The Sandman, Vol. 1 Review: Preludes & Nocturnes
Neil Gaiman's landmark dark-fantasy epic — a slow start that becomes essential.
By Web Admin
Few comics carry as much mythology around them as The Sandman. Neil Gaiman’s dark-fantasy epic ran for 75 issues from 1989 to 1996, helped launch DC’s mature-readers Vertigo imprint, and became one of the very first comics to land on bestseller lists as a bound book rather than a stack of floppies. It is routinely called one of the greatest comics ever written. So here is the honest, slightly awkward truth about Volume 1, Preludes & Nocturnes: it is the roughest, least representative chunk of the entire saga — and you should read it anyway. This is our full review.
What is The Sandman?
The Sandman is a dark-fantasy series written by Neil Gaiman, with a rotating roster of artists across its run. Its protagonist is Morpheus — also called Dream — the anthropomorphic personification of dreaming and one of the seven Endless, a family of god-like siblings that includes Death, Destiny, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delirium. They are older than gods and outlast them; where gods die when belief fades, the Endless simply are. Volume 1, Preludes & Nocturnes, collects the first eight issues, roughly 240 pages, and typically retails for about US$20 in trade paperback.
The setup is elegant. In 1916, an English occultist attempting to capture and bind Death instead snares her younger brother Dream. Morpheus spends decades imprisoned, naked and silent, while his absence ripples out into the waking world — a “sleepy sickness” and countless smaller catastrophes. When he finally escapes, he is weakened and stripped of his tools of office. Volume 1 is, at its core, a quest: Dream must recover his pouch of sand, his helm, and his ruby to restore his power and his kingdom.
The story: a quest through horror before the fantasy blooms
Here is the thing every longtime reader will tell a newcomer, and it is worth hearing early. Preludes & Nocturnes is more of a straight horror comic than the sprawling literary fantasy the series becomes. Gaiman was a young writer finding the book’s voice in real time, and DC editorial nudged the early issues toward tie-ins with existing horror characters. Dream tangles with John Constantine, descends into Hell to bargain with Lucifer, and confronts a genuinely disturbing villain named Doctor Destiny.
That means the first few issues can feel like a different, darker book — grislier and more tethered to DC continuity than what follows. But the volume also contains the two chapters that made people realize something special was happening. Issue #8, “The Sound of Her Wings,” introduces Dream’s sister Death as a cheerful, kind, black-clad young woman, and it is one of the most beloved single issues in comics history. If the early chapters test your patience, that one pays the whole thing off.
The 24-hour diner: the issue that changes everything
Before “The Sound of Her Wings” comes issue #6, “24 Hours” — and it is a warning as much as a highlight. Doctor Destiny takes over a roadside diner and, using Dream’s stolen ruby, spends a full day slowly warping the minds of the handful of people trapped inside. It is a bottle-episode of escalating psychological and physical horror, genuinely upsetting, and it announced that this book would go places mainstream comics did not. It is also the clearest signal of Gaiman’s ambition: this is horror with a moral weight, not shock for its own sake.
The art: a product of its era
Volume 1’s art, chiefly by Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg with inker Malcolm Jones III, is the other thing readers should set expectations around. It is very much late-1980s horror comics — scratchy, moody, occasionally awkward, and a world away from the more polished, elegant artists (Charles Vess, P. Craig Russell, Marc Hempel) who would define later arcs. It suits the horror tone, and colorist Robbie Busch and letterer Todd Klein (whose distinctive white-on-black caption boxes for Dream became iconic) do a lot to hold it together. But if you are judging the series by its opening pages, you are judging it at its least beautiful.
Content warning: this is a mature book
Be clear that The Sandman is written for adults. Volume 1 includes graphic violence, body horror, disturbing psychological cruelty, and dark sexual content. The “24 Hours” chapter in particular is genuinely hard to read. It is not gratuitous by the standards of horror, but it is not a gift for a child, and squeamish readers should know what they are walking into.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The launchpad for one of comics’ greatest sagas
- “The Sound of Her Wings” is an all-time great issue
- Introduces Morpheus, Death, and the world of the Endless
- Todd Klein’s lettering and the mood are instantly distinctive
Cons
- Tonally rougher and more horror-driven than later volumes
- Early art is dated and uneven
- Some dated DC continuity tie-ins
- Genuinely disturbing in places
Where does Volume 1 rank in the series?
Context helps. Here is a quick map of where Preludes & Nocturnes sits relative to the volumes fans most often single out as the peaks.
| Volume | Issues | Reputation | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes | #1–8 | Rough but essential setup | Meeting Dream & Death |
| Vol. 2: The Doll’s House | #9–16 | Where it clicks | Newcomers who pushed through |
| Vol. 3: Dream Country | #17–20 | Standout one-shots | “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” |
| Vol. 4: Season of Mists | #21–28 | Fan favorite | The Endless as a family |
The common advice — which we endorse — is to read Volume 1 knowing it is a prologue, then read Volume 2 before you decide how you feel about the series. For the full path, see our Sandman reading order. If you love painterly dark fantasy generally, don’t miss our Monstress review.
Which edition should you buy?
You have real choices here. The standard trade paperback of Preludes & Nocturnes runs about US$20 and is the cheapest way in. If you already suspect you’ll love it, the oversized Absolute Sandman hardcovers and the color-remastered omnibus editions are stunning objects, though they run US$75–150 each. There are also black-and-white “Gallery Edition” style printings for art purists. For a first read, the standard paperback is the right call — buy the fancy editions once you’re hooked.
AmazonCheck price on AmazonIs it a good first comic?
For the right reader, yes — but with an asterisk. If you already love dark fantasy, mythology, or literary horror (think fans of Gaiman’s prose novels, or of shows like Hannibal), you’ll forgive the rough patches. If you’re brand new to comics and easily put off, we’d point you to gentler on-ramps first; browse our best comics for beginners or the broader best graphic novels list, then come back for Dream when you’re ready to commit to a long, rewarding saga.
The verdict
Judged in isolation, Preludes & Nocturnes is a good-not-great horror comic with a dated look and a few genuinely great chapters. Judged as what it actually is — the opening movement of a symphony that becomes one of the finest works the medium has produced — it is essential. Go in with patience and the right expectations: this is a slow start that soars. Read Volume 1, then read Volume 2, and you’ll understand why people never stop talking about this book.
Frequently asked questions
Does The Sandman get better after Volume 1?
Yes, dramatically. Most fans agree the series truly finds itself in Volume 2, The Doll’s House, and reaches its heights in later arcs like Season of Mists and Brief Lives. Volume 1 is best understood as an uneven but necessary prologue.
Do I need to know DC Comics to read it?
Not really. Volume 1 has a few tie-ins to DC characters like John Constantine and cameos from the DC universe, but the series quickly becomes its own self-contained mythology. No prior reading is required.
How many volumes of The Sandman are there?
The core series runs to ten collected volumes covering the original 75 issues, plus The Sandman: Overture prequel and various spin-offs. Volume 1 is the starting point for the main story.
Is the comic different from the Netflix show?
The 2022 Netflix adaptation follows the broad strokes of the early volumes but changes and updates many details. The comic is the original and richer text; reading it deepens the show considerably.
Ready to keep going? Map out the full run with our Sandman reading order, or see where it lands among the classics in our best graphic novels list.
