realizes he wasted every holiday for the last year on The Sandman TPBs despite having a Comixology subscription
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As the King of Stories, he could probably pull Daredevil, She-Hulk, and Atticus Finch out of a hat.
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Loved the series on Netflix. I think I only read 1-8 many years ago. Will do again. Thanks! Any idea how/where to get 9-75?? 
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I first encountered Sandman through the Audible performance. I’ve been enjoying the Netflix series and look forward to finally reading the comics.
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So glad you enjoyed the audiobook, and are liking the comics!
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This week’s discussion questions are posted!
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John Constantine is a man who is constantly haunted by the ghosts of his past. He’s the ultimate survivor, but to get there, he inevitably has to sacrifice someone he loves, or who was foolish enough to love him. So, barring bringing them back- which, as John knows, always goes wrong- the least he can do with the King of Dreams in his debt is to do something about the guilt.
I think it plays a lot into a very popular theory that the afterlife, as we know it from near-death experiences, is a dream. That everything we know about the world after this one is the subject of a dying mind projecting a pleasant image as it shuts down. One last dream for the road. Dreams aren’t more powerful than Death, but as Dream himself would tell you, they’re closely related.
Thinking back to the first time I read this, I was certainly intrigued. It’s definitely a story we don’t have all the pieces to. But, as the issue quickly sets up the idea that we haven’t seen the last of Lucifer, I was confident even then that we’d get more context on this story eventually.
It’s one of the most memorable sequences in The Sandman for a reason. It’s all about the power of story, and imagination. It’s every game of imagination and strategy we ever play against each other, unbound by any rule other than the ability to think on one’s feet.
Dreams are often stunning when you’re so set in your ways that you’ve lost concept of any reality or perspective beyond the one right in front of you. This particular revelation of the importance of dreams has a profound impact on Lucifer in particular, which we’ll see more of in the volumes to come.
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- In Sandman #3, we are quickly introduced to John Constantine. What do you think are his motivations in this book?
John’s motivation in this story is simple. One of those extremely powerful entities you’ve heard of shows up and tells you to help it. John is going to do whatever he has to and when it’s over maybe score a favor or two.
- 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?
When life is at it’s worst we still have our dreams to lift our spirits or in this case take away our pain.
Based on the scene then it’s kind of open ended. Did she die or was she invited into the dreaming? Or maybe Death and her can talk about Morpheus’ show of mercy.
- 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?
That Morpheus is just as flawed as mortals. Here is someone he claims to love but has doomed her to hell, literally.
Slightly confusing but a great hook for a future story.
- 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?
That Choronzon wasn’t the brightest flame in the pyre. I get it you traded for it fair and square. Unfortunately it was stolen from Dream and your first thought was challenging him to a contest of imagination. Should have given it back and had him owe you.
Loved it, a contest limited by only what you could think up.
- 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?
For Choronzon, a demon of hell who knows nothing of hope it was like asking some born blind how the color blue makes them feel. As for Lucifer it was more like an insult. Did this guest in my realm just use hope in front of me the king of the hopeless? It was essentially viewed as a slight against the Lightbringer who was once a being of hope. At least in my opinion.
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Week 2
- In his conversation with Hettie on page 6, he mentions wanting to save the world generally, but I think his motivation for partaking in this issue’s story in particular is a hope that Dream will cure his nightmares.
- I don’t know about dreams vs death. I think that the Rachel story has a lot to say about escape (escaping, escapism, etc.). The obvious parallel to draw is that Dream’s sand is like drugs, but there are lots of ways that people escape whatever it is about their lives they are unwilling to cope with. This is clearly shown to be a bad thing, at least in excess. However, I think that Dream’s final act in the story is meant to show that escape (in whatever form it takes for the individual) can be mercy for those no longer able to change their… fate? lives? whatever.
- I was more intrigued than confused. I did wonder whether their backstory had been published previously when this issue came out or if this was a tease for the future, but that’s the beauty of Google and fan Wikis! If I wanna know, I can know.
- It reminded me of Merlin’s duel with Madam Mim in The Sword in the Stone, which made me happy.
- The side of good, in stories where pure good and evil are in conflict, often has to achieve balance, rather than totally eliminate evil, since one can’t exist without the other. However, this is one of the few times that evil is presented with this reality, and in such a simple and logical way too!
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I think he knows that by helping someone like Morpheus, John will have a debt owed to him. There is a little bit of helping him to make sure he goes away too. Also, once he realized that Rachel has the sand he does want to make sure that she is okay.
People are powerful enough to dream of anything. I think this goes along with the scene in the coming chapter in Hell with Hope and dreaming of Heaven. Certain things have no power if you don’t have the ability to dream of a different place.
Morpheus helped Rachel dream of something peaceful as she died and not focus on her death. So to be able to dream of something better and forget what is actually happening to you in that moment is very powerful. I don’t think dreams are more powerful than death but they are similarly very powerful.
I was very confused here. I was convinced I missed something. The show did a bit of a better job explaining this in the moment. But in the series, I just kept reading and I assumed it would be explained more later. But, within the first 8 chapters it was not mentioned again.
I loved it. It’s a great mechanic. Not everyone can physically fight. So to have this scene be a battle of imagination is incredibly brilliant. In a way, the battle is still fought in the same physical manner, someone is always going to be outclassed, but they don’t realize it until partway through the fight.
Choronzon thinks he can fight the King of Dreams and then suddenly realizes he never stood a chance because he lacks imagination, is just a cool concept and so fun. I loved every part of it.
Hopes and Dreams are things that are over looked so frequently. They are not physical. You don’t usually fight with them. What power should they have, right? I think Lucifer and Choronzon were so stunned because if you look at the rest of that fight, I think Hope was the only non-physical attack that was used and it won. No one else thought to go that route, only the King of Dreams. Because Hopes and Dreams are so connected, he was the only one that logically would think of it.
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Both Choronzon and Lucifer were stunned by Morpheus’ use of the concepts of hopes and dreams because they’re the two essential concepts in life and the two powerful concepts that both Lucifer and Choronzon do not understand. In the fourth episode of the Netflix adaptation, Dream uses Hope as his final weapon against Lucifer which is the only thing she’s afraid of and powerless against so Morpheus would win the match which he won over her.
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Anyway, I vote that the next 9 months should also be Sandman book clubs
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Here are my thoughts/answers for this week:
- Constantine does seem motivated more to help people in this story. He’s clearly concerned about Chas’s safety, and he doesn’t try to turn the situation with Morphues to his benefit.
- I think being in a nice happy dream is definitely preferable to Rachel being aware of the shape she’s in and her health, and since Morpheus says it would be a painful death, it’s definitely better for her to be in a happy dream instead of feeling that.
- I’ve read Sandman before, but I really don’t remember who Nada was. It is kind of out of the blue, and doesn’t seem to portray Morpheus in a good light at all.
- I liked it a lot. I enjoy fictional fights that aren’t just two people punching each other, and this was an imaginative one that highlights what makes Morpheus unique, and is appropriate for the setting of Hell.
- I think hope and dreams are two things that generally don’t have much of a place in Hell. In this comic it’s clearly a miserable and torture-filled place, so I doubt anyone there really thinks about hope and dreams much, if at all.
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This week’s discussion questions have been posted!
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I think you made a mistake here. It’s a problem I have pretty often with the forum software here too. Hashtags really get in the way of citing issue numbers in a comic-oriented community.
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Good call out! Editing now.
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I am finally getting back to answering this very thoughtful questions for Sandman 1 and 2
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How do you think dreams shape our waking world (in real life)? Do you think dreams are important to humanity?
Absolutely. For good or ill, someone must have a dream before whatever they dream becomes reality whether these ideas are born during sleeping or waking hours. Our dreams inspire us, and the dream of others can also inspire us or frighten us. -
Why do you think Dream/Morpheus remained so silent during his captivity? What was his goal here?
As an immortal, Morpheus has nothing but time. It was also the most infuriating thing he could have done to Burgess and his descendants. -
What do believe Cain and Abel represent in this story?
At first, I was going to say hope and fear, but that may be too simplistic. They are the two sides of conflict and the shades of point of view that inform conflict. -
The concept of fate is an important in many fantasy stories. What role does fate play in Morpheus’ journey so far?
So far, fate is an inkling of what could happen and an invitation for Morpheus to follow the clues the fates have provided to their very end. It is only by accepting fates vague clues that he will arrive at his eventual fate.
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W1
- How do you feel about Roderick Burgess’s attempt to capture Death? Do you think this is emblematic of humanity’s general goals?
Humans have always wanted to conquer death in one way or another. But it is just something natural yet like many things in nature we try to fight against it rather than expecting it.
- How do you think dreams shape our waking world (in real life)? Do you think dreams are important to humanity?
Yes very important. Dream inspire us reveal fear relive memories and is much more. Many things in the world won’t happen if we didn’t once dream we could do it or if it’s possibilities.
- Why do you think Dream/Morpheus remained so silent during his captivity? What was his goal here?
Just spite and anger. No need to tell his captors anything. His confidence knew he’d escaped just not when so patience is all he needed.
- What do believe Cain and Abel represent in this story?
Just more sides of dreaming. How some people can be bad others good but really it’s just grey.
- The concept of fate is an important in many fantasy stories. What role does fate play in Morpheus’ journey so far?
How fate can be unexpected and not go how you may think. So whatever fate that may be even someone like him may not truly understand it.
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W2
- In Sandman #3, we are quickly introduced to John Constantine. What do you think are his motivations in this book?
He’s just doing his thing. Patching up an old mistake by trying to bring some hood or peace out of it in some way.
- 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?
Yes. Dreams can make death easier. The can even inspire ways to defy or at least lengthen the distance from death. It can also give power to death buy inspire such.
- 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?
It was a bit confusing. The show made it clearer but at first it may take a second glance to get.
- 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?
Definitely a fun fight. A bit more specific in the comics as for the show that made it more visual. But definitely a creative fight inspiring hope as all powerful.
- 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?
Because many thing hopes and dreams to be useless and unrealistic but they are some of the most powerful this there is.
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W3
- 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?
It’s interesting. How fear may influence to try and understand for protection. Or those may have good ideas and thought may lead to agreement but execution of such may be bad.
- 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?
I feel Manhunter so had more meaning or showing the endless’ reach throughout the stars as well as connection to the greater DC. But scarecrow felt more random and comedic. Not unwelcome though.
- 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?
Curiosity. Experimentation. Entertainment. Revenge. A mix of all.
- 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?
A mix of both. Impulses may be dormant or apart of them in some way but Dee brought it all and even warped it for his uses.
- Why do you think Dee is so confident when Morpheus appears? Do you think Dee can actually manage/harness the power of the Ruby?
He’s confident in his power and what the fates mentioned. I don’t think he can harness it. But he will try.
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