Book: Preludes and Nocturnes

Another brief review... not really up for writing quite yet, but didn't want to forget my thoughts about what I've been reading.

I think I've read this before, actually. I'm not really a graphic-novel reader (I get distracted by the pictures... which I know is the POINT, but still). But I love Neil Gaiman, and I'd like to read this entire series. So... anyway. Where was I? Oh right. I don't usually read graphic novels, but I liked this one.

I loved the stories, although I really didn't understand very much of them. I feel like I was missing a lot of backstory. For instance: what is this "battle helm" that the Sandman lost/regained? Why is it that particular shape? And what was the whole deal with the madman? How did he know about the Sandman's tools? How did he get into the dream world? Why did everything go so wrong when the Sandman's tools were stolen?

I really didn't understand much of the stories, although I liked them, and I liked the melancholy Dream. I liked the art, too, although it is completely NOT to my taste -- I don't really like it when things remain half unformed and so rough. Rather than inspiring mystery and imagination, it just bothered me. I thought much of it was really ugly. What can I say, I like softer edges, I guess. However, it suited the story and some of the images I liked better than others. I could appreciate it, even though I didn't personally feel drawn to it.

And of course, I loved Death, in the last story. I can't wait to read more about her. And I liked how morose and gloomy Morpheus (Dream, the Sandman) is.

I guess I can sum up by saying that I love the idea, I love the world created in the story, and I loved the characters... so I will definitely be reading more. I know Gaiman himself says that these first ones are just sort of sorting out how the stories are going to be, and that they are rougher than what comes later. So I'll read a few more and see how it goes.