The Sandman: Endless Nights

Title: The Sandman: Endless Nights (2003)   
Author: Neil Gaiman   
Publisher: Vertigo  //  DC Comics

Book jacket: A collection of seven graphic stories that feature the character known as "The Sandman" who rules over humans as they sleep.

Joe says: The Sandman: Endless Nights is an extremely uneven collection in both story and art. A mostly forgettable graphic novel targeted towards series completists.

The Sandman: Endless Nights is an extremely uneven collection in both story and art. Seeing as how Neil Gaiman, who created both Sandman and his brethren the Endless, wrote all seven chapters, this can be frustratingly odd, as Gaiman usually brings his A-game. However, one can look at this collection with the thought that perhaps he and his artistic collaborators were simply in the mood for exploration. Sometimes this direction can be a grand experiment. Other times? You simply get lost.

An extremely uneven collection both in story and art.

The Sandman: Endless Nights contains seven chapters, each depicting a tale that spotlights a member of the eternal Endless. At least that’s the concept, even if not fully demonstrated. “Fifteen Portraits of Despair” is exactly that, fifteen vignettes of purely human woe presented, with what we’ll call art, by Barron Storey. “On the Peninsula” focuses on two archaeologists, as well as Delirium, but not as much of the lone brother, Destruction, whose name graces the chapter page. However, the concluding story, featuring Destiny, does indeed prominently show the character… as he walks through his garden.

The other four tales are all much more in line with both the characters and the prose expected by Gaiman, and all with beautiful art. A tale of Death is gorgeously rendered by Sandman-fave P. Craig Russell. And Italian artist Milo Manara jumps in to draw a tale of Desire. The highlight of the collection is easily Delirium’s “Going Inside” as Bill Sienkiewicz’s mixed-media renderings are a fantastic call back to his early Marvel work.

Endless Nights was published in 2003, is a mostly forgettable graphic novel. Although mostly targeted towards series completists, this novel is completely accessible for all of Gaiman’s impressive fanbase as he delves into the realms of fantasy and history, science-fiction and horror, and, of course, dreams. Gaiman’s publication library, however, certainly contains other top-shelf reads for the promotion of a good night’s sleep. Endless or not.