Tuesday, December 18, 2012

The Best Graphic Novels Ever #24 -- The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes

24. Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes
by Neil Gaiman and Sam Keith
Published by DC Comics

Finding just one arc from Neil Gaiman's game-changing Sandman series for this list of best graphic novels would be impossible, so I didn't. You'll see another volume listed in the posts ahead.

But for the matter at hand, what Gaiman did with this stand-alone volume not only changed the kind of things an author could do with a super-hero character (the Sandman superhero character only appears in a single panel in the book, I believe), but also the kind of story a writer could tell with the graphic storytelling medium, and the way the published package could be treated by the publishing industry.

A hit all around, both critically and from fans, Gaiman took old superhero tropes, modified them, and made readers of superhero fans, fantasy fans, and horror fans alike. This is one of the best books of the genre that tied (and still ties) fandoms together.

For the "rules" I'm using for graphic novel, check the original post.

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