Review: Absolute Sandman, Vol. 3

Posted by james m. toburen in Graphic Novel

The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 3 will be the third in what is beginning to feel like my own personal death march through the Absolute Sandman volumes. As I have mentioned in my earlier reviews, the build quality is unparalleled. These will not just be the nicest looking comics on your shelves; the Absolute Sandman Volumes will be four of the finest books on your shelf, period. I have all four volumes now, and the standard to which they were crafted has been maintained across the entire collection. If you are interested in owning Sandman, there is no reason to choose something other than these volumes. The next topic I’ll cover is the bonus features: like the second volume, expect a lot of paintings and drawings of the Endless, this time with much less focus on Death and Dream. The other high point is the script, complete with rough thumbnails, that Neil Gaiman wrote for Ramadan. Still not as impressive as the extras for Volume 1, but what can you do? Volume 1 set the bar high, indeed.

This volume can be roughly broken up into two halves. The first is devoted to the “Brief Lives” storyline, and it is a powerful tale, following Dream and Delirium in their quest to discover the whereabouts of their lost brother. This sequence gives us another chance to meet the Endless, all seven members this time, and several of the siblings who had been glossed over in previous episodes finally get a chance to shine. I quite liked the time spent with Delirium, and most especially Despair, who has had little to contribute to Sandman up until this point. This storyline ends on a stunning note, although those familiar with Neil Gaiman’s style of narrative will not be surprised. After the conclusion of the “Brief Lives” storyline comes the highly celebrated fiftieth issue, “Ramadan,” telling the story of a king of mythical Baghdad and his bargain with the Lord of Dreams; P. Craig Russell’s art for this issue is absolutely gorgeous, some of the very best in the entirety of Sandman.

The “World’s End” sequence occupies the rest of the volume, a segment that has very little in the way of immediate ties to Dream and the other Endless, although there is strong foreshadowing of monumental events to come. Instead, “World’s End” is a meditation on the tradition of storytelling. At the Inn of World’s End, a series of tales is told by lost travelers from all parts of the universe. This storyline reveals the power that myths carry, enough power to change even the storyteller. When one of the people trapped in the inn asks why they are telling stories to pass the time, the reply is, “Isolated travellers exchange tales, to keep the dark at bay.” As you read the final issues of this volume, the story of “World’s End,” stories of storytellers, stories telling stories about storytellers telling stories (that makes sense, I promise), take a moment to reflect on the stories you have have been told and the stories you will someday tell; perhaps, all of them will be a little bit richer, and the darkness outside a little bit less fearsome.

Plot: 9
Characters: 9
Action: 8.5
Writing: 9.5
Art: 9

Overall (not an average): 9/10