The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes, a Neil Gaiman Masterpiece

Neil Gaiman moves through men's dreams in the opening of one of the most important stories ever told in comic books. Gaiman is known for being a popular American novelist, like the work "American Gods," but he began with the Sandman series published by DC Comics.

The story opens in 1916, with one Dr. Hathaway going to meet an odd mistake named Mr. Burgess. Burgess is called the "Daemon King" by the peers. The Daemon King uses Dr. Hathaway, and by 1920 the doctor kills himself, leaving a note detailing evils he did with Daemon. Unfortunately, there is not enough evidence to arrest the mystic.

The problem, and the early catalyst of the story, occurs when a deadly case called "Sleepy Sickness" spreads. People go to sleep and never wake up.

"They lived their lives like Sleepwalkers. Eating if fed, sometimes talking nonsense, dream stuff..."

Wesley Doddds is the classic Sandman hero, who battled criminals at night and leaves sprinkles of sand on them.

The modern Sandman, the creature brought out and spoken of, leaves, ands the dreams so many people seem stuck in. Morpheus ruled Dreamworld, and her is returning to it. Two men, Cain and Able, believe he will note the changes in Dreamworld-like the fact the gates of Ivory and Ives no longer have a guard.

Morpheus finds much of Dreamworld changed and, since it was his creation, he sees these differences immediately.

"The Dreamworld, the Dreamtime, the Unconcious-call it what you will-is as much part of me as I part of it," says Morpheus.

Morpheus runs into a classic character of comic books, so famous he had a movie based on his character-a bloke named John Constantine. The British cancer patient appears because he possesses the Sandman's magical pouch-a pouch he found in a garage sale.

It begins like a quest, but the use of multiple points of view and characters could be called "pure storytelling," because Gaiman is not afraid to work anything in. There is sex, death, clichés, even odd humor finds its way into the prose.

The quest for the lost possessions of Morpheus, the Sandman, control this story. First, Dream AKA Morpheus regains his magical pouch, then a ruby, and all in fantasy tradition.

Gaiman combines forms of dreams, madness, sex, poetry, music, and disturbing imagery to work Sandman into a true graphic novel of merit. It may not have the touch of Alan Moore's "Watchmen" or Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns," but the story can compete with anything on the market at this time.