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Sandman Companion (Hardcover)

by Hy Bender (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
RRP: £13.99
Price: £10.73 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Frequently Bought Together

Sandman Companion + The Sandman Papers + Neil Gaiman's the Sandman and Joseph Campbell: In Search of the Modern Myth
Price For All Three: £38.99

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Titan Books Ltd (Aug 2000)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1840231505
  • ISBN-13: 978-1840231502
  • Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 16 x 2.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 347,859 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

Ever the victim of the Literary Establishment's arrogant snorts, comic books would not silence the critics until works like Sandman showcased the true potential of the medium. The only comic to win a major literary award, the story of Neil Gaiman's 2,000-page opus was always going to be a fascinating one, as the ethereal realms of the King of Dreams spawned some extraordinary human dramas. Sandman's one immutable triumph was Gaiman's expert fabrication of tales rich in myth, magic and mysticism, all drawn from eminent literary influences (Shakespeare, Roger Zelazny), yet occurring just a stone's throw from the superhero antics of the DC Universe. With The Sandman Companion,author Hy Bender explores the genesis of Gaiman's modern fairytale, dissecting all 10 volumes of the series and offering concise analysis of the series and its vivid elements. Yet, while Sandman cries out for serious critical examination, Bender does the sensible thing and leaves that to Gaiman himself (extensively interviewed here) -who does not disappoint with his insightful candour. Phenomenally well read, Gaiman is acutely aware that words are much underrated in an image-dominated medium, and whose concerted effort for the stories to beat the forefront was the series backbone- though successfully aided by vividly eclectic art styles. Strong, memorable characters were forged from brilliantly simple twists of logic, such as his sexy Goth chick incarnation of Death: "[Death] has been doing her job for a long, long time, and she's very skilled at it, so I figured why can't she be nice about it?" There is a fine balance between stuffy academic insights and cloying fan-boy enthusiasm, with Bender producing a tome that cannot fail to enhance your enjoyment of this acclaimed series. While some may cry for more depth, this has hardly been a wasted opportunity, with Bender allowing Gaiman to provide an excellent record of one of Comicdom's greatest triumphs. Danny Graydon


Product Description

Finally, what Sandman fans have been waiting for - the most comprehensive work ever on Neil Gaiman's masterpiece series. This entertaining read will appeal to both long-time fans as well as being accessible and welcoming to the newcomer. A chapter is devoted to each of the 10 volumes in the saga, with plot summary and extensive interview material with the creators. There is also full analysis of the major characters and evolving themes of the series plus full creator credits, Sandman related story details, and CDs, articles, books and websites that carry Sandman information.

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Sandman Companion
58% buy the item featured on this page:
Sandman Companion 4.4 out of 5 stars (5)
£10.73
The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes (The Sandman)
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The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes (The Sandman) 4.2 out of 5 stars (28)
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The Sandman: Dream Country
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The Sandman, The: Season of Mists
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The Sandman, The: Season of Mists 4.3 out of 5 stars (7)
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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars You thought you got it? Think again..., 7 Jun 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: The Sandman Companion (Hardcover)
I'll admit that there was a certain amount of trepidation involved in this, my first ever Amazon purchase.

The Sandman is one of those affairs that people tend to take to their hearts and, in the same way that deconstructing poems can destroy the illusion, I worried that applying the formaldehyde and pinning the Sandman's wings to the board might destroy the butterfly. In this, I'll put my hands up. I was wrong.

It was fascinating to learn how much had passed me by. The main thing that has come out of reading this highly readable (bed, bath & train) companion volume was that I am looking forward to going back to the original books again. Hy Bender's work throws light into corners I hadn't even realised were dusty! The wealth of allusion, in-jokes and references was always apparent to anyone but the most casual reader, (did the Sandman have any casual readers?) but a myriad of new references lay undiscovered until now. Gaiman comes across as a mixture of fanboy, technician and always artist but what was more interesting to me was his sense of humour.

Buy it, read it and go back to the originals. You thought you knew what happened. Now look again; the dream has changed beyond recognition...

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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Overrated, but good nonetheless, 12 Mar 2004
By J. Kelly - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
This review is from: The "Sandman" Companion (Paperback)
Bender's "Companion" is not so much a companion as I was led to believe it was; the general vibe seemed to suggest it would take you through the grand arc of "The Sandman" graphic novels, pointing out interesting little tidbits of information here and there which would provide a deeper understanding of just what Gaiman has done.

This it did not do. Bender, instead, conducted numerous interviews with Gaiman on each story arc. While Gaiman does himself provide the odd tidbit, the focus is more on the gestation of the stories and how Gaiman transfered them from his rather dark mind and onto the page. Which is fascinating, of course.

The main problem I have, though, is that there is not enough of Gaiman in this book. Since it's Gaiman who produces all the interesting information, 'why' I ask myself 'must Bender devote so many pages to her own description of the stories?' After all, there is probably one person on this planet who read this book before reading the graphic novels themselves, so we all know the plots. Equally, most of us will have noticed what Bender describes as 'Some things worth noticing'; almost everything she points out will be immediately obvious to a careful reader.

However, I would still recommend a Sandman fan buy this book, since Gaiman's interviews are fascinating reading, as is his account of how he got into comics and how he wound up revamping "The Sandman" in the first place.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic informative book, 9 Jan 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: The "Sandman" Companion (Paperback)
A truly essential book for all sandman fans. Informative, well written, and imaginative. This book takes you through Gaimans ideas the whole way through the series. Not enough information on the artists, but some wonderful previously unrevealed pictures. Plus a picture of the li'l Endless!!!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Stuff
I thought this was a great book. It essentially looks at each collection in turn, with Hy Bender describing the story arc and 'Some Things Worth Noticing' and then he lets Neil... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Rob

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for those who want to know more about Morpheus...
At first I was considering whether or not to get this book - after all, so many 'Companions' are out there now for this and that, most of them drull 'facts' which you can already... Read more
Published on 11 Dec 2000

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