Field Of Dreams

Neil Gaiman's The Sandman: Comics in the Field of Dreams


How would you feel about life if your sibling was Death?

If the King of Dreams stood before you, how would he look like?

What would happen if the King of Dreams went away?

Where do Dreams go when people wake up?

Such are the questions asked and answered in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman.

Published by Vertigo Comics, The Sandman ended its series run in 1996, but the stories woven by Neil Gaiman are still up and about in the form of trade paperbacks, 10 volumes in total. The Sandman ran as Vertigo Comics' flagship title from 1988 until 1996, and in no way did the series end due to poor sales figures. The author simply wanted it so. It truly is a comic book in the field of dreams.

Hailed to be THE bestselling fantasy novel writer, Neil Gaiman "springboarded" his reputation as a writer with the Sandman series, showcasing his ability to weave allegoric characters, casually shifting from the surreal to physical reality in his stories. Such skill was used in weaving The Sandman, as by the time the series ended, it had brought about maturity in comic books to a different level, paving the way for other geniuses in the field of comics.

In this particular field of dreams, seven siblings, referred to as "The Endless", personify the abstract concepts of Destiny, Death, Destruction, Dream, Desire, Despair and Delirium. Their stories bring readers into a realm of wonder and awe, answering questions like; if death had a face, how would it look like? Or; If desire were a person, what would his/her/its gender be?

The sandman primarily focuses on Dream, at times called Morpheus in the story, The King of Dreams. His trials and tribulations center the core simple story goal of the Sandman, which is supported by an array of characters who are no less relevant to the story, as a whole. The story deals with the various aspects of Dreams, as well as personifies characters the world has become quite familiar with, like Lucifer the Morning Star, Abel and Cain, even a particular field of dreams is personified in the story.

As an all star lineup of European and American artists came bringing this field of dreams into reality, The Sandman took a different route from "regular" comic books where a regular illustrator took upon the task of drawing Gaiman's characters.

Artists Sam Kieth, who co-created the series, Collen Doran, Marc Hempel, Kelly Jones, Mike Dringenberg, and Michael Zulli shared their talents in forming the Sandman, as well as Dave McKean, who painted the Sandman's 75 issues' covers.

Be you a comic book fan or not, The Sandman would definitely bring you into a field of dreams, opening your world to that of dreams.