The Sandman universe is a master-creation following Dream, also known as Morpheus, lord of the Dreaming -- a vast, hallucinatory landscape that houses all the dreams of any and everyone who has ever existed. Gods, demons, mortals, and everything in between. All dreamers visit the Dreaming and have an opportunity to teach Morpheus some surprising lessons. Then, proceed to finish the original series (Vol. 1-10). Read Endless Nights after reading the original series. DO NOT start with Overture. Although it is a prequel, it should be read after the original series and Endless Nights. The Dream Hunters is an illustrated prose novella and has also been adapted into a graphic novel by P. Craig Russell. The Death volume collects two spin-off miniseries; The Cost of Living and The Time of Your Life and repeats other stories from the main series. Neil Gaiman is the New York Timesbestselling author of the Newbery Medal-winning The Graveyard Bookand Coraline, the basis for the hit movie. His other books include Anansi Boys, Neverwhere, American Gods,and Stardust,(winner of the American Library Association's Alex Award as one of 2000's top novels for young adults) as well as the short story collections M Is for Magic and Smoke and Mirrors. He is also the author of The Wolves in the Wallsand The Day I Traded My Dad for Two Goldfish, both written for children. Among his many awards are the Eisner, the Hugo, the Nebula, the World Fantasy, and the Bram Stoker. Originally from England, he now lives in the United States.

Absolute Editions: The main series is covered in Volumes 1-4. Vol. 5 contains Endless Nights, Dream Hunters (prose and comic), and Midnight Theatre. Absolute Overture has the most gorgeous art you will ever see in a comic book. Absolute Death presents the two Death miniseries and other Death stories already covered in Vol. 1-5 along with an extensive art gallery.

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Pros: Definitive collectors editions - Huge slipcased volumes with leather-like cover and sewn binding, a ribbon bookmark, and lots of bonus content Weaving together ancient mythology, folklore, and fairy tales with his own distinct narrative vision, Gaiman created an unforgettable tale of the forces that exist beyond life and death.

Volume 1 Preludes and Nocturnes: This is where Neil recommends starting. This volume is comparatively weaker than later volumes as Neil was still trying to find his place in the DC universe while setting up major events to come. The iconic series THE SANDMAN from New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman collected in a beautiful slipcased box set! DC understandably wanted to keep the details of the set’s final piece — a new Gaiman story set in the world of Dream — under close wraps, but Polygon can share this much without spoiling things for anyone interested in the set:

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Sandman literally brought me to tears at several points. If you only ever read one comic in your life...this is the one. It's about dreams and stories, and the perpetual power those things hold over us.