Sandman: The Dream Hunters by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Hunter
Vertigo, DC Comics, New York, 2009
Borrowed from the library.
For the tenth anniversary of the Sandman series Neil Gaiman, with help from Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano, wrote a tale combining the mythology of Morpheus with elements of Japanese myth and folktales. The story worked so well that readers and critics believed the story was ancient.
Now P. Craig Russell has used his artistry to produce the story in graphic form.
A young monk lives by himself in a small temple. A fox and a badger make a wager. Who ever can drive the monk from his home will call the place their own. So begins this story of magic, demons and a love that was never meant to be.
Russell’s artwork is a perfect match for this story, beautifully drawn and inked. I was brought back into the world of the Dream King in a way I never expected. Now I really have to dig out my original Sandman comics and read through them again. Highly recommended for adult readers.
Page247 
I really need to get moving on my graphic novel challenge, and this one looks incredible. I’m off to see if my library has it!
Sandy – Definitely give The Dream Hunters a try!
I got this for Christmas and have been delaying gratification on reading it. I wasn’t wild about the original story, but I feel everything is better when P. Craig Russell illustrates. :P
I was not really familiar with Russell before I read these, even though he has illustrated Gaiman’s work before. Now I want to find all his stuff. His artwork is stunning.
I read the original, with its lovely water-colour illustrations and based on the scans, I think I prefer that! It’s the only Sandman book I’ve wholeheartedly loved.
Eva – I have not read the original but am hoping the library has it. I love Sandman, even though there are parts of the series that are quite disturbing. I think it is because a dear friend gave it to me as a reintroduction to comic books as an adult.
I loved this one. It’s just such a great story, and I loved the illustrations as well.
Fence – Thanks for your comment! Now I want to find the original Dream Hunters so I can see Amano’s artwork.