Official DC Book Club: Sandman - Preludes & Nocturnes!

General Discussion Comic Books
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Morpheus has returned…It’s time to enter The Dreaming!

Sandman Book Club
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In celebration of the premier of The Sandman on Netflix, we’re kicking off the August edition of the Official DC Book Club with Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes!

After being imprisoned for 70 years, the King of dreams himself, Morpheus of the Endless, returns to his realm only to discover much has changed since the start of his captivity. Follow Dream as he sets out to reclaim his stolen tools and rebuild the once mighty kingdom of dreams!

Running from August 5th to September 1st, this Book Club will cover all of Preludes & Nocturnes! This run includes Sandman #1 - #8, which are free to all registered DCUI users! Grab a snack, find your comfy chair, and join us for weekly discussions in the thread below! Just don’t fall asleep…Morpheus may be waiting for you.

Here are some discussion questions to get things started:

Sandman #1 - #2

  1. How do you feel about Roderick Burgess’s attempt to capture Death? Do you think this is emblematic of humanity’s general goals?

  2. How do you think dreams shape our waking world (in real life)? Do you think dreams are important to humanity?

  3. Why do you think Dream/Morpheus remained so silent during his captivity? What was his goal here?

  4. What do believe Cain and Abel represent in this story?

  5. The concept of fate is an important in many fantasy stories. What role does fate play in Morpheus’ journey so far?

Sandman #3 - #4

  1. In Sandman #3, we are quickly introduced to John Constantine. What do you think are his motivations in this book?

  2. Morpheus helps Rachel find a peaceful end to her life, as she dreams happily of a life with John. What does this say about the power of dreams? Based on this scene/sequence, do you think dreams are more powerful than death?

  3. In Sandman #4, Morpheus interacts with Nada, as she sits imprisoned in Hell. What do you think of this side-story? If you are unfamiliar with the Nada plot-line, do you think this was confusing as a reader?

  4. The battle between Morpheus and Choronzon is an iconic sequence in Sandman history. What do you make of this conflict? Did you enjoy the mechanics the two used to fight each other?

  5. Hopes and Dreams are two central themes in this story arc. Why do you think both Choronzon and Lucifer were so stunned by Morpheus’ use of these concepts?

Sandman #5 - #6

  1. How do you feel about the dynamic between Dr. Dee and Rosemary? For a moment, it seems like trust and understanding is established between the two…how do you think these concepts impact their relationship?

  2. The inclusion of classic characters like Scarecrow and Martian Manhunter is an interesting move in the Sandman’s journey–how do you feel about their appearances in Issue #5?

  3. Sandman #6 is one of the most iconic (and darkest) books in the Sandman universe. What do you think was Dee’s motivation for unleashing the power of the Ruby on the diner patrons?

  4. What do you think of the diner patrons’ actions? Do you think they’re just acting on impulse, or do you think Dee actually brought out the worst in them?

  5. Why do you think Dee is so confident when Morpheus appears? Do you think Dee can actually manage/harness the power of the Ruby?

Sandman #7 - #8

  1. As Morpheus confronts Dee, he baits Dee, and escapes into the Dreaming. Did you think he had a plan with this move, or did you think Morpheus was just trying to buy time?

  2. What do you think is Dee’s motivation for killing Morpheus? Why do you think he is so consumed by this obsession with control and power?

  3. Morpheus tells Dee “you are tampering with the order of things”. What do you think Dream meant by this?

  4. At the start of Issue #8, we meet an iconic member of the Endless–Death. What is/was your initial opinion of Death, when she first entered the story?

  5. How do you think this portrayal of the concept of Death compares to how death is portrayed in other media (books, movies, shows, etc.)? Do you think this is a “better” version of Death?

  6. [BONUS QUESTION]: If you have watched/are watching Sandman on Netflix, how do you think Kirby Howell-Baptiste portrays the character of Death? Do you enjoy the TV adaptation of this important character?

  7. [BONUS QUESTION]: How do you think Issue #8 compares to Issue #7?

As always, we also have some awesome Sandman themed digital bookmarks and wallpapers for your desktop and mobile devices that you can download for free!

Digital Bookmarks
Desktop Wallpapers
Mobile Wallpapers

Happy reading, Book Clubbers!

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I’ve never read the book before and know it’s @HubCityQuestion favorite character and series, Think I’ll give it a try and read the book. :grinning: While reading I think I’ll listen to the song from ‘Back To The Future’ “Mr. Sandman.”

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I haven’t read the Sandman since I was a kid. I loved it. I’ve been thinking about rereading it, now that the show is here. Reading it again with the book club is the perfect inspiration to get my lazy butt in gear and start reading!

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Heck yeah! Glad we could give ya a good reason to dive back in!

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Never read this but has been on my list for a while. Guess it’s time to move it up.:sweat_smile:

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This is my all time favorite comic. Excited for new people to discover it here.

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Never read sandman but I heard that it was very good from my dad and my sister.

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You should join us for the book club! Sandman 1-8 is free to read all month!

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Sweet! I read these chapters for the first time a couple weeks ago! I loved them. I can’t wait to see what everyone else thinks of them.

Any chance the rest of the series will be on here soon? :pleading_face:

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I slowly read through the first two trade paperbacks recently in anticipation of the TV adaptation.

It was still as good as I remembered but having read and reread the series a few times in the late 90s and early 2000s, I probably hadn’t read through it in more than 10 years, so there was a lot I’d forgotten in that time.

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I also recommend Sandman Overture

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Thankyou, I’ll keep that in mind.:grinning:

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I wouldn’t recommend reading Sandman Overture until after you read the original Sandman run, personally. It benefits a lot from knowing what was written before it.

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It also happens to appear in the single worst Doctor Who episode that was neither written nor produced by Chris Chibnall.

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The first week of Sandman discussion questions are up!

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The comic is amazing. The Netflix series is absolutely amazing.

Not amazing? DC Infinite being cheap and not giving us the full run of The Sandman. And then you’re only giving the first 8 issues for one month??

Seriously? This comic has been around for 33 years and DCI can’t give us the full run? Just like they did with American Vampire. They added AV 1976, but did not give us the stories leading up to AV1976.

This is why Marvel Unlimited is always much better at content. DC is cheap with their selections for the subscribers of DCI.

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So you know, the Mods have said a couple times in a few different threads that the full series coming to DCUI is a work in progress right now. I don’t know what a timeline for it is or anything else. But as someone who also want to read the rest of the series, I understand your pain. I’m sure it will be on here as soon as it is able to be.

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Sandman has been on my “to be read” list almost since it was first published and had decided to read it before watching the series. This read along couldn’t have been better timed. I’ve just read the first issue and am completely hooked.

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Love it! Glad the timing worked out–welcome to the Dreaming!

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I imagine part of it has to do with the arrangements needed to be made with Neil Gaiman. The rights are a bit complicated. That’s true of many Vertigo titles which tended to give creators a greater control of their work than the typical for-hire contracts with the main DC. Sandman is one of the weird ones that started out in the DCU before Vertigo was established.

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