to rebuild his kingdom.
This was the start of a graphic novel series that I wanted to read ever since I heard Tori Amos' song lyric "Me and Neil'll be hangin' out with the dream king" (from Tear in Your Hand on Little Earthquakes). I was not disappointed. Gaiman takes what could be morbid characters (like Death) and makes them, while still morbid, like able. He shows Lucifer as the beautiful fallen angel that he was, but his demonic minions and co-rulers of Hell are just as creepy as you would imagine them to be. The effects when mortals become addicted to the power of the Dream King are disastrous, and even although Morpheus has the capacity for great evil and nightmares, he rarely uses it, and never on the undeserving. In addition to his quest to retrieve his stolen power, he just wants to set right the wrongs created by mortals.
This was quite a quick read, and I will probably read the remaining 10 volumes in the series, just for my own enjoyment. It was surprising to me how easily I got wrapped up not only in the artwork, but primarily in the story. When I got to the end last night, my only thought was, "Wait, that's it? I want to read more!" If you aren't used to graphic novels, this might be a good one for you to start with. The pop culture references to Morpheus, the Sandman, the King of Dreams are everywhere today. I feel like now that I have become the tiniest bit familiar with these characters, I understand new facets of some of my favorite songs and movies (like the aforementioned Tori Amos song). Based on that fact alone, I would have to rank this a 5 out of 5.
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