Neil Gaiman - Comics Prodigy or Over-rated?

My first contact with Gaiman was Sandman, ~27 years ago. I was reading a lot about occultism back then, and, naturally, a comic with a Crowley-like magus using ritual magic to imprison the God of Dreams for 100 years was a must-read!

Sandman

Slowly, issue after issue, a huge mythology unfolded in the pages of Sandman. Seven ancient powerful beings (Dream, Delirium, Destiny, Death, Despair, Desire, Destruction) are affecting the world (rather, the universe) according to each one’s qualities. The series follows Dream (or Morpheus) through numerous events through time and in several historical and fantasy realms; there are stories inspired by the Arabian Nights, by Shakespear’s plays, by crime thrillers & film-noirs, of tortured artists, in ancient Greece & in necropolises of distant realities, and many other themes.

Gaiman takes many existing stories and blends them with his own original work in a cosmology of great scale. It is very interesting and unique to see the world(s) through the eyes of such powerful creatures as the Seven Endless Ones, and the experiences of their sidekicks. Recurring characters & antagonists are introduced, and gradually their role in the big picture becomes evident. When the interaction between the characters starts to become critical, the reader has developed feelings for most of them, and sympathizes with their sentiments.

The end of the series is monumental, and is considered one of the most important close-ups in the industry. I will not spoil anything here, let’s just say that I consider the final story-arc, ”The Kindly Ones” one of the best arcs I’ve ever read in comics.

Reading through the series evokes a dreamy feeling to the reader, as transitions are fluid, the dialogue is full of lyricism and characters act like they serve a higher purpose, like being bind by an unspoken contract to the highest authorities. Everything comes in a very natural way though, and not once did I feel like someone acted out-of-character.

A plethora of artists worked on Sandman (Michael Zulli, Mike Dringenberg, Jill Thompson, etc), each one giving a different art style, according to the theme of each story-arc. Special mention should go to Dave McKean for designing the cover of each issue, definitely setting the dreamy tone for the whole series; I was lucky enough to meet him in a recent comic-con and have him sign my first and last issues of Sandman.

My copy sketched & signed by Mr Dave McKean

Sandman was published by DC/Vertigo, 1989-1996; there are several collected editions and a 2-volume omnibus. There were numerous mini-series & spinoffs with the other Endless Ones, especially Death was a very popular character. Also, there were several anniversary issues, short novels, art collections, etc.

Books of Magic

During the Sandman run, Gaiman had the momentum of a highly-acclaimed writer, and everything he touched turned to gold. Books of Magic was an excellent story nonetheless, a 4-issues mini series, published by DC/Vertigo in 1990. It is about a boy, Tim, that is destined to become the greatest magician ever (not the one from Monty Python’s Holy Grail lol).

When his destiny is revealed, it draws the attention of several parties. Some of the occult-oriented characters of DC Universe appear in the pages of the Books, and interact with the young magician, including John Constantine (of Hellblazer fame), Phantom Stranger, Mr E and others.

Much like Dicken’s Christmas Carol, in each issue a main character acts like a guide to Tim and introduces him to persons, events and locales that are important to that fictional universe. Tim visits places like the Faerie of Midsummer Night’s Dream, old Camelot, and even Hell.

Gaiman uses some of the themes he introduced in Sandman to give more consistency to his story, as these places and events of the DC Universe are already known to readers, and are already well-fleshed out. Tim’s journey is the initiation of an apprentice into the ways of magic, as the boy gradually realizes whether he will join the side of Good or Evil, or if he will abandon this new world and return to a mundane existence with no magic at all.

It is a great read, full of references, easter eggs, and remakes of old DC characters. It was welcomed well and had a big success, so returned as an ongoing comic series detailing the adventures of the mage Tim Hunter that lasted for 75 issues.

Other works

Gaiman has a rich bibliography in comics, I’ll mention those I have read:

• One Life, sort of self-biography with a focus on the writer’s love for Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melnibone. Only interesting for a niche audience, the fans of Elric; all the rest must be totally indifferent about this comic. Feels more like something Gaiman did for his own self, rather than a work for publication.
• Several one-shots and extras set in the DC Universe, as well as rewrites of some forgotten DC characters. Nothing special, just Gaiman monetizing his success with Sandman, in my opinion. Some of them were announced and cancelled before publication.
• Endless Nights, 2004, a mini-series of 7 stories, one for each of the Endless ones. Gaiman feels at home in his Sandman universe and tells 7 good stories, with radically different art and layout styles (the Delirium issue is eye-candy!). It is a good read, with great reviews, but as I read it I could not help feeling that I taste stale food, in a way that I could not exactly explain.

• 1602 by Marvel. Gaiman gathers all the popular super-heros of the Marvel Universe (the Fantastic 4, Spider-man, the X-Men, Daredevil, Nick Fury, blah blah blah) and sets them in the year 1602 to face Dr Doom and Magneto, in the newly discovered New World! Sorry, but… what? As if there was not enough of those costumed people, and their reboots, now we have to see them in renaissance attire!? I wish I had not spent my time reading another of Gaiman’s attempts to re-use what was successful with Sandman with anything that comes up in his mail-box.
• American Gods and Good Omens, while not comics, should be mentioned here, too. Two mediocre novels, with peculiar climaxes, that I can’t remember details about; well, perhaps, there was nothing special to remember… except Terry Pratchet’s obvious contributions in Good Omens.

Final Words

I greatly enjoyed the Sandman series, I honestly believe that it was a milestone in comics, second only to Watchmen by the grand-master, his royal highness, Mr Alan Moore (I’ll write about him in a future post if I can).

But that’s all. In my opinion, Gaiman should try different things instead of repeating the success- story of Sandman. As a story-teller, your stories should inspire and influence the readers, and open new doorways to them; you have to keep progressing with innovative styles and themes, to talk about modern issues and concepts seen from unique perspectives. That’s what will ensure you are distinct from all the rest; and when there is nothing new to tell or use, try something completely different.

What do you think about Neil Gaiman, and about the storytellers role?