This is my first graphic novel. I am reading it as part of a book exchange with my boyfriend. I am very nervous about understanding everything since I am not used to all the pictures. Just looking through it has me a little overwhelmed, but I am going to jump in and try today....................................................................................
It's been a while since I finished a book in a day (since DH, I think), and I don't know that I've ever done it in a workday. BUT, the graphic novel thing turned out to be a little easier than I anticipated. So, I read the first book in The Sandman series today, and my first thought is that I am definitely putting an extra label in for this one: horror!
The basic premise of the story is that the Sandman, Dream, has been imprisoned for almost a century before he is accidentally released to seek revenge. The revenge is quick though (over on page 52), and the real horror doesn't really come into play until Dream decides he needs to reclaim his lost objects of power: a pouch of sand, his mask, and a ruby.
In order to reclaim his pouch, he needs to venture into the realm of traditional superheroes. This left me cold because I'm really unfamiliar with the traditional DC stuff. However the death of Constantine's beau Rachel was moving and disturbing despite the fact that I have no idea who either character is outside the story. The drawings are pretty incredible though. I was fairly disgusted by the half dead woman living off of dreams. I certainly understand the image of the addict; hits a little too close to home perhaps.
Dream ventures into Hell to reclaim his mask from a demon in the service of Beelzebub. I enjoyed this chapter(?) because it smacked of Dante and other classic works I've read. In fact, the battle between Dream and Choronzon was quite a bit like T.H. White's battle between Merlin and Madam Mim. The object of the game is to change yourself into a creature that can defeat the opponent's creature, but in this case they just drew the creatures. The battle quickly turns cosmic though, and Dream eventually turns himself into hope and defeats Choronzon's absence of being/absolute destruction.
Dr. Dee or Dr. Destiny's appearance at the end of the book was one of the more disturbing things I've ever read. I really don't know whether or not this character is a DC frequent or not, but he was extremely psychotic. His character is one that changes from pitiable to repulsive so quickly my head spins. In any case, he has obtained Dream's ruby and is ready to use it for world domination, but he enjoys the horrific effects so much that he decides to simply wallow in the destruction rather than rule the world. The chapter (?) "24 Hours" was such that my stomach churned thorughout the reading. It made me glad that I am not truly crazy. Perhaps this is a function of true villians: to draw the lines between eccentricity and genuine madness. Dream's true nobility shows when he gains the upper hand and decides to return Dr. Dee to the asylum rather than kill him slowly as I would have.
Overall, the plot was simple to follow and I enjoyed reading it, if one can enjoy things that make you feel genuinely ill. I'm not sure I'll put it in the classroom library, but I would recommend it to others interested in trying out a graphic novel for a change of pace.
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