Neil Gaiman
Sandman

When flipping through a volume of The Sandman for the first time, every reader experiences mixed feelings. The graphics are quite different from those of any other American comic book, as the drawings are often rendered with watercolors rather than traditional methods. Each panel could be framed and constitute a painting of great beauty. For those approaching this magnificent work as a novice, the story may seem a bit convoluted: there are deities, fantastic creatures, terrifying monsters, all somehow mixed into the real world, among humans, and there is a reason for that. But let's proceed in order.

The protagonist is Dream of the Endless, who, as the name suggests, is the dream deity of the night, known by various names and pseudonyms depending on the culture in which he is known and revered (or feared). A member of the family of the Endless, which also includes Destiny, Desire and Despair (twins with diametrically opposite appearances and characters), Destruction, Delirium (formerly Delight), and the most successful and beloved character of the series: Death. Each of these is impeccably characterized, both behaviorally, physically, and characteristically. The Endless, embodying deities and aspects of life known since the world's beginnings, carry with them the legacy of legends, traditions, and ideologies of the various cultures in which they have existed and been worshiped; for example, Destiny, the eldest of all, always carries with him a huge book in which past and future events are written.

The Sandman is a series published by DC comics from 1989 to 1996, and reprinted multiple times due to the great reception it received from the American public. Neil Gaiman is the brilliant author of this work, writer of the script and illustrator of the initial sketches of the various characters. The artists of the work are more than one, starting with the great Kieth, through Dringenberg (creator and designer of Death's graphic figure), and many others, all highly appreciated within the DC universe. Those who know Gaiman also as an author of fantasy stories have already had a chance to appreciate the writer's genius in characterizing the characters, giving them a rich background that is often referenced, and a character detailed in the minutest details. The dialogues are not extremely smooth and often require a second reading to grasp those small nuances scattered by the author that enrich every single passage of the intricate plot with details.

It is really difficult to identify a plot that defines the events according to a single narrative line. What the reader witnesses is the protagonist's interaction with various moral dilemmas, which will lead to his ethical growth, story by story. We notice, for instance, that Morpheus is initially easy prey to resentment, while later in the narrative, he has understood how this feeling can obscure his judgment.

Besides entertaining with a narrative that keeps the reader glued to the pages, one can also derive a series of lessons from the characters' choices. It is a work that deserves far greater visibility than it currently has, especially in Italy. Fantasy genre lovers find it one of the most complete, from the point of view of the story, characters, and drawings. Those who do not love this genre may still appreciate it for the author's brilliance.

I thank everyone for kindly spending their time reading my review, and I suggest you try personally to plunge yourself into an experience that will surely leave you with a lot.